Proposed Special Issue

Plan special issues that advance toxicology science and safety policy.

• Working title and theme rationale
• Guest editor names, affiliations, and expertise
• Target audience and clinical or regulatory impact
• Estimated number of articles and types
• Proposed submission and review timeline

Guest editors help recruit submissions and guide scope fit while the journal retains final editorial decisions.

• Provide an introductory overview for the issue
• Recommend reviewers with relevant expertise
• Monitor timelines and communicate progress

Special issues follow standard peer review and ethical requirements. Proposals should confirm adherence to reporting guidelines.

Strong proposals clarify scope and feasibility.

• Define the toxicology theme and rationale
• Explain clinical or regulatory relevance
• List guest editor roles and responsibilities
• Identify potential contributors
• Provide a realistic review timeline
• Outline outreach or promotion plans
• Confirm adherence to journal ethics policies
• Describe expected article types
• Include a primary point of contact

For questions about scope, data reporting, or compliance, contact the editorial team for guidance before submission.

Clear roles and coordination improve issue delivery.

• Define responsibilities for reviewer selection
• Plan an introductory editorial overview
• Confirm availability for decision making
• Coordinate with journal production schedules
• Monitor submission progress and timelines
• Ensure conflict of interest disclosures

Timelines help ensure special issues stay on schedule.

• Set submission deadlines with buffer time
• Plan for reviewer recruitment and follow up
• Allocate time for revisions
• Coordinate production timelines
• Plan editorial introduction milestones
• Schedule promotion milestones

Clear scope ensures submissions align with the issue theme.

• Define inclusion criteria for manuscripts
• State excluded topics to avoid drift
• Clarify desired study types
• Provide examples of target topics
• Align theme with toxicology priorities

Special issue proposals should demonstrate a clear scientific gap, a defined audience, and a plan to attract high quality submissions. Topics that address emerging toxicology hazards, regulatory shifts, or clinical safety challenges are especially relevant.

Provide a realistic timeline that accounts for reviewer recruitment, revision cycles, and production deadlines. Clear timelines help the editorial office coordinate resources and maintain publication quality.

Guest editor teams should balance expertise across experimental, clinical, and regulatory domains. This ensures comprehensive peer review and consistent decisions across submissions.

Proposals that include outreach plans, potential contributors, and a communication strategy are more likely to succeed because they demonstrate feasibility and impact.

Planning details improve the success of special issues.

• Set target dates for reviewer invitations
• Plan for backup reviewers
• Define a clear scope statement
• Coordinate promotion with the journal
• Plan an editorial introduction
• Track submissions against milestones
• Communicate regularly with guest editors
• Confirm final acceptance deadlines

Use these notes to complete a strong proposal.

• Provide a concise issue summary
• Confirm guest editor availability
• Align issue scope with journal focus
• Include a realistic submission timeline
• Outline reviewer recruitment plans
• Provide communication plan for contributors
• Define acceptance criteria for submissions
• Confirm commitment to ethics standards
• Include promotional strategy ideas
• Provide contact details for coordination
• List potential contributors if available
• Plan for a closing editorial overview

Final details improve clarity for reviewers.

• Clarify the theme in one sentence
• Provide a concise impact statement
• List expected submission volume
• Confirm reviewer recruitment plan
• Share planned deadlines
• Confirm guest editor contact details
• Outline quality standards
• Provide a brief outreach plan
• Confirm editorial board support

Short checks to finalize the proposal.

• Confirm issue scope in one sentence
• List guest editor roles clearly
• Provide a short impact statement
• Confirm submission deadlines
• Share outreach channels

Short alignment reminders for proposals.

• Confirm the theme aligns with toxicology scope