Call for special issue proposals
Special issues allow for comprehensive reporting on a particular area of research, being socially urgent, methodologically or conceptually revised, or still little explored. They present the subject matter from different perspectives and this makes it easier to explore it more thoroughly and systematically. Thus, they are popular both for readers and authors and may strengthen or expand researchers’ networks. Beyond this, acting as a guest editor allows one to gain experience with the organizational and editorial work and to further participate in the symbolic alchemy of the academic field, including the benefits thus recognized.
Unlike edited collections, the journal special issues allow a more flexible time plan and a more open publishing platform, while maintaining the quality standards for both the content and text editing.
What a special issue proposal should include
If you are thinking of compiling a special issue for publication in Mediální studia / Media Studies, your proposal should include
- What the topic of the issue will be: please explain its research relevance and expected benefits (briefly and precisely, in the extent of approximately 500 words);
- Who the guest editors of the proposed issue will be (two to three people): please attach their short CVs and describe how they will cooperate with each other;
- Whether a special issue follows a conference, workshop, summer school, etc., or whether the contributions are collected through a separate call, or if the guest editors wish to combine both of these; in all cases, please add the call for papers;
- What the preferred publication slot is (Summer, Winter/Spring) and the preparation timeline: please count the time needed for the full texts, the search for reviewers, the review process itself, and authors’ revisions of the papers based on the reviewers’ recommendations, editing, proofreading, and typographic editing.
Please send your proposals to the editor-in-chief via the e-mail medialnistudia@fsv.cuni.cz. You will be notified about the proposal’s acceptance or rejection within three weeks. This decision is made by the journal’s editorial team or the wider editorial board.
The expected number of reviewed papers included in the issue is 4 to 6. Since the journal is published exclusively electronically, it is possible to agree on exceeding this number. The reviewed papers of the issue may be supplemented by non-reviewed texts (book reviews, interviews, etc.; please see Submission guidelines for more details). However, this is not obligatory.
The preferred language of the papers is English; in specific cases, the texts may also be in Czech or Slovak with the English Summary.
What happens when the special issue proposal is accepted
If accepted, the guest editors and the editor-in-chief agree on the expected publication date of the special issue (autumn, or winter/spring).
One of the journal’s internal editors is chosen for further communication between the guest editors and the journal. It is his or her responsibility to work on the final draft of the issue with the guest editors and agree upon its more detailed preparation schedule. This then serves as a work accomplishment orientation tool for both parties.
It is the responsibility of the guest editors
- To communicate the call announcing the special issue among the researchers;
- To decide which of the manuscripts delivered to include in the review process – which ones to return to rework or which to reject;
- To find peer reviewers for individual papers;
- To inform the authors about the result of the review process and specify a timeframe for reviewing contributions, if required;
- To edit the papers;
- To write an editorial to introduce the special issue and its contributions.
The journal’s internal editors monitor the progress of the issue preparation and help the guest editors solve any possible problems. If they agree upon that with the guest editors, he or she also can participate more actively in the preparation of the issue (e.g., helping with the call distribution, passing on the contacts for the journal’s proofreaders, etc.)
The journal’s graphic designer will be responsible for the layout of the papers. The internal editor in charge is tasked with the communication with the designer..
Responsibility of the guest editors and the journal
The guest editors are required to respect the ethical rules for offering, reviewing, and editing posts (please see Publication Ethics and Publication Malpractice Statement). They also adhere to the formal rules for submissions (the length and structure of the papers, or the citation style) and maintain the qualitative level of papers commonly published in the journal.
The editors of the journal undertake not to violate the agreed conditions of cooperation and support the guest editors in their work and in solving any unexpected problems.