Become a Guest Editor in an Open Access Journal

Sage welcomes proposals for new Special Collections in our Gold Open Access journals.

Special Collections are intended to attract high quality articles on topics of current interest in the field of the journal. They should be organized by Guest Editors who are recognized experts in their field.

It is helpful for Guest Editors to have a list of potential contributors already in mind, and reach out to them as soon as possible.

Benefits for Guest Editors

Guest Editor Role and Responsibilities

Peer Review

Submitting Special Collections proposals for Open Access Journals

Subscription Journal Special Collections and Special Issues

Benefits for Guest Editors

Special Collections are selections of high-quality articles on topics of current interest, organized by Guest Editors who are recognized experts in their field. Running a Special Collection can:

• Provide an enduring association between you and your topic chosen, as the research featured will be read for years to come.
• Boost the impact of your work, by providing increased exposure and expansion of your research network.
• Provide practical experience of journal editing, and deeper insights into how the peer-review process ought to work. This can streamline the publishing process for the Guest Editor in the future, and lead to additional roles.

Guest Editor Role and Responsibilities

As a Guest Editor, you’re the starting point for the research in your Collection, and also the one credited for its success after publication.

• You’ll refine the topic and specific research areas for the Collection, directing the conversations and bringing focus to new and essential research. We aim to publish at least 10 articles in every collection. Proposals that include a list of potential authors the Guest Editor expects will submit a paper may be more likely to be accepted.
• You’ll use your experience and subject knowledge to selectively commission articles from experts in your network, with guidance and promotional assistance from the Sage team. We aim to publish at least 10 articles in every collection. Proposals that include a list of potential authors the Guest Editor expects will submit a paper may be more likely to be accepted.
• You’ll be the first to see all abstracts and articles, as you make the initial decisions on whether research could be suitable for the Collection. This means you’ll play a pivotal part in helping the research make the widest global impact possible.
• You may contribute no more than two manuscripts to your own collection, but may additionally contribute an Editorial, free of charge, if permitted by the journal’s policy.
• You'll promote your Special Collection and its journal at conferences and meetings, on social media, to colleagues, and wherever else it may be appropriate, with assistance from your Sage team.

Additional responsibilities may vary depending on the journal, and full details will be provided.

Guest Editors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest relating to the submitting authors or submitted manuscripts. This includes papers authored by members of their own lab and any other authors based at the Guest Editor's institution.

Peer Review

• All Special Collection articles will undergo full, independent peer review, in line with Sage’s ethical and peer review and publishing policies. There is no guarantee of acceptance, even for invited papers. The journal’s Editor and/or Publisher have final authority on editorial content.
• The journal’s Editor-in-Chief will review all submissions (even commissioned papers) prior to peer review and may desk-reject any that do not fit the scope of the journal or do not meet the journal’s standards for peer review.
• Open access content is freely available to everyone, but is not without costs. As such, most journals charge an Article Processing Charge (APC) and all accepted manuscripts will be charged this fee. Each journal’s APC is listed on its website. View our full list of journals.
• Discounts are sometimes available based on need – please view our discount policy for more information.

Submitting Special Collections proposals for Open Access Journals

Open Access Special Collection proposals can be submitted at any time:

Special collection proposal form

How are proposals selected? All Special Collection proposals are subject to approval by each journal’s Editorial Team. Proposals which do not meet our requirements, or which lack a good standard of English, will not be considered.

For additional information on Guest Editing and tips for preparing your proposal, visit our blog and/or view our recent webinar. 

Subscription Journal Special Collections and Special Issues

Journal Editors looking to manage Subscription Journal Special Issues and work with a Guest Editor can visit the Publishing Special Issues page on the Journal Editor Gateway for more information

Questions? Contact us: US.SpecialCollections@sagepub.com