The Vertex International Journal of Law, Management & Social Sciences (VIJLMSS) welcomes proposals for special issues and special sections on focused themes within its scope, curated by guest editors. Proposals from prospective guest editors are accepted on a rolling basis.

What a special issue is

• Themed collection: a set of peer-reviewed articles organised around a coherent research theme in law, management, public policy, governance, or the social sciences, or one that connects several of them.
• Guest-edited: led by one to three guest editors who define the theme, help solicit submissions, and oversee review in line with the journal's standards.
• Standard review: every article receives the journal's standard double-blind peer review; inclusion in a special issue is not a substitute for review.

What to include in a proposal

1. Theme and rationale: the scope of the special issue, its timeliness, and its fit with the journal.
2. Guest editor team: up to three guest editors with affiliations, ORCIDs, and a one-line statement of editorial responsibility.
3. Indicative table of contents: expected number of articles, proposed sections, and short themes or titles.
4. Call for papers: a short draft call, including how submissions will be solicited and any open-call element.
5. Peer-review plan: how reviewers will be sourced for the journal's double-blind review and how conflicts of interest with the guest editors will be handled.
6. Timeline: proposed deadlines for submission, review, revision, and publication.
7. Open-access disclosure: confirmation that all articles will be published open access in line with the journal's Open Access Policy.

How to submit

Email the proposal as a single PDF to [email protected] with the subject line:

VIJLMSS Special Issue Proposal: [Theme]

Article workflow once accepted

After a proposal is accepted, individual papers are submitted through the standard VIJLMSS submission system with a pre-agreed section. Each article goes through the standard double-blind peer review. Article Processing Charges and waivers are described on the APC and Waiver Policy pages.

Specific calls for papers and deadlines are announced on this page as special issues are confirmed. Items not yet announced reflect intent, not current status. Informal scoping conversations are welcome before a full proposal is submitted.