Special Issues
Astrophysics and Space Sciences Transactions (ASTRA) offers an efficient new way of publishing special issues which are commonly the result of a session or multiple sessions at conferences, but can also be from a small group of people deciding that a given special issue on a given subject of theme would be appropriate. The individual papers are peer-reviewed & published as soon as available in regular issues, but then labeled as part of the special issue and linked electronically.
The specific advantages are:
- Publication date is not limited by the latest paper/slowest peer-review process: every individual contribution to the special issue is published as soon as available.
- All contributions efficiently linked and coherently presented on dedicated special issue webpages (an appropriate logo is welcome as jpg file), easily accessible from the ASTRA Online Library (chronological volumes and issues).
- Print-version available upon completed publication of all contributions. A minimum order of 20 copies will be needed, and the price will depend on the total number of pages in the special issue. Please contact the Copernicus Publications Production Office for a price calculation.
Special Issue Proposal & Guidelines for Editors
Thank you for considering publishing a special issue with ASTRA. We have drawn up some brief guidelines to help you with the process of submitting a proposal, and so that you might better understand your responsibilities as a special issue editor. Please note that we (a) particularly encourage "review" articles for a special issue, with an average of one review article solicited for every 8-10 papers in the special issue, (b) welcome a "preface" by the special issue editors, pulling together articles, and (c) encourage the special issue editors to work with the authors, so that each set of authors are aware of what others are submitting, and thus can "cross-reference" other papers in the special issue where appropriate.
Submission & Review of a Proposal
Please submit a two to three page prospectus for the special issue to the Executive Editorial Board including the following:
- Title for the special issue;
- Names & affiliations of the proposed special issue editors;
- Start & end of submission;
- A statement of the purpose of the special issue;
- A draft of the call for papers that will solicit submissions for the special issue;
- Any other useful information that will help the evaluation of the special issue proposal (e.g., Is this special issue the result of one or several conference special sessions? Are there specific people that you already have in mind that might contribute? Do you have a rough idea of about how many papers might be published and their average length?).
The prospectus will be reviewed by the journal's Executive Editorial Board, who will render a decision based on the expected contribution of the special issue and its appropriateness for ASTRA.
Responsibilities of Special Issue Editors:
If the Executive Editorial Board decides to pursue the publication of a special issue, an associate or executive editor from ASTRA will be assigned as liaison, and the editors of the special issue will assume the following responsibilities:
- Work with the authors to obtain manuscripts of high quality.
- Ensure that authors are aware of the manuscript submission process.
- Coordinate a rigorous peer-review process (at least two independent referees).
- Ensure that the English is at a high level, and request a copy-editing if necessary.
- Discuss with the Liaison Editor any changes that constitute a significant deviation from the prospectus.
- Work to keep the special issue on schedule and periodically update the Liaison Editor on the progress of the special issue.
