Special Issue Guidelines

Special issues give researchers a dedicated space to publish emerging or trending work in a well-defined area, under the coordination of one or more guest editors. Every article submitted to a special issue on NexQ Research Consortium goes through the same rigorous peer review as a regular submission — the guest editor coordinates the process, but final editorial decisions always rest with the Editor-in-Chief.

Section 01

What Is a Special Issue

A special issue brings together a themed set of articles that fall within a journal's aims and scope. There is no fixed cap on how many manuscripts a special issue may include, provided each one clears the same quality bar as regular content — in practice, most special issues settle around 10–12 articles.

Smaller collections are welcome too Where only three to five strong manuscripts are available on a theme, we are happy to publish them as a compact mini-thematic issue rather than delaying for volume.

Finished articles are posted to the journal's special issue page as soon as they clear review, rather than being held back until every other article in the set is ready. Each special issue page lists the guest editors, a running table of contents, the submission deadline, and author details as articles are added.

Section 02

Guest Editor Responsibilities

Guest editors act as the main point of contact for a special issue, organising outreach to potential authors and shepherding submissions through to publication. A single special issue may have up to five guest editors, each of whom must be approved by the Editor-in-Chief before joining the team.

Build an author listIdentify subject-matter experts in the theme and invite them to contribute manuscripts.

Pre-screen submissionsReview incoming manuscripts before forwarding them to the editorial office for consideration.

Oversee peer reviewArrange at least two independent review reports for every manuscript in the issue.

Vet proposed reviewersReviewer credentials are confirmed by the editorial office before any manuscript is assigned.

Coordinate with authorsKeep communication moving so manuscripts progress through processing without unnecessary delay.

Promote the issueRaise visibility for the theme at conferences and across professional and social media channels.

Plan for attrition Because some manuscripts will inevitably be rejected during peer review, guest editors are advised to line up more contributors than the final issue is expected to need.

Guest editors may recommend reviewers, but the Editor-in-Chief makes the final call on every review assignment and every publication decision. Any manuscript authored by a guest editor is handled independently by the editorial office, in consultation with the Editor-in-Chief, to keep that review free of conflict.

Section 03

Proposal Requirements

To become a guest editor, reach out to our editorial office by email. Every special issue proposal should be prepared in our standard format and, at minimum, should set out the following:

A working title that clearly aligns with the aims and scope of the target journal.
A short rationale explaining why the theme matters and who the intended audience is.
Proposed guest editor team, up to five members, each subject to Editor-in-Chief approval.
A submission deadline for the thematic issue.
An indicative list of contributors or potential authors who may be approached.

Faster turnaround Because a special issue is built around a defined theme and editorial team, it typically moves through to publication faster than the standard regular-issue pipeline.

Section 04

Submission & Peer Review

All manuscripts for a special issue are submitted and tracked through our online manuscript system, kept under the relevant thematic issue so the editorial office has a complete, auditable record of every step.

1

Author submits online Manuscripts are uploaded through the submission portal under the designated special issue.

2

Guest editor coordinates review The guest editor arranges at least two independent reviewers, checked for conflicts of interest against the author list.

3

Reports go to the editorial office Review reports and the guest editor's recommendation are forwarded to the Editor-in-Chief.

4

Editor-in-Chief decides Acceptance, revision, or rejection is determined by the Editor-in-Chief, independent of the guest editor.

5

Article publishes as it's ready Accepted articles are posted to the special issue page immediately, without waiting on the rest of the set.

Same standard as regular issues Every special issue submission — research article, review, or commentary — is held to the identical peer review criteria used for regular journal content.

Guest editors are also asked to prevent the same author from appearing on multiple manuscripts within one issue; a broader spread of contributors strengthens the reach and impact of the collection.

Section 05

Ethical Responsibilities

Guest editors are expected to follow COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines throughout the life of a special issue, from the initial call for papers through to final publication.

No artificial citation boosting Guest editors must not use artificial means to inflate a special issue's citation count. References in submitted manuscripts must be genuinely relevant, not inserted merely to raise the citation tally of guest editors, authors, or their associates.

Promote through legitimate channels Visibility should be built through genuine outreach — conferences, professional networks, and social media — rather than shortcuts that distort the scholarly record.

Reviewers are checked for conflicts of interest with the authors they are assigned to evaluate, and guest editors must not nominate individuals who have such conflicts. Complaints or concerns about the conduct of a special issue can be raised in writing with our editorial office at any time.

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