As an author, you might have the opportunity of contributing to a special issue at some point in your career. A special issue focuses on a specific area of research that has a broad appeal and falls within the aims and scope of the journal. A special issue also provides an excellent opportunity to review a particular theme, examine previously unaddressed aspects, propose and develop new approaches, exchange perspectives and encourage new lines of research. Special issues might also be commissioned or proposed to recognize a particular individual's or group's contribution to the field or to commemorate a specific date or occasion. Read more about the benefits of publishing your work in a special issue and how you could even become guest editor for a special issue below.

Special issue benefits

There are many benefits to being part of a special issue; here are our top eight:

Faster publication times: Special issue articles are often published more quickly than regular articles.

Positive citation impact: Articles published in special issues are often cited more frequently than articles published in regular issues. Special content articles attract 20% more citations in the first 24 months than articles published in regular issues.

Rigorous peer review: our journal (IJABO) are fully committed to rigorous, independent peer review. Special issue articles should be reviewed by no fewer than two independent experts to ensure the quality, originality and novelty of the work published.

Qualified editorial teams: Your article in the special issue will benefit from the expertise of its regular editors who will support you alongside the guest editors to make sure you’re publishing the best work possible.

Publish with peers: Harness your network and benefit from multiple expert perspectives on the same issues, leading to synergies and powerful cross-examination of the theme(s) under consideration.

Wide readership: IJABO journals employ technology to optimize published content for Search Engine Optimization (SEO), ensuring your issue and its content is easily found via search engines like Google.

Longer-term impact for your work: IJABO offer longer-term impact as your article collection means readers will easily find your work.

Publish open access: Whatever your discipline, there’s an open access home for your research at IJABO.

Ready to explore publishing in a special issue? Please send your proposal or contact us via email or chat with our support.

Guest editors

Guest editors play a vital role in curating high-quality contributions on a particular topic and driving the editorial review process for special issue publications. You can become a guest editor in two ways:

Invited contribution
The journal may invite you as an expert in your specific field of research. If you are an acknowledged expert on a particular theme with a wide network of potential authors and reviewers, don't be surprised if an editor approaches you to suggest your leading a new special issue on their journal.

Proposal to the journal
You can submit a proposal for a special issue to a journal following the instructions below – the senior editor will approve or reject it after consulting with the Editorial Board. If accepted, you (and any co-guest editors) will be responsible for developing the issue and leading the editorial review process.

Guest editor submission to special issues
The special issue may include submissions from the guest editor, but the number should normally not exceed one (except where specifically approved by the Editor-in-Chief).

The guest editor must not be involved in the handling or decisions about papers which s/he has authored or co-authored him/herself, or have been written by family members, colleagues, or which relate to products/ services in which other conflicts of interest are present. Furthermore, any such submission must be subject to all the journal’s usual procedures. Peer review must be handled independently of the relevant author/editor and their research groups, and there will be a clear statement to this effect on any such paper that is published.

Publication

When all manuscripts are finalized with decisions, guest editors are expected to prepare the running order of articles and an editorial to summarize the special issue and assist with any further information requested by our editorial team to ensure completeness of the special issue.