iJournals is an Oracle Financials system used to transfer funds or expenses between accounts or across Expenditure Types or Object Codes.
About
iJournals is a web-based interface to Oracle Financials used to initiate journal transfers between PTAs or across Expenditure Types or Object Codes. Journal transfers record the movement of funds or expenses from one account (PTAEO or PFOO) to another.
Common uses include:
- Transferring costs between departments (New Journal)
- Correcting errors identified on the Expenditure Detail Report (New Journal)
- Charging for services provided to other departments (Allocation Journal)
- Funding a cost-sharing award from a gift fund (Fund Transfer)
- Charging or paying Stanford hospitals (Intercompany Journal)
Journal Types
iJournals is used to originate various transaction types.
| Types | Transaction Types |
|---|---|
| New Journals | Used for most standard expenditure or expense transfers, as well as transactions related to assets, liabilities, or revenue objects. Also used for intercompany transfers to charge or pay a hospital department for services. Learn more in Policy: Recording Transactions between Stanford University and Hospitals. |
| Allocation Journals | Used to allocate service center charges and other expenditure allocations. |
| Accrual Journals | Used by Central and designated iJournals Specialist users to recognize revenues and expenses that have been earned or consumed but not yet received or paid. |
| Upload Journals | Allow journals to be created in Excel and uploaded into iJournals using a preformatted template. Upload journals may be used for any journal type. |
| Feeder Journals | Used to distribute charges from independent systems into Oracle Financials through allocation journals. These journals typically charge departments based on usage or services provided at established rates. Feeder originators use the iJournals Upload Template to create Excel files with header and detail lines that upload and validate in the iJournals system. Upload a Feeder Journal when the file contains:
To request a new Feeder ID, use the iJournals New Feeder Request Form. |
| Fund Transfer Journals | Used by Central and iJournals Specialist users with the appropriate iBudgets role to transfer funds between funds or awards. |
Policy
- All fund use is guided by the principles outlined in Proper Use of Funds.
- Learn about iJournals expense transfer policy in Administrative Guide Policy 3.2.2: Cost Transfers.
- Learn about feeder and allocation journals policy in Administrative Guide Policy 3.2.3: Allocations and Offsets.
Visit the Newsroom for recent announcements, and subscribe to receive iJournals updates and enhancements.
Access
Access to iJournals is based on roles and privileges assigned in Authority Manager, which determine the tasks a user can perform.
The three levels of iJournals access are:
iJournals Public
Supports standard iJournals activities. Some expenditure types and object codes are not available at this access level.
New iJournals Public users must:
- Be granted the SU iJournals Public authority privilege by their school or department in Authority Manager. Learn about who can grant access in Topic Overview: Financial System and Reporting Authority.
- Complete required training including any prerequisite courses not previously taken.
iJournals Specialist
Supports financial staff in service centers, auxiliaries, or operating units who perform specialized tasks within their areas.
Specialists can:
- Use restricted expenditure types and object codes
- Upload batch files
- Initiate fund transfers (for a subset of specialists with additional responsibilities who have also been granted iBudgets authority)
- Enter accrual journals (for a subset of specialists with additional responsibilities)
- Be designated as a feeder owner with feeder management privileges (based on job function and department requirements)
iJournals Central
Supports central office users in Fund Accounting, Capital Accounting, and the Office of Sponsored Research.
This access level allows for the use of additional expenditure types and object codes. Based on job function and department needs, users may also be designated as feeder owners with feeder management privileges.
Requesting iJournals Specialist or iJournals Central Access
To request iJournals Specialist or iJournals Central authority:
- Download and complete the iJournals Responsibility Request form, including the required authorization signature
- Sign the form manually or via e-signature (If e-signature is not available, refer to Adobe Digital ID.)
- Send the completed and signed form to Financial Systems and Operations Support (FSOS) for processing
To update feeder journal attributes (such as Feeder Owner, Business Owner, Feeder Contact, or Force PTA change), use the iJournals Feeder Update Request Form.
Learn more about selecting the appropriate access level in Resource: iJournals Responsibility Matrix.
Learning
iJournals training is required for individuals who create expense or revenue journals in iJournals and is available online in STARS.
- FIN-PROG-0020: Financial Stewardship Expectations
- Required for all Oracle Financials system users
- FIN-0102: Using Stanford Chart of Accounts
- Prerequisite to enrolling in FIN-0210 (below) and other financial training courses in STARS
- FIN-0210: Introduction to iJournals
- Required for new iJournals Public, iJournals Specialist, and iJournals Central users
Learning supplements are available for just-in-time learning following course completion.
- Creating Journals Learning Supplements
- Provides examples of completed journals and detailed instructions for creating New and Allocation journals
How tos
| Category | How-to Instructions |
|---|---|
| Oracle Basics | |
| For iJournals Users |
|
| For iJournal Approvers | |
| For Feeder Owners and Business Process Owners | Use iJournals New Feeder Request Form to request a new Feeder ID. |
| Tasks Requiring Special “iJournals Accrual" Responsibility | Use iJournals Responsibility Request Form to request authority for accruals.
|
| Tasks Requiring Special "iJournals Bulk Fund Transfers" Responsibility | Use iJournals Responsibility Request Form to request authority for bulk fund transfers. |
Resources
- Cost Transfer Approval Checklist
- iJournals Responsibility Matrix
- iJournals Responsibility Request
- iJournals Feeder Update Request
- iJournals New Feeder Request
- iJournals Upload Template (Revenue and Expense)
- iJournals Bulk Fund Transfer Upload Template
- Month-End-Close Deadlines
- Adobe Digital ID
- Common Browser Issues and Resolutions
Reporting
iJournals Reports
- Use the OBI Consolidated Expenditure Reporting Dashboard to access iJournals reporting data.
- View journal details, including approval history, in the iJournals Report within the dashboard.
Learn more about reporting tools in OBI Financial Reporting.
iJournals Inquiries
Use Public Inquiry in iJournals to access and print individual journals.
Protected journal entries (for example, human subjects) may be viewed only by the originator and Central Office users.
Feeder Inquiry (for Feeder Owners)
Feeder owners (a subset of iJournals Specialists) may use Feeder Inquiry within iJournals to:
- Select feeder files based on search criteria
- Access and open feeder files using the Excel icon
- View the last Status Date column to identify the most recent action performed on a feeder