A special issue in academic publishing refers to a curated collection of articles focused on a specific area of research within a journal's scope. These issues provide a platform for delving into emerging fields of study, highlighting important sub-disciplines, or exploring innovative cross-disciplinary applications.

Submitting a special issue proposal involves either responding to invitations from the journal or submitting directly on a relevant topic. The proposal undergoes rigorous evaluation by the Editorial Team and final approval by the Editor-in-Chief.

Guest Editors play a crucial role in maintaining the thematic coherence and quality of a Special Issue by overseeing content alignment with the journal's scope and standards.

The timeline and submission details for a special issue are typically set in consultation between guest editors and the journal's editorial team, ensuring clarity and transparency for potential contributors.

It is crucial for all involved in peer review to declare any conflicts of interest that could affect the impartiality of their assessments. Editors with conflicts should withdraw from the process, with substitutes appointed if necessary, and all conflicts must be disclosed to the publisher.

In line with open access principles, the special issue will be freely accessible to all readers. However, authors submitting to this special issue are expected to cover the article processing charge, ensuring the cost of publication is met.

The review and decision-making processes for special issues closely mirror those of regular journal submissions. This ensures consistency and maintains high standards across all published content, balancing the contributions of guest editors with rigorous peer review.
Guidelines for special issues emphasize that guest editors must ensure no more than 25% of the articles are authored by themselves, and submissions from guest editors are subjected to independent peer review. Editorial teams retain the authority to reject papers or entire special issues if they do not meet quality criteria. Editorial disputes are resolved by the Editors-in-Chief, ensuring editorial integrity.

The Author’s Guidelines provided on the website for regular submissions will be equally applicable to the authors of the Special issue.

Invitation:

Our journal encourages submissions for special issues that align with our criteria for suitability and academic rigor. Nevertheless, we retain the discretion to decline applications that do not meet our established standards of quality and appropriateness. Proposals for Special Issues or Thematic Issues are invited, please write to us at: editor@rasayanjournal.com