Special Issues

What is a Special Issue?

• A special issue is a collection of articles focusing on a topical area of study in a journal. These issues provide a locus of research on emerging fields, highlighting important sub-disciplines, or describing new interdisciplinary applications. Special issue is a very effective tool to enhance the production of high quality content and promote the journal to a wider audience. Special issue differs from a regular journal issue because it focuses on a specific topic, such as current research trends or “hot topics.” They can review a relevant topic, examine hitherto unknown scientific aspects, suggest and develop new experimental or analytical methods, exchange views, and encourage new research direction.

Steps to create a Special Issue

• Choosing a topic: The journal’s special issue success begins with its theme. When selecting a topic, it should be considered whether the proposed topic is consistent with the journal’s aim and scope. Special issue can also be useful for wide-ranging exploration, so that the topic is not necessarily limited to existing topics in the journal. The topic should be of considerable interest to the journal’s core readers. If the topic is currently “hot,” the editor must determine whether to speed up the timeline. Special issue should be of limited scope but of wide interest. One of the most obvious ways to determine which special issue topics will interest your readers is to ask them what they would most like to read. Publishers can do this by: Survey editorial board members to give suggestions to special issue, Review trending topics in your major on social media, in academic and mainstream news, and at conferences, Post a call to propose special issue on the journal’s website and generate insights through advanced bibliographic analysis.

• Clarify the process: Next, we need to choose a guest editor who understands the academic publishing and editing process. Make sure they are also motivated to find reviewers and communicate with the authors. Creating a special issue takes a lot of work and time and we need to make sure that our guest editor knows this and is willing to take on the responsibility.

• Maintain the focus of your Special Issue: Once a guest editor is found for chosen special issue topic, we need to make sure they agree on the scope of the special issue and the paper’s acceptance criteria. We Take notes in this discussion and create written instructions and checklists for guest editors. This is an important step in maintaining the focus of particular issue.

• Check on the progress of articles: We review the progress of articles and stick to an agreed schedule with everyone so we can publish on time.

Role of Editorial Board Members

• Review proposals for special issues in terms of their relevance to current research in the relevant field.
• Suggest suitable recommendations and their guest editors along with their biographies.

Once a proposal has been accepted by Editorial Board Members to create a special issue, the respective guest editors will be responsible for managing and processing the articles in the special issue.

Roles of Guest Editor(s)

• Point out the importance of the proposed topic for the special and explain how the articles in the special will help increase the magazine’s reach.
• Suggest potential authors and invite them to contribute articles related to the proposed issue.
• Recommend a minimum of 3-5 reviewers for special issue manuscripts.
• Conduct all communications with potential authors and reviewers regarding the author’s instructions for manuscript preparation and evaluation.
• Prepare schedule and publication time of articles of special issues. This should include a timeline for manuscript preparation, a review process, and final submission.
• Monitor the submission of final edited versions of contributed articles along with contact details of all respective authors.

Benefits of Guest Editor(s)

• Guest Editing is an ideal opportunity to network and communicate with researchers in the research community.
• At the forefront of science communication.
• Show creativity in creating and developing a theme.
• Gather and work with a strong team of writers.
• Connect with like-minded colleagues around the world and make new connections with leaders in the field.
• Deal with manuscripts that match your professional interests and gain insight into the editorial process.
• To feel that you have contributed to the development of the magazine.

Submission Process