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Auditing framework for Diamond Open Access Journals
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Introduction

This auditing framework is designed to support a systematic assessment of scholarly journals against key requirements for transparency, editorial and technical quality, accessibility and interoperability. It can be used by journals as a self-assessment tool to identify strengths, gaps and areas for improvement, or by institutions to assess journals they publish or support, identify areas where action is needed, and plan improvement actions.
The framework builds upon the Diamond Open Access Standard (DOAS) Guide for Journals (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15147823) and Quality in Diamond Open Access Publishing: guidelines, policies and templates (Version 2.0) (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17404838).
The framework contains 93 criteria organized into sections covering different aspects of journal publishing (e.g. journal identification, general information, journal policies, etc.). For each criterion, the a description and guidance on how to verify it are provided. The audit columns allow auditors to record the status of each criterion, note whether information is available in alternative languages (if this is relevant for the journal), record observations and provide evidence supporting their assessment. Each criterion is assigned a requirement level: Mandatory, Recommended or Mandatory if applicable.
Where a journal does not meet a criterion, guidance on how to address common gaps and improve journal practices can be found in Quality in Diamond Open Access Publishing: Guidelines, Policies and Templates (Version 2.0) and Let’s Do It Right: Fixing Common Issues in Open Access Journals.

This framework has been developed as part of the Collaboration for Sustainable Open Access Publishing in Africa project, funded by the Wellcome Trust (grant number 228148/Z/23/Z).

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Link to Let's Do it Right: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1hgLf8FQ2vEVPFtEccDAbwXIQHTQaiXCH/edit?gid=685957829#gid=685957829
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