There is a vast number of academic journal websites active in today’s publishing landscape. In the era of open access, there must be enough journals to support the demand within academia and society for vital research to be made accessible.
When we think of journal websites, we generally think of them as sizable PDF archives for academic content. However, there are many other features authors and readers can expect from journal websites today, such as UX, metadata, and searchability.
What are journal websites?
Journal websites are online repositories that host collections of scholarly articles. Typically, journals focus on specific academic disciplines. They are a go-to source for academics and students looking for the latest findings and data in their respective fields.
Access to this scholarly content is made possible by the open access model. A significant percentage of journals have transitioned to online formats. During this transition, an increasing number of journals are also adopting a free-to-access model for their research.
Aiming to disseminate research more widely, open access is a publishing model that removes traditional barriers to access, such as paywalls and subscription packages. Open-access licenses enable scholarly content to be made freely and immediately available upon publication. This way, both authors and readers can benefit from the increased visibility and dissemination of vital information.
Features of journal websites
The hosting of scholarly articles isn’t the only feature of journal websites. They offer a range of features that help facilitate research dissemination and access. Let’s run through some of the most important journal website features.
UX
UX, which stands for User Experience, is the foundation of most journal websites. It refers to how a user interacts with and experiences a product or service. UX design is the process that aims to make these experiences as smooth as possible for users.
Most users interacting with an academic journal website will be hoping to locate specific scholarly content or services as quickly as possible. Designing a site that is easy to navigate and allows information to be discovered with one or two clicks is paramount to user satisfaction. Improving UX may involve improving mobile responsiveness, content display, signposting, and site performance speeds.
If users have a positive experience with the website and spend more time browsing its pages, this increases interactions, conversions, and article downloads over time. In the long run, UX not only makes users stay; it helps bring them back to the website too.
Metadata
Metadata is data that provides information about other forms of data. It usually helps describe, locate, and manage the other data. When it comes to journal websites, metadata is crucial for many reasons, both at the journal and article levels.
At the journal level, information about journals can be found in library catalogs such as WorldCat and indexes such as the Directory of Open Access Journals. Within these catalogs and indexes, you’ll find recognized journals offering quality, peer-reviewed open access content.
At the article level, metadata describes information like the title, authors, date of publication, abstract, keywords, and DOI (Digital Object Identifier). This metadata helps users locate, understand, manage, and reference articles.
Searchability
Searchability refers to how easy it is to find information through search functions. In this sense, it is linked to metadata; searchability is the way the visibility and accessibility of this data are optimized through easy-to-use search features. The organization and structuring of information, and the ease with which it can be retrieved, are all indicators of website searchability.
For journal websites, searchability is useful as there tend to be many kinds of journals available to users. It’s important that researchers can differentiate and navigate between these different sources of information. Specific articles can also be accessed via precise metadata input into the search engine, facilitating research efforts.
Journal websites also make use of SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Specific journals or articles can be searched for via a journal website. However, users may try and locate these sources via external search engines such as Google. Journal websites can aid users in discovering the information they’re looking for by optimizing content so that it appears higher in search engine results.
Learn about how the JAMS team can help you navigate your website’s features.
Managing your journals as an academic publisher
As an academic publisher, knowing how to manage your journals is an important part of journal website optimization.
With a journal website that runs efficiently, the visibility of any journals that are hosted on a website will be improved in the long run. These journals will represent your publisher’s research output and principles. It’s therefore good practice to know how best to manage your journal repertoire.