Importing Existing Articles
This article explains how importing your archive into JAMS works and what you need to prepare.
Switching submissions systems with a lot of important data can seem like a big task. With JAMS, you won't do the migration alone. Each move is done alongside a dedicated Customer Success Specialist at JAMS who plans it with you. Migration and onboarding support are included on every plan at no extra cost.
There is no deadline or lock-in time pressure with JAMS. Keep your current site running until you're happy with your JAMS site.
Important: Importing existing articles is only for publishers who choose to host their journal on the JAMS website hosting platform. To set this up and learn more, visit our article here.
Before you start - DOIs and Metadata
You must make sure that all published articles you want to be imported into JAMS:
- Are registered with CrossRef and have DOIs. This is the most important requirement and is crucial to the importation process. If your back catalogue is not registered with CrossRef, you must complete this before your migration.
- Have a PDF version available.
- Have Author First Names, Last Names, and Corresponding Author Email Addresses.
Your DOIs are also what keeps existing citations and links working after the move, so this requirement protects your archive as well as enabling the import. If you're unsure whether your articles are DOI-registered, raise it with your specialist early.
To learn more about CrossRef registration, visit their support articles: https://www.crossref.org/documentation/register-maintain-records/
What will move to JAMS?
The exact data and content being moved will be confirmed between you and your Customer Success Specialist. You will be able to have control over what moves. This is a typical picture of which things will be imported into JAMS:
| Item | Moves across? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| User accounts (authors, reviewers, editors) | Created on JAMS | Editors and new Authors will create accounts on JAMS. Reviewers and Editorial Boards can be imported into JAMS. |
| In-progress manuscripts | Recreated on JAMS | Yourself or the specialist can help recreate in-progress manuscripts to a certain extent. |
| Published back issues | Yes | Existing articles and issues, so your archive stays intact. |
| DOIs | Yes | Your registered DOIs continue to resolve. |
| Journal website | Rebuilt on JAMS or hosted by yourself on a 3rd-party platform | You get a hosted site on a custom domain or a yourjournal.jams.pub address. Check out this demo site for an example. |
| Journal settings & branding | Recreated | Article types, sections, and look-and-feel are set up to match your journal. |
What you need to prepare
Sending us your archive details
Currently, the best way we at JAMS can import a bulk of articles is through custom code.
To do this, we need a couple things from the publisher.
- Make sure you are a CrossRef member and all articles you wish to import have a unique DOI number and are registered to CrossRef.
- Reach out to support@jams.pub requesting a bulk import. List how many articles you would like to import.
- The JAMS Team will request a CSV/Excel file with the Article Titles, DOI, Volume, Issue, All Author Full Names, Corresponding Author Email Address and Number of Pages.
- The JAMS Team will also need PDFs of all articles that you wish to be imported entitled with the Number it is listed as on the Spreadsheet.
The biggest thing we need from you and your team is an accurate spreadsheet with Article Number, Article Title, DOI, Volume, Issue, Corresponding Author Name, Corresponding Author Email Address:
Top Tip: Getting the spreadsheet accurate and the PDF filenames matching is the biggest thing you can do to keep your migration on schedule. Mismatched or missing numbers are the most common cause of delays.
Migration Process
- JAMS Configuration
Together, you and the Customer Success Specialist will review your current journal and archive, help you set up a website and journal on JAMS, and agree what needs moving over.
- Sending us your Archive
You provide the PDFs and spreadsheet that is listed above with accurate numbers, DOIs, and author details. This is where the most preparation will need to happen on your side.
- Import and Setup
The JAMS Team will then use custom code to import your articles and redirect the DOI landing pages to their new JAMS locations.
- Configuration
While the migration is happening, you and your team can fully onboard onto the JAMS system: editors can make accounts and be given the correct permissions, importing reviewers, configuring workflows etc. Check out the rest of the Getting Started section for more info.
- Review and Test
The JAMS Team will invite you to review the import when it is completed, as well as testing the workflow on JAMS before you begin accepting manuscripts.
Ready to start?
- Talk to us. If you haven't already, get in touch to be matched with a Customer Success Specialist at support@jams.pub.
- Prep your checklist. Especially confirming your DOIs and building your archive spreadsheet.
If you get stuck at any point, your Customer Success Specialist is your first point of contact.