Is it possible to create an academic journal without having all the answers from the start? Our experience suggests that leaving room for learning and adaptation can strengthen its development.
Over time, we discovered something we had not anticipated when we launched our journal, LINKS: a journal learns too. Its editorial identity is not defined only before the first issue is published; it is built through every decision, article and adjustment made along the way.
When an institution decides to create a new academic journal, there is often an expectation that all aspects of its editorial identity will be defined from the outset: its thematic scope, publication model, target audience, and even its long-term direction. However, our experience with LINKS, the international academic journal of the Technological University of Uruguay (UTEC), showed that some of these definitions can be developed gradually, as the journal grows, learns and adapts to the needs of its academic community.
These are some of the key lessons we learned during this process:
- Start with a clear purpose
- Understand that the first editorial model does not have to be the final one
- Let experience guide decisions
- Recognise that editorial identity is also built institutionally
- Build identity through practice.
Start with a clear purpose
It is important for a journal to be born with a clear purpose. In our case, the initial motivation was to create a space for knowledge dissemination and exchange, promoting the internationalisation of research and academic dialogue within a young technological university. That purpose guided the decisions we made and the adjustments that emerged over time.
While editorial decisions changed along the way, we have never lost sight of why the journal had been created. Having clarity about the “why” proved far more important than trying to define every detail of the “how” from the beginning.
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The first model does not have to be the final one
During its early years, LINKS organised publications through themed calls for papers. This approach allowed us to focus contributions in specific areas, facilitate editorial planning, and build an initial community of authors and readers.
However, as the journal gained experience and submission volumes increased, new needs began to emerge. This led us to reflect on whether adjustments to the editorial model were needed to support its continued growth.
Experience as a guide
The transition to a continuous publication model and the definition of permanent thematic areas were not part of an initial fixed roadmap. They emerged through a gradual process of learning and adaptation, as well as exposure to models developed by other academic journals.
These accumulated experiences helped us identify strengths, limitations and opportunities for improvement. We also came to understand that moving to an online open-access platform with defined thematic areas would provide greater stability for the journal and enable better alignment with the university’s strategic areas and internationally relevant topics.
Editorial identity is also built institutionally
The journal was launched in 2022 as an initiative of UTEC’s Global Engagement Centre, with a strong emphasis on internationalisation and academic exchange. Over time, the incorporation of the Directorate of Research and Development strengthened its alignment with institutional research and publishing strategies.
This process contributed to enriching the journal and consolidating a more defined and sustainable editorial identity, built through collaboration across different areas of the university.
Building identity through practice
Editorial identity is often thought of as something defined through strategic planning and initial design. However, our experience suggests it is also shaped through everyday practice.
Published articles, academic networks, peer reviewers, editorial decisions and the challenges encountered along the way all contribute to shaping a journal’s identity. In this sense, identity is best understood as a continuous process of construction.
We would likely not have made all the same decisions had we known at the beginning everything we would learn along the way. This is one of the key lessons: an academic journal also learns. Each published volume, each peer review and each interaction with authors and readers contributes to shaping its identity.
New academic journals often feel pressure to have all the answers from the outset. However, the experience of LINKS suggests that it is equally important to leave space for learning and evolution.
Rather than aiming for a fully defined identity from day one, journals may benefit from their creators understanding their development as an ongoing process of improvement, guided by experience, reflection and the needs of their academic community. Allowing this evolution gives a journal the flexibility it needs to grow, respond to new challenges, and build a stronger identity grounded in practice. Editorial identity does not have to be a starting point; it can be an outcome.
Natalia Azzi is communications coordinator in the Global Center and sits on the editorial team of LINKS international journal at the Technological University of Uruguay (UTEC).
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