Launch a Special Issue

All submitted manuscripts undergo the standard peer review procedure applied to regular papers. Once accepted, they are published within the journal’s regular issues; however, they are distinctly identified as part of a Special Issue and are accessible within that dedicated collection. Additional details regarding CLS Special Issue policies and the roles and responsibilities of Guest Editors are available here.

Special Issue Proposal Application :
https://www.crosslinkstudies.com/SpecialIssue/proposal/si_proposal_form.docx

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

Greater visibility: Articles published in Special Issues often gain higher visibility and attract more citations because they are grouped within a focused, connected collection.

Improved navigation: Organizing papers around specific themes helps researchers explore relevant journal content more easily.

Wider promotion: Special Issue articles are frequently promoted through journal communication channels, including social media, to increase readership and reach.

Rigorous peer review: Special Issue submissions undergo the same strict, independent peer-review process as regular articles and are typically managed by a Guest Editor with strong expertise in the field.

Research networking: Special Issues provide opportunities to discover potential collaborators by connecting with authors working on closely related topics.

Special Issue Proposals

Submitting a Special Issue Proposal

The journal’s Editorial Office regularly invites distinguished scholars to serve as Guest Editors for Special Issues addressing topics of significant interest to the scientific community. We also welcome Special Issue proposals from readers and authors on subjects aligned with their areas of expertise.

All proposals and Guest Editor appointments are reviewed by the journal’s Editorial Team and Editor-in-Chief to ensure relevance, scholarly quality, and suitability for publication. Researchers with a proposed Special Issue topic are encouraged to complete the required details and submit their proposal through the journal’s website.

Fill the Special Issue Proposal Application form, and email to [email protected].

Detailed Guide on Special Issue Proposals

The information provided below is intended to guide you in preparing and submitting a successful Special Issue proposal.

Your Special Issue proposal should include the following details:

Target Journal
Specify the journal to which you are submitting the proposal. Please ensure that the proposed topic aligns with the journal’s aims and scope.
Tentative Special Issue Title
Provide a clear and concise title that accurately reflects the focus and subject area of the Special Issue.
Submission Deadline
Indicate the proposed submission deadline. A Special Issue may remain open for submissions for approximately 6 to 12 months.
Guest Editor Information
Provide a list of the proposed Guest Editor(s), including names, affiliations, email addresses, personal or institutional webpages, and research interests. Social media profiles, ORCID IDs, and SciProfiles accounts may also be included where applicable. As guest editing can be time-intensive, Special Issues are often managed by a team of Guest Editors. You may invite one to three colleagues or recognized scholars in the field to serve as co-editors. Responsibilities and workload should be clearly discussed and agreed upon among all Guest Editors.
Special Issue Summary and Keywords
Include a summary of approximately 150–200 words describing the motivation for the Special Issue, its main theme, key research areas, and the types of manuscripts suitable for submission. Please also provide 3–10 relevant keywords.
Planned Papers or Potential Contributors
Provide information for at least eight planned papers or a list of at least 20 potential authors. This should include authors’ names, email addresses, affiliations, and, where available, tentative manuscript titles.
Please note that all submissions will undergo peer review, and not all planned papers may be accepted for publication. We therefore recommend proposing more planned papers than the expected final number of published articles.
Customized Call for Papers Email (Optional)
Guest Editor(s) may prepare a tailored invitation email to encourage researchers to submit their work to the Special Issue. The message should briefly introduce the Special Issue, highlight its relevance, and motivate potential contributors to participate. The Editorial Office may assist by providing a list of potential contributors or by sending invitations on behalf of the Guest Editor(s).
Promotion Plan (Optional)
Describe how you intend to promote the Special Issue and attract high-quality submissions. You may include plans for outreach through academic networks, conferences, research groups, mailing lists, professional platforms, and social media. Please also indicate how the Editorial Office can support your promotional activities.
Previous Guest Editing Experience
Provide details of any previous experience serving as a Guest Editor for CLS journals, where applicable.

Guest Editor Guide

This guide outlines the role of Guest Editor(s) in managing a Special Issue and explains the editorial workflow followed by CLS journals. It is intended to support clear communication, efficient coordination, and the successful publication of high-quality Special Issues.

In general, Guest Editor(s) are responsible for the academic content and scholarly direction of the Special Issue, while CLS in-house editors provide editorial and administrative support throughout the process.

Guest Editor Responsibilities and Ethical Standards

CLS is committed to maintaining high standards of publication ethics and research integrity. Guest Editor(s) are expected to follow CLS publication policies, journal-specific guidelines, and internationally recognized ethical standards, including best practices recommended by COPE.

Content Relevance

Guest Editor(s) must ensure that all manuscripts accepted for the Special Issue are directly aligned with the defined theme of the Special Issue and the broader aims and scope of the journal. Additional oversight may be provided by the Editor-in-Chief and/or the Editorial Board.

Citation Integrity

Guest Editor(s) must not request authors to add citations for the purpose of increasing citation counts for themselves, their colleagues, the journal, or any associated publication. References should only be included when they are relevant and academically justified. Direct wording from previously published work, including an author’s own work, must be properly quoted and cited.

Submissions by Guest Editor(s)

Guest Editor(s) may contribute manuscripts to the Special Issue; however, such contributions should be limited to preserve diversity and inclusiveness among authors. Any manuscript submitted by a Guest Editor will be handled independently by a suitable member of the Editorial Board.

Confidentiality

Guest Editor(s) must maintain the confidentiality of all submitted manuscripts, editorial communications, reviewer identities, and peer review materials, unless an open peer review model is used and reviewers have agreed to disclose their reports.

Conflicts of Interest

All individuals involved in peer review and editorial decision-making must declare any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest. Where a conflict exists, the Guest Editor must withdraw from handling the manuscript, and an alternative editor will be assigned to ensure an impartial review process.

Declaration of Competing Interests

Any editorial competing interests must be disclosed to the publisher before appointment and updated whenever new conflicts arise. CLS may publish such declarations where appropriate.

Guest Editor Duties

Guest Editor(s) are expected to:

Prepare the Special Issue title, summary, and keywords.
Identify and invite qualified researchers to contribute.
Pre-screen submissions for relevance and quality.
Oversee the peer review process.
Make editorial recommendations or decisions according to journal policy.
Promote the Special Issue through conferences, academic networks, social media, and relevant professional platforms.

A successful Special Issue typically includes 10 or more published papers, along with an optional editorial written by the Guest Editor(s). To reach this target, Guest Editor(s) are encouraged to identify more than 10 potential submissions, as some manuscripts may be rejected during peer review or may not be submitted.

Guest Editor(s) are appointed based on their expertise in the relevant research field. Early-career researchers may support the Guest Editor team, but final oversight of peer review and manuscript decisions must remain with the appointed Guest Editor(s).

Benefits for Guest Editor(s)

Serving as a Guest Editor provides an excellent opportunity to build academic networks, engage with leading researchers, and contribute to the advancement of knowledge in a specialized field. Guest Editor(s) also help accelerate the dissemination of high-quality research and may initiate new collaborations through the Special Issue.

Promoting the Special Issue

Special Issue submissions may be collected through direct invitations from Guest Editor(s), open calls for papers, and promotion by the Editorial Office. To maximize visibility and attract strong submissions, Guest Editor(s) are encouraged to promote the Special Issue from the beginning.

Recommended promotional activities include adding the Special Issue title and link to an email signature, sharing announcements on LinkedIn, X/Twitter, ResearchGate, and other academic platforms, posting the call for papers on personal or institutional websites, and circulating the announcement through relevant mailing lists and research communities.

Guest Editor(s) are also encouraged to introduce the Special Issue at conferences, workshops, seminars, and academic meetings. Where needed, CLS may provide promotional materials such as banners, flyers, posters, or presentation slides to support outreach activities.

Editorial Procedure of Submissions to the Special Issue

Special Issue manuscripts are peer-reviewed and published in accordance with the CLS Editorial Process.

After peer review, the Guest Editor(s) may recommend one of the following actions: accept, reject, request revisions, or invite an additional reviewer. When making an editorial recommendation or decision, the Guest Editor(s) should consider the following:

Pre-Check

The Guest Editor(s) should assess:

The manuscript’s relevance to the journal, section, and Special Issue scope.
Its compliance with research quality and publication ethics standards.
Whether the manuscript demonstrates sufficient rigor to proceed to peer review.

First or Final Decision

The Guest Editor(s) should verify:

The suitability and expertise of the selected reviewers.
The quality and completeness of the reviewers’ comments.
The adequacy of the authors’ responses to reviewer feedback.
The overall scientific quality, originality, and contribution of the manuscript.

If plagiarism or significant text overlap is suspected, a CLS editor will conduct an additional similarity check using iThenticate or another recognized plagiarism-detection tool.

Acceptance or rejection decisions recommended by Guest Editor(s) should be based on the reviewers’ reports and the scholarly merits of the manuscript. The Editor-in-Chief and/or Editorial Board may provide additional oversight or become involved in decision-making where necessary to safeguard the quality, fairness, and integrity of the Special Issue.

Please also note the following:

Where a conflict of interest exists between the Guest Editor(s) and the author(s), or where a Guest Editor does not respond to editorial queries regarding a manuscript decision, CLS may appoint another qualified editor from the journal’s Editorial Board to assess the submission and make the decision.
If a Guest Editor recommends acceptance despite a reviewer’s recommendation for rejection, CLS staff may seek an independent assessment from an Editorial Board Member or the Editor-in-Chief before issuing the final decision to the author(s).
Any manuscript submitted by a Guest Editor will be handled independently by a suitable member of the Editorial Board.