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Journals Online project

Project description

The Journals Online (JOLs) project aimed to provide increased the visibility, accessibility and quality of peer-reviewed journals published in developing countries so that the research outputs produced in these countries can be found, shared and used more effectively.

The project began in 1998 under the Programme for the Enhancement of Research Information (PERI) and continued as part of INASP’s Strengthening Research and Knowledge Systems (SRKS) programme.

Improving the quality, credibility and visibility of developing country research journals is crucial to ensure balanced and representative global research dissemination, and to helping research achieve greater impact by making it accessible and valued by those that need it.

The Journals Online project:

  • Supported the development of online journal hosting platforms by existing institutions in developing countries or regions
  • Provided training in publishing best practices, and various other supporting services to the editors of participating research journals hosted on the platforms
  • Strengthened the capacity of the local hosting organization to run the journal platforms themselves
  • Advised on Open Access, creating and maintaining a user-friendly interface and technical support on online publishing workflows
  • Provided plagiarism checking via access to the Crossref Similarity Check software and advice on copyright and licensing
  • Developing the capacity of teams based within national science agencies to manage journal platforms

The Journal Online platforms:

  • African Journals Online: The Journals Online project began with AJOL in 1998. AJOL currently operates as an African non-profit organization. www.ajol.info
  • Philippines Journals Online: PhilJOL was established in association with Ateneo de Manila University and De La Salle University. In 2010 the management was transferred to the Philippines at the Asia Pacific College. 
  • Vietnam Journals Online: VJOL was established in association with the National Agency for Science and Technology Information (NASATI), the Vietnamese Academy of Social Sciences (VASS), and Vietnamese Academy of Science and Technology (VAST). It is now managed in Vietnam by NASATI. www.vjol.info.vn
  • Bangladesh Journals Online: BanglaJOL was established in association with the Editing and Publication Association of Bangladesh (EPAB) and the Bangladesh Academy of Science (BAS). www.banglajol.info
  • Central America Journals Online: The Central America Journals Online (CAMJOL), which was originally called the Latin American Journals Online, hosts journals from Nicaragua, El Salvador and Honduras and is primarily in Spanish, but also features some English abstracts and tables of contents. CAMJOL was launched in 2010. www.camjol.info
  • Mongolia Journals Online: Mongolia Journals Online (MongoliaJOL) was established in association with the Mongolian Academy of Sciences. MongoliaJOL was launched in 2011. www.mongoliajol.info
  • Nepal Journals Online: Nepal Journals Online (NepJOL) was established in association with Tribhuvan University Central Library (TUCL). NepJOL was launched in 2008. www.nepjol.info
  • Sri Lanka Journals Online: Sri Lanka Journals Online (SLJOL) was established in association with the University of Colombo and the National Science Foundation of Sri Lanka. SLJOL was launched in 2008. www.sljol.info

Improving the quality and credibility of Southern research

While the visibility of Southern research has improved, they are often overlooked by Southern and Northern researchers alike, with their quality and thus credibility questioned. In 2017, INASP and AJOL launched the Journal Publishing Practices and Standards (JPPS) – a unique framework for providing accreditation and support for journals hosted on the Journals Online platforms. It is already proving to be a powerful incentive for editors to improve the quality of their journals.

Funded by
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Partners
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Public Knowledge Project (PKP)
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Ubiquity Press
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Bangladesh Academy of Sciences (BAS)
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Tribhuvan University Central Library (TUCL)
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Mongolian Academy of Sciences (MAS)
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University of Colombo
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De La Salle University
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The Vietnamese Academy of Social Sciences (VASS)