Special Issues
A special issue is a set of papers on one question, assembled by a guest editor who knows the field. IJCM treats it as an editorial undertaking rather than a campaign, and the same review and decision rules apply to every article in it.
How a special issue works
- Proposal. A researcher in the field proposes a topic, explains why it needs a collection now, and offers to act as guest editor.
- Assessment. The editorial office and the Editor-in-Chief assess the topic against the journal's aims and scope and the proposer's standing in the subject.
- Agreement. A guest editor is appointed by name, a scope statement and a submission window are agreed, and both are published on this page before any call goes out.
- Open call. Submissions are open to all authors working within the announced scope.
- Review. Every manuscript goes through the journal's normal peer review. The guest editor handles assignment and recommends; the Editor-in-Chief holds the decision.
- Publication. Accepted articles are published individually after production and collected under the special issue heading.
Proposing a special issue
Proposals are welcome throughout the year from researchers who work in the area they propose to edit. A proposal should be short and should cover the following.
- The question the collection addresses, and why a collection rather than individual papers.
- How it sits within the journal's scope, and which of its domains it draws on.
- The guest editor or editors: name, affiliation, ORCID, and relevant publications.
- The kinds of study you expect, and roughly how many.
- A realistic submission window.
- Any competing interest the guest editor holds in the subject.
Send a proposal to [email protected], or use the special issue proposal guidance.
Editorial safeguards
Special-issue manuscripts follow the journal's standard editorial screening and peer-review process. Editorial decisions are based on scope, scientific quality, methodological rigor, ethical compliance, reporting quality, and relevance to the journal.
- Review
- Single-blind by default; double-blind review is available on request. Manuscripts that proceed to external peer review are normally evaluated by at least two independent subject-matter experts.
- Guest editor recusal
- A guest editor recuses themselves from their own submission and from manuscripts in which they hold a competing interest; those manuscripts are reassigned.
- Charges
- The standard article processing charge applies to accepted articles. Proposing a collection and serving as a guest editor are free of charge.Article processing charges
- Named editors
- The journal announces a special issue after a guest editor has agreed by name.
Where the journal sees a need
These are areas where the editors would welcome a proposal. A call appears on this page after a guest editor has been appointed and a submission window agreed.
Antimicrobial resistance. Susceptibility testing methodology, the detection of resistance mechanisms, and appropriately bounded interpretation of surveillance from a defined population.
Diagnostics under constraint. Method evaluation in laboratories where reagents, instrumentation or cold chain are limited, and where microscopy remains the working method.
Molecular and genomic diagnostics. Assay validation against clinical material, and the agreement between genotypic prediction and phenotypic result.
Medical mycology. Identification and antifungal susceptibility testing, and invasive disease in immunocompromised patients.
Infection prevention microbiology. Outbreak investigation and the laboratory work that supports it.
Related pages
- Aims and Scope
- Instructions for Authors
- Submit a manuscript
- Editorial Policies
- Call for Papers
- Editorial Board
International Journal of Clinical Microbiology (IJCM) · ISSN 2690-4721 · published open access by Open Access Pub under CC BY 4.0 · Crossref DOI prefix 10.14302. Editorial decisions are independent of any fee, service, membership or role.
Published special-issue research
Special-issue articles form part of the journal’s published record and retain their article identifiers, publication dates and citations. A collection is identified by its agreed topic and named guest editor. Published articles remain accessible through the Archive.
Researchers wishing to develop a collection can consult the proposal requirements and contact the editorial office. A new call is announced only after its guest editor, scope and submission period are agreed.