Public journal portal
Articles, published issues, an archive, editorial information and public pages for readers and the academic community.
WebHat project · Academic publishing · Bucharest
Web platform for scientific publishing and editorial management
Scientific website of the Faculty of Veterinary Pharmacy in Bucharest
WebHat designed and developed a custom web platform to manage the complete scientific publishing process. The solution brings together the journal's public portal, manuscript submissions, peer review, revision management, editorial decisions and online article publication.
This is more than a presentation website or a CMS used only to publish articles. It is a hybrid platform with public and authenticated areas, editorial rules, distinct roles and a controlled workflow from manuscript to published article.
Project components
A hybrid platform, not just a website or CMS
The public area and authenticated editorial work operate together but serve different needs: information, submission, review, decisions and publication.
Authenticated web application
Authors submit manuscripts, respond to comments and upload revised versions in a controlled workspace.
Editorial management
Submissions are checked, assigned, reviewed and guided through the editorial decision and preparation for publication.
Multi-role workflow
Author, reviewer, editor, editor-in-chief and administrator, each with distinct responsibilities and actions.
Functional architecture
Three platform surfaces working as one system
The architecture connects the journal's public presentation to the secure workspace and editorial engine governing each manuscript's progress.
The area accessible to readers and the academic community.
- Published articles
- Issues and archive
- Editorial information
The workspace where users participate in the editorial process.
- Manuscript submissions
- Files and versions
- Comments and responses
The rules, roles and decisions controlling a paper's progress.
- Reviewer assignment
- Revisions and reviews
- Decision and publication
Author
Submits the manuscript, follows requests and uploads revised versions.
Reviewer
Evaluates the paper and provides comments within the single-blind review process.
Editor
Checks the submission, assigns the paper and coordinates its editorial progress.
Editor-in-chief
Assesses the reviews and makes the final editorial decision.
Administrator
Manages users, the platform structure and the operation of editorial areas.
Editorial workflow
From manuscript submission to article publication
Evaluation is performed by at least two independent reviewers. The process is single-blind: reviewers know the authors' identities, while authors do not know the reviewers' identities. The final decision belongs to the editor-in-chief.
Author submits the manuscript
Initial editorial check
Evaluation by at least two independent reviewers
Editorial decision
The accepted paper enters the final editorial stage and is prepared for the public portal.
The decision is recorded and the paper's editorial process is closed.
The author responds to comments, updates the paper and resubmits it for evaluation.
The revision loop returns the updated version for checks and, where needed, to the independent reviewers before a new editorial decision.
Technical information
The real complexity lies in rules, roles and process states
A platform of this kind must retain a coherent path for each manuscript and give every participant the tools required by their role.
Separate access areas
Public content and authenticated editorial operations are treated as different surfaces of the same platform.
Role-based permissions
Each user category sees the actions and information needed at its stage of participation.
Versions and revisions
A manuscript can undergo minor or major revisions, with an updated version uploaded and the review process resumed.
Controlled editorial states
Acceptance, rejection and a request for revision are explicit outcomes that guide the manuscript along the correct path.
Process-focused interface
Dashboards and actions are organised around editorial tasks rather than the structure of a generic CMS.
Connected archive and publication
The editorial workflow feeds the public portal, where articles and journal issues become easy to browse.
WebHat experience
A project combining a website, an application and editorial logic
The project's value extends beyond the interface. WebHat turned an academic process with multiple roles, documents, reviews and possible outcomes into a coherent platform for both public access and day-to-day editorial work.
- Editorial workflow analysis and modelling
- Different interfaces for five roles
- Connection between the internal process and online publication
- Structure supporting successive revisions and decisions
