Launch a Journal — Foundation

Overview

“The society approved the journal, the editor is appointed, and now someone has to actually build it.” A credible journal needs a working submission and review system, an ISSN, DOIs, policies that satisfy indexers, and editors who know how to use the platform. Getting those fundamentals right at launch avoids a year of retrofitting later.

The Foundation package is template-based: OJS on the standard theme with your logo and colors, the essential policy set, ISSN administration, DOI infrastructure, editor training and an indexing roadmap that tells you what to build toward and when each database becomes realistic.

Who this is for: professional societies launching a first journal, university departments creating a specialized title, and research groups starting a new open-access journal on a defined budget.

What’s Included

• OJS installation and configuration — hosted by NeucitePress, on your own servers, or build-operate-transfer; journal settings, submission workflow, review forms, user roles and standard email templates customized with your journal name
• Standard OJS theme with your logo and colors, essential pages (about, editorial board, author guidelines, contact), mobile-responsive, with basic search-engine metadata
• Essential policies — aims and scope, peer-review policy, publication ethics statement, author guidelines and open-access license statement, aligned with COPE and DOAJ expectations
• ISSN application administration — eligibility review, application prepared and submitted to your national center, queries handled
• DOI infrastructure — Crossref membership application prepared and the OJS DOI plugin configured
• Google Scholar-compatible metadata configured on article pages
• Editor training — 2-hour session on OJS manuscript management, with quick-reference guides
• Indexing roadmap — the criteria each target database applies, what the journal must accumulate, and the earliest realistic date for each application
• 30 days of post-launch support by email

How It Works

What Stays With Your Editors

The journal’s editors keep final authority over reviewer selection, editorial assessment and acceptance from the first submission. NeucitePress runs the build, registration and training process; under build-operate-transfer, NeucitePress operates the platform for an agreed period and then hands it over.

Important Limitations

• Template-based: standard OJS theme and a basic workflow. Custom identity, configured multi-stage workflows and the extended policy suite are in the Professional package.
• Hosting is separate: NeucitePress hosting is available at $400 per year, or the platform is built on your own servers.
• The price shown is NeucitePress’s professional fee. Fees charged by external organizations, including any ISSN center fee and Crossref’s membership and per-DOI fees, are separate and passed through at cost.
• ISSN assignment is decided by the ISSN center and typically takes 2–6 weeks; Crossref decides membership.
• Indexing applications are not included and cannot be made at launch: every database requires publishing history. The package delivers the roadmap; applications are separate services when the journal becomes eligible.
• OJS only; one journal.

Common Questions

Can we upgrade to Professional later?
Yes. A portion of the Foundation fee is credited toward an upgrade within the first year.

When can we apply to DOAJ or Scopus?
DOAJ requires more than a year of publishing or at least ten open-access research articles; Scopus and Web of Science expect at least two years. The roadmap gives your dates. Inclusion is decided solely by each database.

What is build-operate-transfer?
NeucitePress builds and runs the platform for an agreed period while your team learns it, then transfers full control and credentials to your institution.

Every engagement can begin with the Journal Health Check.