Guidelines for Special Issues
Special issues of eJournal of Education Policy (eJEP) should align closely with the mission of the journal to “support empirical research, make connections between theory and practice, and engage in thoughtful analysis of the policy issues in education.” Articles published in special issues may be either data-driven or conceptual; however, they must not solely comprise overviews of contributors’ previous work and should be written to the same standards of quality and significance as articles published in general issues.
Special Issue Initiation
There are two mechanisms for generating special issues of interest to the readership of eJEP.
Invited Special Issues Accordion Open
These are initiated by the Senior Editorial Board based upon topics identified as timely and relevant to the readership of the eJEP. In this case, a member of the Senior Editorial Board will identify one or more Guest Editors with expertise in the selected topic and invite him/her to submit a special issue proposal.
Unsolicited Special Issues Accordion Closed
These are initiated by prospective Guest Editors based upon a topic deemed relevant to the readership of eJEP. Individuals interested in guest editing a special issue of eJEP are encouraged to contact Dr. Frank Davidson prior to submitting a proposal.
Special Issue proposals must be reviewed and approved by the Senior Editorial Board before papers are solicited or submitted. Proposals should include the following information:
- Title of the Special Issue
- A statement of the significance of the Special Issue topic to the readership of eJEP, and the alignment of the topic with the aim and scope of eJEP
- If specific sub-topics and contributors have been identified:
- Topics/possible titles of the proposed articles
- Contributors who will be invited with brief biographical information
- If not all specific sub-topics and contributors have been identified:
- List of potential topics for articles to be solicited
- A draft of a call for papers
- Brief CV of the proposed Guest Editor(s); usually no more than two guest editors will be identified per special issue
- Timetable for completion and publication of the special issue
General Information
- Length: Typically, three to six articles will comprise a Special Issue of eJEP. Proposals may include 8-10 potential topics or contributors, to allow for rejections or withdrawals.
- Timetable: Authors should work closely with the Editorial Liaison to identify and adhere to a workable timetable. When the Special Issue is accepted, the Guest Editor(s) will be informed of the tentative publication date for the Issue. Typically, from the acceptance of the Special Issue to publication will be no more than one year. As eJEP is currently published twice annually, it is particularly important that submissions, reviews, and revisions are completed in a timely manner.
Special Issue Development and Review
- The Senior Editorial Board will consider whether the initial proposal is of interest to the readership of eJEP and will inform the proposed Guest Editor(s) whether or not the proposal will be accepted as submitted, accepted with revision, or not accepted.
- Once a Special Issue proposal is accepted, one member of the Senior Editorial Board will be assigned to work with the Guest Editor(s) as an Editorial Liaison to facilitate the solicitation, review, revision, and publication of articles in the Special Issue.
- Guest Editors are responsible for distributing a call for papers, soliciting and identifying articles to be included in the special issue, and working with prospective contributors to ensure submissions meet the standards of quality and significance appropriate to publication in eJEP. Guest Editors should clearly communicate to prospective authors that submission of a manuscript does not guarantee acceptance for publication.
- Submissions for the Special Issue should be submitted directly to the Editor, with a clear indication that they are being submitted for consideration in the Special Issue.
- Special Issue submissions will be routed to the Guest Editor(s) to determine if manuscripts are suitable for and within the scope of the Special Issue. The Editorial Liaison is available for consultation if there is uncertainty regarding the most appropriate course of action.
- The Guest Editor will submit a list of names of reviewers to the Editor. Manuscripts deemed suitable for the Special Issue will be sent out by the Editor for blind peer review.
- Manuscripts not selected for further review by the Guest Editor(s) will be returned to the Senior Editorial Board and may be either rejected or re-distributed for peer review for inclusion in a future general issue of eJEP.
- Blind peer reviews will be completed using the same procedure as manuscripts submitted for general issues. As reviews are returned and throughout the review, revision, and re-submission process, the Editor will forward reviews to the Guest Editor(s). Guest Editor(s) will communicate a provisional decision on each manuscript to the Editor, who will make a final decision.
- If the Guest Editor(s) disagrees with the decision of the Editor, an appeal to the full Senior Editorial Board may be made at any time.
- As manuscripts are accepted for inclusion in the Special Issue, the Guest Editors are responsible for preparing an original introductory article that provides the context and rationale for the Special Issue and references the articles included in the Special Issue. The introductory article should be submitted within two weeks of acceptance of the final article in the Special Issue. Review and feedback on the introductory article will be provided by the Senior Editorial Board.
- It should be noted that the Editor can reject individual manuscripts or, in consultation with the Senior Editorial Board, the Special Issue as a whole, if it does not meet quality and significance standards. If fewer articles than anticipated are accepted, the Senior Editorial Board may opt to publish a partial special issue or group of articles with or without an introductory article.
Approved, 9-25-2019