TITLE:
- If there is a print equivalent, be certain that the title on the website is the same.
- When choosing a title, avoid clever punctuation and special characters which may interfere with title accessibility.
- If the title changes, create a separate webpage for the new title with a link to the prior title. Make links on both pages reciprocal. Do not change the title on the issues previously published under the prior title--retaining the former title is essential for researchers with citation information.
BIBLIOGRAPHIC INFO:
- Provide complete bibliographic information for cataloging and indexers on the home page: title, place of publication, publisher, ISSN, publication or copyright date.
- Apply for an ISSN from the ISSN center. E-journals with print equivalents require a different ISSN assignment. Changes of title require a new ISSN assignment.
- Provide an "About" file with additional information such as frequency of publication, sponsoring or responsible bodies, scope and purpose of the journal, whether or not it is peer-reviewed
CLARITY:
- Choose a clear and simple numbering scheme.
- Provide both browse and search capabilities for issue content.
- Provide metadata for the journal in the html source code.
- Provide stable, concise and comprehensible urls.
- Provide easy navigation to an archive of back issues.
SUSTAINABILITY
- Participate in the LOCKSS program, a distributed model for preserving electronic content.
- Submit open access titles to the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ).
Dreived from: Best Practices for Ejournals: Publication and Website Design Guidelines
http://www.library.vanderbilt.edu/ercelawn/bestpractices.htm (link broken)
By Ann Ercelawn, Serials Cataloger, Vanderbilt University
