Introduction to Open Journal Systems: A Platform for Open Access Publishing

Understanding OJS architecture, features, and global impact since 2001

Abstract

Open Journal Systems (OJS) is the world's most widely used open-source journal management and publishing platform, currently powering more than 25,000 active journals across 140 countries. Developed and maintained by the Public Knowledge Project (PKP) since 2001, OJS provides a complete editorial workflow system — from manuscript submission and peer review to production, publication, and indexing.

This introductory article surveys the core architecture of OJS 3.5, explaining its plugin system, multi-journal support, locale framework, and REST API. We examine how OJS enables both small independent journals and large university press operations to publish professional, DOAJ-compliant open-access content at minimal cost.

We conclude with a forward-looking perspective on OJS 3.5's new features — including native highlights, improved statistics, and an expanded theme API — and explain how the OJSPlus ecosystem builds on this foundation to provide premium hosting, support, and design services for journals worldwide.