Purpose Scientific journals play a pivotal role in disseminating research findings, validating methodologies, and promoting academic discourse. In the past decade, technological advancements, global collaborations, and evolving editorial policies have driven significant transformations in journal management. This systematic literature review investigated the key trends, challenges, and opportunities in scientific journal management between 2013 and 2023.
Methods Utilizing a PRISMA-guided methodology, 26 peer-reviewed articles from the Scopus database were analyzed.
Results The findings reveal five primary themes: (1) journal management systems and technological improvements; (2) editorial processes, policies, and best practices; (3) metrics, evaluation, and scientometrics; (4) case studies and implementation; and (5) ethical, social, and equity considerations. Technological innovations, such as artificial intelligence–driven tools, improved plagiarism detection systems, and semantic workflows, have improved operational efficiency. Editorial best practices and evaluation metrics have evolved to promote transparency, accountability, and research integrity. However, persistent challenges include financial sustainability, disparities in gender representation, and maintaining consistency in editorial quality.
Conclusion This review underscores the importance of adaptive strategies and innovative frameworks in ensuring the long-term sustainability, accessibility, and impact of scholarly journals in a rapidly evolving academic publishing landscape.