Moving Open Access to Open Source: Transitioning an Open-Access Journal into the Open Journal Systems Journal Management System

Abstract: From 1994 to 2008, the University of Idaho Library published the Electronic Green Journal, a peer-reviewed, cross-disciplinary, open-access journal on environmental issues. In 2007 the editorial board decided to transition the journal into the Open Journal Systems open-source journal-management system. The new system had to be customized, back issues had to be imported, and the editorial board had to be trained on the new system. By describing the successes and setbacks encountered during this transition, this article provides practical information on both creating and maintaining an open-access journal using a journal-management system.