Propose a Special Issue

What a collection is for

So a proposal starts from the question rather than the format.

A special issue earns its place when a question is being worked on from several directions at once and the answers are scattered across journals that do not read one another. Gathering that work in one place, with an editorial that says what the collection shows and where it still falls short, is worth more to the field than the same papers published separately.

The journal is therefore interested in proposals built around a question, a method under dispute, or a body of evidence that has reached the point where it can be assessed as a whole — rather than around a broad subject heading.

Areas of current interest

Illustrative, not exhaustive: a well-argued proposal in any part of the journal’s remit is welcome.

• Diabetic kidney diseaseMechanisms, early detection, and the evidence behind newer therapeutic classes.
• Acute kidney injuryPrediction, prevention in high-risk settings, and the transition to chronic disease.
• Home and incremental dialysisOutcomes, patient selection, service models and what limits uptake.
• Glomerular diseaseClassification, biomarkers, and the evidence base for immunosuppressive strategies.
• Pediatric nephrologyCongenital and inherited disease, growth, and transition to adult care.

Proposals that cross these boundaries, or that sit elsewhere in the remit set out on the Aims and Scope page, are considered on the same terms.

What a proposal contains

So the editorial office can assess it without a second round of questions.

• the question the collection addresses, and why it is worth gathering the work now
• a working title and a paragraph describing the scope of the collection
• the proposed guest editors, with their affiliations, ORCID iDs and relevant publications
• an indication of the contributions expected, and how they would be solicited
• a realistic timeline from call to publication
• any competing interest that a guest editor or an expected contributor holds

Send a proposal to info@openaccesspub.org with “Special issue proposal” in the subject line. The editorial office confirms receipt and the journal responds in writing with a decision or with questions.

How an accepted collection runs

So a contributor knows the review is the journal’s, not the collection’s.

Every manuscript submitted to a special issue goes through the journal’s ordinary editorial process. All submissions undergo initial editorial screening. Manuscripts that meet the journal’s scope and minimum requirements proceed to independent peer review. Single-blind by default; double-blind review is available on request.

Editorial decisions are based on scope, scientific quality, methodological rigor, ethical compliance, reporting quality, and relevance to the journal. An invitation to contribute to a collection, and guest editorship itself, confer no expectation of acceptance.