# Categorization of articles



# Standard categorizations

Nestor provides a wide choice of tools to categorize articles:

[![image.png](https://doc.nestor-edp.org/uploads/images/gallery/2023-06/scaled-1680-/w8wsArfxAWDPsiNu-image.png)](https://doc.nestor-edp.org/uploads/images/gallery/2023-06/w8wsArfxAWDPsiNu-image.png)

For a specific article, categories are available and may be corrected in the [metadata module](https://doc.nestor-edp.org/books/editor-guide/page/the-metadata-module "The metadata module").

<table border="1" id="bkmrk-category-name-partic" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;"><colgroup><col style="width: 16.9356%;"></col><col style="width: 83.0644%;"></col></colgroup><tbody><tr><td>**Category name**</td><td>**Particularities**  
</td></tr><tr><td>Expertise fields</td><td>- Tree structure
- Used to categorize articles <span style="text-decoration: underline;">and</span> users, to improve editors/referees matches for a given article

</td></tr><tr><td>Article types  
</td><td>- Flat list
- Used for workflow configuration, see [article type configuration](https://doc.nestor-edp.org/books/editorial-office-guide/page/configuration-of-article-types).

</td></tr><tr><td>Sections</td><td>- Flat list

</td></tr><tr><td>Topical issues</td><td>- Flat list

</td></tr></tbody></table>

These categories may be used in combination to:

- handle specific workflows (especially article types and [custom fields](https://doc.nestor-edp.org/books/editorial-office-guide/page/special-categorizations-custom-fields "Custom fields"))
- perform [specific searches](https://doc.nestor-edp.org/books/editor-guide/page/advanced-and-saved-searches) on articles
- display [visual flags](https://doc.nestor-edp.org/books/editorial-office-guide/page/flags) on article pages and article lists
- [process data](https://doc.nestor-edp.org/books/editor-guide/page/articles-lists-views-and-exports) about your journal

# Special categorizations: custom fields

Custom fields are a way to categorize articles in any way besides [standard categorizations](https://doc.nestor-edp.org/books/editorial-office-guide/page/standard-categorizations). They can be quite simple (text, date etc.), or they can be used to create special options related to your journal.

For a specific article, custom fields are available and may be corrected in the [metadata module](https://doc.nestor-edp.org/books/editor-guide/page/the-metadata-module "The metadata module").

[![image.png](https://doc.nestor-edp.org/uploads/images/gallery/2026-02/scaled-1680-/DZ0fuaUwlgxiJJTT-image.png)](https://doc.nestor-edp.org/uploads/images/gallery/2026-02/DZ0fuaUwlgxiJJTT-image.png)

---

Custom fields configuration is available here:

[![image.png](https://doc.nestor-edp.org/uploads/images/gallery/2026-02/scaled-1680-/vR6fhJLHSWEwzSNg-image.png)](https://doc.nestor-edp.org/uploads/images/gallery/2026-02/vR6fhJLHSWEwzSNg-image.png)

---

### Simple custom fields

There are five types of "simple" custom fields:

[![image.png](https://doc.nestor-edp.org/uploads/images/gallery/2023-05/scaled-1680-/o3SqDneEI39HxTLl-image.png)](https://doc.nestor-edp.org/uploads/images/gallery/2023-05/o3SqDneEI39HxTLl-image.png)

For example, let us imagine that for each article, I want to track the number of pages.

I can configure a custom field accepting only numbers, so:

![image.png](https://doc.nestor-edp.org/uploads/images/gallery/2023-05/scaled-1680-/J5QfSZnKPQYvCcRl-image.png)

In the article page, I will retrieve my field and can input the relevant data for this article:

<table border="1" id="bkmrk--5" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 74.321%;"><colgroup><col style="width: 100%;"></col></colgroup><tbody><tr><td>[![image.png](https://doc.nestor-edp.org/uploads/images/gallery/2023-05/scaled-1680-/ziVGFmSqBABKLSEX-image.png)](https://doc.nestor-edp.org/uploads/images/gallery/2023-05/ziVGFmSqBABKLSEX-image.png)

</td></tr></tbody></table>

---

### List custom fields

The custom fields **select / checkbox / radio** are used to create a flat list of selectable options. When creating such a custom field, you will have to provide the corresponding list of options:

[![image.png](https://doc.nestor-edp.org/uploads/images/gallery/2023-05/scaled-1680-/clW0kiuY4ztfhejm-image.png)](https://doc.nestor-edp.org/uploads/images/gallery/2023-05/clW0kiuY4ztfhejm-image.png)

The configured options will then be selectable in the article page:

[![image.png](https://doc.nestor-edp.org/uploads/images/gallery/2023-05/scaled-1680-/AxvJouvjaXpUNaGD-image.png)](https://doc.nestor-edp.org/uploads/images/gallery/2023-05/AxvJouvjaXpUNaGD-image.png)

---

### Custom fields and other tools

- Custom fields can updated automatically: 
    - [when sending an e-mail](https://doc.nestor-edp.org/books/editorial-office-guide/page/attaching-rules-to-templates)
    - [when the author answers a submission questionnaire](https://doc.nestor-edp.org/books/editorial-office-guide/page/configuration-of-questionnaires)

- Custom fields can be:  
    
    - [flagged](https://doc.nestor-edp.org/books/editorial-office-guide/page/flags "Flags") to be displayed prominently on articles
    - displayed and exported in [article lists](https://doc.nestor-edp.org/books/editor-guide/page/articles-lists-views-and-exports "Articles lists: views and exports")
    - used in [advanced searches, as a criterion](https://doc.nestor-edp.org/books/editor-guide/page/advanced-and-saved-searches "Advanced search")

# Flags

Flags are symbols displayed on articles, to help editors to identify important information. They are visible both in [articles pages](https://doc.nestor-edp.org/books/editor-guide/page/upper-area-the-main-information "Presentation of the article page") and in [articles lists](https://doc.nestor-edp.org/books/editor-guide/page/articles-lists-views-and-exports "Articles lists: views and exports").

<table border="1" id="bkmrk-flags-on-the-article" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; height: 111.8px;"><colgroup><col style="width: 50%;"></col><col style="width: 50%;"></col></colgroup><tbody><tr style="height: 35.4px;"><td style="height: 35.4px;">**Flags on the article page**  
</td><td style="height: 35.4px;">**Flags in article lists**  
</td></tr><tr style="height: 46.6px;"><td style="height: 46.6px;">In article pages, flags are displayed in the upper information area, near the reference and the status  
</td><td style="height: 46.6px;">In article lists, flags are displayed next to the reference  
</td></tr><tr style="height: 29.8px;"><td style="height: 29.8px;">[![image.png](https://doc.nestor-edp.org/uploads/images/gallery/2023-05/scaled-1680-/iDcrrxTk1gkD9maC-image.png)](https://doc.nestor-edp.org/uploads/images/gallery/2023-05/iDcrrxTk1gkD9maC-image.png)

</td><td style="height: 29.8px;">[![image.png](https://doc.nestor-edp.org/uploads/images/gallery/2023-05/scaled-1680-/hWQiJkFVwPhnZg56-image.png)](https://doc.nestor-edp.org/uploads/images/gallery/2023-05/hWQiJkFVwPhnZg56-image.png)

</td></tr></tbody></table>

### Configuring flags

Flags are based on the article metadata and [categorizations. ](https://doc.nestor-edp.org/books/editorial-office-guide/page/standard-categorizations)The following data can be flagged:

- Article type
- Section
- Topical issue
- Country
- Any [list custom field](https://doc.nestor-edp.org/books/editorial-office-guide/page/special-categorizations-custom-fields#bkmrk-list-custom-fields) (select, check boxes, radio buttons)

#### Flags: a case study

For example, we want to closely follow articles submitted for a 2023 special issue. Let us create this flag:

[![image.png](https://doc.nestor-edp.org/uploads/images/gallery/2023-05/scaled-1680-/ZgPrZ1k1CcoDHYOK-image.png)](https://doc.nestor-edp.org/uploads/images/gallery/2023-05/ZgPrZ1k1CcoDHYOK-image.png)

Any article included in this topical issue will be flagged accordingly:

[![image.png](https://doc.nestor-edp.org/uploads/images/gallery/2023-05/scaled-1680-/BuOuhuzcY4LLx7vP-image.png)](https://doc.nestor-edp.org/uploads/images/gallery/2023-05/BuOuhuzcY4LLx7vP-image.png)

# Data exports

Exporting data from Nestor is a simple process, please have a look [here](https://doc.nestor-edp.org/books/editor-guide/page/articles-lists-views-and-exports) :)