Transformation of the academic journal “Afrika und Übersee” into an open access journal

《非洲与Übersee》杂志创刊于1910年，致力于发表有关非洲语言及其历史、文化和社会背景的新学术发现。该杂志多样化的主题范围代表了非洲语言学领域的整个范围，自然也抓住了研究和分析非洲研究的新方法。特别关注语言原始资料的出版及其分析，这两种方法主要由语言类型学学者和语言理论家在自己的学科边界之外采用。促进年轻研究人员，特别是来自非洲的年轻研究人员，是编辑们特别关心的问题。文章可以用英语、法语或德语发表。它们通常在发表前经过双盲同行评审。将期刊转变为开放获取出版物的过程基本上包括两条行动线：生产方法的技术转换为数字和开放获取格式，以及持续编辑工作的重组。对于技术上的转变，编辑们倾向于与专业的出版合作伙伴合作，他们不仅关心在线出版的基本结构（网络空间和DOI的分配），而且还负责期刊的最佳分发和可见性以及长期存档。编辑工作的调整涉及责任的重新分配和整个工作流程的重组。这种转变的目的是确保该期刊作为一个重要的国际平台的长期连续性，它汇集了以非洲为重点的科学界的跨区域学术辩论。迄今尚未出版的语言学原始资料的分发仍将得到高度优先考虑。该杂志的全球影响力，其形象的锐化和卓越的质量也旨在增加潜在作者的数量。从国际比较的角度来看，《Afrika und Übersee》的开放获取出版也将提升以德国为基地的非洲语言学的地位。

The journal "Afrika und Übersee", which was established in 1910, is dedicated to the publication of new scholarly findings in African languages and their historical, cultural and social contexts. The diversified thematic scope of the journal represents the entire range of the field of African linguistics and naturally also seizes new approaches to research and analysis in African Studies. Special attention is paid to the publication of linguistic primary data and their analysis, both of which are adopted beyond the boundary of the own discipline mainly by scholars in linguistic typology and linguistic theorists. The promotion of young researchers, especially from Africa, is of particular concern to the editors. Articles can be published either in English or French or German. They generally pass through a double-blind peer review before publication.The process of transforming the journal into an open access publication basically involves two lines of action: the technical conversion of the method of production into a digital and openly accessible format and the reorganization of the continuous editorial work. For the technical changeover, the editors favor the cooperation with a professional publishing partner who takes care not only for the basic structure for online publication (webspace and assignment of a DOI), but is also responsible for an optimal distribution and visibility as well as the long-term archiving of the journal. The adjustments of the editorial work concern a redistribution of responsibilities and a restructuring of the entire workflow. The aim of the transformation is to ensure the long-term continuity of the journal as an important international platform that brings together trans-regional scholarly debates of scientific communities focused on Africa. The distribution of hitherto unpublished linguistic primary data will remain to be given high priority. The global presence of the journal, the sharpening of its profile and the excellent quality also aim at increasing the pool of potential authors. In an international comparative perspective, the open access publication of Afrika und Übersee shall also enhance the position of African linguistics based in Germany.