How to Launch an OA Journal

Scientific commitment, motivated members and a wide network of contacts

As for the scientific part, an “active” editorial board is a key factor: it means that an Editor in Chief (EiC) able to gather a good group of people who are not only names is essential.

Some scientific studies have been published that have evaluated the Open Access journals in terms of quality and organization: some of these point out that a new journal does not go through the first 2-3 years from launch if the initial thrust is no longer supported and the journal itself is not alreadywell-established.

Given this, the Open Access approach requires a high level scientific content to produce a reliable journal, and the support of advertising to allow the publisher to maintain high standards of editing management.

PAGEPress asks EiC to take care of scientific contents but the publisher and the scientific board must work together to increase the visibility of the journal in order to make it more attractive to potential authors (from Universities, Laboratories or Research Centres) and to future sponsor partners.

Readership and visibility

As for the readership and the visibility, an Open Access journal enters a worldwide circuit of referencing and harvesting in which the spread of the new journal acquires a level of visibility incredibly higher compared with the traditional journals. Open Access journals are freely accessible to anyone with an internet connection, which significantly broadens their potential readership. This unrestricted access encourages involvement from a diverse audience, including not just academics, but also policymakers, practitioners, students, and the general public.

By removing paywalls, Open Access journals can reach a global audience, including scholars in developing countries who may not have access to subscription-based resources. This inclusivity can lead to a more diverse readership and, potentially, a broader impact on global research and policy. Open Access journals utilize metrics like article downloads, social media shares, and altmetrics to measure reader engagement. These metrics provide insights into how widely and effectively research is being disseminated and used in practice.