Restricting User Roles Able to Change Published Content

[vgabler]

Hi,

Currently the Editor role has the ability to change published content and republish. The Journal Manager role can also access this function by logging in as an editor. Would it be possible to include an option to restrict this ability to only the Administrator role? We host a variety of OJS journals for outside parties who are knowledgeable in their own fields but not in publishing ethics. I predict that they might try to correct errors in published issues, rather than publishing errata. It would be preferable if they were required to contact me to change published content, and I could then evaluate whether the requested correction is a simple typographical error, which is an acceptable change, or another error that should be handled by an erratum.

All best,

Vanessa Gabler

[jmacgreg]

Hi Vanessa,

I haven't actually heard of specific instances of this happening before (although it very well may have, of course). I like the idea, but it may be tricky to implement, and difficult to troubleshoot. Also, the idea of introducing one particular restriction into an otherwise unrestricted tool seems somehow prone to confusion.

What about possibly just adding a simple warning to the Journal Manager's User Home page, or on the page where they can log in as a given Editor, saying something to the effect that the "log in as" option should never be used to interfere with or change article content, and if content needs to be changed please contact Vanessa Gabler? If that may suffice, I can tell you where you'll need to make changes. Another option would be to include the caveat as part of a general policy to be handed out to all new (or even established) journals. Either way, the journal management team itself *should* ideally have a very good understanding of who can modify article content.

Cheers,
James