Inter-journal special issues

A special issue can comprise publications in any number of Copernicus’ open-access journals, of which one should be nominated as the lead journal for administrative purposes. The handling of individual manuscripts follows the standard procedures for special issues in the journal to which the manuscript is submitted. Afterwards, all published papers are co-listed on a joint special issue web page (in addition to the regular chronological volume of each journal).

If you intend to propose an inter-journal special issue, please first send your proposal to the executive editors of the lead journal. If your proposal is accepted, please also contact the executive editors of the constituent journals to find out if they want to participate in the inter-journal special issue. Only after all journals have agreed, should all information (see above) on the inter-journal special issue be sent to the Copernicus Publications Editorial Support.

Special issue proposal and guidelines for editors

The special issue (SI) and all manuscripts to be published in it must be within the journal scope and comply with the manuscript types and with the same quality standards as regular submissions to AMT. The special issue should focus on a clear common scientific theme of the measurements or a specific mission. It must include contributions from more than one institution. To ensure the high quality standards of AMT, a special issue will permanently appear as an AMT special issue only if a considerable number of papers were accepted for final publication in AMT. Otherwise the accepted papers will appear as individual papers. Special issues usually have 2–4 SI editors, amongst whom at least one should be a member of the AMT editorial board. The SI editors decide on whether the special issue will include only invited papers or whether it is open for all submissions within the scope of the special issue.

Our guidelines are aimed at helping you with the process of submitting a proposal so that you might better understand your responsibilities as a special issue editor. We encourage contact with one of the executive editors (see editorial board) to informally discuss a possible proposal or in case of questions not answered by these guidelines. Please note that we

• strongly encourage editor team diversity in terms of representing a variety of institutes, career stages, and gender;
• 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;
• welcome a preface by the special issue editors, contextualizing the articles; and
• encourage the special issue editors to work with the authors so that each set of authors are aware of what others are submitting, thus enabling cross-referencing of other papers in the special issue where appropriate.

To propose a special issue, please submit a short (one- to three-page) outline to one of the executive editors (see editorial board) including the following information:

• title of the special issue;
• names, affiliations, and short CVs of the proposed special issue editors;
• suggestion of an editor or executive editor to accompany the special issue;
• start date and end date of submission;
• a statement of the purpose of the special issue and whether it arises out of a conference;
• for inter-journal special issues: a list of planned submissions and their assignments to the involved journals;
• any other useful information that will help to evaluate the proposal (such as, for example, tentative or confirmed contributions and number of expected papers).

The proposal will be reviewed by the executive editors, who will render a decision based on the expected contribution of the special issue and its appropriateness for Atmospheric Measurement Techniques. Accepted special issues will be assigned an executive editor or editor of Atmospheric Measurement Techniques as a corresponding editor. Special issues are in principle open for all submissions within their scope.

Responsibilities of special issue editors

The editors of the special issue will assume the following responsibilities:

• Ensure that all manuscripts within the special issue are within the journal scope and comply with the manuscript types and with the same quality standards as regular submissions to AMT;
• Coordinate a rigorous peer-review process (with at least two independent referees providing complete reviews), following the same guidelines as regular submissions to AMT;
• Work to keep the special issue on schedule and periodically update their liaison editor on the progress of the special issue.

What is the difference between a collection and a special issue?