Guest Editor Policy & Special Column Solicitation Guidelines of Anhui Medical Journal

To attract high-quality manuscripts and enhance the academic standing of the journal, Anhui Medical Journal launches the guest editor program. Guest editors will be selected via invitation, recommendation or self-application. They are responsible for topic planning, targeted manuscript solicitation, and organizing special columns focusing on hot-button clinical issues.

This policy outlines the framework, roles, and responsibilities governing the Guest Editor program to ensure a transparent, collaborative, and successful publication process.

I. Basic Principles

Guest editors lead the solicitation of manuscripts for special columns, with coordination and supervision from the journal’s editorial office.

II. Guest Editor Eligibility

1.      Professional Standing: Must hold a Senior Professional Title, employed at a provincial Grade A Tertiary Hospital.

2.      Academic Track Record: A strong publication record of influential research in their field.

3.      Vision and Initiative: A clear vision for a Special Issue Topic, a strong professional network, and a commitment to advancing the mission of Anhui Medical Journal.

III. Rights and Opportunities

1.      Team Building: You may recommend or invite 1–3 fellow experts to form a guest editorial team for topic discussion, manuscript solicitation and cross-party communication. Other team members shall hold Associate Senior Professional Titles or doctoral degrees. It is recommended to build a diverse team of renowned senior scholars, young and middle-aged scholars, and experts from different institutions and regions.

2.      Professional Recognition: Profiles of the guest editorial team will be published in Anhui Medical Journal and promoted through multiple official channels.

IV. Core Responsibilities

1.      Recommend or invite leading researchers in the field to contribute manuscripts to the Special Issue.

2.      Conduct preliminary screening of all submitted manuscripts and decide whether to submit qualified drafts to the editorial office.

3.      Write an editorial preface to briefly introduce the original intention and academic significance of the selected column theme.

V. Solicitation Procedures for Special Issue

1.      Fill out the Brief Information Form for Special Issue of Anhui Medical Journal.

2.      The Editorial Department will conduct preliminary review by the managing editor, internal editorial discussion, expert review by the Editorial Board, and issue a formal letter of invitation upon approval.

VI. Content Requirements

1.      Theme: The Special Issue shall center on a single, well-defined topic of high interest and relevance to the clinical community.

2.      Volume: 3 to 5 articles per issue, including at least one expert commentary drafted by a distinguished expert to guide the whole issue.

3.      Funding: Manuscripts are highly encouraged to be supported by provincial-level or national-level research grants.

4.      Diversity: No more than 2 manuscripts may come from the guest editor’s affiliated institution; contributions shall be distributed across multiple hospitals, ideally including 1–2 papers from external provincial Grade A Tertiary Hospitals or universities.

5.      Peer Review: All submissions to a Special Issue will undergo the journal’s standard, rigorous double-blind peer review process. The final decision on each manuscripts (acceptance or rejection) rests with the journal.

6.      Fees & Remuneration: No submission fees or Article Processing Charges (APCs) will be collected for manuscripts published in a Special Issue. An honorarium will be provided for published articles. A separate allowance will be provided to the guest editors to support their commissioning efforts. (Specific rates will be detailed in the formal agreement).

Editorial Office of Anhui Medical Journal

 Special Issue Proposal Form for Anhui Medical Journal

Notes

1.      Themes must be novel and address a key topic of current clinical interest. Proposals on overly   broad or non-innovative topics may be considered for regular submission instead. 

2.      Team members shall hold an associate senior professional title or a doctoral degree. A diverse team is encouraged.

3.      Guest Editors are expected to perform an initial quality check on all commissioned manuscripts before submitting them to the journal.