Journal management software is software designed to help academic journals manage their editorial, peer-review, publishing, and administrative operations through a centralized digital system. It provides the tools needed to receive manuscripts, organize editorial workflows, coordinate reviewers, record decisions, communicate with authors, and manage published journal content.
Rather than relying on email, spreadsheets, shared folders, and separate publishing tools, journal management software connects the different activities involved in running a scholarly journal.
Depending on the platform, it may support a complete workflow from manuscript submission through peer review and editorial decision to publication, as well as journal websites, article processing charges (APCs), user management, reporting, and AI-assisted editorial tasks.
For editorial offices, academic societies, university presses, and independent publishers, journal management software provides a structured way to manage journal operations as submission volumes and publishing requirements grow.
What Does Journal Management Software Do?
The primary purpose of journal management software is to provide a central system for coordinating the activities required to operate an academic journal.
A typical journal workflow may include:
- An author submits a manuscript through an online portal.
- The editorial team receives and screens the submission.
- The manuscript is assigned to an appropriate editor.
- Reviewers are identified and invited.
- Peer reviewers submit their reports and recommendations.
- The editor evaluates the available feedback.
- A decision is communicated to the author.
- Revised manuscripts are submitted when required.
- Accepted articles move into the publishing workflow.
- Articles are organised into volumes and issues and published online.
The software keeps the manuscript, files, participants, reviews, decisions, communications, and workflow history connected throughout these stages.
The exact workflow depends on the journal’s policies and the capabilities of the software.
Key Features of Journal Management Software
Journal management software can include a broad range of features because managing a journal involves more than simply receiving manuscripts.
Manuscript Submission and Tracking
The system provides an online environment where authors can submit manuscripts and provide the information required by the journal.
Authors may be able to enter:
- Manuscript title
- Abstract
- Keywords
- Author and co-author information
- Institutional affiliations
- Manuscript files
- Figures and supplementary materials
- Funding information
- Conflict-of-interest declarations
- Other journal-specific information
Once submitted, the manuscript receives a record that can be tracked throughout the editorial process.
Editorial Workflow Management
Editors need to know which manuscripts require attention and what stage each manuscript has reached.
Journal management software can provide editorial dashboards showing submissions awaiting screening, reviewer assignment, completed reviews, revisions, or decisions.
Role-based permissions can also allow different responsibilities to be assigned to editors-in-chief, section editors, managing editors, and other journal staff.
Peer Review Management
Peer review management is a central part of journal management software.
Editors can use the system to invite reviewers, track invitations, monitor deadlines, collect review reports, and manage multiple rounds of review.
Keeping these activities within the manuscript record also provides a history of the review process.
Reviewer Management
A journal’s reviewer pool can become difficult to manage as the publication grows.
Journal management software can maintain reviewer information and, depending on the platform, track areas of expertise, previous reviewing activity, and conflicts of interest.
Some systems can also support reviewer matching to help editors identify potentially suitable reviewers for a manuscript.
Editorial Decision Management
Once the review process has been completed, editors need to make and communicate a decision.
Journal management software can support decisions such as:
- Accept
- Minor revision
- Major revision
- Reject
The decision can be recorded alongside the manuscript and relevant review history. The system can also support structured communications with authors.
Revision Management
Academic manuscripts frequently go through more than one round of revision.
Journal management software can connect revised submissions to the original manuscript so that editors can follow the progression of the work without creating an entirely separate record.
This helps preserve the history of previous decisions, reviews, and author responses.
Journal Publishing
Some journal management platforms extend into the publishing stage.
Accepted articles can be organised into journal volumes and issues and presented through a public journal website.
A journal website may include:
- Journal information
- Editorial board
- Author guidelines
- Published articles
- Volumes and issues
- Journal archives
- Submission information
- Contact details
This creates a connection between the private editorial workflow and the public-facing journal.
Billing and APC Management
Journals that charge article processing charges may also use journal management software to manage financial workflows.
Depending on the platform, this can include APC collection, payment processing, waiver workflows, and institutional invoicing.
Connecting billing with the manuscript workflow can reduce the need for editorial teams to maintain separate systems for publication-related payments.
Multi-Journal Management
Publishers and academic societies may operate several journal titles.
Multi-journal management capabilities allow different publications to be managed through one administrative environment while maintaining separate journal configurations, branding, editorial roles, and workflows.
Why Do Journals Use Journal Management Software?
Running an academic journal involves coordinating large amounts of information between authors, reviewers, editors, administrators, and publishers.
Without a centralized system, editorial teams may have to search through email threads, spreadsheets, shared folders, and separate databases to determine what has happened to a manuscript.
Journal management software provides a structured alternative.
It can help journals:
- Centralize manuscript information: Submission files, metadata, reviews, and decisions remain connected.
- Reduce administrative work: Repetitive workflow tasks can be handled within the system.
- Improve visibility: Editors can see which manuscripts require action.
- Manage reviewers: Invitations, responses, deadlines, and reports can be tracked.
- Maintain records: Editorial actions and communications can remain associated with the manuscript.
- Support collaboration: Multiple editorial roles can work within the same system.
- Scale operations: Growing submission volumes can be managed through defined workflows.
- Connect publishing activities: Accepted articles can move into the journal’s publishing environment.
The value of the software is therefore not simply that it puts journal operations online. It connects the activities involved in managing manuscripts and publishing scholarly content.
Journal Management Software vs. Journal Management System
The terms journal management software and journal management system are often used interchangeably.
Journal management software generally refers to the software application or platform used to manage journal operations.
A journal management system can refer more broadly to the complete system used to coordinate those operations, including the software, workflows, users, processes, and publishing activities.
In everyday academic publishing discussions, however, the two terms can describe essentially the same category of technology.
Journal Management Software vs. Manuscript Management Software
A manuscript management system focuses primarily on managing manuscripts through the editorial lifecycle.
Journal management software generally has a broader scope.
For example:
Manuscript Management Software:
Submission → Screening → Review → Revision → Decision
Journal Management Software:
Submission → Screening → Editorial Management → Peer Review → Decision → Publishing → Journal Website → Administration
Some platforms combine both functions, meaning a journal does not need separate software for manuscript management and broader journal administration.
AI in Journal Management Software
Artificial intelligence can provide additional assistance within modern journal management software.
One application is AI submission screening, where a system evaluates information from a manuscript and identifies potential concerns for editorial review.
These concerns may include:
- Scope mismatch
- Plagiarism risk
- Weak methodology
- Unclear contribution
- Ethical concerns
AI can also support duplicate detection by identifying submissions that may be similar to manuscripts already present in the journal.
Other potential applications include reviewer matching and decision-letter drafting.
AI should function as an editorial support tool rather than an autonomous replacement for editors. Final decisions about whether a manuscript should be accepted, revised, or rejected remain with the journal’s editorial team.
Use Cases for Journal Management Software
Academic Journal Editorial Offices
Editorial offices can use journal management software to centralize submissions, assign editors, coordinate peer review, monitor deadlines, and record editorial decisions.
Academic Societies
Societies managing several publications can use multi-journal functionality to manage their journal portfolio from a centralized environment while maintaining separate journal identities and editorial workflows.
University Presses
University presses can use journal management software to coordinate editorial operations, manage journal websites, and support publishing workflows across academic titles.
Independent Journal Publishers
Independent publishers can use hosted journal management software to establish and operate peer-reviewed journals without building and maintaining their own technical infrastructure.
Open Access Journals
Journals operating under an open access model can use software with APC and waiver functionality to connect manuscript management with publication-related financial workflows.
Alkademy Press as Journal Management Software
Alkademy Press is a hosted journal management platform that brings core academic publishing operations into one environment.
It provides tools for submission management, peer review, editorial workflows, AI submission screening, billing, and journal publishing websites.
Authors can submit manuscripts through an online portal, while editors can manage submissions, The platform also supports journal websites with custom branding, custom domains, HTTPS, volumes, issues, and editorial board pages.
Because Alkademy Press is fully hosted, journals can use the platform without managing their own server infrastructure or routine software updates.
What Should You Look for in Journal Management Software?
When choosing journal management software, journals should consider the entire publishing workflow rather than evaluating only the manuscript submission process.
Important capabilities may include:
- Manuscript submission
- Author and co-author management
- Editorial workflow management
- Peer review management
- Reviewer database
- Conflict-of-interest tracking
- Revision management
- Editorial decision management
- Automated notifications
- Audit trails
- Journal publishing
- Journal website management
- APC and billing workflows
- Multi-journal administration
- AI-assisted screening
- Duplicate detection
- Custom domains and branding
- Reporting and workflow visibility
- Hosting and technical maintenance
The right solution depends on the journal’s size, submission volume, editorial structure, publishing model, technical requirements, and plans for growth.