Human Relations invites proposals for Special Issues that focus on a specific area of research that has broad appeal and falls within the aims and scopes of the journal. Special Issues provide an excellent opportunity to review an addressed topic, examine previously unaddressed aspects, propose and develop new approaches, exchange perspectives and encourage new lines of research.
In order to help potential Guest Editors to prepare Special Issue proposals, and the Human Relations Editorial Team to evaluate them, the instructions below have been provided.
Selection of Special Issues will be made by the Editor-in-Chief, in consultation with the Associate Editors, based on the elements presented below. During the evaluation process, the Human Relations Editorial Team may ask experts in the area of the Special Issue topic to give their opinions on the proposal.
Special Issue proposals must contain the following:
1. Name and affiliation of the proposed Guest Editors.
2. Short CV of each proposed Guest Editor, including a list of major publications and details of editorial experience.
3. A call for papers for the Special Issue. The call for papers must include:
- a. A provisional title of the Special Issue.
- b. Justification for dedicating an entire issue of Human Relations to this Special Issue topic: what is its broad appeal and what are its projected theoretical, practical and policy implications for the field?
- c. The Special Issue's objective.
- d. The Special Issue's scope: potential themes addressed in the Special Issue.
- e. Examples of questions that would meet the objective of the Special Issue.
4. Details of any other Special Issues or special sections that have been published, or will be published, by other journals and which are devoted to the proposed or a closely related topic. In such cases, potential Guest Editors should show how their proposed Special Issue is unique and innovative in comparison, and explain how it will add to the existing literature.
5. A promotion plan explaining how the call for papers will be advertised (web sites, distribution lists, conferences, associations, etc.). Potential Guest Editors should be aware of the requirement that Special Issues must be truly open to any researcher working on the addressed topic. This requirement means that Special Issues cannot be restricted to researchers participating in specific workshops, symposia or small group meetings.
6. An explanation in the proposal about how potential Guest Editors plan to attract researchers from around the world. Guest Editors should make an effort to attract contributors from around the world to help enhance the Special Issue content by providing a variety of perspectives.
7. Potential Guest Editors should explicitly agree to adhere to current Human Relations editorial policies, processes and prompt turnaround times (please see below) and to using the online submission and manuscript tracking system ScholarOne Manuscripts, for which training and support will be provided. These editorial procedures include a rigorous peer-review process that ensures that only the highest quality manuscripts will be selected for inclusion in the Special Issue.
8. Guest Editors are asked to include a list of potential reviewers in their proposal. It is important for both reviewers and Guest Editors to adhere to the timing standards set by the journal.
Potential Guest Editors should select up to five papers to be included in the Special Issue and also write an introduction to the Special Issue. If too few papers reach the required high standard for publication, the Editor-in-Chief may publish a themed issue also containing regular papers or cancel the Special Issue entirely.
Nature and format of Special Issue submissions
Manuscripts submitted to a Special Issue should to adhere to Human Relations aims and scope and contributor guidelines for submitting a paper.
The Guest Editors will screen initial submissions for their general adherence to the above guidelines and the call for papers. Good quality submissions that meet the journal’s aims and scope, but which do not meet the specifications of the Special Issue call for papers, may be recommended to the Editor-in-Chief for consideration for publication as a regular paper. Guest Editors should be aware of page length restrictions, appropriate use of footnotes, endnotes, figures and tables as they manage manuscripts through the review process. Although formal copy editing occurs after manuscripts are accepted, Guest Editors should not accept manuscripts with a poor standard of English or which include terms that might be unfamiliar to the journal's international interdisciplinary readership.
Guest Editors will not submit their own papers
It is Human Relations policy that Guest Editors will not submit their own papers for consideration for publication in the Special Issue, unless this has been specifically agreed in advance with the Editor-in-Chief.Editorial process
The process for handling submissions to a Special Issue is almost identical to that for regular submissions to Human Relations. The use of a guest editorial team and selected reviewers allows for highly focused expert feedback and considerable development of the submitted manuscripts. All manuscripts are submitted to Manuscript Central, our online submission system. Guest Editors should assign suitable reviewers to each manuscript to be sent out for review. The Guest Editor will receive the reviews for each manuscript, make a decision about its status (reject, revise or accept), and communicate that decision to the corresponding author. All correspondence, including review invitations, review comments and decision letters, is channelled through the Manuscript Central Web-based system. This process should be completed for every submission until all manuscripts are ready for final editorial decision (accept or reject). Authors are notified of decisions as they are made by the Guest Editors. Guest Editors see all submissions to the Special Issue through to final decision, and recommend up to five papers for inclusion in the Special Issue to the Editor-in-Chief. In the event that more than five manuscripts are considered acceptable, the Guest Editors may recommend to the Editor-in-Chief that they be published in regular issues of the journal. Ultimately, the Editor-in-Chief decides which manuscripts to include in the Special Issue.
Turnaround times
Naturally, authors wish to receive both timely and constructive reviews and decisions for their submissions. Therefore reviewers are asked to comment within one month and reminders are sent to reviewers once their review becomes overdue. Guest Editors are also given a one week deadline for suggesting reviewers or drafting a decision letter after all the reviews have been received. The editorial process seeks to secure the same timely performance for Special Issue submissions as that provided for regularly submitted manuscripts.
Guest Editors' introductory editorial review
The Guest Editors will write an editorial review, typically up to 8000 words, introducing the Special Issue and its content and providing a synopsis and integrative analysis of the collective contributions of the Special Issue articles. This article is subject to review by the Editor-in-Chief and/or Associate Editors.
Submitting your proposal
Special Issue proposals should be sent to Claire Castle, Managing Editor.
