Guidelines to Coordinate Theme Issues

Investigación en la Escuela theme issues include seven articles dedicated to a given topic. All articles must be the result of research, both empirical and documental (this includes bibliographic reviews) and follow the journal’s editorial line: teacher training, teaching with school materials, educational innovation… Priority will be given to international articles of relevance.

Two authors, who are experts in a given topic, will coordinate the theme issue. They are committed to undertaking four tasks, as listed below:

a) Guarantee that there are a sufficient number of quality articles to make up a theme issue.

b) Follow-up and assess the articles sent in for the theme issue.

c) Advise the editors regarding the articles to be included in the theme issue.

d) Provide a presentation for the theme issue.

A) Guarantee that there is a Sufficient Number of Quality Articles to Makeup an Issue.

The coordinators are responsible for drafting and announcing the Call for Papers, using their own professional networks, in keeping with the format established by the journal. Likewise, the Investigación en la Escuela management is also committed to providing maximum circulation using the journal’s own means.

In addition to the above, the coordinators are encouraged to invite and request the participation of those authors who they consider relevant within the field of the subject matter being considered.   

The fact that an article is accepted for evaluation does not imply a commitment on behalf of the journal to publish it.

B) Follow-Up and Evaluate the Articles Submitted for the Theme Issue.

All communication with authors shall be undertaken using the journal’s OJS platform (https://revistascientificas.us.es/index.php/IE). The work flow for each article is 4-phased: Submission, Review, Editorial and Production.

In the case of phase 1—Submission—it is the main and assistant editors who are responsible for reviewing all texts, based on adequate journal format and rules, in addition to the subject matter and anti-plagiary verification. Upon surpassing this initial review, the text moves on to the Review phase, in which case it is forwarded to the theme coordinators.

Phase 2, Review, is undertaken by the theme coordinators. In this case, the article is anonymized while the coordinators select reviewers, either from the journal’s database of reviews or reviewers proposed for each article (preferable not the authors of other articles sent in for that same issue), and who are experts in that specific research topic. The journal platform is the sole means of communication between authors and reviewers. In the case of reviewers, the response deadline is one month as of the submission date of the request for review; it is the responsibility of the coordinators to meet all deadlines. Once the reviewers have forwarded their assessment (as per the form inserted in the journal platform), the coordinators, using the platform section Solicitar revisiones (Request Review) will send the review to the authors, together with the Documento de notificación de cambios (Notification of Changes), as established by the journal. When there are discrepancies between the reviews, it is the coordinators who decide to reject or accept an article with the corresponding modifications.  Only in cases of major discrepancies will a third review be requested. It is the responsibility of the coordinators to verify the changes made by the authors, with this being a 15-day process. The coordinators shall not accept an article for publication without the approval of the journal’s main Editor.

Once assessed by the journal management and theme coordinators, articles to be included will then move on to “Submission Accepted,” with which the authors will be informed. This process is completed by the coordinators while the final version is accepted to continue on to the next phase.  

Journal managers are responsible for the third and final phase, Editorial and Production. They proceed with the layout, mock-up and actual production of all articles to be included in the theme issue.

Check the link below for a diagram of the entire editorial process. In this case, the coordinators work as section editors: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yoMtPidV-yTMDlBCfhqbLIRO2E0biU14/view

The link below provides you with a downloadable version about how to use the platform-based review process: https://institucional.us.es/revistas/ojs3/Editor_envio_evaluacion.pdf

Click on the link below for a more complete platform instruction manual that includes all of the editor’s functions: https://institucional.us.es/revistas/ojs3/Editor_OJS.pdf

The OJS guide for reviewers may be found here: enlace: https://institucional.us.es/revistas/ojs3/Revisor_OJS.pdf

C) Advise the Editors Regarding those Articles that Will Make Up the Theme Issue.

Once the deadline for the theme issue has been reached, the coordinators meet with journal editors to decide which articles will finally be included and their order. All articles presented for a theme issue with a positive review within the established timeframe, but that are not included, whatever the reason may be, will be proposed for the miscellaneous section of future issues.  In any case, authors will be granted the opportunity to withdraw their articles.

D) Presentation for the Theme Issue.

The coordinators, or other parties who are experts in a given field and asked to collaborate, will draft a theme presentation. Said presentation, with no more than two pages, will underscore the subject potential and essential lines of research. Likewise, it may also refer to the articles included in the issue.