CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

As the need for online systems increases in our social, business and educational sector. There is also need for online systems in the Research and Publication area so as to make their activities easier and automated. Journals are mostly used by Researchers to publish their researches so that many people around the world can use the research for several purposes.

Online Journal Management systems are designed for the purpose of reducing stress made by the contributors, journal managers and other researchers by converting the manual processes to online processes. Records and details of all activities carried out on the system can be traced easily and effectively

This project research titled “Design and Implementation of an Online Journal System” will help in automating some of the activities that are involved in the process of Journal publications. These will include:

i.            Article Submission will be automated so that contributors from any part of the world can submit the articles and will be received immediately on the system.

ii.            Accessing of all submitted articles for publications by the Journal Manager.

iii.            Published Journal articles can be accessed anywhere in the world by contributors and other researcher.

This system will be a web-based system designed for Sokoto International Journal of Counselling Psychology which is published by the Department of Educational Foundations,Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto. The system will also provide twenty-four (24) hours a day, seven days a week service.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Some of the problems identified with the current manual system of the Journal management are:

i. International or contributors that are not near Sokoto experience difficulties in submitting their articles for publications, they have to send it by courier.

ii.  Lost of manuscripts before or after the assessment is also one of the major problems facing the current manual system.

iii.   Other researcher who are not contributors have difficulties in using the journal because only contributors are given single copies of the journal after publication.

iv.   Also many researchers may not even know when there is call for submission of articles for publication because the current manual system does so with fliers.

1.3. AIM AND OBJECTIVES

The aim of this project is to design an online journal management system that will replace the present manual system. The objectives of the study are as follows:

i. To design a system that will allow online submissions of articles for contributors and researchers instead of the manual system of submission.

ii.    To allow contributors to track their submissions i.e. every contributor can view all his submissions.

iii.   To enable the administrator to view and download all submissions made by contributors for the purpose of assessment before publication.

iv.   To allow the administrator to upload all published papers online according to their volumes and issues.

v. To enable all contributors and researchers to view and download all published articles online.

vi.    To provide a means of requesting for either a Hard copy of or an E-copy of a complete volume of the published Journal.

vii.    To enable the editors/assessors fill an online assessment form which will be sent to the contributor notifying him on the result and status of his article.