Scholars are extremely busy people — there’s no getting around it. So whether seeking referees for manuscripts, onboarding new editors, or managing day-to-day publishing operations, it’s paramount for journals to have efficient processes designed to save time, not expend it.
At Scholastica, we know that starts with having intuitive journal management systems in place. Because no one should have to slog through learning how to navigate complex signup processes for journal peer review and publishing platforms or struggle to complete their work once logged in. That’s why we prioritize user experience in the development of our journal peer review, production, and Open Access (OA) hosting solutions above all else, and we’re always looking for ways to enhance our software design. In our latest round of product updates, we’ve:
- Improved the registration process for newly invited journal editors and referees
- Introduced a more streamlined save-as-you-go reviewer feedback form
- Revamped our OA publishing platform PDF article creation form with better metadata support
Read on for the full details!
An even better registration experience for newly invited editors and reviewers
We know the experience new editors and reviewers have accepting an invitation to work with your journal will shape their first impression of your editorial processes, and we want to make it count. So we’ve revamped the Scholastica registration form included in first-time editor and reviewer invite emails sent from the platform to be even more user-friendly.
Pictured above is the new form as it appears in reviewer invitations. The same form design is now also used for editor invitations, with different instructive text, of course.
The new registration form design is more streamlined and responsive, so editors and reviewers can sign up for Scholastica anywhere, whether using a desktop or mobile device. It also includes a password validator to help new users ensure they’ve input their desired login credentials correctly. And there is help text letting editors and reviewers know they can change their primary contact information as needed if they want to use a different email address than the one you invited them with. Upon accepting the invitation, the new reviewer or editor will see a confirmation screen with easy instructions to log into Scholastica and start their assignment.
Once a newly invited editor or reviewer creates a Scholastica account, they will be able to use the same login credentials for all of their Scholastica needs moving forward. For example, any time you send a review request to a referee you already invited to Scholastica, they’ll be able to log into their existing account to accept or decline that assignment and take any next steps.
More streamlined save-as-you-go reviewer feedback form
Life happens — including when peer reviewers are in the middle of writing their comments. We know reviewers may need to step away from their computer mid-completing a manuscript feedback form in Scholastica to attend to other tasks, and we want them to be sure they’ll be able to save any unfinished work until they return. So we’ve updated the peer review feedback form to include improved save-as-you-go functionality.
Now, at each stage of completing a manuscript feedback form, reviewers will have the option to save the “current progress” of their work proactively. So if they have to step away from their work, they can be sure it will be waiting for them to pick up right where they left off. The reviewer feedback form also features auto-saving at regular intervals, so even if a reviewer navigates away from a feedback form without selecting the new save “current progress” option, it will still reflect their latest comments as of the last auto-save.
Revamped PDF article creation form
Finally, we updated the design of Scholastica’s OA publishing platform PDF article creation form to make it easier for editors to save in-progress articles and add relevant metadata to them. The new article creation form includes separate sections for adding metadata, authors, and files with options to save the current progress of each section as it’s completed and to save the entire article as a draft to return to later if needed. We’ve also added optional fields for funding sources to help journals enrich their metadata and comply with OA mandates like Plan S.
For journals using Scholastica’s end-to-end production service to have articles typeset in PDF, HTML, and full-text XML formats, the typesetting request form features the same intuitive design. So editors can add enriched metadata for typeset articles, save each section of a typesetting request as they complete it, and save typesetting request drafts to return to later as needed. Journals need only fill out one typesetting request form to have all three article file types generated simultaneously via our digital-first production process.
We hope you enjoy these new features! As always, if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact us!
