Open Preprint Systems (OPS) is an open source preprint server for managing the posting of preprint research papers. With OPS you can manage the entire preprint workflow, from author submission to posting on the server website and updating preprint versions. Authors, after registering with the system and being approved by the Preprint Manager, can share their research as preprints, as PDFs or Word documents. The posted papers are then made freely available online for download and indexing by Google Scholar.
OPS is built using the same framework as Open Journal Systems (OJS) and shares much of its functionality. However, OPS has a simplified editorial workflow, with no peer review stage, and custom plugins for screening and community feedback. This guide contains information and instructions about features and workflows that are unique to OPS. For functions that are the same in OJS, this guide will link to sections of Learning OJS, a comprehensive user guide for OJS.
A “preprint” is a research article that has not yet been published in a journal. It is usually posted without undergoing formal peer review, and different versions can be posted as the paper is modified. Authors are increasingly choosing to make their unpublished research freely available by posting it on a public server, as part of a broader trend toward open science.
Visit our website to learn more about Open Preprint Systems and what it has to offer for preprint servers.
OPS is easy to install and configure. However, running a web service requires a systems administrator who knows how to deploy web applications. Our Administrator’s Guide provides full instructions on how to download, install and configure OPS.
If you do not have the expertise, staff or desire to install and manage OPS on your own, PKP Publishing Services provides complete hosting solutions for every budget.
For a detailed description of new features in OPS 3.4, see What’s New in This Version of OJS in the Learning OJS guide.
OPS is used for submission and posting of preprints, managing preprint collections, and providing online public access to preprint collections.
OPS cannot currently be used for the following:
OPS and OJS are not currently integrated but in the future transmission of submissions between platforms will be possible using the SWORD protocol.
Posting preprints is different from publishing journal articles because the final product added to a preprint server is not necessarily peer reviewed nor considered to be “published.” It is not until the submission is sent to a journal, goes through a peer review process, and is published in a journal that it is considered a published article.
Therefore, when talking about preprints, the following terminology is preferred:
Because OPS shares a similar codebase to OJS, some of the terminology in OPS is inconsistent with the above recommendations. This guide will use the terms used in the OPS application to give step-by-step instructions , but otherwise will use preferred preprint terminology.
For additional support for OPS, please see the OPS category on the PKP Forum. You may be able to find an answer by searching the questions that have already been posted. If not, you can post your question there.