Guide
Install once. Learn one loop.
Nothing required beyond WordPress. Vendor keys stay optional forever.
How it works
- Journal — import the demo or create one blank journal.
- Submit — authors use a public page. No wp-admin.
- Inbox → publish — editors claim, review, decide, ship.
Install
01
Get the plugin
Download from GitHub (zip) or install from WordPress.org when the directory listing is live.
02
Activate
Plugins → Add New → Upload, or activate from the directory. You’ll land on Journals → Home.
03
Import demo
Recommended. Sample journal, papers, and submit page so Inbox isn’t empty.
Requires WordPress 5.0+ · PHP 7.4+ · GPL-2.0-or-later
Day-one loop
Inside WordPress: Journals → Home shows the next step. Help is a three-minute tutorial in the same menu.
- Open Inbox and claim a paper.
- Assign a reviewer (invite link — no login required first).
- Accept, ask for revision, or reject with a decision letter.
- Publish when ready. Add galleys / issue TOC if you need them.
Remember: Authors submit → Inbox → review → publish. Money, DOI, Stripe, and DOAJ are add-ons — not day one.
Optional later
Open Journals → Advanced only when you need these. Your vendor keys — not a WJM license.
| Feature | You provide |
|---|---|
| Stripe APC | Your Stripe secret + publishable (+ webhook) — or Manual pay |
| DOI deposit | Prefix + Crossref / DataCite — or Local string-only |
| iThenticate | Tenant API — or enter similarity % by hand |
| ORCID | Free Public API Client ID + Secret (lookup / connect) |
| DOAJ | Checklist in WJM — apply on doaj.org |
FAQ
- Do authors need wp-admin?
- No. Share the public submit page. Access controls who can submit.
- Must I use Stripe or DOI?
- No. Skip until you need them. Enable waits for your keys.
- Does WJM write peer-review credit to ORCID?
- No. Public ORCID is lookup / connect. Recognition emails ask reviewers to add credit themselves.
- Advanced menu vs paper extras?
- Advanced is a toolbox of pages. “Show paper extras” only adds boxes on paper screens. Separate controls.
- Will integrity flags auto-reject?
- Never. Soft flags only — you decide.