Opening workshop
On 20 March 2024, the kick-off workshop of the research project took place with representatives of university publishers and the Association of University Publishers (AG-Univerlage). The aim of the workshop was to identify challenges and requirements for a WFMS and to discuss existing solutions and tools.
The following questions were addressed in the workshop:
How can the organization and monitoring of publication processes in scientific presses be efficiently managed through a WFMS?
What requirements must a WFMS meet to optimally support publication processes?
What interfaces need to be considered to ensure the interoperability of the systems?
What existing solutions and tools are already in use, and what are their advantages and disadvantages?
The workshop was divided into two parts: On the one hand, challenges and requirements were addressed, and on the other hand, existing solutions and tools were discussed. The results of the workshop will be incorporated into an initial needs analysis for the research project.
The results documented in the report highlight the variety of challenges of the existing approaches regarding OA publication management. The challenges are particularly evident in system heterogeneity, the need for individual customization, and the necessity of systematic documentation. The support systems and tools in use, such as file storage, project management, and communication tools, do not fully meet the requirements but can be used for partial solutions. Therefore, the integration of existing systems into a new OA-WFMS must be considered, and the interoperability of interacting systems ensured.
The workshop participants agreed that the OA-WFMS should be flexible and modular. Priority was given to consortial software development and joint operation within the association.
The workshop provided valuable insights into the work of university presses and forms a solid foundation for the subsequent further needs analysis and the creation of catalog of generic specifications.