Many of our journals publish Special Issues – dedicated collections of articles that highlight emerging areas of research within a field, or provide a venue for a deeper investigation into an existing research topic.

As the Lead Guest Editor of a Special Issue, you can be at the forefront of scientific communication, encouraging continued research in important areas while gaining editorial experience and improving your academic profile. There are many other additional benefits to being a Guest Editor.

The sections below will help you in writing and submitting a Special Issue proposal, as well as understanding what will be required of you as a Lead Guest Editor or a Guest Editor of a Special Issue if your proposal is approved.

If you have an idea for a Special Issue that you would like to propose for one of our journals please follow the link below.

Choosing a topic

You should choose a topic close to your own research interests. The topic of the Special Issue should be of increasing interest within your field. If you have noticed a surge in interest in a particular subject at recent conferences, for example, this is a good sign that a related proposal will generate significant interest. 

Ensure that the topic of your proposal is within the scope of the journal you are submitting it to. The scope of your Special Issue should be broad enough to attract a reasonable number of submissions but narrow enough to provide a cohesive collection of articles. The Special Issue should cover a small part of the scope of the journal, but not all of it.

Preparing a Call for Papers 

1. You should structure your proposal according to the following guide: Write a succinct but descriptive title for your Special Issue in no more than 10 words. 
2. Try to avoid phrases such as ‘recent advances in…’ or ‘new insights into…’, and do not phrase the title as a question. In one or two short paragraphs, 
3. you should provide a brief summary of your chosen topic and where it sits within the wider subject. In another paragraph, you should then go on to explain the main challenges that research in your chosen topic is facing. In the final paragraph, you should set out your proposed aims and summarise the scope of the Special Issue, 
4. explaining what kind of studies you are hoping to attract. You might ‘encourage’ or ‘especially welcome’ submissions relating to a certain concept. 
5. You should also suggest what types of articles are suitable, including original research and review articles. Finally, you should propose a list of ten to fifteen bullet-point topics that you expect to receive submissions on. These topics are ‘signposts’ for the direction of the Special Issue, providing authors with guidance on 
6. areas in which they may wish to submit. Each topic should contain more detail than one or two keywords, and should be clearly linked to the scope of your proposed Issue.