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Special Issues
What is a special issue? –
A Special Issue is a collection of papers with a precise focus within any journal published. These Special Issues are compiled by an editor who is responsible for the selection of contributions to a special issue.
Can I propose a Special Issue to an STM journal? –
Yes, many STM journals welcome proposals for Special Issues. If you have a compelling theme or topic in mind, you can reach out to the journal’s editorial office or check the journal’s website for information on submitting proposals. The proposal typically outlines the theme, rationale, potential guest editors, and timeline for the Special Issue.
What is the procedure to propose a special issue? –
The authors/Editors who would like to propose a Special Issue and be the Lead Guest Editor are required to submit the proposal form from the Journals Library
What comprises a proposal? –
.A proposal contains diverse aspects, such as
- Journal Name
- Special Issue Title
- Lead Guest Editor details
- Guest Editor details
- Submission Deadline date
- Publication Date
- Description
- Provisional Paper Listing.
How are Special Issues different from regular journal issues? –
Special Issues differ from regular journal issues in that they are dedicated to a specific theme or topic. Regular journal issues typically contain a diverse range of articles on various subjects within the scope of the journal, while Special Issues focus exclusively on a particular theme.
Can anyone submit a paper to a Special Issue? –
Yes, Special Issues usually invite researchers to submit papers relevant to the theme. The call for papers, submission guidelines, and deadlines are announced in the journal or through other relevant channels. Researchers interested in contributing to a Special Issue can submit their papers for consideration, following the specified guidelines.
How are papers for Special Issues reviewed? –
The review process for papers in Special Issues follows the same rigorous peer-review process as regular journal articles. The papers are typically subjected to anonymous peer review by experts in the field, ensuring the quality and integrity of the research.
Can I submit a paper to a Special Issue if I missed the deadline? –
The submission deadlines for Special Issues are typically set in advance to ensure a cohesive collection of articles. If you missed the deadline, it may not be possible to submit your paper for that particular Special Issue. However, you can consider submitting your work to regular issues or future Special Issues if they are announced.
Are all papers submitted to a Special Issue accepted for publication? –
Not all papers submitted to a Special Issue are automatically accepted for publication. The submitted papers undergo the same rigorous review process as regular journal articles. The decision to accept or reject a paper is based on the quality, scientific merit, and relevance to the theme of the Special Issue.
Can I cite a paper published in a Special Issue separately from the rest of the journal? –
Yes, papers published in Special Issues can be cited separately from the rest of the journal. They are typically identified with a unique identifier or citation details specific to the Special Issue. It is important to follow the citation guidelines provided by the journal to accurately reference the Special Issue paper.
Are Special Issue papers indexed in the same databases as regular journal articles? –
Yes, Special Issue papers are generally indexed in the same databases as regular journal articles. They receive the same level of visibility and accessibility, provided the journal itself is indexed in the relevant databases. Special Issue papers contribute to the overall impact and reputation of the journal.
Are Special Issue papers freely available? –
The accessibility of Special Issue papers depends on the access model of the journal. If the journal follows a subscription-based model, access to the Special Issue papers may be restricted to subscribers. However, if the journal is open access, the Special Issue papers are freely available to all readers.
What is meant by the submission deadline? –
Submission Deadline means the last day for the paper submission. Papers cannot be submitted to the online submission system after the deadline. You should choose an appropriate duration for your Special Issue according to your estimation when you could solicit enough papers.
What is meant by the Publication deadline? –
Publication date means the expected completion date when all papers in your Special Issue are reviewed, revised and are ready for publication. The Special Issues are published within two months after the submission deadline.
What is the concept of Provisional paper listing? –
The provisional paper listing denotes the unpublished manuscripts from some potential authors which you can offer for listing with mandatory details such as the paper’s title and author’s name.
How are the Guest Editors recognized in the special issue? –
In order to increase the credibility of special issues, the names of Lead Guest Editor and Guest Editors and other details such as education qualification, work experience, areas of expertise are required to be submitted along with the proposal. These details are directly added to the website of your Special Issue for your convenience.
Journals Library will also offer the login account information to the Lead Guest Editor. Please note that the Lead Guest Editor should be responsible for informing the Guest Editors to complete the personal profile.
Authors are also informed that a special issue should include at least 5 Guest Editors; however there is no maximum limit. Moreover, a special Issue should at least include 4 papers apart from 2 free papers from Lead Guest Editor.
What are the benefits and responsibilities of a Special Issue/Lead Guest Editor? –
Benefits to Lead Guest Editor:
- The Lead Guest Editor gets a chance to polish his/her area of expertise by reviewing a manuscript.
- The Lead Guest Editor gets updated information about recent developments and research.
- The Lead Guest Editor avails the chance to interact with a group of experienced researchers and eminent authors around the world.
- Journals Library provides the flexibility to the Lead Guest Editor to personalize his/her space on the website in their own way.
- The Lead Guest Editor has an opportunity to be promoted to the Editor-in-Chief of the respective Journal.
Responsibilities of the Lead Guest Editor:
- The Lead Guest Editor will be solely responsible for developing an expert team for the review and revision of the manuscripts submitted for publication in special issues.
- The Lead Guest Editors are expected to carry forward the promotional strategy of the special issue which includes inviting prominent authors for submitting breakthrough manuscripts for special issue publication.
- It is the sole authority of the Lead Guest Editor to accept or reject a manuscript, however he/she is expected to provide reasons for the same.
- The Lead Guest Editor is expected to check and recheck the quality and scope of the submitted manuscripts in relation to the prominent areas of the concerned Journal.
How can a Special Issue Editor invite Guest Editors? –
Special Issue/Lead Guest Editors are free to invite Guest Editors from anywhere in the world of scientific community including their colleagues, friends and students, or any other experts who have the expertise in the relevant field and have the passion to research and write.
What are the steps involved in the reviewing process? –
- Step 1: The Lead Guest Editors are required to download the manuscript from the online manuscript retrieval system.
- Step 2: The Lead Guest Editors are expected to review and revise the manuscripts within stipulated time (maximum seven days from the day of downloading of manuscript).
- Step 3: Lead Guest Editors are required to submit analytical review reports for the respective manuscript.
How are the special issue manuscripts promoted? –
Lead Guest Editors can promote in different ways, such as
- Putting up an Email Poster, or uploading the special issue in Facebook, twitter, Google+ or LinkedIn.
- Sending the special issue details to all the contacts with an aim to invite papers.
- Demonstrating the special issue manuscripts in the conferences the Lead Guest Editor is attending.
- Captivating on guest editors expertise for promotion of special issues.
What are the actions undertaken if a Special Issue can’t reach the minimum limit of paper amount? –
The authority to confiscate the special issue from the website is reserved, in case the special issue can’t reach the minimum limit of paper amount.
What is the Article Processing Charges for a special issue manuscript? –
The recommended charges for publishing a special issue article is $1000. This will include all the processing charges along with designing, archiving and promotional charges. For more details on APCs you can visit Article Processing Charges Page
Can we get a waiver/discount on the special issue manuscripts? –
The discount facility will be applicable for Special Issue editors, Guest editors and deserving authors. If any scholar feels that the discounts are not enough, they can directly contact the journal management team through [email protected]
How to find the upcoming special issues in all the disciplines? –
The Special Issues will be released for all the journals. For updated information on the upcoming Special Issues, please visit the Special Issues page. [https://stmjournals.in/jopc/special-issues/]
What are the advantages of the special issue? –
It provides the right and opportunity to the authors, researchers, doctors and individuals to uphold the important designation of Lead Guest Editors through the special issues of the Journals.
The lead guest Editors also get the chance of being promoted to the designation of Editor-in-chief after successful completion of the special issue.
Is there any flow chart for work? –
In order to ensure the hassle-free submission and publication of the manuscripts, we incorporate editorial workflow which can be easily understood through a flowchart. For the work flow chart, please visit Editorial Process page [https://journals.stmjournals.com/open-access-policy/editorial-policy/]
What are the guidelines for submitting a manuscript in a special issue? –
In order to make the submission in the special issue easily understandable, we have segregated it in different stages. Please visit the manuscript submission page.