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FAQs for Editors

How much does it cost to publish a Special Issue in HSR?
There are no costs for editors. 

Why should I choose the opportunity for a HSR Special Issue / Forum publication?
Choosing the HSR for a publication provides a number of advantages. For one, the HSR has a large and diverse readership stemming from many different countries across the globe from various areas of the social sciences and humanities. Publishing a Special Issue or Forum is one of the best ways to ensure your work is read by a large and diverse audience. In addition, we have a relatively fast turn-around time, with most conceptualized Special Issues and Fora being published within a year or so. Furthermore, the HSR team is small and dedicated, meaning we are happy and able to guide you through any questions you may have during the publishing process.

How do I become the editor of a Special Issue?
Maybe you are organizing an existing conference and you are looking for a great opportunity to publish the results in a fast and easy way? Or you are planning on getting interesting scholars together to contribute to a hot academic topic in the form of a call for papers? In either case, if you wish to publish a Special Issue in the HSR, just contact us via email: hsr(at)gesis(dot)org. The Managing Editorial Board of HSR decides if your idea fits in with the journal’s line of research. If the decision is positive, you would need to submit:

  • a proposal which includes a short summary, 
  • a justification of the Special Issue’s importance, 
  • an explanation of why your topic is particularly interesting for the HSR,
  • a list of your co-editors and their academic background,
  • a working list of possible authors, topics, and abstracts as well as
  • a rough time schedule.

Please visit our HSR archive to become familiar with previous Special Issues.

How many authors will I need for a Special Issue or Forum?
For a HSR Special Issue you will need a collection of 8 to 15 essays contributed by different authors (includes about 170-300 pages, p.r.n. up to 360 pages).
For a HSR Forum you will need a smaller collection of 4 to 8 essays contributed by different authors (includes about 90-170 pages); alternatively an editor’s monograph or contribution can be included (includes about 90-180 pages). 

What are my responsibilities as an HSR Special Issue or Forum Editor?
As Special Issue/Forum Editor, you will be responsible for the academic quality of the complete Special Issue/Forum:

  • You will be responsible for the selection, commissioning, editing and provision of the final manuscripts to us in time. 
  • We need you to write an introductory article for the Special Issue/Forum. Please provide the introduction (or a draft) early on, that way authors can refer to it. This will enhance the coherence of the issue.  
  • All direct communication with the authors throughout the process will be processed by you. 
  • We hope you will give us regular updates on the progress of the Special Issue/Forum
  • It will be your responsibility that the authors follow our HSR guidelines (article length, reference style etc.)
  • We further expect you to ensure that the authors obtain all necessary copyright permissions and provide diagrams etc. of proper quality. 
  • We ask that the articles are written in a high level of English.

How long does the HSR publishing process take?
There is no definite answer to that question, but we try to publish as soon as possible once you have provided your final Special Issue/Forum manuscript (generally about a year). 

Do Special Issue / Forum articles need to be written in English? 
Your articles should be written in English to enhance their international visibility. 

Will I receive free copies of the Special Issue or Forum that I edit?
Yes, of course you will receive a certain number of free copies of the entire HSR (at the moment authors can receive 2 free copies; and guest editors up to 20 free copies), as well as the PDF-file of the particular article (by author) or the entire HSR Special Issue (editors) for private and academic use. 

As a Guest Editor, what can I do to promote my Special Issue / Forum?
Together with you we develop a marketing strategy especially for your issue; we also would be happy to send copies to prospective readers and critics. 

  • Email signature: Use your email signature to tell people about your article.
  • Teaching: Reading Recommendations - Add your HSR Special Issue to your students' reading lists as essential reading. 
  • Personal Website / Department Website: Link your Special Issue directly to the official HSR version. 
  • Facebook, Twitter, and co: Promote your article via these tools and link your Special Issue directly to the official HSR version. 
  • Xing, LinkedIn and co.: You can include your paper in the summary of your profile/ professional experience. 
  • Academia.edu, Researchgate, MyNetReseach and co: These sites function a little like Facebook but for the academic world. You can upload your paper on your profile, follow HSR, and you can reach out to people who work in the same area.
  • Discussion lists: Use the discussion lists you are affiliated with to post a short message introducing your new article. 
  • Blogs: Use blogs you are writing yourself or that you follow. 
  • Libraries: Is your library subscribing HSR? If not, just recommend it to them. 

How can I get HSR in my library?
If you would like to recommend that your institution subscribes to HSR, you may use the PDF below to send it to your librarian: Library Recommendation Form (Click for PDF) (616 kB) (179 kB).

For further assistance on this topic just email us via hsr(at)gesis(dot)org.