Bug Reporter Guide

Bug Reporter Guide

The Bug Reporter is a convenient tool built into EasyJournal that allows users to report issues, errors, or unexpected behavior directly from any page in the application. This guide explains how to use the Bug Reporter effectively to help improve the system.

Why Report Bugs?

Bug reporting is essential for maintaining and improving EasyJournal. By reporting issues, you help the development team identify and fix problems, ultimately creating a better experience for all users.

Accessing the Bug Reporter

The Bug Reporter is accessible from any page within EasyJournal through a small bug icon that appears at the bottom right corner of your screen.

Bug Reporter Button

The Bug Reporter button is available on all pages

Using the Bug Reporter

When you encounter an issue or unexpected behavior in EasyJournal, follow these steps to report it:

1
Click the bug icon in the bottom right corner of any page.

This will open the Bug Report modal dialog.

2
Enter a clear, descriptive title for the bug report.

The title should be concise but informative. For example: "Unable to upload PDF files in submission form" is better than "Upload not working."

3
Provide a detailed description of the issue.

In your description, try to include:

  • What you were trying to do when the issue occurred
  • What you expected to happen
  • What actually happened instead
  • Any error messages you saw
  • Steps to reproduce the issue
Bug Report Modal

The Bug Report modal with fields for title and description

4
Choose whether to include console logs.

The Bug Reporter can automatically include technical information from your browser console logs. This information can be very helpful for developers to diagnose the issue. We recommend keeping this option enabled unless you have privacy concerns.

5
Click "Submit Report" to send your bug report.

After submission, you'll see a confirmation message that your report has been received.

Tip:

Including clear, detailed information in your bug report significantly increases the chances that developers can quickly identify and fix the issue. The more context you provide, the better!

What Happens After You Submit a Bug Report?

Once you submit a bug report, the following process takes place:

Receipt and Logging

Your bug report is immediately logged in the system with a unique identifier. The system also captures technical information about your browser, operating system, and the page where the issue occurred.

Review and Prioritization

A system maintainer reviews your report, categorizes it, and assigns it a priority level based on the severity of the issue and how many users it might affect.

Resolution

The development team works to fix the issue. Depending on the complexity, this may take varying amounts of time.

Deployment

Once fixed, the solution is deployed to the EasyJournal system, usually as part of a regular update.

Tips for Effective Bug Reporting

Do

  • Be specific about what happened
  • Include step-by-step reproduction instructions
  • Mention your browser and device type
  • Include console logs when possible
  • Report each separate issue in its own report

Don't

  • Use vague descriptions like "it's not working"
  • Include multiple unrelated issues in one report
  • Include sensitive personal or research data
  • Submit duplicate reports for the same issue
  • Use bug reports for feature requests
Important Note:

The Bug Reporter is designed for reporting technical issues with EasyJournal. For questions about manuscript submissions, peer review, or other journal processes, please contact the editorial team directly.

For System Maintainers: The Bug Report Dashboard

If you have a maintainer role in EasyJournal, you'll have access to the Bug Report Dashboard, where you can view, manage, and resolve reported issues.

Accessing the Dashboard:

System maintainers can access the dashboard by logging in with maintainer credentials (maintainer@example.com) and navigating to the "Bug Reports" section in the admin menu.

Bug Report Dashboard

The Bug Report Dashboard for System Maintainers

The Dashboard provides several key features:

Bug Report List

View all submitted bug reports with filtering options for status (open/resolved), date, and priority.

Search and Filter

Quickly find specific issues using the search functionality or apply filters to narrow down the list.

Report Details and Management

Access full details of each report, including user information, console logs, and system details. Add internal notes, update status, and assign priority levels.

Resolution Workflow

Mark reports as resolved once fixes have been implemented, with options to reopen if necessary.

Conclusion

The Bug Reporter is a valuable tool that empowers all EasyJournal users to contribute to the continuous improvement of the platform. By submitting clear, detailed bug reports when you encounter issues, you help ensure that EasyJournal remains a robust, reliable platform for academic publishing.

Need More Help?

If you have questions about using the Bug Reporter or need assistance with a specific issue, please contact our support team at support@easyjournal.example.com.