Direct from our Editors: Tips for getting a Special Collection proposal accepted in Cancer Control (CCX)
By Applonia Rose
Being a Guest Editor of a Special Collection can be a rewarding and valuable experience that offers numerous benefits for both personal and professional development. In addition to increasing visibility and recognition in the field, a Special Collection can provide you with the opportunity to expand your network, as well as to shape the content and direction of the field and journal.
Undertaking a Special Collection can be a challenging and time-consuming endeavor, and getting started may pose difficulties. However, the editorial team of Cancer Control (CCX) is committed to supporting you throughout the entire process by providing you with tools, guidelines, and dedicated promotions via email and social media. To help prepare to be a Guest Editor, we have compiled some helpful tips to guide you in taking the initial step of preparing your Special Collection proposal.
1. Choose a timely and relevant topic
The primary objective of a Special Collection is to generate discussion and raise awareness about a specific topic. The first step in putting together a Special Collection proposal is to choose a topic in your area of research/expertise that is both timely and relevant. This can be based on emerging trends or gaps in the field. A good Special Collection should comprise content that is currently relevant and of great interest to researchers in the field.
For CCX, the topic should relate to research on the prevention, detection, diagnosis, treatment, and palliative care of cancer. The topic you select should be broad enough to have widespread appeal, but not too broad. Read more about the journal’s aims and scope. If you have any questions or doubts regarding a topic you are considering, we encourage you to submit a partially completed proposal to initiate a conversation with our editorial team or email us.
See our previously published Special Collections for inspiration.
2. Assemble a team of Guest Editors
The success of a Special Collection largely depends on the expertise and dedication of you and your team of co-Guest Editors (if you choose to work with others). You should identify and recruit co-Guest Editors in the field who are committed to producing high-quality content.
As a Guest Editor for CCX, you are responsible for identifying and inviting authors, as well as making recommendations on manuscripts after peer review. However, Sage will support you with inviting potential authors through our dedicated promotions for your collection.
You are also expected to actively promote the journal through various channels, including conferences, meetings, social media, and among your colleagues. This may involve presenting the journal's mission and scope and encouraging potential authors to submit their work for consideration.
Collaborating with co-Guest Editors can help reduce the workload for everyone, while also increasing the diversity of articles. If you are a more junior researcher, consider working with senior colleagues, or when relevant, your supervisor or advisor, who can provide guidance and recommendations based on their expertise and networks.
3. Define Aims & Scope of the collection
Your proposal should clearly articulate the aim, scope and objectives of the Special Collection. When drafting the proposal, you should provide clear and concise content on what the topic is and why it is significant. This includes defining the research questions, outlining the specific sub-topics that will be covered, and describing the expected outcomes and impact of the collection.
Adding sub-topics will provide more clarity to potential authors who are considering to publish their research in your collection, and will help inform the promotions we run to encourage good quality paper submissions.
4. Identify potential authors
You should identify potential authors and contributors who are well-versed in the topic of the Special Collection. This can include established researchers, as well as up-and-coming scholars who are making significant contributions to the field.
Identifying potential authors in advance is not essential, but it can significantly increase the success of your Special Collection and the proposal being accepted. Guest Editors can leverage your academic network, as well as the networks of co-Guest Editors, by reaching out to colleagues who conduct research related to your collection topic.
Additionally, you can identify potential authors from recent presenters at conferences, authors of recently published articles, or by conducting a web search to identify faculty who publish on the topic.
When identifying authors, it is important to also ensure that the Special Collection includes a diverse range of perspectives. This can include contributions from researchers from different regions, as well as those who represent different areas of expertise or approaches in the chosen topic.
5. Submit the proposal
The Special Collection proposal form is a centralized form used by all of Sage Publishing’s Open Access journals. The form includes a mixture of required and optional fields, covering information about you and any other Guest Editors and the proposed Special Collection, and information about your publication record and relevant research history.
The information provided in the proposal form will help the journal editorial team to evaluate the appropriateness of your proposal and make a decision. Moreover, many of the completed fields will be used to create a dedicated page for your collection if your proposal is accepted. Therefore, it is recommended to complete as many fields as possible to create a smooth experience for launching your collection.
By following the above guidelines and putting together a strong and well-structured proposal, potential Guest Editors can increase their chances of successfully accepting and launching a Special Collection in CCX.
For more general tips, you can check out this blog post.
To get more information about the role of the Guest Editor and to submit your proposal, go here.
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