DOCX to Markdown and JATS XML Converter

A tool to help with the conversion of academic journal articles formatted and created in Microsoft Word (DOCX) to Markdown and JATS XML — the expected format for rendering articles using Open Journal Systems (OJS).

Version: v1.1.0

📋 Workflow Instructions

Follow these steps to prepare the finalized article to be attached as a galley to an issue in Open Journal Systems (OJS):

1

Prepare the docx

  • Remove title, abstract, and keywords from the document
  • Ensure figures are added directly to the document following this formatting:
Figure 1
Figure 1
The Huvi-matka Avasaksaan game board features depictions of iconic Finnish locations by artist Hilda Olson. Several of the depictions were the first images of those places ever reproduced. (Image in the public domain)
  • Include tables with their titles and captions
2

Convert to JATS XML

  • Upload your prepared DOCX file above
  • Check the "Convert to JATS XML" option
  • Click "Convert Document" to generate the XML file
3

Rename Image Files

  • Rename your image files sequentially as they appear in the article:
image1.jpg, image2.png, image3.jpg, etc.
  • Images must be renamed image1.[jpg|png], image2.[jpg|png], image3.[jpg|png]... in the order they appear in the article, otherwise the filepaths will be incorrect in the resulting XML file.
4

Upload to OJS

  • Upload the generated XML file as a galley to the issue in OJS.
  • Upload the renamed images as dependent files to the XML galley.
  • Preview the article in the OJS frontend to ensure the formatting is correct.

💡 Optional: Markdown Editing

If you need additional formatting options, you can first convert to Markdown, edit the file, then convert to JATS XML. This gives you access to Markdown's formatting capabilities while maintaining the final XML output.

📋 View Changelog
## [1.1.0] - 2025-10-17 ### Added - Comprehensive workflow instructions for OJS article preparation - Step-by-step guide with visual indicators and formatting examples - Mobile-responsive design for workflow instructions - Pure CSS framework integration (3.7KB gzipped) ## [1.0.0] - 2025-09-18 ### Added - Initial release of DOCX to JATS XML Converter web application - DOCX to Markdown conversion with academic formatting support - Markdown to JATS XML conversion with full JATS compliance - Web interface with Flask backend - Production deployment support with Gunicorn - Semantic versioning implementation ### Technical Details - Built with Python 3.12+ and Flask 2.0+ - Uses pandoc for high-quality document conversion - Cross-platform compatibility (macOS, Linux, Windows) ### Dependencies - Flask >= 2.0.0 - Gunicorn >= 20.0.0 - Werkzeug >= 2.0.0 - pandoc (system dependency) --- ## Version History | Version | Date | Description | |---------|------|-------------| | 1.1.0 | 2025-10-17 | Added workflow instructions and enhanced UI | | 1.0.0 | 2025-09-18 | Initial release with full conversion capabilities | ## Semantic Versioning This project follows [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/) principles: - **MAJOR** version when you make incompatible API changes - **MINOR** version when you add functionality in a backwards compatible manner - **PATCH** version when you make backwards compatible bug fixes ## Contributing When contributing to this project, please update this changelog with your changes following the established format.