Access, structure, and functionalities

Access:

The journal Relaciones Internacionales, published by the Department of Political Science and International Relations at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), is hosted on the UAM’s academic journals platform, which is based on the Open Journal Systems (OJS) software. This ensures an accessible and functional environment for all users.

The platform complies with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1), allowing barrier-free access for individuals with varying abilities. Thanks to the OJS system, articles are available in accessible formats such as PDF, and the website’s structure is intuitive and user-friendly. The UAM is committed to digital accessibility, ensuring inclusivity for all visitors.

Structure:

The platform’s structure is designed to support both user navigation and the journal’s editorial workflow. It comprises two main areas:

Front-end (User interface):

A clear, structured homepage offering direct access to the most recent issues and featured articles.
Full open access to all published content, with no registration required.
Articles are available in downloadable PDF format, complete with metadata and persistent identifiers such as DOIs.
An internal search engine allows for refined queries by title, author, abstract, or keywords.
Comprehensive editorial information: aims and scope, ethical policies, peer-review process, archiving, fees, editorial team, and publication frequency.
Contact details are readily available, including the journal’s email address and affiliation with Universidad Autónoma de Madrid.

Back-end (Editorial management):

A complete editorial workflow management system via OJS: submission, peer review, editing, and publication.
Clearly defined roles for authors, reviewers, editors, and journal managers.
Management of issues and sections, with configuration of editorial policies, DOI assignment, and tracking of manuscript progress.
Metadata control tools (DOI, ORCID, ISSN, etc.) enhance the journal’s visibility in academic indexes and databases.

Functionalities:

Editorial management: Allows for manuscript submission, reviewer assignment, communication with authors, and oversight of the editorial process.
Dissemination and indexing: Each article is assigned a DOI and indexed in academic databases such as Web of Science, Google Scholar, Latindex, REDIB, Dialnet, and MIAR. Articles include structured metadata to facilitate discoverability via academic search engines.
Accessibility: The website is compatible with screen readers and complies with digital accessibility standards. Articles are available in PDF format.
Communication: Automated notifications and internal messaging support communication between authors and the editorial team.
Statistics: The platform generates usage reports, including article views and download metrics.
Compatibility and integration: Integration with identifiers such as ORCID, along with metadata export in formats like Dublin Core and MARC.
Responsive design: The website features a responsive layout, ensuring optimal browsing from desktops, tablets, or mobile devices.
Multilingual management: While the main content is published in Spanish, the platform provides partial content in English to support its international projection.

The UAM’s journal platform and Relaciones Internacionales maintain a strong commitment to ongoing technological enhancement, editorial transparency, and universal accessibility, providing a reliable environment for scholarly publication in the field of social sciences.