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Scholarly Journal Publishing Guide

Resources for McGill journal editors

1. Creating a new journal

I would like to start an open access journal, what's next?

Please review our Considerations for New Journals form (PDF - 398 KB).

It is highly recommended that potential journals review pages 1-6 of this guide to understand the scope and complexity of journal publishing. 

Additional Resources:

Open Access Journal Toolkit (OASPA)

Developing Open Access Journals : A Practical Guide

Nuts and Bolts: The Super Long List of Things to Do When Starting a New Journal     

SPARC: Open Access Journal Publishing Resource Index

Creating an Undergraduate Literary Journal: A Production Guide for Students and Faculty

2. Flipping an existing journal

Our journal is currently subscription-based but we are considering going Open Access...

Transitioning to open access has potential benefits such as increased readership and citations. That stated, the transition from a subscription-model to open access requires planning and careful discussion with the journal's stakeholders. 

Harvard Library Office for Scholarly Communication has compiled an excellent guide for journals who are considering moving to open access: 

Converting Scholarly Journals to Open Access: A Review of Approaches and Experiences

Additional resources

Cerejo, C. & and Rajagopalan, J. (May 15, 2015). Tips for Journal Editors Transitioning to Open Access and the Role of Mega-Journals in the Publishing Landscape

Meadows, A. (March 4, 2015). Flipping, not Flopping: Converting Subscription Journals to Open Access.

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