Wellbeing, Space and Society Special Issue Communique
A message from Susan Elliott & Jamie Pearce, Co-Editors in Chief.
Timing
Elsevier is providing a 50% discount on the article processing charge (APC) for all accepted regular research articles submitted before the end of December 2021.
Elsevier has also agreed that for approved Special Issue, APCs for articles included in these Special Issues will be waived. We welcome your SI proposals as soon as possible. The absolute latest deadline to submit proposals for approval, and thereby their content qualify for these full APC waivers, is October 1st, 2021.
Special Issues within WSS will be published following the continuous workflow process of the journal as followed by all articles, sometimes known as ‘Virtual Special Issue’. Traditionally SI articles would be assigned collectively to one single issue. This ‘new’ workflow that has been in use at Elsevier since 2016, allows for SI articles to be published in issues as soon as each one is ready, no waiting around for the slowest paper in the edition, ensuring the final, citable article is online faster. Simultaneously, articles appear in a dedicated Special Issue group within the journal’s Special Article Collection section on ScienceDirect. As more articles are accepted, the special issue grows. Following this workflow allow us to provide the benefits of speedy publication for authors while still offering the thematic and topical grouping of content for readers.
The implementation of this process has no impact on the editorial workflow for editors, guest editors and authors, the impact is on the way articles are displayed online, where the SI articles will not be clustered in one single issue. Please note that content for one Special Issue in a Gold Open Access journal also does not need to publish within the same calendar year and so can span 2021 and 2022 as needed.
Where to start:
As soon as you are able, send a proposal for your special issue to the co-editors in chief (see instructions below) at: wbspsoc@gmail.com
You will receive a response within 12 working days regarding whether your proposal is accepted, rejected, or requires further information before a decision can be made.
What should your proposal look like?
Proposals for a Special Issue should have a well-articulated unifying theme and reflect, at an international level, the best work in a research area in which future investigation may be boosted by the publication of a set of excellent papers. Proposals for a Special Issue may include research 2 based on different theoretical approaches and methodologies. The topic should represent an unusual, even unique area that is likely to be of high interest among the WSS readership.
We would anticipate that proposed topics would not relate to issues that have already been extensively covered in recent issues, unless a persuasive argument can be made for re-examining the topic. Equally, if an issue were devoted to a single country, then the situating of the research in a broad international context is essential, otherwise such a proposal would be unlikely to be accepted. Furthermore, we would normally expect that a special issue contain contributions of researchers from multiple countries, unless there is a specific reason why this is not the case.
Preparing a Special Issues proposal
Your proposal for a Special Issue should contain:
- The name and address for communication of the guest editor(s);
- ~500-word rationale explaining the scope and significance of the proposed theme, and the relevance to the WSS audience;
- List of proposed authors of at least 8 – 12 contributions with their affiliations
- 350 word abstract for each of the proposed contributions
- A special issue is expected to include an introductory agenda-setting paper written by the guest editor(s)
- Time schedule for the preparation of the Special Issue, specifically to include the proposed submission deadline
Submitting your proposal:
Proposals for special issues should be sent to the Editors-in-Chief (wbspsoc@gmail.com) for review and a timeline response. Proposals are evaluated according to the following criteria:
- Suitability of the topic for the WSS
- Overall quality of the proposal: originality and contribution to the field
- Theoretical background of the rationale and individual papers
- Methodological adequacy of the individual papers
- Completeness of the proposal
- Feasibility of the plan for delivery
Following acceptance
After acceptance, the guest editors will be required to complete a special issue ‘set-up’ form, which will drive the editorial workflow going forward, including the preparation of the online submission system and submission deadlines.
Guest editors will be responsible for submitting the names of four reviewers for each submitted paper and are expected to undertake a full peer review of each submitted paper in the issue, such that each submitted paper will receive a total of 3 peer reviews. The purpose of the peer review undertaken by the guest editor(s) is to ensure that the coherency of the SI in alignment with selected themes. A minimum of two completed external reviews are required for each paper, and guest editors should expect, and allow, for a minimum of one round of revision for each 3 submission. Guest editors should also be aware that the Editors-in-Chief retain the final say on the acceptance of papers in special issues and will take responsibility for the peer review of any contributions to the issue authored by the guest editors.
Important notes
Special Issue papers are published directly as they are accepted, and included in the next available issue. Simultaneously, they are digitally collated into a dedicated online space. Guest editors may provide a short (2000 character) introduction as a placeholder while the papers are collected, and until the formal editorial text is added. Once concluded, the papers may be reordered to the preference of the guest editor.
Please to not hesitate to contact Susan Elliott or Jamie Pearce, the Co- Editors-in-Chief, for further details and clarifications (wbspsoc@gmail.com).
We look forward to receiving your creative proposals!