Understand exactly what our editors look for. This guide breaks down the essential criteria, helps you avoid common pitfalls, and shows you how to refine your concept into a focused Call for Papers.
Begin with Title Requirements →The proposed title should closely align with your research interests and fit within the scope of the journal. It should be broad enough to attract a reasonable number of submissions, yet focused enough to curate a cohesive collection of articles. The title should be a polished academic phrase, concise but descriptive, clearly indicate the primary research focus and, where possible, include two or three core terms.
The description should introduce the research background, objectives and significance of the proposed topic, as well as its core research areas, to attract relevant scholars to contribute. Specifically, your description needs to cover at least three parts, with a suggested length of around 100 words:
Special Issues need to be planned well in advance; it can take between 6-12 months from issuing a call for papers to publication. Taking longer than 12 months might mean that the Special Issue loses timeliness, although some journals plan several years in advance.
The Special Issue will be composed of a lead guest editor and a team of guest editors. The Special Issue will be composed of a lead guest editor and a team of guest editors. This team should have sufficient capacity and expertise, and take on the following responsibilities:
To ensure the success of a Special Issue, a minimum of 5 articles must be published. To achieve this, the lead guest editor and guest editors are expected to provide details for at least 10 planned articles or propose 10 potential authors. It’s important to note that not all planned articles may be suitable for publication after the peer review process, so having more than 10 planned articles or potential authors is recommended. The details should include the corresponding author’s name, email, and, optionally, a tentative title for the planned article.
Ready to propose your Special Issue? Submit your initial idea via the Propose a Special Issue page, and our editorial team will follow up within 3 working days.
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