Special Issues · JBTM
Special issues
A special issue is a focused collection on a question the field has not yet settled, assembled by guest editors under the journal’s own review standards.
The journal welcomes proposals. What it does not do is run a collection at a lower evidential bar than the rest of the journal — see Aims and Scope for what it considers.
Open collections
Collections currently open
What is accepting submissions now.
The journal is accepting proposals for special issues. Regular submissions are accepted throughout the year and are handled on the same terms, so an author whose work fits the journal does not need to wait for a collection.
Researchers with relevant expertise are invited to read the proposal requirements below and write to the editorial office.
Proposing a collection
Proposing a special issue
What a proposal needs to contain.
A proposal is assessed on whether the question is worth a collection: whether there is a body of work that gains from being read together, and whether the guest editors can attract and assess it.
The question
A statement of the scientific question, why it is timely, and what a collection would add that individual articles would not.
Fit with the journal
State the collection’s substantive contribution to behavior therapy or mental health and the research questions it would address.
Guest editors
Names, affiliations, ORCID iDs and a short statement of relevant expertise for each proposed guest editor, with any competing interests declared.
Expected contributions
The article types sought, an indication of likely contributors, and whether any have been approached.
Timetable
A proposed opening and closing date for submissions. Dates are targets for planning, not guarantees of a decision or publication date.
Proposals go to [email protected] with “Special issue proposal” in the subject line.
Guest editors
Guest editor responsibilities
Appointed by the journal, accountable to it.
Guest editors are appointed by the journal and work under its editorial policies. They select reviewers, read reviews and recommend decisions; they do not publish a collection independently of the journal.
- A guest editor recuses from any manuscript they authored or co-authored, which is handled by a journal editor instead
- A guest editor recuses where a personal, professional or financial interest could reasonably be perceived to affect the decision
- Competing interests are declared at appointment and published with the collection
- Final responsibility for every decision rests with the journal, which may decline a recommendation
Editor responsibilities in full are on the For Editors page.
Review standards
The same standards as the rest of the journal
A collection is not an easier route.
Editorial standards for special issues
Manuscripts submitted to a special issue are screened, reviewed and decided on exactly the terms that apply to any other submission. Single-blind by default; double-blind review is available on request. All submissions undergo initial editorial screening. Manuscripts that meet the journal's scope and minimum requirements proceed to independent peer review.
Each collection applies the journal’s standard screening, review, and decision criteria. Collections publish only articles that meet those requirements; a proposal may close if it does not attract enough suitable contributions.
Editorial decisions are based on scope, scientific quality, methodological rigor, ethical compliance, reporting quality, and relevance to the journal.
Charges
What a special issue costs an author
The same charge as any other article.
An article in a special issue carries the same article processing charge as any other article in the journal, USD 2,100, payable after acceptance only. There is no separate special-issue fee and no charge to propose a collection or to serve as a guest editor.
Full terms are on the Article Processing Charges page. Decisions remain independent of fees, services, memberships or editorial roles.
Elsewhere in the journal
Proposing, or submitting
Proposals go to the editorial office. Regular submissions are open throughout the year and are handled on the same terms.
- About the Journal
- Aims and Scope
- Editorial Board
- Editorial Policies
- Instructions for Authors
- Article Processing Charges
- Indexing
- Submit Paper
Journal of Behavior Therapy And Mental Health (JBTM) · ISSN 2474-9273 (electronic) · Open access under CC BY 4.0 · Crossref DOI prefix 10.14302 · Published by Open Access Pub · Contact the editorial office