How to start a social sciences academic journal

How to Start a Social Sciences Journal

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Table of Contents

Introduction

Starting a social sciences academic journal may sound like an endeavor best reserved for tenured professors or publishing conglomerates with budgets that rival the GDPs of small countries. However, with the right mix of vision, planning, and unwavering perseverance, it is entirely possible to launch a journal that makes a meaningful contribution to the scholarly community. This guide walks you through the surprisingly complex yet fascinating process of starting a social science academic journal, from the initial spark of an idea to seeing your journal cited by other researchers.

Fair warning: running an academic journal is not for the faint of heart. It requires patience, organizational skills, and a strong stomach for rejection, especially your own. But if you have a passion for your field and a desire to create a platform for rigorous discussion, it might just be one of the most rewarding projects you can undertake.

Define Your Journal’s Focus and Purpose

The first step is deceptively simple: What is your journal about? In the vast and varied world of social science, clarity of purpose is everything.

Do you want to focus on sociology, anthropology, political science, or a cross-disciplinary blend? Are you passionate about feminist theory, globalization studies, or perhaps the sociology of technology? Without a laser-sharp focus, your journal risks becoming a vague collection of articles that don’t resonate with any particular audience.

Additionally, you need to define the type of research you will publish. Will it be empirical studies, theoretical explorations, literature reviews, or methodological critiques? Will you adopt open access or adhere to the traditional paywalled model? These decisions will affect everything from your editorial board to your potential readership.

Assemble Your Editorial Board

Here comes the tricky part: assembling an editorial board. Think of this as building your academic Avengers. The editorial board is crucial, as it lends credibility and ensures that submitted work gets a fair and expert review.

Start by reaching out to colleagues or scholars in your network who specialize in your journal’s area of focus. Aim for diversity, not just in terms of demographics, but in theoretical perspectives, methodologies, and geographic locations. You’ll want a good mix of senior scholars with deep reputations and emerging academics who bring fresh insights.

Editorial roles to consider include:

  • Editor-in-Chief: The head honcho responsible for the journal’s strategic direction.
  • Managing Editor: The person who makes sure the trains run on time, handling deadlines, submissions, and correspondence.
  • Associate Editors: Experts who handle submissions in their areas of expertise.
  • Editorial Board Members: Scholars who serve as ambassadors and may review submissions.

You’d be surprised how many academics are open to serving on editorial boards, especially for new, focused journals. Many see it as a way to shape their discipline.

Choose a Publishing Model

Gone are the days when starting a journal meant negotiating with a corporate publisher who demanded your firstborn child. Today, several models exist:

Traditional Publishing

This involves collaborating with established academic publishers, such as SAGE, Springer, or Taylor & Francis. They offer distribution, indexing, and professional services, but also take control over your journal and its profits.

Independent Publishing

Some groups opt to operate their journals independently, utilizing journal management software and recruiting volunteers. This route offers more control but requires substantial effort in marketing, indexing, and archiving.

Open Access Models

Open access has gained significant popularity, particularly in the social sciences. Models here range from diamond open access (free for authors and readers, typically supported by grants or institutional funding) to gold open access (authors pay Article Processing Charges, or APCs, to make their articles freely available).

Many successful social science journals now utilize platforms like Open Journal Systems (OJS), a free, open-source software that handles the entire process from submission to publication.

Set Up the Journal Infrastructure

Once you’ve locked in your editorial team and publishing model, it’s time to set up the infrastructure. This part is not glamorous, but it’s essential.

Journal Management Software

Tools like OJS, Scholastica, or Janeway offer end-to-end solutions for submission management, peer review, editing, and publishing.

Website

You will need a professional-looking website that hosts the journal, submission guidelines, editorial board information, and published articles. This is your storefront to the world.

Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs)

DOIs are essential for academic citations. Services like CrossRef offer DOI registration, though you’ll need to pay for membership and per-article fees.

Indexing

Start with Google Scholar and DOAJ (Directory of Open Access Journals) to get visibility. Over time, you can aim for inclusion in Scopus or Web of Science, though these are selective and often require years of consistent publishing.

Develop Policies and Guidelines

Next, you’ll need to craft a robust set of policies. This is where you get to flex your bureaucratic muscles.

Peer Review Policy

Double-blind, single-blind, or open peer review? Each has its merits and challenges. Many social science journals prefer a double-blind review process to minimize bias.

Ethics Policy

Set clear expectations about plagiarism, conflicts of interest, and research integrity. Following the COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines is a smart move.

Submission Guidelines

Spell out exactly what you want from authors: word counts, formatting, citation style, and data-sharing policies. Clarity here reduces headaches later.

If you are running an open access journal, decide on your licensing terms. Creative Commons licenses are widely used, with CC BY (Attribution Required) being the most permissive.

Launch a Call for Papers

Now comes the fun part (well, if you want to call it), which is telling the world your journal exists. Your first Call for Papers (CFP) needs to strike a balance between academic rigor and excitement.

Promote it through academic mailing lists, social media, conferences, and directly to scholars whose work you admire. Encourage your editorial board members to share the information with their networks.

Expect submissions to trickle in slowly at first. Many academics are hesitant to submit their work to new journals, fearing it won’t receive visibility. You may need to commission invited papers from respected scholars to complete your first issue and establish the tone.

Manage Peer Review and Editorial Workflows

Once submissions begin to arrive, you’ll need to manage the peer review process carefully.

  • Triage submissions: Not every paper is suitable for review. Desk-reject low-quality or off-topic submissions swiftly but respectfully.
  • Assign reviewers: Choose reviewers carefully based on expertise and availability. Two to three reviewers per paper is standard.
  • Decision-making: After reviews come in, editors must weigh the feedback and make decisions on revisions, acceptance, or rejection.
  • Communication: Keep authors informed at every step. Delays are common in publishing, but silence is deadly for your journal’s reputation.

Expect to spend a lot of time tracking down reviewers and reminding them to submit their reviews. Academic ghosting is, unfortunately, a common phenomenon.

Produce and Publish Your First Issue

After months of editorial wrangling, it’s time to publish. Formatting accepted papers into a cohesive issue is both tedious and satisfying.

Copyediting and Proofing

Ensure every article is free of typos, grammatical errors, and formatting inconsistencies. You can hire freelance academic editors or handle this in-house if you have the skills.

Typesetting and Layout

Good design matters. Even in social science, readability is key. If you’re using OJS, many templates are available; otherwise, consider professional typesetters.

Publication

Once everything is ready, publish the issue on your website, register DOIs, and announce the launch via email, social media, and press releases.

Promote and Grow the Journal

Publishing your first issue is just the beginning. Now you need to build your journal’s reputation.

Conferences and Workshops

Present your journal at academic conferences, host panel discussions, or organize workshops to raise awareness.

Special Issues

Consider themed issues focusing on hot topics or emerging debates in your field. These can attract submissions and citations.

Social Media

Create Twitter, LinkedIn, and possibly Instagram accounts to promote new articles, Calls for Papers, and editorial content.

Partnerships

Collaborate with academic societies, research centers, or departments for cross-promotion and joint projects.

Sustain the Journal Over Time

Starting a journal is an ambitious endeavor, but sustaining it over the long haul is where the real test begins. Many academic journals fade away after a few issues, not because the founders lacked passion or vision, but because they underestimated the difficulty of sustaining a journal year after year. Sustaining your journal is a marathon, not a sprint, and you’ll need stamina, strategy, and a touch of stubbornness.

Funding: The Lifeblood of Any Journal

Let’s start with the obvious: money. A journal doesn’t just run on goodwill. Hosting fees, DOI registrations, copyediting, marketing, and web maintenance all cost money. If you’re running a fully independent operation, you’ll need a clear funding strategy.

Institutional Support:
This is often the first place to look. Many universities offer small grants or departmental funds to support academic publishing, especially for open access journals. Partnering with your institution can also open doors to additional resources, such as technical support and library services.

Grants:
Foundations such as the Mellon Foundation and the Ford Foundation, as well as regional research councils, often fund projects that enhance scholarly communication, particularly in underrepresented fields. Many social science disciplines are eligible for these grants, but applications can be competitive and time-consuming.

Subscriptions and APCs:
Some journals offset costs through institutional subscriptions or by charging Article Processing Charges (APCs). While this model works for some, it can limit submissions from scholars without financial backing. If you’re starting a journal to democratize knowledge, relying on APCs could undermine your mission.

Advertising and Sponsorship:
For journals with niche audiences, offering sponsorships or advertisements from relevant academic vendors—such as software providers or conference organizers—can generate modest revenue. However, this works better for journals with established readerships.

Ultimately, your funding strategy will depend on your values and goals. Many grassroots social science journals operate on shoestring budgets, relying solely on sweat equity. If you go that route, just be prepared for the long haul.

Volunteer Labor: The Heartbeat of Academic Publishing

Virtually every academic journal relies on unpaid labor to some extent. Editors, peer reviewers, and sometimes even copyeditors work for free, motivated by professional goodwill and the desire to contribute to their field.

Recruiting Volunteers:
It’s essential to cultivate a culture of volunteerism from an early age. This means being transparent about expectations and workloads, and ensuring that contributors receive some form of recognition.

Recognition Matters:
People will volunteer if they know their work is valued and appreciated. Offer public acknowledgment on your website, in editorials, or through annual awards. Provide certificates of service that can be used for promotion and tenure applications. Many universities now recognize editorial work as a form of professional service, particularly in disciplines such as sociology, anthropology, and education.

Avoiding Burnout:
Volunteer fatigue is real. Avoid overloading your editorial team by recruiting a sufficiently large pool of editors and reviewers. Rotate responsibilities when possible and allow people to take breaks without feeling guilty. A sustainable workload is key to avoiding burnout.

Editorial Succession: Planning for Continuity

One of the biggest mistakes new journals make is assuming their founding editors will stay forever. People move on. They retire, shift research interests, or get overwhelmed with other obligations. Without a succession plan, your journal could collapse overnight.

Mentoring New Editors:
Once your journal is stable, begin mentoring new editors. Invite promising scholars to observe and shadow the editorial processes. Offer them associate editor roles with increasing responsibilities over time.

Formalizing Succession Plans:
It’s wise to codify editorial succession policies in your journal’s bylaws or governance documents. Outline the process for selecting a new editor-in-chief, including term limits, election procedures, and search committee structures.

Institutional Anchoring:
Some journals “anchor” themselves within a particular institution or association. This approach ensures continuity by tying the journal to a larger entity that can recruit new editors as needed. However, it may limit flexibility if you later want to move the journal to a different home.

Building a Robust Submission Pipeline

No journal survives without submissions. Initially, you may struggle to attract manuscripts, but long-term sustainability requires a steady stream of high-quality submissions.

Special Issues:
One of the most effective tactics for boosting submissions is organizing special issues around timely themes. These issues tend to attract attention, generate citations, and lure in both established and emerging scholars eager to participate in high-profile debates.

Conference Partnerships:
Partner with academic conferences to publish selected papers or themed sections. Many conferences seek publishing outlets for their top papers, and such collaborations can significantly increase submissions and visibility.

Author Incentives:
Offer incentives for submissions, such as expedited peer review, awards for top papers, or promotional support through social media and press releases. These incentives don’t have to involve money. Rather, they need to add professional value for authors.

International Outreach:
Don’t just recruit from the same pool of scholars year after year. Proactively reach out to underrepresented regions or institutions. Translate Calls for Papers into other languages if appropriate, and welcome submissions from non-Western academic traditions. Expanding your geographic reach not only boosts submissions but also enriches the journal’s content.

Embracing Digital Tools for Efficiency

Technology is your friend if you use it wisely. A well-managed journal uses digital tools to streamline operations and reduce administrative burdens.

Editorial Management Software:
Continue refining your use of tools like OJS or Scholastica. Automate routine communications, manage reviewer databases efficiently, and track metrics over time.

Plagiarism Detection:
As the number of submissions increases, plagiarism becomes a growing concern. Consider using tools like Turnitin or iThenticate to automatically screen submissions.

Analytics:
Utilize web analytics to monitor reader trends. Which articles get the most downloads? Where are your readers located? These insights can inform marketing strategies and future editorial priorities.

Community Engagement: Turning Readers into Advocates

Sustainability also depends on building a loyal community around your journal.

Newsletter and Mailing Lists:
Develop an email newsletter that shares new articles, calls for papers, and behind-the-scenes updates from the editorial team.

Social Media Presence:
Don’t underestimate the power of social media, especially on platforms like Twitter (X) and LinkedIn, where academics frequently network. Promote your articles, engage in discussions, and spotlight contributors.

Interactive Events:
Host webinars, virtual roundtables, or podcasts featuring authors from your journal. These events not only increase visibility but also create stronger relationships with your readership.

Archiving and Preservation: Safeguarding Your Legacy

Digital journals face a unique risk: disappearing without a trace if the website shuts down. You must ensure that your content is preserved for the long term.

Institutional Repositories:
Many universities have digital repositories that can archive your journal’s articles. This option provides a backup in case your journal goes offline.

LOCKSS and CLOCKSS:
Services like LOCKSS (Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe) and CLOCKSS provide decentralized archiving to preserve scholarly content in perpetuity.

DOAJ Requirements:
If your journal is listed in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), you may already be required to maintain an archiving policy. Meeting these standards protects your journal’s content and builds trust among authors and readers.

Measuring Success Beyond Impact Factors

Sustainability isn’t just about survival. It’s about thriving. However, traditional metrics, such as impact factors, can be elusive for new journals, especially in the social sciences.

Altmetrics:
Track alternative metrics such as social media mentions, policy citations, and blog discussions. These indicators capture real-world impact beyond academia.

Qualitative Feedback:
Collect testimonials from authors, reviewers, and readers about their experiences with your journal. Positive feedback often translates into future submissions and stronger community support.

Institutional Support Metrics:
Track how many universities and libraries list your journal as a resource or recommend it to students and faculty.

Slow Growth is Okay:
Remember, many respected social science journals took a decade or more to reach their current status. Prioritize quality, consistency, and community over short-term numbers.

The Long Game: Evolving With the Field

Lastly, recognize that social sciences itself is constantly evolving. Theories rise and fall, methods change, and scholarly priorities shift. Your journal’s sustainability depends on its ability to evolve, too.

Periodic Self-Assessment:
Schedule regular strategic reviews—perhaps every three to five years—to assess the journal’s mission, scope, and processes. Are you still meeting the needs of your field? Have new topics emerged that require attention?

Welcoming Interdisciplinary Work:
As social sciences becomes more interdisciplinary, consider how your journal can serve as a bridge between fields. Accepting diverse methodologies and perspectives may broaden your appeal.

Succession of Ideas:
Don’t be afraid to refresh your editorial vision or even rebrand the journal if necessary. As long as changes are handled thoughtfully and transparently, they can revitalize your publication.

Conclusion

Starting a social sciences academic journal may feel like trying to build a cathedral with nothing but duct tape and optimism. But for those determined enough to push through the administrative drudgery, occasional despair, and the slow crawl toward recognition, the rewards can be immense.

Your journal has the potential to spark new debates, provide platforms for marginalized voices, and serve as a vital resource for researchers worldwide. However, its long-term survival depends not just on passion or scholarly rigor, but on robust funding, smart use of technology, strong community building, and above all, a commitment to evolving with the field.

No one said academic publishing was easy. But if you can keep your journal alive and thriving, you won’t just be publishing articles. You’ll be shaping the future of knowledge itself.

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