A special issue represents a curated collection of articles centred around a specific topic or theme aligned with the journal's scope. Guest editors serve as the primary points of contact, responsible for organizing and facilitating interactions with potential authors for manuscript submissions related to the thematic issue. To become the guest editor, please send us email.
Typically, a special issue comprises 10-12 manuscripts. However, even if there are 3-5 high-quality manuscripts available, Scifiniti Publishing will consider publishing them as a mini-thematic issue.
Your proposal for a thematic/special issue must contain:
Guest editors are strongly encouraged to ensure authors’ diversity by including articles from authors representing different regions.
Guest editors are encouraged to visit the Editorial Process page to gain a comprehensive understanding of how manuscripts are processed from submission to publication. All manuscripts, whether for a regular issue or a thematic issue, should be submitted online and not via email.
An Initial Decision on the Manuscript
A manuscript initially submitted will be reviewed by the guest editor for its suitability in terms of scope. The guest editor can decide to either proceed with the peer review process, reject the manuscript, or request revisions before forwarding it to the editorial office. When accepting a manuscript for review, guest editors are strongly recommended to consider the following criteria:
Peer Review
The peer review process for all articles submitted to Special Issues is handled independently by the editorial office, in the same manner as for regular submissions, ensuring reviewer independence, the absence of conflicts of interest, and appropriate expertise. The Editor-in-Chief makes final decisions on manuscripts. For further details, please refer to the Peer Review Process section.
Revision and Final Decision
The manuscript can be further processed by the guest editor for revision based on the review reports, but the final decision on the manuscripts will be made by the Editor-in-Chief. Guest editors are required to forward the manuscript to the Editor-in-Chief along with the review reports for the final decision.
Publication
As soon as an article is finalized, it is uploaded to the relevant special issues section of the website without holding it till the finalization of other articles. The special issue page of the website contains guest editors' details, a table of contents, the submission deadline, author details, etc.
Guest editors are strongly recommended to follow COPE guidelines.
Artificial Citations Increase
Guest editors are strongly advised not to employ artificial means to increase the citation count of special issues. Instead, they are encouraged to promote their special issue within relevant communities, on social media networks, and among their colleagues using legitimate methods that could increase articles’ visibility and, ultimately, citations. In addition to this, references cited in the manuscripts must be relevant and not merely included to boost citations of guest editors or authors' own or an associate’s work. In short, irrelevant self-citations must be avoided.
Scope-oriented Articles
The guest editor must ensure that all manuscripts submitted under the thematic issue are within the journal’s scope and authors must be experts in the field.
Confidentiality
The guest editor must ensure that the confidentiality of content remains protected. Manuscripts submitted by authors should only be made visible to editors or reviewers. Reviewers' names and identities must also be kept confidential.
Conflict of Interest
Both guest editors and authors are obligated to diligently adhere to the journal's conflict of interest policy. They must promptly disclose any potential conflicts of interest within the manuscript, and this disclosure must be made to the editorial office for thorough consideration
Authors of thematic issue articles and guest editors must understand their ethical responsibilities in publication and adhere to the same rigorous ethical principles as regular articles. In cases of unethical practices, articles will be handled in a similar manner to regular articles, which may also lead to the cancellation of the entire thematic issue.
We expect our guest editors to maintain close communication with the Editorial team to promptly address any queries. They are also expected to ensure that manuscripts are submitted within the specified timeframe and adhere to the established timelines. In this regard, it is essential for them to initiate early correspondence with authors and maintain continuous communication until the manuscript submission process is complete. The Guest editors are responsible to:
The guest editor must submit an editorial relevant to the thematic issue. The Editorial Office will handle the review process of the editorial with the assistance of independent reviewers, and the Editor-in-Chief will make the final decision.