Starting a New Journal with eScholarship Publishing

Why eScholarship Publishing?

eScholarship Publishing is a comprehensive open access publishing program for journals, monographs, conference proceedings, and other UC-affiliated original scholarship. We offer publishing and production tools, including a full editorial and peer review system, as well as professional support and consulting services. Learn more.

Why open access?

Publishing in open access with eScholarship offers publications increased visibility, speed to publication and a commitment to long-term access and preservation. Our publishing program supports publications that traverse standard disciplinary boundaries, explore new publishing models, and/or seek to reach professionals in applied fields beyond academia.

What’s involved? 

Understand the roles and responsibilities for the Journal Editor and Publisher. Learn more.

Take a closer look

Browse our list of journals across a range of disciplines and preview the eScholarship platform. Learn more.

Submit a Journal Proposal

eScholarship accepts journal proposals twice yearly (March and September), as capacity allows. Check this page closer to the next proposal round for details on how to submit.

Proposal Timeline for Fall 2025

September 8 - 19: Accepting proposals, available for consults all year

October 6: If needed, send any preliminary feedback (missing answers, clarifications)

October 13: Revision based on preliminary feedback due

October 20 - 31: Review committee meetings

November 10th: Feedback to journal

November 10 - December 12: Journal teams work on revised proposal

December 12: Final proposal & external review due

January 5 - 30: Time allotted for internal review & discussion, any needed additional rounds of feedback and proposal revision.

February 2: Final decision sent to journal

>> Launch process begins

How are proposals evaluated?

Our evaluation criteria are based, in part, on the Directory of Open Access Journals' inclusion criteria. All eScholarship journals are expected to qualify for inclusion and indexing in DOAJ within 2 years of launch.

Core Eligibility Requirements

• The journal must be diamond open access, providing immediate free and open access to readers and requiring no mandatory publication fees from authors.
• Prepared to publish a minimum of 5 scholarly research articles per year, as required to meet standards for inclusion in publication indexes and databases. The proposal should also describe a solid strategy for soliciting articles on an ongoing basis.
• The proposal should clearly communicate the journal’s unique value and contribution within its field.
• The journal’s audience should be identified, including academic and/or practitioner communities.

Editorial Quality and Management

• A qualified editorial team with named members and clear editorial roles must be described.
• The editorial team must include enough members to reasonably manage the regular operations of the journal.
• Proposals should include plans for editorial transitions and knowledge management to ensure continuity.

Institutional Support and Advocacy

• At least one active editorial board member must have an affiliation with the University of California. While ongoing affiliation is not required indefinitely, preference is given to journals with a strong connection to their campus’s mission and research priorities, or to editorial teams representing disciplines that are under-supported within the UC system.
• 2 or more academics in the journal's field must be proposed and cannot be affiliated with the proposed journal.
• Collaboration or consultation with campus librarians is encouraged.

Peer Review and Ethics

• An appropriate peer review process to ensure quality and integrity must be described.
• Journals must commit to ethical publishing practices consistent with recognized standards.
• Clear statements on managing conflicts of interest are expected.

Financial and Sustainability Considerations

• A realistic budget and funding plan should be provided, identifying financial and human resource commitments. eScholarship does not provide financial support to journals, but is available to consult on viable funding models.
• The editorial and production workflow should be feasible given available resources; eScholarship does not provide copyediting, marketing, or similar services.

Additional Considerations

• The journal’s disciplinary scope should address clearly defined fields or communities. Preference may be given to projects related to Art, Humanities, Social Sciences, interdisciplinary fields, or underrepresented or underresourced disciplines.