About this journal

Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning

(JAEOL)

Procedures for Special Issues

The Editors of JAEOL welcome proposals for Special Issues. We strongly recommend that prospective Guest Editors read the following guidelines and familiarise themselves with previous Special Issues published in the journal before submitting a proposal.

These guidelines provide information for those wishing to submit a proposal and for Guest Editors during the Special Issue publication process. Currently JAEOL produces four issues per year and we aim to reserve one of these for a Special Issue.

Special Issues

A Special Issue provides an opportunity to compile a collection of articles that address a theme or issue relevant to the aims and scope of JAEOL whilst making a making a significant and substantive contribution to the specific topic being considered. The general style, length and presentation of the standard JAEOL issue are upheld in a Special Issue.

The development and production of a Special Issue involves three key stages.

1. Initial proposal

Proposal submission
One or more Guest Editors will submit an initial proposal for a Special Issue to the Editors of JAEOL. Please email proposals to Pat Maher (Managing Editor). This proposal should outline the general theme and topic for the Special Issue and introduce the Guest Editor’s area(s) of expertise. It should be no longer than two sides of A4.

Decision process
JAEOL Editors will discuss the suitability of the proposal in terms of the aims and scope of the journal and, if necessary, consult with the Editorial Board. If the proposal is accepted, then a formal timeline will be agreed for the full Special Issue and an Editor will be appointed to work directly with the Guest Editor(s).

2. Special Issue Production and review process

Upon agreement of the formal timeline for the Special Issue, the guest Editorial team will take responsibility for author liaison, submission reviews and the overall publication process.

Review Process
Guest Editors will be given access to the ScholarOne Manuscripts platform; this will enable the Guest Editor(s) access to the journal’s reviewer list and allow them to process submissions. Guest Editors are encouraged to select reviewers from the current list however they are welcome to invite others from their own networks who may not be currently registered.

Guest Editors are responsible for sourcing reviewers and for completing the full review process. Support is available for the use of the ScholarOne Manuscripts system. If a paper is deemed to be out of the Special Issue’s scope but is worthy of publication, the author can be offered the option of publishing their article in an open issue of JAEOL.

Guest Editor Submissions
Guest Editors may submit one paper (either authored by a single Guest Editor or co-authored by the full Guest Editorial team) for inclusion in their own Special Issue. JAEOL limits this to one paper per Special Issue to ensure a range of authors and views are represented, as well as a fair review process. The Guest Editor article will be blind peer-reviewed by referees selected by the journal Editors who are not involved in the Guest Editorial process.

Editorial
Guest Editors are encouraged to write a short editorial outlining the theme of the Special Issue with a short introduction to the papers selected for inclusion and how these relate to the overarching topic.

Book Reviews
Guest Editors are requested to contact the journal’s Book Review Editor with suggestions of books to include in the Special Issue relevant to the overall theme. It is helpful if this can be done as far in advance as possible, in order to allow time for the books to requested from publishers, and for reviewers to be found. Guest Editors should liaise directly with the Book Reviews Editor to ensure timely completion of this process.

Reporting
Guest Editors must prepare a report for the Editorial Board meeting to update on progress and to raise any queries that cannot be resolved directly with the appointed Editor. The Board retains the right to approve all papers for inclusion in the Special Issue. If a paper is not included within the Special Issue then it can be considered for inclusion within the normal run of JAEOL. The Editorial Board meets twice a year; dates will be shared in advance.

3. SI Publication

Guest Editors will work closely with their assigned JAEOL Editor during the final stages of the Special Issue production. This will ensure that the Special Issue format is consistent with JAEOL’s usual standard.

January 2024