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Special Issue Policy

Mansoura Journal of Dentistry policy is to publish special issues that aim to target chosen topics in a “holistic” way. Articles exploring the same research point strengthen and complete each other. Articles of a special issue could review a subject, test previously presented results, develop new theories or methods, and/or present results.

Benefits of publishing in special issues:

Publishing in special issues offers many benefits such as:
  • Known publication time: Announcing special issues came with their planned release time. Articles published in a special issue have the advantage of known time of publication contrary to articles published in regular issues.
  • Faster track for editing and peer-review processes.
  • Wider visibility and higher citations: Special issues usually draw the attention of the professional and research communities. articles published in special issues are usually seen and cited more than articles published in regular issues.

Initiating the process of publishing a special issue:

  • The Mansoura Journal of Dentistry will announce the special issues or potential guest editors could contact the journal editor-in-chief with their proposals. Guest editors have a good chance to communicate and collaborate with the research community as well as build relations and develop networks within the research community.
  • Proposals should fall within the scope of the journal and follow the general editorial and publication policies of the Mansoura Journal of Dentistry.
      Proposals for special issues should include:
    • The title of the special issue.
    • The leading guest editor, and other guest editors, information (ex. Names (in order), academic degrees, affiliations, contact details, and scholarly interests).
    • The vision behind the special issue.
    • An overview of the intended content of the special issue.
    • The planned articles’ submission deadline.
    • The planned release time for the special issue.
  • Guest editors could invite certain authors known for their expertise in the topic of the special issue to submit articles to the special issue. Special issues could include editorials, original articles, short communications, case reports, and/or reviews.

Editorial and peer reviewing processes:

  • Articles submitted to a special issue will be assigned to the leading guest editor who will be responsible for assigning them to the other guest editors (if recruited).
  • Articles submitted to special issues will be subject to the same general editorial and publication policies applied to regular issues.
  • The submission of the articles to a special issue should follow the same steps as articles submitted to regular issues through the same editorial managing system.
  • Articles submitted to a special issue should be subjected to the same review process as the articles submitted to regular issues. Every article will be double-blindly peer-reviewed by at least two experts.

Guidelines for guest editors of special issues:

It is the guest editors' responsibility to manage the workflow of the special issue most efficiently, control the quality of the submissions, and ensure the following of the editorial and publication policies of the Mansoura Journal of Dentistry.

  • The guest editors are responsible for the following:
    • Invite other guest editors (if needed) and coordinate the workflow among them.
    • Initiate the invitations to authors to submit their manuscripts.
    • Initiate the invitations to the reviewers to review manuscripts.
    • Handle the manuscripts till reaching final decisions about each submitted manuscript.
    • Inform the authors of the decision about their article.
    • Send accepted manuscripts to the production.
  • The peer review process of each article should start as soon as it passes the technical check and assigned to the editor.
  • The editor should not wait till reaching the submission deadline of the special issue.
  • Editors may choose to turn down articles that are not within the scope of the special issue without peer review.
  • Guest editors are invited, if they choose to, to write an editorial for the special issue that provides an overview of the scope of the issue and a pavement to the articles included in the issue. The editorial should be submitted within two weeks from the acceptance of the last article in the special issue.
  • Guest editors are welcomed to contribute to the special issues they handle however; this should be limited. Each guest editor could submit a maximum of one manuscript for the special issue. Manuscripts submitted by guest editors will be handled by the editor-in-chief of the journal. The editor-in-chief of the Mansoura Journal of Dentistry will be responsible for all editorial, peer reviewing, and decisions related to guest editors’ submissions.
  • It is prohibited for guest editors to ask authors to cite articles they authored or co-authored. It is equally prohibited for guest editors to ask authors to cite articles from journals they are connected to.
  • The Leading guest editor (if there are more than one guest editor) is responsible for managing all time issues that guarantee release of the special issue on time. The Leading guest editor of a special issue is responsible for setting a clear timetable and ensuring authors and reviewers are following it.

Guidelines for authors of special issues:

  • Authors should submit their articles through the Journal's online editorial manager system.
  • Authors should choose the appropriate special issue for their articles.
  • Authors invited to submit papers to a special issue should be aware that this invitation is not a guarantee for acceptance.
  • Authors are urged to adher to the timetable set by the guest editors. Missing deadlines for submission, revision, or return of proof would subject the article to be excluded from the special issue.