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The Journal of Open Research Software (JORS) is a peer-reviewed, open-access journal published by Ubiquity Press that focuses on research software across all disciplines. Founded in 2013, the venue enables practitioners in software engineering to publish reusable software tools, establish priority, and track citations. By publishing peer-reviewed “Software Metapapers” alongside research papers on software practice, JORS translates software outputs into formal scholarly contributions.
Short answer
The Journal of Open Research Software is a legitimate, peer-reviewed open-access journal published by Ubiquity Press, indexed in Scopus and DOAJ, and governed by COPE ethical guidelines. It charges an Article Processing Charge (APC) of £824 for Software Metapapers and £891 for Issues in Research Software papers, maintains a formal waiver fund, and conducts single-anonymous peer review where reviewers independently inspect repository code, installation scripts, documentation, and open licenses.
How Journal of Open Research Software’s peer review works
Peer review at JORS focuses on operational verification. The journal uses a single-anonymous model where reviewers know author identities while reviewer identities remain masked, though reviewers may voluntarily sign reports. Submissions undergo editorial screening before assignment to independent reviewers.
For Software Metapapers, reviewers evaluate both the manuscript and the public code repository against four core criteria:
- Functional execution: Testing whether the software compiles, installs, and runs per instructions without fatal errors.
- Repository completeness: Confirming the repository holds complete source code, test suites, sample data, and explicit dependencies.
- Documentation quality: Ensuring documentation clearly explains purpose, architecture, interfaces, and reproducibility.
- Open licensing: Confirming an OSI-approved license allowing reuse and modification.
For the “Issues in Research Software” track, reviewers evaluate traditional academic rigor, including methodological originality, relevant literature context, and practical significance. Editors issue formal decisions to accept, request minor or major revisions, or reject.
What is peer reviewed and what is not
Clear demarcation of evaluated content is essential for academic assessment:
- Software Metapapers (Peer-Reviewed): Concise articles describing research software with high reuse potential, focusing on architecture, implementation, and repository location. All undergo code and manuscript review.
- Issues in Research Software (Peer-Reviewed): Research, review, and position papers discussing computational workflows, software preservation, and policies relevant to a research software engineer. All undergo full peer review.
- Editorial Notes and Notices (Not Peer-Reviewed): Introductory notes, announcements, and errata published under direct editorial oversight without external review.
Indexing and recognised lists
JORS is indexed across international bibliographic databases and registries:
- Scopus: Indexed in Scopus with a CiteScore of 1.4 (rank 151/296 in Library and Information Sciences).
- Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ): Indexed since 2013 under CC BY 4.0 licensing.
- Crossref: All articles receive a persistent Crossref DOI for automated linking and metadata distribution.
- Regional Registries: Listed in the Norwegian Register (Level 1), ERIH PLUS, BDS, CNKI, and EBSCO.
- Archival Preservation: Permanently archived across Portico, CLOCKSS, and the Internet Archive.
- OpenAlex Records: OpenAlex tracks 406 JORS works with over 15,700 citations, an h-index of 43, and a 2-year mean citedness of 1.49.
Clarivate Journal Impact Factor and CiteScore Status
Authors frequently inquire about the journal of open research software impact factor. JORS does not maintain a Clarivate Journal Impact Factor (JIF) and is not indexed in SCIE. Ubiquity Press is a signatory of the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), prioritizing transparent article metrics via Scopus CiteScore (1.4), Scimago SJR (0.239), and the OPERAS platform over single journal metrics.
Comparison: JORS vs. JOSS
Researchers often compare JORS with the Journal of Open Source Software (JOSS):
| Feature | Journal of Open Research Software (JORS) | Journal of Open Source Software (JOSS) |
|---|---|---|
| Publisher | Ubiquity Press | Open Journals / NumFOCUS |
| Access Model | Gold open access (£824–£891 APC) | Diamond open access ($0 APC) |
| Review Venue | OJS editorial management platform | Public GitHub issues and pull requests |
| Paper Format | Software Metapaper or research paper | Short markdown paper (1–3 pages) |
| Review Mode | Single-anonymous (optional signed) | Open interactive public review |
| Article Scope | Metapapers plus software research | Research software packages |
How to check a specific article yourself
Evaluation panels and researchers can verify a JORS publication in four steps:
- Verify Crossref Metadata: Check that the article DOI resolves to
openresearchsoftware.metajnl.comand matches Crossref author metadata. - Inspect Code Repository: Access the repository link in the metapaper to confirm public availability and source code integrity.
- Confirm License and Release: Verify the repository contains an approved open-source license and release tag corresponding to the article.
- Check DOAJ or Scopus Indexing: Search E-ISSN 2049-9647 on DOAJ or Scopus to confirm current active indexing.
Editorial integrity, corrections, and retractions
JORS is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Manuscripts are screened prior to review using Crossref Similarity Check (iThenticate). Uncredited duplication or code plagiarism leads to immediate rejection. Post-publication errors are corrected via formal linked notices. Substantial ethical violations or falsifications trigger COPE-guided investigations and retraction if warranted. Research teams managing extensive software citations can use citation management software for research groups to maintain attribution rigor.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Journal of Open Research Software have an impact factor?
No, JORS does not have a Clarivate Journal Impact Factor. As a DORA signatory, it reports impact using Scopus CiteScore (1.4 in 2025), Scimago SJR (0.239), and OPERAS usage metrics.
Is the Journal of Open Research Software peer reviewed?
Yes. JORS peer reviews all Software Metapapers and research articles, requiring reviewers to independently test and execute repository code.
What are the publication fees for JORS?
JORS charges an APC of £824 GBP for Software Metapapers and £891 GBP for Issues in Research Software papers, funding hosting, indexing, and a 12% waiver reserve.
Can authors request an APC waiver from JORS?
Yes. Authors lacking institutional funding can request partial or full waivers during initial submission in their cover letter to the editor.
Where must software be archived for JORS publication?
Software must reside in a public repository such as GitHub, GitLab, Zenodo, or Figshare with persistent identifiers and an OSI-approved license.
Sources
- Journal of Open Research Software. About the Journal. Ubiquity Press. https://openresearchsoftware.metajnl.com/about (read 2026-11-08).
- Journal of Open Research Software. Editorial Policies and Peer Review Process. Ubiquity Press. https://openresearchsoftware.metajnl.com/en/about/editorialpolicies (read 2026-11-08).
- Journal of Open Research Software. Submission Guidelines and Fees. Ubiquity Press. https://openresearchsoftware.metajnl.com/about/submissions (read 2026-11-08).
- Directory of Open Access Journals. Journal of Open Research Software Record (E-ISSN 2049-9647). DOAJ. https://doaj.org/toc/2049-9647 (read 2026-11-08).
- OpenAlex. Source Metadata: Journal of Open Research Software. https://api.openalex.org/sources?search=Journal+of+Open+Research+Software (read 2026-11-08).
- Crossref. Journal Record: ISSN 2049-9647. https://api.crossref.org/journals/2049-9647 (read 2026-11-08).
