Res Practica welcomes proposals for special issues from prospective guest editors. Special issues allow a theme to be explored in depth, across several contributions and, where appropriate, across disciplines.
Submitting a proposal
Proposals should be approximately 500 words and should set out:
- the theme of the issue and the questions it addresses;
- its relevance to the journal’s aims and scope;
- the authors invited to contribute so far;
- a proposed deadline for the receipt of manuscripts.
Proposals should be sent in Word format to info@respractica.com, pending the launch of the journal’s online submission portal. Proposals are considered as they are received. [à confirmer — voir ma note]
Peer review
All manuscripts submitted to a special issue undergo the same double-anonymous peer review as any other submission to the journal, and are evaluated by at least two anonymous reviewers. Guest editors are responsible for identifying and approaching suitable reviewers, and for assessing the reports and recommending an outcome for each manuscript. Final decisions are taken by the editorial team, which works closely with the guest editors and gives considerable weight to their judgement. Guest editors may consult the Editor-in-Chief and the editorial coordinator at any stage. The criteria and the sequence of the process are described in Peer Review.
Guest editors should make clear to invited authors that publication is not guaranteed: an invitation to submit is not an acceptance, and every manuscript is assessed on the same terms as any other submission to the journal.
Calls for papers
We strongly encourage guest editors to supplement invited contributions with an open call for papers. A call widens the pool of contributors, brings in work the guest editors might not have anticipated, and strengthens the issue.
A call for papers should include:
- the title of the special issue and the names and affiliations of the guest editors;
- a presentation of the theme, situating it in the relevant debates;
- a list of questions or topics the issue seeks to address, offered as indicative rather than exhaustive;
- an indication of the disciplines from which contributions are welcome;
- the length and format expected, with a link to the journal’s Submission Guidelines;
- the deadline and the address for submissions.
The editorial team will assist with the circulation of calls for papers through the journal’s website and the usual scholarly channels.
Responsibilities of guest editors
Guest editors assume editorial responsibility for their issue, under the oversight of the Editor-in-Chief, and are bound by the journal’s policies, including those set out in Publication Ethics. Where a guest editor has a competing interest in a submission — including their own contribution to the issue — the manuscript is handled by another editor.