Special issues and guest-edited collections should follow the same core standards for peer review, conflicts of interest, research integrity and editorial independence as regular journal content.
Scope and approval
Special collections should have a clearly defined scholarly rationale and should be approved through the journal’s authorized editorial structure before public promotion.
Guest editor responsibilities
Guest editors should disclose conflicts, protect confidentiality and apply the journal’s peer-review standards. They should not handle manuscripts where a conflict compromises impartiality.
Journal oversight
The Editor-in-Chief or designated senior editor should retain oversight of the collection and may reassign submissions or decisions where conflicts arise.
Commercial influence
Sponsorship, conference affiliation or external funding should not determine acceptance decisions and should be disclosed when relevant.