International Journal of Economics and Finance
Special Issue Guidelines
Precision Digital Publishers (PDP) welcomes proposals from researchers, academics, and subject experts for Special Issues that align with the Aims & Scope of its journals.
Special Issues provide a focused platform for bringing together high-quality research on a defined, emerging, or significant topic. All manuscripts published as part of a Special Issue are subject to the journal’s standard editorial, peer-review, ethical, and publication requirements.
PDP may publish either:
- Standard Special Issue: normally comprising 8–12 published articles.
- Mini Special Issue: normally comprising 4–6 high-quality published articles.
The final number of articles may vary depending on the quality, relevance, and suitability of the submitted manuscripts.
Special Issue Proposal
Prospective Guest Editors should submit a proposal to the Editorial Office at info@pdpublishers.com or complete this form.
The proposal should include:
Title and Theme
A clear and focused title describing the subject and scope of the proposed Special Issue.
Guest Editor Details
- Full name
- Academic or professional affiliation
- Position/title
- Institutional email address
- ORCID, where available
- Short professional biography
- Relevant publications or research expertise
Scope and Keywords
A brief description of the proposed theme, its academic relevance, key research areas, and suitable keywords.
Tentative Timeline
The proposed timeline should include:
- Call for Papers
- Manuscript submission deadline
- Peer-review period
- Expected final decisions
- Publication target
All proposals are subject to evaluation and approval by the journal’s editorial team. Approval of a proposal does not constitute a guarantee that any particular manuscript will be accepted for publication.
Article Types
Special Issues may accept different types of scholarly contributions, depending on the journal’s Aims & Scope and the approved Special Issue theme.
Special Issues may accept the following article types.
| Article Type | Description | Typical Content / Structure | Recommended Length* |
| Research Article | Presents original empirical, theoretical, conceptual, or analytical research and substantive findings. | Abstract, Introduction, Methodology, Results, Discussion, Conclusion, References | 4,000–8,000 words |
| Review Article | Provides a critical and structured synthesis of existing research on a defined topic. | Abstract, Introduction, Literature Review, Thematic Analysis, Discussion, Conclusion, References | 6,000–10,000 words |
| Systematic Review / Meta-Analysis | Systematically identifies, evaluates, and synthesises available evidence using an appropriate methodology. | Abstract, Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion, References; PRISMA or other relevant reporting standard where applicable | 6,000–10,000 words |
| Short Communication / Brief Report | Presents concise but meaningful research findings, preliminary results, focused analyses, or timely observations. | Abstract, Main Text, Conclusion, References | 2,000–4,000 words |
| Case Study / Case Report | Provides a detailed analysis or report of a specific case, organisation, intervention, phenomenon, or professional experience. | Abstract, Introduction, Case Description, Analysis/Discussion, Conclusion, References | 3,000–6,000 words |
| Perspective / Commentary | Presents an informed scholarly perspective on an emerging issue, development, debate, or future research direction. | Abstract, Introduction, Main Discussion, Conclusion, References | 2,000–4,000 words |
| Editorial | Introduces the Special Issue, explains its academic context and objectives, and provides an overview of its contributions. | Introduction, Background, Scope and Rationale, Overview of Contributions, Conclusion | 1,500–3,000 words |
*Recommended word limits are indicative and may be adjusted according to the journal’s specific Author Guidelines and the nature of the manuscript.
Note: All submissions are subject to the journal’s standard editorial screening, ethical requirements, peer-review procedures, and final editorial decision. The inclusion of an article type in this table does not imply that every Special Issue or journal will accept every listed type.
Responsibilities of the Guest Editor
The Guest Editor is expected to actively support the development and scholarly quality of the Special Issue.
Proposal and Scope Development: The Guest Editor should work with the journal’s editorial team to establish a focused and academically relevant theme.
Contributor Outreach: The Guest Editor may invite suitable researchers and subject experts to contribute manuscripts.
Where appropriate, Guest Editors are encouraged to promote international and geographical diversity among contributors. A Special Issue should not be structured exclusively around authors from a single institution or, where broader participation is reasonably possible, a single country.
Manuscript Recruitment: The Guest Editor should actively promote the Call for Papers and seek sufficient submissions to support the planned Special Issue, taking into account that some manuscripts may not meet the journal’s editorial or peer-review requirements.
Peer-Review Support: The Guest Editor may recommend suitably qualified reviewers and assist with the identification of appropriate subject experts.
All reviewers must be independent of the authors and free from relevant conflicts of interest.
Author Communication: The Guest Editor may communicate with contributors regarding the Special Issue theme, submission requirements, timelines, and general academic matters.
Formal editorial decisions should remain within the journal’s established editorial process.
Promotion: The Guest Editor may support responsible promotion of the Special Issue through professional networks, academic events, conferences, institutional channels, and relevant scholarly communities.
Editorial Contribution: Where appropriate, the Guest Editor may contribute an Editorial or introductory article explaining the purpose, scope, and significance of the Special Issue. Such contributions remain subject to the journal’s editorial requirements and approval by the Editor-in-Chief.
Guest Editor Submissions and Conflicts of Interest
Guest Editors may submit manuscripts to the Special Issue, provided that the submission is relevant to the approved theme and meets the journal’s standard requirements.
To maintain editorial independence:
- The Guest Editor must disclose their role as Guest Editor when submitting a manuscript.
- The Guest Editor must not manage, review, recommend reviewers for, or participate in the editorial decision concerning their own manuscript.
- The manuscript will be assigned to the Editor-in-Chief or another authorised editor who has no relevant conflict of interest.
- The manuscript will undergo the same initial quality assessment, similarity screening, peer-review process, and editorial evaluation as other submissions.
- Reviewer selection and the final editorial decision must be independent of the Guest Editor.
- Guest Editor manuscripts will not receive preferential treatment or guaranteed acceptance.
- The Guest Editor’s manuscript will be accepted only if it satisfies the journal’s normal editorial, ethical, methodological, and peer-review requirements.
The same principles apply where a Guest Editor has a close personal, professional, institutional, financial, or collaborative relationship with an author or submission.
Peer Review and Editorial Governance
All manuscripts submitted to a Special Issue must follow the journal’s established editorial and peer-review procedures.
No Guaranteed Acceptance: Participation in a Special Issue, invitation by a Guest Editor, or submission following a Call for Papers does not guarantee acceptance or publication.
Independent Editorial Decisions: Guest Editors may provide academic recommendations regarding manuscripts within the Special Issue. However, final editorial decisions remain with the Editor-in-Chief or an authorised editor, in accordance with the journal’s editorial policies.
Peer-Review Standards: Manuscripts must undergo the journal’s applicable peer-review process. Reviewers are expected to provide objective, constructive, and confidential assessments.
Conflicts of Interest: Authors, Guest Editors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any potential conflict of interest that could influence the editorial or peer-review process.
Individuals with a relevant conflict of interest must not participate in the corresponding editorial decision.
Editorial Standards: All manuscripts must comply with the journal’s requirements concerning:
- Research integrity
- Originality and plagiarism
- Appropriate authorship
- Ethical approval, where applicable
- Data transparency and availability, where applicable
- Declaration of conflicts of interest
- Funding disclosure
- AI-assisted content and disclosure requirements
- Appropriate citation and referencing
- Relevant reporting guidelines
Submission Process
All manuscripts must be submitted through the journal’s official Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform unless otherwise instructed by the Editorial Office.
Authors should:
- Prepare the manuscript according to the journal’s Author Guidelines.
- Submit the manuscript through OJS.
- Clearly identify the relevant Special Issue in the submission or cover letter.
- Provide all required declarations and supporting information.
- Complete any required revisions within the specified timeframe.
The submission will then proceed through the journal’s standard editorial workflow.
Editorial and Production Process
Manuscripts submitted to a Special Issue will normally proceed through the following stages:
Submission → Initial Quality Check → Editorial Screening → Peer Review → Revision → Final Editorial Decision → Production → Publication
The journal may conduct similarity and AI-related screening where appropriate as part of its standard editorial quality-control procedures.
Meeting the basic submission requirements does not guarantee progression to peer review or acceptance.
Continuous Publication
PDP may use a continuous publication model for Special Issues.
Once a manuscript has successfully completed peer review, revision, final editorial approval, and production, it may be published individually without waiting for all manuscripts in the Special Issue to be completed.
Published articles will subsequently be associated with the relevant Special Issue collection or webpage.
This approach allows accepted research to become available to readers without unnecessary publication delays.
Ethical and Editorial Responsibilities
Guest Editors and contributors are expected to maintain high standards of academic and publication ethics throughout the Special Issue.
Guest Editors must:
- Maintain confidentiality of submitted manuscripts.
- Avoid conflicts of interest.
- Support fair and transparent peer review.
- Avoid preferential treatment of invited authors.
- Ensure that editorial recommendations are based on academic merit.
- Not interfere with independent editorial decisions.
- Report suspected ethical or research-integrity concerns to the journal.
The journal may investigate concerns relating to plagiarism, duplicate publication, fabricated or manipulated data, authorship disputes, undisclosed conflicts of interest, inappropriate citation practices, or other forms of research or publication misconduct.
International and Academic Diversity
Where appropriate, Guest Editors are encouraged to seek contributions from researchers representing different institutions, regions, and academic backgrounds.
Special Issues should aim to provide a broad and meaningful scholarly contribution rather than functioning solely as a collection of manuscripts from a single research group, institution, or closely connected network.
Geographical diversity is encouraged but does not override the requirement for academic relevance, research quality, and suitability for the Special Issue.
Changes to the Special Issue
PDP reserves the right, in consultation with the Editor-in-Chief and Guest Editor, to:
- Modify the scope or title of a Special Issue where necessary.
- Extend or adjust submission deadlines.
- Change the expected number of articles.
- Decline manuscripts that do not meet editorial requirements.
- Postpone publication where necessary.
- Merge a Special Issue with another relevant collection.
- Discontinue a Special Issue where sufficient suitable manuscripts are not received or where ethical, editorial, or quality concerns arise.
Any such decision will be made with consideration of authors, reviewers, Guest Editors, and the overall integrity of the journal.
Final Editorial Authority
The Editor-in-Chief retains final editorial authority over all manuscripts and Special Issues.
The Guest Editor’s role is to provide subject-specific academic support and help develop the Special Issue. It does not replace the journal’s established editorial governance or transfer final publication authority to the Guest Editor.
All manuscripts remain subject to the journal’s standard policies, ethical requirements, peer-review procedures, and publication standards.
Contact
Researchers interested in proposing a Special Issue should contact the Editorial Office with their proposal and relevant academic details.
Email: info@pdpublishers.com
PDP welcomes proposals that contribute meaningful, rigorous, and timely scholarship to the journal’s field of research.