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

创刊于1910年的《非洲和德国》杂志致力于以非洲语言及其历史、文化和社会背景发表新的学术发现。该期刊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。特别关注语言原始数据及其分析的出版，这两者都超越了自己的学科界限，主要由语言类型学的学者和语言理论家采用。年轻研究人员的晋升，特别是来自非洲的年轻研究人员的提拔，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。它们一般在出版前都要经过双盲同行审查。将期刊转变为开放获取出版物的过程基本上涉及两条路线：从技术上将生产方式转变为数字化和开放获取的格式，以及重组连续的编辑工作。对于技术转换，编辑们倾向于与专业出版合作伙伴合作，后者不仅负责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期刊的长期存档。编辑工作的调整涉及到职责的重新分配和整个工作流程的重组。这一转变的目的是确保期刊的长期连续性，使其成为一个重要的国际平台，汇聚以非洲为重点的科学界的跨区域学术辩论。迄今未出版的语言原始数据的分发仍将受到高度重视。该杂志在全球的存在、其形象的提高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，《非洲与德国》的开放获取出版物也将提高设在德国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 The distribution of hitherto unpublished linguistic primary data will remain to be given high priority.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.