OJS 3.5 plugin · Peer Review History Report
Reviewer assignments, comments, editorial decisions, and author revisions are compiled into one numbered PDF with QR verification. Authors download it themselves without having to contact the editorial office. Editors export a whole issue at once for national accreditation, such as SINTA/ARJUNA in Indonesia.
What editorial offices deal with
The review trail is scattered across Review Details, Discussions, Editorial Decisions, and revision history. Every time proof is requested, the editorial office pieces it together again by hand.
"Could I get proof of the review process for my article? I need it for my promotion file."
Lecturers need proof of correspondence and the review process for academic promotion or grant reports. Editors reply with screenshots and forwarded emails, one by one.
"Show us the peer review evidence for the articles in this issue."
Ahead of accreditation, journal managers open one manuscript after another to assemble a clean, consistent review trail.
"How do we know this document is genuine?"
Screenshots and Word documents can be edited by anyone. Outside parties have no way to check their authenticity.
The report
Arranged chronologically by review round, straight from the OJS records. Nothing is retyped.
Title, submission ID, authors, section, review model, submission date, and final decision. Time statistics: days to first review and days to final decision.
A proportional bar of review rounds and author revision periods, plus a timeline of every event: submitted, reviewers assigned, reviews completed, decisions.
Assigned, accepted, due, and completed dates for each reviewer. Recommendations, comments, review form answers, editorial decisions with their email text, and revision files.
Review Discussions labelled by role: Author, Editor, or Reviewer A.
The Editor-in-Chief's statement with a signature QR, the document number, a SHA-256 content fingerprint, and a QR code linking to the verification page.
Blind review privacy
Every manuscript has two versions of the report. The Author version contains only what authors are already allowed to see in OJS; the plugin exposes no new data.
| Element | Author version | Editor version |
|---|---|---|
| Reviewer names and affiliations | Labels Reviewer A, B, consistent across rounds | Shown |
| Comments for the author | Shown, reviewer identities masked | Shown |
| Confidential comments for the editor | Not included | Shown |
| Review form answers | Only items marked for the author | All items |
| Reviewers who declined or were cancelled | Not included | Shown |
| Reviewer attachment file names | Replaced with labels | Original names |
| Discussions | Only those involving the author | All review-stage discussions |
| PDF file metadata | Only the journal name and document number, no personal names | |
Workflow
Author
After the final decision, a Peer Review History panel appears on the author's submission page with a Download PDF button. The journal decides which outcomes unlock access: accepted, published, or also declined after review.
Editor & Section Editor
Journal Manager
Tools → Peer Review Reports. Pick an issue or a date range, then download a ZIP with a report for every reviewed manuscript and rekap.csv: ID, title, number of rounds, reviewers, dates, duration, decision, and document number.
Tamper-evident
Assessors or university staff scan the QR code on the PDF. The public verification page shows only brief metadata and hashes.
Installation
The PDF and QR libraries are bundled. No Composer, no SSH access, no changes to OJS files. Works on shared hosting.
Website Settings → Plugins → Upload A New Plugin, then choose the .tar.gz file.
Tick the plugin in each journal that should use it. The report table is created automatically.
Optional: author access, number format, language, colour, statement, and signatory.
The panel appears in the submission workflow, and the export menu appears under Tools.
Pricing
One price, every feature, for every journal in one OJS installation. Contact us to buy or to ask questions before you buy.
One-time paymentIDR 1,000,000/ OJS installation
FAQ
The Author version contains only what authors are already allowed to see in OJS. Reviewers are replaced with labels such as Reviewer A and B, and any reviewer name, email, or username written in comments is automatically replaced with [masked]. Confidential comments for editors and reviewers who declined are left out. Initials or nicknames that are not in the reviewer's profile are not recognised, so still check the report before sharing it with outside parties.
No. The plugin only reads review data through the official OJS Repo/DAO layer and stores reports in its own table and folder. Disabling the plugin does not change any submission data.
OJS 3.5.0.x with PHP 8.2 or newer. The PDF and QR libraries are bundled, so Composer is not needed on the server.
Scan the QR code on the PDF. The verification page shows the status (VALID, DRAFT, or REVOKED), brief metadata, and hashes. Anyone holding the PDF can match the file in the browser without uploading it. Review contents are never shown on the verification page.
Yes, a signature QR above the signatory's name and title, with configurable content (for example name, title, and document number). It is a visual mark, not a certified electronic signature.
Yes. Reports are built from review data already stored in OJS, so older reviewed manuscripts can be downloaded right away. Manuscripts declined before review have no review data and therefore get no report.
IDR 1,000,000 one-time for one OJS installation, valid for every journal in that installation, including an illustrated user guide.
No. The report records that the editorial process took place and was logged in OJS. This statement is also printed on the last page of the PDF.