A: Journals follow a traditional structure whereby an article is published in an issue, which is in turn part of a volume. Peer-reviewed series are not constrained by this hierarchy. Papers in a peer-reviewed series may be published, for example, in a single annual volume (with no issue), for a particular conference, or grouped by subject matter with no systematic classification.

A journal assumes there will be a continuing stream of content appearing at at least somewhat regular intervals (a bare minimum of once a year for several consecutive years). If your content is a one-time-only publishing event, if more content will be added only one or two additional times at sporadic intervals, or if you're not sure the next time you'll add content, a peer-reviewed series may be the more appropriate form.

Similarities between a peer-reviewed series and a journal include the following:

• Content is clearly labeled as "peer reviewed," with a link to a description of your own peer-review process.
• All decisions about what content appears in the series or journal are handled by the faculty unit.
• All responsibilities for editorial, peer-review, publicity, indexing by commercial abstracting and indexing services, etc. are the responsibility of the unit.
• Web pages for peer-reviewed series and journals use a separate template so that peer-reviewed content has a somewhat different look from other eScholarship Repository sites.
• Both a series and a journal provide an alternative to the current scholarly publishing paradigm, allowing for innovation and experimentation in scholarly communication.

Q: Can I have both a peer-reviewed series/journal and a non-peer-reviewed series within the repository?

A: Yes. Many groups start with one or more series for non-peer-reviewed content (e.g., a working papers series), and then later decide to start a journal or inaugurate a peer-reviewed series. You may add a new journal or series—either peer-reviewed or non-peer-reviewed—at any time.

A: The eScholarship Repository infrastructure, including tools for peer-reviewed content, is made available to University of California units without charge at least until April 2005.

Q: Can we charge for our journal or peer-reviewed series?

A: No. Peer-reviewed content, like the rest of the eScholarship Repository, must be able to be browsed and downloaded at no charge.

Q: Can we restrict access to our journal or peer-reviewed series?

A: No, not at this time. The eScholarship Repository and all content in it must be available with no access restrictions. CDL has received requests for repository instances with restricted access and has taken the question under advisement.

Q: Can a graduate student start an eScholarship Repository journal or peer-reviewed series?

A: No. The project must be led by a UC faculty member.

Q: Does all content in our journal or series have to be by UC faculty?

A: No. Only UC centers, research units, and departments can participate in the eScholarship Repository, but content is anything that unit decides to deposit, by any scholar or researcher it selects.

A: A few factors you might want to think about (and you will no doubt come up with others) include: competing publications in the field; need for this journal or peer-reviewed series; intended audience; sponsoring unit's relationship to discipline; and methods of reaching prospective readers.

Q: We're thinking about funding for our journal or peer-reviewed series. What sorts of issues should we keep in mind?

A: To reiterate, the eScholarship Repository infrastructure, including tools for peer-reviewed content, is freely available to University of California units until at least April 2005 and, hopefully, well beyond.

There may be other costs associated with running a publication to contemplate. These include: copyediting and administrative support, publicity, and reviewer payments. Your group should contemplate what costs might be incurred by such an undertaking, as well as possible funding sources to cover these costs.

Q: Are there any other resources available to help in planning an open access journal?

A: The Information Program of the Open Society Institute (OSI) has published three practical guides for developers and publishers of open access journals. The three publications, which were developed under contract with the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC) Consulting Group, are accessible online free of charge at http://www.soros.org/openaccess.

The "Guide to Business Planning for Launching a New Open Access Journal" and the "Guide to Business Planning for Converting a Subscription-based Journal to Open Access," first published in February 2003, are available in updated editions. A companion volume, "Model Business Plan: A Supplemental Guide for Open Access Journal Developers & Publishers," is also available.

The guide for a new open access journal focuses on how to plan for the launch, ongoing operation, and long-term sustainability of a new scholarly journal under a business model that provides for free access to research on an ongoing basis. The guide for an existing subscription-based journal addresses the interests of those contemplating or in the process of converting to an open access model. The supplemental "Model Business Plan" is a chapter-by-chapter handbook for developing a complete business and financial plan.

A: No. Editorial services, copyediting, indexing, and all other publication management functions will be the responsibility of the department or research unit publishing the journal or series.

Q: What kind of support will the CDL offer new journals and peer-reviewed series?

A: The CDL will provide basic set-up and training. This will be supplied through the Berkeley Electronic Press, the software company behind the repository with whom we contract for technical and support services.

Q: Will the CDL make sure my journal is indexed by commercial abstracting and indexing services?

A: No. That is the responsibility of the department or research unit publishing the journal.

Q: Will the CDL do anything to publicize the journal or series?

A: No. Publicity is the responsibility of the department or research unit. The CDL occasionally issues press releases on the repository in general, but you will want to make your own plans for promoting your new journal or series.

A: Yes. Content in eScholarship Repository journals and peer-reviewed series, including associated content, may not be removed or changed once deposited. All journals and peer-reviewed series must have an author review step, which allows authors to verify the final article before it is posted. Otherwise, journals and series follow policies common to the eScholarship Repository as a whole, which are detailed at http://repositories.cdlib.org/escholarship/policies.html.

Q: Will we need to set any policies for our eScholarship Repository?

A: Beyond those policies stated above, any additional policies are up to the individual journal or series. Policies are enumerated in the eScholarship Journals boilerplate, which is filled out as part of the setup process.

Q: Will the CDL help us with identifying and addressing copyright issues connected with starting our journal or peer-reviewed series?

A: No. Copyright and other legal issues are the responsibility of the faculty unit starting the journal or series. According to the participation agreement your unit director has signed, or will sign, your group must have "obtained the necessary copyright assurances" for content deposited in the eScholarship Repository.

Q: Do we need to have author agreements? What should they say?

A: The agreement also obligates your unit to obtain copyright assurances from creators, including authors. We offer suggested language for an author agreement. The final language, the form in which you choose to have your author agreements, and all other details are up to your unit.

A: A few factors you might want to think about (and you will no doubt come up with others) include the composition of your board, the board's role, and how they will be involved in your peer-review process.

Q: We are also establishing our peer-review process. What should we keep in mind?

A: Selection and compensation of reviewers, single vs. double-blind reviewing, and expected review completion time are some topics you may want to consider.

A: The information you submit on the boilerplate form, which is part of the setup process, will populate the buttons for Aims & Scope, Editorial Board, Policies, About Us, etc. This is where you will describe your peer-review process, explain how an author submits an article, delineate rights for authors, give final manuscript preparation guidelines, and explain the purpose and focus of your journal or series, for example. Some boilerplate items are yours to write from scratch. For certain clearly indicated CDL eScholarship Repository policies, no customization is allowed. Otherwise you may change any of the text. Suggested language is provided to assist you.

Q: What is an ISSN? Do I need one for my journal? How do I apply for it?

A: The Library of Congress issues International Standard Serial Numbers (ISSNs). Every eScholarship Repository journal must have one. The ISSN is particularly important for getting your journal indexed in abstracting and indexing databases. You can find out more about ISSNs at http://lcweb.loc.gov/issn/e-serials.html; there is also an FAQ at http://lcweb.loc.gov/issn/faq.html, and information on ISSNs for electronic journals at http://lcweb.loc.gov/issn/e-serials.html.

You will need to apply for your own ISSN. The CDL will not do that for you. The application process is simple and available online at http://lcweb.loc.gov/issn/issn.pdf.

Q: I hear authors can have "associated content" with their article. What do you mean by that?

A: The eScholarship Repository tools allow you to associate content (e.g., images, Excel spreadsheets, Power Point presentations, etc.) with articles. Associated content goes alongside the PDF of the article rather than being contained in the PDF. It is uploaded along with the article. Like the article itself, associated content may not be removed once it is published.

Q: For eScholarship Repository journals, what are the advantages of publishing just a single issue per year? What are the advantages of publishing multiple issues per year?

A: Units publishing a single issue per year can post articles as soon as they are ready; a single "rolling" issue per year remains “open” and allows publication-when-ready of individual articles within it . Multiple issues per year follow the more traditional print journal model and allow you to publish thematic "special issues."