Proposed Special Issue
JMPT welcomes proposals for special issues that define emerging trauma science, highlight clinical innovation, or integrate psychological and medical perspectives.
Proposal Overview
Successful proposals present a focused theme, clear rationale, and a realistic plan for attracting high quality submissions. Guest editors should demonstrate subject expertise and the ability to manage peer review timelines in collaboration with the JMPT editorial office.
Ideal Themes
Trauma Recovery
Integrated approaches to recovery and resilience.
Clinical Care
Emergency response and long term treatment outcomes.
Neuroscience
Neurobiology of stress and trauma.
Community
Policy, systems, and public health interventions.
Proposal Steps
Concept
- Define theme and scope
- Outline key research questions
- Identify potential contributors
Proposal
- Provide guest editor details
- Submit timeline and milestones
- Explain expected impact
Approval
- Editorial review and feedback
- Finalize scope and call for papers
- Launch with JMPT support
Review Criteria
Coordinate peer review, invite reviewers, and ensure decisions align with journal standards.
Proposals are assessed on scientific relevance, novelty, submission volume, and editorial capacity.
Include outreach channels such as conferences, societies, and professional networks.
Successful issues typically target six to twelve high quality submissions.
Proposal Strength
Strong proposals include a focused scope, realistic submission timeline, and committed guest editors. Outline outreach plans to attract quality submissions and identify the core audience. Clear scope statements help authors self select and improve submission quality.
Editorial Readiness
Guest editors should identify reviewer pools early to maintain timelines and consistent review standards. Provide evidence of editorial experience and a plan for managing revisions efficiently.
Timeline Management
Define key milestones such as call for papers, submission deadline, review completion, and publication window. A realistic schedule builds confidence and reduces last minute delays for the issue.
Impact and Visibility
Explain how the issue advances trauma care, policy, or clinical practice. Include dissemination plans such as conference outreach, society newsletters, or targeted invitations to leading researchers.
Guest Editor Coordination
Guest editors should outline their roles, decision workflow, and reviewer selection process. Clear coordination with the JMPT editorial office ensures consistent standards and avoids conflicts of interest.
Submission Volume Planning
Estimate submission volume and include a backup outreach plan. A well supported pipeline helps the issue meet its publication window and maintains quality across accepted articles.
Author Outreach
Targeted outreach to leading trauma researchers improves submission quality and diversity. Consider personal invitations, conference announcements, and society channels to build momentum for the issue.
Review Capacity
Identify a sufficient reviewer pool and confirm availability before launch. Adequate reviewer capacity ensures that special issue timelines remain achievable and that reviews remain rigorous.
Issue Coordination
Coordinate proposed timelines with the editorial office to align with the journal production calendar. This alignment helps avoid conflicts with other issues and ensures sufficient production capacity.
Ready to propose a special issue?
Send your proposal outline and guest editor details to the editorial office.
