OJS 2 vs. 3: Which is best to boost your journals in 2022?

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OJS – Open Journal Systems is a journal management and publishing system. It helps with all stages of the publishing process—the submissions for online publication and indexingOJS Development strives to advance refereed research’s scholarly and public eminence through management systems. It provides exceptionally fine-grained indexing of research purpose and appropriate research context. Furthermore, open access can increase a journal’s distribution and global contribution to boost your journals in 2022.

It includes OJS 2 vs. 3 themes. However, OJS 3 is far more dynamic and customizable than OJS 2. It improves the user interface, navigation systems, theme experience, and workflow. In addition, OJS 3 also has more customizable user functions and task management systems. It also contains an enhanced feedback method for each editorial stage. Furthermore, it assists you in tracking the communications that are critical to the workflow of any submission.

Read below to understand the difference between OJS 2 vs. 3 completely. Furthermore, which is the most effective way to grow your journal in 2022?

Now, let us begin by providing an overview of the Open Journal Systems that are functional for use:

 

Understanding OJS to boost your journals in 2022

It is an open-source software application that manages and publishes scholarly journals. It is the most famous open-source journal publishing platform. Almost 25,000+ journals are using it worldwide. Subsequently, it developed and released PKP in 2001 to improve access to research. Furthermore, OJS is user-friendly and easy to use, particularly for reviewers, publishers, and editors.

 

Major Categories of OJS Development

1. OJS Theme Customization

OJS Theme Customization entails more than just eye-catching graphics. It will give you a customized look that distinguishes your distinct brand. Consequently, it will do away with the “one template fits all” approach of OJS pre-made themes. Instead, each OJS theme creates with great thought and care. It ensures clean, flexible, and visually appealing so that your journal stands out!

Each OJS theme design is mobile-friendly and natively responsive, relies entirely on plugins, and install in less than 5 minutes. Furthermore, each OJS theme includes free installation and post-installation support 24 hours a day, seven days a week. “responsive” refers to a website automatically optimized for various screen sizes and devices. Because of this responsiveness, your target visitors will be able to view your website on any device. It contains three MULTIPLE LAYOUT OJS themes:

 

1. Classic OJS themes

It is ideal for journal start-ups and small-to-medium-sized publishers in various fields and industries.

2. Modern themes

It designs to take your publishing to the next level. These themes build on a modular, responsive, and developer-friendly Bootstrap foundation. It is an excellent choice for publishers who value good design.

3. Custom OJS themes

It will convert OJS into nearly any layout or creative OJS theme design you require for your business. It entails developing a framework to implement a Content Management System (CMS). In addition, it transformed OJS into a sophisticated journal management system for enterprise-level publishing. These features provide greater flexibility and functionality, elevating your Open Journal Systems to a new level of professionalism.

 

2. OJS Customization

It is to tailor and streamline the OJS Manuscript Tracking System. It changes how each manuscript submitted to your journal manage during the peer-review and editing stages. Furthermore, it specializes in analyzing. Finally, it translates your OJS workflow requirements into your OJS platform.

It is critical to reduce training time, increase system familiarity, and develop a cost-effective publishing model. The goal is to provide a personalized, user-friendly platform that works for you.

Suppose you want to look at one of the best OJS Development agencies. Then, click here to learn more.

 

3. OJS Plug-In Customization

It aids in the publication process. It enables ojs development to expand its functionality without modifying the core programOJS plugins are small pieces of code. It permits you to easily add new features that are critical to the success of your OJS journal.

 

It includes an HTML editor plugin for articles, graphic metrics for papers. Furthermore, it consists of a PayPal Pro plugin, slideshow plugins, carousel plugins, newsletter subscription plugins, and many more.

 

Understand Differences between OJS 2 vs. 3

Here are some attributes that can help you understand the main difference between OJS 2 vs. 3.

 

Problems in OJS 2

OJS  2 primarily employs PHP version 5, which may jeopardize the security of your ojs development. 

A malware attack affected a large number of OJS 2 users. It causes submission’s loss. Consequently, it occurs due to a security flaw in OJS 2.

Hence, articles and data related to submissions are the gems in your journal. Unfortunately, when you allow your OJS to use version 2, you open the door for hackers to enter your server. It deletes submission data or articles and steals your journal users’ private data. In addition, they can even use journals for identity forgery. Eventually, that can jeopardize the credibility of your journal. Hence, it tarnishes the reputation you’ve built over the years.

 
 

The PKP OJS developer is no longer maintaining OJS 2.

Currently, PKP developers are concentrating on OJS 3 maintenance and development.

Compared to the prototype version of OJS 2, OJS 3 has more intensely maintained, as evidenced by the access date. Eventually, OJS 3 helps to boost your journals in 2022.

The user interface in OJS 2 is abysmal.

It’s not for nothing that PKP released OJS 3 as their most recent version of OJS.

Despite new features and flexibility, the OJS 2 interface is abysmal. The default OJS 2 theme text is minimal, with unnoticed padding, margins, and spacing. The site’s usability will suffer as a result of using OJS 2.

It’s no surprise that many publishers who still use OJS 2 as their base platform will change the look of OJS 2 to make it more readable in terms of font size and layout.

 
 

OJS 2 Responsive Display Restrictions

It has limited responsive display support. However, a responsive display can adjust its size to fit devices. However, this approach implements in OJS 3. It makes the journal’s front end responsive or changes based on the user device or screen size.

The limited responsive display feature on OJS 2 will result in a poor user experience. The site will appear the same on all devices. However, each user now has a unique instrument with a different screen size. When considered on a mobile or tablet, the font will appear smaller. Henceforth, OJS 2 serves only one screen size, which is desktop.

 

There is no discussion for OJS 2 on the PKP.

Hence, PKP continues to support the use of OJS 2. But the forum focuses on OJS 3 currently. Therefore, OJS 2-related topics appear infrequently in this forum.

It demonstrates that OJS users and ojs developers prefer OJS 3 over OJS 2. PKP PN, Keywords, Payment Plugins, and other previously available OJS 2 are now available in OJS 3. It also has some new plugins, such as Google Citation and other new plugins. Furthermore, a third party also creates additional plugins for OJS 3. Therefore, we can anticipate OJS 3 can boost your journals in 2022.

Features in OJS 3 

Distinct and Focused Interface

The interface between the front-end and back-end sides divides into two different layouts. The front-end interface showcase that most visitors will see or the display for journal readers. In contrast, the back-end interface is the layout for individuals participating in OJS publications. Such as author, reviewer, editorial, and other user roles.

 

Because of the clear distinction between front-end and back-end, each publisher can create the best OJS theme design for their journal. For instance, they are incorporating Bootstrap 3 libraries or other design ideas. These features are a wise decision for any author/reviewer. An author who wishes to submit/review an article will have the same user interface familiarity across all OJS 3 systems.

It also allows for the front-end to design with a mobile-first mindset. By default, OJS 3 implements a responsive design on the front-end page, making it easier to explore the journal.

 
 

OJS 3 Robust Ecosystem

In OJS 3, an increasing number of plugins are being released, either by a single ojs developer or by an ojs development agency. Every essential plugin is now available from OJS 2 to OJS 3. As a result, the OJS 3 has more plugins than the OJS 2. In addition, it has more sophisticated features that can extend the functionality of your OJS.

Many of these plugins are brand new and are only available for OJS 3. The wonderful thing is that many of these plugins are available for free (with limited support from the developer). For example, PaperBuzz, Shibboleth, and OpenID plugins are now available with single-click installation on OJS 3. Furthermore, it includes other plugins, such as JATS or the complete publishing plugin for OJS 3. It will help you to boost your journals in 2022.

 

Stage of the submission procedure

OJS 3 introduces the article-related staging procedure. Consequently, it will be easier for the editorial team to check or evaluate the process. For example, what is the nature of the conflict at each stage? Before publishing, make a list of the feedback on the procedure.

OJS 3, like OJS 2, provides email notifications. It can easily incorporate by filling out the email configuration on the config file. It will notify the required OJS user at each article stage to boost your journals in 2022.

 

Improved Theming

OJS 3 introduces a theme that any developer can easily extend. PKP even provides documentation for improving or developing a new OJS theme tailored to your journal. Since OJS 3.1.2-4 has improved theme development by employing the parent-child theme approach. It is similar to WordPress, in which the developer can extend the functionalities of a theme.

 

They can create an extension for it by inheriting the theme functionality. Furthermore, they can only make the required file layout for a specific page.

 

Any journal can benefit from an integrated statistic.

OJS 3 now includes crucial statistical data that the journal manager can view. This feature is available without installing or configuring the OJS development system with best ojs hosting providers. You can download statistics for articles, editorial activity, users, or even a report on this feature.

 

Final Words: Which is best to boost your journals in 2022?

Upgrading and maintaining your OJS demonstrates that you are attempting to convey that your journals are worth reading. You make many efforts to advance the OJS platform to boost your journals in 2022.

Here, we have mentioned some of the differences and thoughts of OJS 2 vs. OJS 3. If you have any additional suggestions for OJS 3’s new features, please leave them in the comments section. At the same time, if you have any queries regarding OJS 2 vs. OJS 3, you can contact an internet marketing agency that offers a one-stop solution to all your needs.


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