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Atla Open Press: TCB

This guide provides information for authors, prospective authors, readers and editors of the publications of Atla Open Press

Summary

TCB's editorial workflow can be visualized in four stages: Recruitment, Review, Production, and Release & Promotion. Click the links in the columns below for further details.

Glossary
EiC – Editor-in-Chief
OJS – Open Journal Systems

Recruitment

The EiC is responsible for ensuring that all content is received by the submission deadlines. 

  1. The EiC sends reminders to contributors in advance of the submission deadline. 
  2. The EiC coordinates compilation and submission of LC content, Bibliographies, and Professional Development by individual editorial board members.
  3. The editorial board collaborates to recruit content for "Perspectives & Practices" and the “Reviews” section via direct contact with potential contributors inside and outside of Atla, as well as putting out calls for submissions through Atla's blog and newsletter, on the atla-tech listserv, various other technical services and cataloging listservs, appropriate Facebook pages, tweeting, etc.

Review

The editorial board shares responsibility for evaluating all submissions, working with contributors to ensure they are of acceptable quality, and sending accepted submissions to production.

  1. The EiC receives email notification of a new submission from OJS.
  2. The EiC assigns themself as "Journal editor" for the submission.
  3. The EiC will run all external submissions through the plagiarism checker.
  4. For internally authored content, the EiC reviews the submission with the single step submission review.
  5. For externally authored content, the EiC assigns incoming submissions to editors.
    1. Editors make an initial assessment for focus and quality.
    2. After review, editors record a decision.
      • If major changes are required, the editor starts a discussion under the “Review Discussions” heading with the author to request revisions. This will notify the author that they have been added to the discussion in OJS. The editor will work with the author within this stage until the submission reaches an acceptable form. The revised file should be uploaded.
        (Note: the email indicates they were added to the discussion for the submission and provides the subject line of the discussion and a link).
  6. Copyediting occurs as required by the submission:
    • If only minor changes are required, the EiC makes these at their own discretion, uploads the revised file and starts a conversation with the author to notify them that the submission was accepted.
    • If major changes are required, the EiC starts a discussion under the “Copyediting Discussions” heading with the author to request revisions. This will notify the author that they have been added to the discussion in OJS.
      The EiC will work with the author within this stage until the submission reaches an acceptable form. The revised file should be uploaded.
      (Note: the email indicates they were added to the discussion for the submission and provides the subject line of the discussion and a link).
  7. The assigned editor verifies that any included images meet the visual materials guidelines. Atla staff can be consulted by starting a conversation in OJS.
  8. Once copyediting is complete, or if no changes are required, the editor starts a conversation with the EiC under the copyediting tab to communicate this and to confirm that images (if there are any) meet the visual materials guidelines.
  9. The EiC conducts a final review, then sends the submission to production and assigns a proofreader.

Production

An outside proofreader is responsible for proofreading. Atla staff are responsible for layout and design. The editorial board is responsible for selecting a cover image. The EiC is responsible for providing editorial content and finalizing the order of contents.

  1. The proofreader for externally created submissions will notify the EiC when it is completed by replying to the proofreading request discussion on the Production tab for the submission. 
  2. The EiC will then assign the Production Editor. If the submission includes images, the EiC will include a note confirming that the images meet the visual materials guidelines.
  3. The Production Editor will generate individual article galleys for each contribution to TCB and will notify EiC when these are ready for review.
  4. While galleys are being prepared, the editorial board selects a cover image, and emails it to Atla staff with appropriate attribution.
  5. As galleys are completed, the Production Editor notifies the EiC by replying to the galley request discussion on the Production tab for the submission.
  6. As galleys become available, the EiC reviews them and requests any needed changes.
  7. The Production Editor makes needed changes.
  8. The EiC notifies the Production Editor that galleys have been approved.
  9. Atla staff loads the final individual submission galleys into OJS under the Publication tab and assigns them to the issue.

Release & Promotion

Atla staff are responsible for publishing the new issue in OJS. The editorial board is responsible for promoting the release.

  1. A week prior to publication, the EiC submits a newsletter announcement to connect@atla.com and posts an announcement to atlantis@atlanow.com.
  2. Atla staff verifies all issue metadata and contents and publishes the new issue to the TCB website.
  3. Atla staff informs the EiC that the issue has been published.
  4. The editorial board uses any other channels at their disposal to promote the new issue and directs authors to the Atla LibGuide for suggestions to promote their own work.

Version

TCB Workflows and Procedures for OJS 3.3.0
Prepared October 2019
Last revised November 2023

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.