The Journal of Science and Technology (JUST) at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi (KNUST), in partnership with Electronic Information for Libraries (EIFL), has held a capacity-building workshop to train journal editors and managers in the effective use of the Open Journal System (OJS).
Professor Yaw Adu-Sarkodie, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Science and Technology, said the workshop was designed to equip editors across the university’s colleges with practical skills in managing online journal production.
He noted that several departments, including those in design, law and the social sciences, are seeking to establish their own journals. “This initiative shows our commitment to supporting academic growth and ensuring that every college can contribute effectively to scholarly publishing,” he said.
He added that the primary objective was to equip editors with the skills required to use the online system effectively and to standardise journal production processes across colleges. “When editors are well-trained and confident in using the system, it strengthens the entire university’s research output,” he said.
Dr. Richard Bruce Lamptey, University Librarian, outlined plans to upgrade JUST’s open-access platform to improve management and publishing efficiency.
The three-year initiative aims to strengthen direct access publishing in Africa through structured training sessions and hands-on workshops for editors, reviewers and authors. The project runs from December last year to October this year and seeks to transition credible university journals to fully online submission, review and publication systems, with verification by the university library to maintain academic standards.
“The university library will verify the credibility of journals to ensure they meet the standards for publication and promotion,” he added.
The workshop is expected to enhance editorial and technical capacity, improve workflow efficiency, increase global visibility and discoverability, and strengthen the sustainability of JUST.
The project has a total budget of 28,000 U.S. dollars, comprising an 18,000-dollar grant and a 10,000-dollar institutional contribution.
Dr. Edward Mensah Borteye, Deputy Librarian led discussions on scholarly publishing, outlining the publication life cycle from idea development to dissemination. He highlighted editorial responsibilities, peer-review models and conflict-of-interest considerations. He also detailed the functions of the Open Journal System, including submission tracking, peer review and publication management.
Mr. Emmanuel Mfum-Mensah, Head of data analytics, UITS spoke on implementing the Open General System (OGS) at Care University to consolidate research efforts and improve investor confidence. “Journals must meet library conditions, including an editorial board and an AI policy,” he said. “The library will provision subdomains and provide training for editorial boards.”
He explained that the system supports free use, modification and sharing of software to promote innovation. Key features include persistent identifiers for articles, ORCID integration for researcher identification and multi-instance hosting for journals.
Participating journals and units included the Journal of Science and Technology (JUST), Journal of Social Sciences and Policy, Journal of Educational Innovations in Science and Technology, E-Learning Research and Practice (E-LRP) Journal, KNUST Law Journal, Journal for the College of Health, Image Journal, and the KNUST Library, Publication and Documentation Unit and University Relations Office (PDU-URO).
By Ama Pokuaa Mensah and Emmanuel Offei
