The model of academic publishing is upheld by clear quality standards. And these standards are maintained by quality control methods. Before publication, each research paper must go through peer review, usually carried out by external experts.
As well as peer review, there are other methods of ensuring the integrity of published research. Here, we’ll look at the numerous ways of maintaining quality control as a journal.
What is quality control?
Quality control is a general term for ensuring that a finished product meets the required standards. Within academic publishing, the term covers a range of measures that a journal will use to ensure high-quality and ethically sound research.
This is not only to protect the reputation of the journal. Since it enters the public sphere, academic research also has a responsibility to society. Therefore, it must pass quality standards and certain checks.
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Quality control measures are not always uniformly applied, and there are different ways to implement these measures. But what are some common quality control measures most journals employ?
Initial screening
When a research paper is first submitted to your journal, an initial review should be conducted as part of quality control. This is where someone checks the paper for its general suitability for publication.
The content as well as the technical standards of the research paper need to be assessed. The research paper should comply with the general and journal-specific requirements for publication, such as scope and formatting rules.
Given that they are representatives of journals with extensive editorial knowledge, the initial screening is usually carried out by the Editor-in-Chief of a journal. However, other available journal team members can also assist in this process.
To ensure the initial screening stage runs smoothly, it may also be beneficial to understand what screening guidelines are and how they can support your journal.
Plagiarism checks
A key aspect of quality control is knowing how to avoid plagiarism creeping into your publishing output. Therefore, something else that can be done alongside the initial screening is a plagiarism check.
A plagiarism check is to ensure the originality of the submitted research, and that it hasn’t been directly copied from another already published source. Plagiarism checkers (also called detectors) are tools that can scan a document and then compare it to existing works. There are many different options available, so do the research to ensure you choose the most appropriate. Choosing the wrong detector for your journal’s needs can potentially result in a costly bill for an unnecessary service.
Peer review
After a research paper passes the initial screening and any plagiarism checks, it can be sent for official peer review.
Peer review is when research is evaluated by experts in relevant fields. The primary aims of peer review are to ensure (and improve) the quality of a manuscript and to provide credibility to the research.
The peer review process is important for your journal. Yes, it helps maintain rigorous academic standards, but it also helps establish a positive reputation for your journal. If researchers and others see that your journal is publishing high-quality, pioneering research, then that reputation goes far in terms of future visibility and submissions.
English editing
Using English editors prior to publication is necessary for quality control. Using them ensures that a research paper adheres to the correct usage of punctuation, spelling, and grammar, as well as journal house rules.
There may have already been comments on, or amendments made to, the written English of a paper during peer review. However, it’s the job of in-house or external English editors to ensure that the right changes are made.
This brings us to the next point: what kind of editors to use. There are generally two kinds: freelance and in-house editors. Both have strengths and weaknesses to be aware of.
Using freelance editors allows for a very high degree of flexibility. The more editors you have available, the more you have available to you at any given time. However, employee turnover can be high for freelancers. They may have their sights set on bigger projects elsewhere. This may also mean that editing standards may fluctuate for freelancers. If their long-term plans don’t involve working for your journal, they might not maintain high levels of editing across the board.
Proofreading
Proofreading serves as the last line of defense against errors, ensuring that any grammatical mistakes, inconsistencies, or issues of clarity are corrected before publication.
During proofreading, a team of editors checks a manuscript from various angles. Proofreading editors may leave comments for the authors to check before publication. Responsibilities that fall to proofreading editors range from ensuring authors’ names are spelled correctly to confirming references are detailed and correct. This step during quality control is very important, as small mistakes can compromise the whole manuscript.
Using journal management systems to aid your journal
As you can see, ensuring quality control during your journal’s production process involves juggling many tasks and considerations. This is where journal management systems can keep your journal afloat.
From submission to publication, journal management systems streamline every step, enabling you to focus on advancing research and growing your journal. Do your research first and see which pricing models are scalable for the needs of your journal, which you can achieve by using a pricing simulator.