OJS Upgrade & Custom Theme Refactoring

OJS Upgrade (3.4.0.8 to 3.5.0.2) & Custom Theme Refactoring (Zero Data Loss) Project Overview: We are "Tadabbur Journal", a non-profit academic journal. We require an experienced OJS Developer to upgrade our system and ensure our proprietary visual identity remains intact.

Current Version: 3.4.0.8 Target Version: 3.5.0.2 (Latest Release)

Core Tasks:

1. System Upgrade:

Safely upgrade the OJS installation to version 3.5.0.2.

CRITICAL: Full database and file backup is required before starting. We expect Zero Data Loss (users, articles, issues, submission history, and bilingual metadata must remain 100% intact).

2. Custom Theme Migration (The Main Challenge):

We utilize a Custom-Coded Theme (PHP/Smarty/JS). We will provide the source code.

You must refactor and update the theme code to ensure it is fully compatible with OJS 3.5.0.2 architecture.

Note: Simply installing a default theme is NOT acceptable. The site must look exactly as it does now.

3. Data & API Integrity:

Ensure all plugins (QuickSubmit, DOI/Crossref, Google Scholar, ORCID) are active and functioning in the new version.

Verify that Arabic content (RTL layout) displays correctly without encoding errors.

Required Skills:

Expert knowledge of OJS (Open Journal Systems) structure.

Strong proficiency in PHP, Smarty Templates, CSS, and MySQL.

Experience in migrating Custom Themes between major OJS versions.

Budget & Terms:

This is a Fixed Price project (approx. $250 - $300).

We are looking for a long-term technical partner.

Developers from Indonesia, Pakistan, and India with strong OJS portfolios are highly encouraged to bid.

To Bid: Please start your proposal with the word "TADABBUR" and confirm that you have worked with OJS version 3.5 before.