Growing an academic journal is a process dependent on numerous factors, such as increasing your readership and submission volume. And improvements can take a long time to materialize and help you establish your journal’s brand within a crowded publishing landscape. Just as starting up can be tough, so can recognizing when it’s time to focus on scaling your journal.
That’s why you need to be aware of the clear signs that indicate that your journal is ready to scale, such as consistent submissions volumes, waitlisted reviewers, and infrastructure strains.
As a journal you also need to be mindful of scaling too early or too late. Rushing decisions on scaling can, ironically, cost time. Any difficulties encountered by hasty decision-making will need to be addressed with reallocated resources. Likewise, delaying scaling your journal may mean that you waste opportunities to get the most out of your resources. With all this in mind, we’ll show you the steps to take to effectively scale your journal.
What is an academic journal?
Before we look at scaling your academic journal, let’s look at the basics of what an academic journal is and how one should operate.
An academic journal is a peer-reviewed periodical that publishes original research by scholars in relevant fields. A lot of academic journals tend to have a narrow research focus. They specialize in the production, publication, and dissemination of research articles covering specific subjects. One example of an academic journal would be MDPI’s Microplastics, a journal which investigates the presence and risks of microplastics.
The purpose of an academic journal is to act as a platform for research publications. Journals aim to ensure widespread sharing of pioneering research within academic communities and beyond. They do so by focusing on research visibility and impact and the long-term preservation of knowledge. Academic journals, especially those supporting open access, facilitate accessibility to up-to-date information, fostering engagement and discussion around the world.
Signs your journal is ready to scale
Growth as an academic journal can be difficult to detect, especially at the beginning of your publishing journey. That’s why you need to be receptive to subtle (and not-so-subtle) signs that your journal is ready to scale.
Consistent submission volume
A sustained and predictable submission volume is one of the key signals that a journal is ready for scaling. This does not necessarily mean a dramatic surge in submissions, but rather a steady inflow of research articles across publication cycles.
When a journal consistently receives more submissions than its current editorial team can manage efficiently, it suggests growing recognition and trust within the academic community. For open access journals in particular, consistent submissions indicate that authors value the journal’s visibility, accessibility, and research impact. At this stage, growing your journal often requires expanding editorial capacity to maintain reasonable decision times and a positive author experience.
Waitlisted reviewers
Reviewer availability is critical to the success of academic journals. Often, journals may struggle to find a reliable pool of reviewers. However, journals experiencing increased visibility and reputation might have the opposite problem.
A waitlist for reviewers means that your volume of incoming submissions and subsequent manuscripts needing review are outpacing the size of your initial reviewer pool. This means your reviewers may become overburdened with the extra workload. Peer review is key to maintaining research quality and integrity, so ensuring your review pool is large enough to accommodate demand is necessary. Persistent reviewer bottlenecks are a clear sign that scaling your journal, whether through editorial board expansion or improved reviewer management, should be taken seriously.
Infrastructure strains
A journal’s reputation and visibility do not always increase in line with operational capacity. Early-stage journals may rely on manual workflows or basic systems that work well at low volumes but struggle as submissions and published articles increase.
Common infrastructure strains include outdated manuscript submission platforms, limited production capacity, and delays in copyediting or publication. For open access journals, where rapid dissemination of research is fundamental to knowledge growth and accessibility, such inefficiencies can undermine author confidence. When infrastructure limitations begin to affect turnaround times or quality control, it’s clear that the journal has outgrown its existing setup.
JAMS is a journal management system that effortelessly handles incoming submissions and manuscript production for journals. Editors can manage workflows from a centralized dashboard, assign reviewers, and make decisions with full visibility, supported by automated notifications. Accepted manuscripts are seamlessly transitioned to production, ensuring timely publication. Advanced analytics track submissions, peer review timelines, and performance, helping publishers optimize processes and plan for growth.
Scaling too early vs. scaling too late
Scaling your journal carries two kinds of risk. Firstly, scaling too early may lead to unnecessary expenses that have a detrimental effect on future growth. For example, investing in advanced infrastructure to deal with submission volumes won’t have a positive cost-benefit if those submission volumes aren’t consistent. These kinds of issues can be common for smaller journals that have experienced seasonal increases in submissions waves but are yet to firmly establish their identity and audience.
On the contrary, scaling too late is equally harmful, just for different reasons. Sufficient growth without upgrading operational capacity often results in overburdened editors. Additionally, long review times and production delays may force authors to publish their research elsewhere. Research fields are competitive; acquiring the best research before others do ensures the long-term growth and standing of your journal.
Scaling, then, is all about monitoring developments over the long term and making informed decisions at the right time.
Steps to take to effectively scale your journal
Once the signs are clear, scaling your academic journal should be approached strategically. Here are some steps to take to effectively scale your journal.
- Strengthen the editorial structure: Expanding the editorial board or appointing section editors distributes workload more evenly and improves editorial efficiency.
- Invest in better infrastructure: Modern, robust manuscript management systems and production workflows enable journals to handle higher volumes of research articles effectively, essential for growing open access journals.
- Expand reviewer network: Actively recruiting reviewers, offering recognition, and providing clear review guidelines helps maintain peer-review quality as submission volumes increase.
- Consider broadening research scope: A broader research scope for your journal may improve visibility by appealing to a wider variety of interests in the academic and public spheres.
By recognizing the right signals and scaling deliberately, academic journals can grow sustainably while continuing to serve researchers, readers, and the broader academic ecosystem effectively.