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OJS Migration Services
OJS migration moves a journal from another platform, or from an unsupported OJS version, into a current OJS installation — mapping content and metadata correctly, preserving article URLs where possible, and validating the result — rather than a raw import that leaves broken links and missing metadata behind.
Who This Is For
- Journals moving from another CMS or journal platform to OJS
- Publishers consolidating multiple journals from different systems onto one OJS instance
- Journals on an OJS version so old that an in-place upgrade isn't practical
- Institutions moving OJS between hosting providers along with a platform-level cleanup
Common Problems This Solves
- Article metadata, author records, and issue structure that don't map cleanly between systems
- Existing article URLs that would break and hurt search rankings if not preserved
- DOIs registered under the old platform that need to keep resolving correctly
- A previous migration attempt that lost data or metadata
What's Included
How the Process Works
Source system audit
We assess what data is available for export and how cleanly it maps to OJS's data model.
Migration plan
A written plan covering content mapping, URL preservation, and DOI handling is agreed before migration starts.
Trial migration
A test migration into a staging OJS instance is run first, so issues are found before the real cutover.
Full migration
Once the trial is validated, the full content set is migrated.
QA & redirects
We check migrated content against the source and set up redirects for preserved URLs.
Go-live
The new OJS installation goes live, with the old platform kept accessible read-only for a transition period if needed.
Access & Requirements
- Export access or admin access to the source platform
- A target OJS installation (new or existing) with sufficient capacity
- DOI registration credentials, if DOIs need to be re-pointed to the new URLs
Realistic Benefits
- Content that arrives in OJS correctly structured, not as a raw, unmapped dump
- Search rankings and inbound links protected through URL preservation where possible
- A documented account of anything that couldn't be migrated automatically, instead of silent data loss
Limitations & Exclusions
- Some metadata fields that don't exist in the source system's export can't be recovered — we'll tell you what's missing before migration, not after
- Perfect URL preservation isn't always possible if the old platform's URL structure is fundamentally incompatible with OJS's routing
- Very large archives (many decades of back issues) may need a phased migration rather than a single cutover
Related Integrations
Documented, Not Improvised
Every engagement follows a written scope, a staging environment before production changes, and a validation checklist before anything is marked complete. Project write-ups are published as case studies once a client approves sharing them.
View case studiesPricing for this service
Migrations are quoted after a source-system audit — cost depends heavily on data volume and how cleanly it maps to OJS, not a flat rate.
View Pricing GuidanceFrequently Asked Questions
Related Services
Related Resources
Written by the CyberDairy OJS Engineering Team
Technically reviewed by: Senior OJS Developer
Last updated 2026-07-23
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Ready to talk about OJS Migration?
Tell us about your journal and current setup — we'll respond with a scoped recommendation.