Propose a Special Issue in Surgery Proceedings
Develop a focused, high-impact thematic collection led by credible experts in procedural science and surgical systems.
What Makes a Proposal Competitive
Strong proposals combine topic urgency, scientific scope, and realistic editorial delivery.
A successful special issue proposal should define one precise surgical theme with clear clinical and research relevance. The topic must be narrow enough for coherent curation but broad enough to support diverse high-quality submissions.
Guest editor candidates should demonstrate recognized subject expertise, publication history, and sufficient availability to manage peer-review timelines. International representation and multidisciplinary coverage improve proposal strength.
Minimum Proposal Package
Complete proposals are reviewed faster and with fewer clarification rounds.
Discuss Scope Before Submission
Pre-consultation often improves acceptance probability and timeline clarity.
Share a draft title, scope note, and proposed guest editor list with [email protected] to receive editorial guidance before formal submission.
Build a Proposal with Deliverable Control
Editorially viable proposals include both scientific depth and operational feasibility.
Special issue concepts should include a milestone-based execution map with realistic windows for invitation outreach, manuscript intake, peer review, revision, and release. The editorial board evaluates not only theme strength but also whether the proposed team can deliver quality outcomes on schedule.
Include an article mix plan that balances original studies, synthesis pieces, and focused perspectives. Overconcentration in one article type can reduce thematic value and limit readership impact.
Guest editor teams should define reviewer sourcing strategy and conflict management controls in advance. Proposal quality increases when governance expectations are visible before approval.
Where possible, include an initial list of potential contributors or institutions likely to submit. This improves confidence that the issue can attract methodologically strong manuscripts.
Strengthen Approval Probability
Editorial boards approve proposals that show both scientific and operational readiness.
Include a concise risk register with mitigation plans for reviewer delays, low submission volume, or theme drift. Proposals that anticipate operational challenges are viewed as more deliverable and less likely to stall after approval.
Define decision governance between guest editors and journal editors in advance so escalation pathways are clear. Clear governance structures improve quality consistency across all issue submissions.
High-performing proposals also define how thematic integrity will be preserved during peer review, including criteria for excluding out-of-scope manuscripts even when submissions are abundant. This protects issue credibility and reader trust.
A concise governance note on guest editor decision authority further improves proposal credibility.
Clear role ownership remains essential for issue execution reliability.
Start Your Special Issue Proposal
Build a focused and execution-ready theme for global surgical readership.
For support: [email protected]
