The open access initiative "Digital Peer Publishing" (DiPP) offers a comprehensive publication and workflow system.

Submissions can be processed through the web based reviewing system GAP-Works, a development of the Institute of Science Networking in Oldenburg, Germany. If accepted and preformatted by the editorial groups, contributions are automatically loaded, converted and stored in the repository via OAI protocols, which, in turn, triggers further information services (URN, OAI Harvesting preparation, indexing etc.) Contributions can be prepared for final publication by editorial groups through a web interface and content-management system. The open source based system is up and running, but continuously optimized and further developed to fulfil the needs of the journals and offer advanced features such as modularized media and metadata handling, enhanced multi-media management etc.

Schematic of the electronic publishing system for eJournals developed and maintained by the Academic Library Centre hbz in Cologne.

Articles are processed in four principal steps (from upper left to upper right) with mostly automated transitions.

1. After submission by the author, documents are reviewed in form and content. A web-based workflow manager is offered.
2. In case the submission is accepted, articles are prepared for conversion to XML, which is the central format and also the basis for HTML and PDF.
3. Publications and metadata are transferred to a secure database (repository).
4. A concluding formal revision and presentation can be performed in the publication system, which also offers functions for letters, news, announcements etc. For supporting search and retrieval on the internet and in academic databases, each publication receives persistent internet addresses (URN) and offers interfaces such as OAI and RSS for external services.