LoginPreprints and Continuous Publication in OJS 3.6
The Public Knowledge Project (PKP) has unveiled one of the most transformative updates to the Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform:
Preprints and Continuous Publication are now natively integrated in OJS 3.6 — a long-awaited step toward faster, more transparent, and flexible scholarly communication.
Developed under the Open Research Europe (ORE) initiative and funded by the European Commission, this release redefines how journals can manage the flow of research—from first submission to final publication.
“With OJS 3.6, journals can publish preprints, release articles continuously, and update versions without losing transparency.”
🚀 Key Advancements in OJS 3.6
1. Preprint Workflow Integration
Editors can now publish submissions before peer review as Author’s Original (AO) versions, and later upgrade them to Version of Record (VoR) once peer review is complete.
How it works:
- Submit → Publish as Preprint (AO)
- Peer review and production → Publish as Version of Record (VoR 1.0)
- Minor correction → VoR 1.1
This unified workflow means journals no longer need separate systems like OPS to handle preprints.
Example: A paper can be made public as a preprint today and officially released as a peer-reviewed VoR version next month, all within the same OJS installation.
🎥 Watch the official presentation: Preprints and Continuous Publication in OJS 3.6 – thanks to OSS ORE and the European Commission.
2. Continuous Publication Model
Traditionally, OJS tied every article to a journal issue.
Now, with Continuous Publication, that limitation is gone.
Editors can:
- Publish articles immediately, without waiting for an issue to close.
- Assign those articles to an issue later, if desired.
- Organize content thematically using categories rather than issues.
“Publish first, organize later — OJS 3.6 makes it possible.”
This model benefits open-access and fast-moving journals that value immediacy and reader access.
🧭 Adopting the NISO JAV Standard
OJS 3.6 introduces formal terminology and structure through the NISO Journal Article Versioning (JAV) standard.
This ensures interoperability between publishers, repositories, and indexing systems.
| Term | Meaning | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Author’s Original (AO) | Preprint | The author’s version prior to peer review. |
| Version of Record (VoR) | Published Record | The final, peer-reviewed and accepted article. |
| Semantic Versioning | Transparent Tracking | A structured numbering system: 1.0 (initial), 1.1 (minor correction), 2.0 (major revision). |
Each revision is preserved and citable — improving traceability and trust in the scholarly record.
🧩 Three Publishing Models, One Platform
OJS 3.6 allows journals to combine or choose between three workflows:
- Traditional Issue-Based Publishing
- Peer review → Issue assignment → VoR 1.0 publication.
- Hybrid Preprint → VoR Publishing
- Early Preprint (AO) release → later upgraded to VoR 1.0 (and minor updates like 1.1).
- Fully Continuous Publishing (No Issues)
- Articles appear immediately and are organized by categories or thematic collections.
- Issue-related fields are automatically hidden for simplicity.
Tip: Editors can mix and match — some sections may follow issues, others continuous publication.
⚙️ Simplified Editor Experience
📋 Streamlined Workflow Interface
- The Version Management tool has been moved to a clear sidebar.
- The Schedule for Publication button can now be used from the earliest stages.
- Editors can decide for each article whether it’s a Preprint, VoR, or Continuous Publication item.
🏠 Homepage Display Options
Editors can now select which components appear on the journal’s homepage:
- Current Issue
- Most Recent Articles (for continuous publication)
- Thematic Categories
All can be displayed independently or together.
🔗 DOI, URLs, and Indexing Compatibility
- Each version (AO and VoR) can have a distinct DOI, with cross-links between them.
- Article URLs without version identifiers always point to the latest version—ideal for readers.
- Google Scholar and indexing systems will gradually adapt to versioned metadata as the NISO JAV standard becomes widely recognized.
“Readers always land on the latest version — without losing access to previous ones.”
🧮 Zero-Configuration Philosophy
Gone are the endless checkboxes.
OJS 3.6 introduces a “zero-configuration” approach — editors make decisions at the article level, not in global settings.
Benefits:
- Cleaner setup screens
- More flexibility for hybrid workflows
- Easier long-term maintenance and upgrades
🔮 Roadmap and Performance Outlook
- OJS 3.5 will serve as the Long-Term Support (LTS) version — stable for large datasets.
- OJS 3.6 focuses on innovation and testing new workflows like preprints and continuous publication.
- OJS 3.7 will consolidate these features into the next LTS release.
“3.6 is the testing ground; 3.7 will be the lasting foundation.”
Performance improvements from 3.5 are also being ported to 3.6, ensuring scalability for large journal installations.
🛠️ Coming Soon: In-Platform Typesetting & New Theme
Two major enhancements are in active development:
- Integrated Typesetting Workflow
- Edit article body text directly in OJS.
- Export polished PDFs and HTML versions without external tools.
- Next-Generation Theme System
- Built-in version badges and clearer “Preprint / VoR” indicators.
- Cleaner layout and easier customization via the AI-Theme framework.
🧾 Recommendations for Editors
- Define Your Publication Policy
- Clarify how preprints and continuous publication fit into your journal.
- Establish a Versioning Policy
- Use structured versioning: 1.0 → 1.1 → 2.0.
- Manage DOI Strategy
- Assign separate DOIs for AO and VoR, and link them for indexing.
- Update Homepage and Theme
- Highlight version info and preprint notices clearly.
- Prepare for Indexing Changes
- Maintain consistent metadata and clean URLs for versioned content.
📆 Release Timeline and Journal Support
OJS 3.6 is expected to be officially released during 2025.
This version will not be marked as LTS, as it primarily focuses on testing and refining new workflows.
The following version, OJS 3.7, will integrate these features as part of a stable LTS release.
These details are preliminary and may evolve as development progresses.
Once these features are fully stable and available, we will contact all journal managers we serve to provide guidance, migration options, and implementation support.
Commitment: At OJS-Services.com, we ensure every journal stays aligned with the latest, most stable, and standards-compliant OJS evolution.
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