Managing a quality scientific publishing initiative in a complex landscape: the case of the Riviste Unimi platform

The journals platform is part of the publishing house of the University of Milan and in Italy it is one of the biggest diamond open access journals, based on a OJS software, with 72 journals from several disciplines. 

The main challenges faced in getting where we are today  are:

•       Recognition from institution

•       Recognition from STM researchers

•       Recognition from our own journals in updating best practices

Despite its achievements,  the platform faces challenges, first of all in gaining institutional recognition. For example, it remains difficult to promote and disseminate scholarly-led initiatives, as research assessment is still largely based on bibliometric indicators. 

Another point is getting funding from the university: in fact, even though we have nothing to complain about it  in this moment, it was really hard to get where we are now. For example, until 2024  typesetting was managed by journal boards and funded by departments and it is only in in 2025 that a central typesetting service, initially reserved solely for the books section, was extended to the Journals Section.

The platform’s development has been largely driven by HSS journals, supported by voluntary work and departmental funding. Since 2025, the availability of editing services has enabled us to attract STM journals as well.

Yet it is precisely one of our longest‑established STM journals that has given us the greatest rewards, as the journal “Rivista Italiana di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia” (RIPS) shows:  this journal has been contacted by commercial publishers and service providers interested in acquiring it or in proposing targeted collaborations aimed at increasing the journal’s visibility. They answered underlining the importance of a non commercial attitude towards distribution of the scientific knowledge.

RIPS is not the only journal indexed, as the Support Office invest a lot  of effort in the indexing of our journals playing an active role in monitoring new Open Science requirements and best practices, and works to promote their adoption by journals.

Our journals joined the platform at different times and under different quality requirements, which have evolved over time in line with developments in the Open Science landscape.

Journals that have obtained national classification and/or indexing in major databases are often reluctant to adopt newly introduced requirements. 

Raising researchers’ awareness of Open Science and the different models of  publishing models is key to redirecting university funding from Gold to community‑driven Diamond Open Access.

Our unit is committed to promoting open science practices, with continuous training sessions for the academic community.