Directory of Open Access Journals

The Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) stands as a monumental repository, hosting approximately 20,000 fully open access journals and over 6 million associated articles. As the largest and most comprehensive service of its kind, DOAJ plays a critical role in the Open Access ecosystem, serving as a cornerstone for numerous other services.

Challenge

Since beginning to work with DOAJ in 2013 the platform's requirements have expanded considerably. The volume of content has grown many times over, the number of active users is extremely high, and it has complex data management and review requirements. Our challenge has been to scale the platform in all these directions while maintaining service continuity, and adapting to the changing needs of the Open Access landscape.

Solution

We have developed a layered and modular application for DOAJ, which allows us to provide appropriate functionality for all user classes. This includes a web interface for end-users and a variety of API and data download features for external integrators. For administrators and editors we have provided powerful workflow and data management tools, with a variety of automations to streamline processes. The architecture of this system allows us to easily scale, and maintain 99.999% uptime under continuous and intense load.

Success

DOAJ and Cottage Labs have been in close partnership since 2013, and our collaboration has produced a robust, content-rich piece of Open Access infrastructure. Data from DOAJ is widely used by individuals and organisations, and is integrated into a huge variety of scholarly information systems.

Themes

Search Technologies Python OAI-PMH API Cloud Storage Open Access Infrastructure