Guidelines for Guest Editors
The Role of Guest Editors
Guest Editors (GE) play a pivotal role in shaping and curating Special Issues for a
journal. These proposals
undergo a rigorous evaluation process, where they are carefully assessed and approved by the
Editor-in-Chief to
ensure their suitability and alignment with the journal's standards and scope.
The Guest Editor is involved in handling and managing thematic issues’ submissions
and is expected to
submit a brief proposal to the journal in a hot and emerging field, for editorial
consideration. Also, the guest
editor is expected to assist in coordinating the submissions and
management of the issue.
Thematic issues may be solely guest-edited by the Guest Editor or in coordination with
another expert in the field,
who the Guest Editor includes as a Co-Guest Editor.
Guidelines for Thematic/Special Issue
A Thematic/Special issue is a collection of 8 to 10 comprehensive review articles, on a topic
of major importance to
the field. The contributors should preferably be researchers having a respectable h-index
and should ideally
represent various regions to ensure diversity in contributions. Since the editorial
decisions on all thematic
issue manuscripts’ submissions are made by the Editor-in-Chief (EiC) of the journal, hence
it is preferred that the
GE should provide a list of 12 to 14 contributors in their proposal along with the tentative
titles of their papers,
in case a few manuscripts may not be found suitable by the EiC or not make it through
the review process.
Preparing a Proposal
To propose a Special Issue and select an appropriate journal prior to proceeding, it is
essential to familiarize
oneself with the journal's specific guidelines. These guidelines can usually be found on the
journal's homepage
under the “Author Guidelines" section. Familiarizing the guest editor with these
instructions will ensure that the
proposal aligns with the journal's scope and submission requirements.
The proposal should contain the following information:
- Tentative title of the Special Issue.
- A one-page proposal containing information about the importance of the specific area
and the proposed date of
submission of the articles.
- Subtopics of the Thematic Issue (typically 8 to 10 articles).
- List of potential contributors (who should all be eminent in the field) along with
their affiliations.
- Tentative schedule.
After the guest editor has compiled all the necessary information in the proposal, they can proceed to submit the
completely filled Special
Issue proposal form through the designated proposal submission system. This system will
streamline the submission
process and ensure that the proposal reaches the appropriate editorial team for review.
To submit the proposal, please visit the following link: https://bentham.manuscriptpoint.com/
Inviting Authors
The Guest Editor is responsible for nominating authors for the thematic issue. Once
the editor of the
journal approves their credentials, the Guest Editor invites them to submit high-quality
papers for the special
thematic issue. These papers are expected to meet rigorous standards in terms of scientific
content and
presentation.
Submissions for special or thematic issues undergo the same rigorous evaluation process as
regular contributed
submissions. Each paper is independently assessed by at least two (preferably three) eminent
experts in the field.
The Guest Editors have the authority to recommend revision and resubmission of manuscripts.
They communicate these
decisions to the editorial office. Papers will only be published if they meet the criteria
of originality and
demonstrate overall importance in terms of results. Generally, final editorial decisions
regarding all submissions
for Special/Thematic Issues are made by the Editors-in-Chief of the journal.
The contributors should consist of prominent researchers capable of providing an up-to-date
overview of the latest
advancements in the field.
- A Guest Editor/Co-Guest Editor is allowed to be an author or a co-author in only one
manuscript. Additionally,
the Guest Editor is expected to write the Introduction/Editorial for the issue.
- It is highly recommended to select eminent contributing authors from diverse regions.
An invitation to submit a paper for a special or thematic issue does not guarantee
acceptance for publication. Some
submissions may undergo rejection.
Publication in Bentham journals requires that manuscripts should neither have been
previously published nor
simultaneously submitted or published elsewhere. Authors must adhere to the ethical
guidelines outlined at
https://benthamscience.com/pages/publishing-ethics.
Guest Editors should inform authors about the proposed timeline for the Special Thematic
Issue, and failure to submit
articles within the specified timeframe may result in rejection of the submission by the
Publisher.
Peer Review of Special/Thematic Issue Papers
Peer review of all manuscripts is undertaken by Bentham Science in an independent manner and
independent of the Guest
Editors.
- Our editorial policy requires a minimum of two (preferably three) double-blind reviews
for submitted articles.
- Selection Criteria: A reviewer must hold a Ph.D. degree.
- Peer review of special/thematic issue papers will be conducted by eminent reviewers who
are completely
independent.
- Nominated reviewers by the guest editor or the authors will also not be considered for
the same article, ;
however, these reviewers may review other relevant articles as
per their expertise.
- Final editorial decisions on all Special/Thematic Issue submissions will be decided by
the Editors-in-Chief.
Submissions Procedure
To ensure a swift and cost-effective submission process, authors are encouraged to utilize
the online submission and
tracking service. The complete thematic issue should be submitted online through the
Manuscript Processing System
(MPS) at https://bentham.manuscriptpoint.com/View Submission Instructions.
Publication
After the Editor accepts the papers, they are forwarded to the publisher's for further
publication processes. Authors will have the opportunity to review and approve the proofs
online prior to their
publication on the website.
