Guidelines for Special Issues

Special issues can enrich a journal by highlighting specific themes or emerging areas of research. However, to ensure consistency, transparency, and compliance with best practices required by DOAJ, special issues must follow the same editorial and ethical standards as regular issues.

The following principles apply to all special issues:

1. Editorial Responsibility

   • The Editor-in-Chief (EiC) retains ultimate responsibility for the entire content of the journal, including special issues.

   • All special issues must clearly fall within the scope of the journal.

2. Editorial Process and Labelling

   • Articles published in special issues must follow the same editorial oversight as regular submissions.

   • This includes independent external peer review.

   • All special issue articles must be clearly labelled as part of a special issue.

3. Guest Editors’ Credentials

   • The credentials and expertise of guest editors must be formally checked and approved before appointment.

4. Oversight and Supervision

   • Guest editors must work under the supervision of the EiC or designated editorial board members.

   • This ensures compliance with the journal’s editorial policies and ethical standards.

5. Guest Editors’ Contributions

   • If guest editors submit their own work to a special issue, their papers must be handled through an independent review process.

   • Guest editors’ contributions must not exceed 25% of the total content of the special issue.

By adhering to these requirements, special issues can add scholarly value while maintaining the integrity, fairness, and credibility of the journal.