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By taking the lead on an IOP Publishing Focus Collection, you have a unique opportunity to shape the conversation in your area of research. It provides you with a chance to elevate your professional profile, expand your network and contribute meaningfully to the academic community.

As a Guest Editor, you will…

Influence research direction and promote emerging areas in your field

You will curate high-quality, relevant research that addresses key topics in your area. This is your chance to shape the conversation within your community.

Enhance your visibility

Editing an IOP Publishing Focus Collection positions you as a leader in your field. It associates your name with a specific research theme and enhances the visibility of your own work, helping you reach a wider audience.

Gain hands-on experience in academic publishing

You will collaborate with experienced editorial teams and gain valuable insight into the publishing process — from peer review to final publication. As we handle the full peer review process, the experience is both manageable and rewarding. Additionally, we often consider past Guest Editors for positions available on our Editorial Boards.

Expand your global network

Connect with a diverse, international community of researchers. As a Guest Editor, you will build meaningful relationships that can lead to future collaborations and new research opportunities.

Additionally, Guest Editors are recognised on the focus collection webpage and upon completion of a successful focus collection, guest editors are given a certificate.

How do we choose Guest Editors?

We select Guest Editors based on their positions as leaders and/or up-and-coming researchers in a field, and demonstration of upholding research integrity standards in their research activities. Additionally, we often ask the Editor-in-Chief and Editorial board for their recommendations.

If you’re considering proposing a Focus Collection, we recommend reaching out to the relevant journal’s editorial team via the journals email inbox to discuss your idea further.

What is the role of a Guest Editor on an IOP Publishing Collection?

Launching a Focus Collection

Focus Collections typically involve 2—6 Guest Editors, although this may vary depending on the scope. Guest Editors are appointed, subject to passing internal checks, by the journal Publisher and Editorial board; with the lead Guest Editor usually consulted for their suggestions.

We will support you to ensure diversity in geography and gender to reflect the global research community, and on advising authors on aligning with our ethical policies. Editorial Board members may also serve as Guest Editors.

All named Guest Editors are expected to actively contribute to the development of the Focus Collection.

We expect all Guest Editors to confirm that they comply with our data protection policy, only use data provided for necessary purposes and will store data securely. Guest Editors must also confirm they have no conflicts of interest.

Setting up the Focus Collection

As we handle the full peer-review process, we do not demand as much of a time commitment as other publishers, but Guest Editors will be responsible for:

• Defining the title and scope of the Focus Collection
• Setting a submission deadline in agreement with the Publisher
• Compiling a list of potential contributors to invite to submit to the collection.

They may also provide a high-quality image for the collection’s webpage (ensuring all necessary permissions are obtained).

All Focus Collection proposals are reviewed by the Publisher and, occasionally, the Editor-in-Chief. Once the scope is approved, a dedicated webpage will be created on the journal website, and the Focus Collection will open for submissions via our submission platform.

Inviting authors

As Guest Editor, you will identify and invite authors working in the relevant field. Please provide us with their full name, email address and institution for suitability review and discussion. This information will be stored in accordance with our data protection policies. Guest Editors must keep us informed about who they are inviting and share any responses received from authors.

We encourage Guest Editors to:

• Ensure that the list of invited authors reflects geographical diversity and gender balance wherever possible.
• Send the initial invitations to authors. We will follow up with reminders to those who have not responded. Authors are usually given approximately 6 months from the date of invitation to submit their article, with extensions available upon request.
• Help publicize the collection more broadly and encourage open call contributions from relevant research communities (note that occasionally, Focus Collections will be by invitation only. This will be clearly defined in the scope). Guest Editors are welcome to promote the Focus Collection on their social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Bluesky, WeChat or on networking sites such as ResearchGate.

Guest Editors are welcome to contribute to the collection, subject to conditions and limitations. The Publisher will support and advise.

Peer review

All submissions to Focus Collections undergo the same rigorous peer review process as those in our regular issues. This process is overseen and administered by our in-house journal editorial team to ensure the highest standards of quality and integrity. The journal reserves the right to reject submissions, including invited submissions, that do not comply with the journal’s policies and IOP Publishing ethical policies.

Guest Editors may be approached for advice in certain cases, such as:

• Conflicting information in reports from two reviewers
• Unclear match to the scope of the collection, requiring a preliminary report.
• Difficulty securing two independent referee reports.

You can also read our detailed reviewer guidelines.

Closing the Focus Collection

Articles are published online upon acceptance and added to the collection webpage.

The Focus Collection will be closed after the deadline, provided we are not waiting for more expected submissions. If necessary, the deadline may be extended in consultation with the Publisher. Please note that we reserve the right to close the collection to new submissions before the stated deadline. In such cases, we will notify you in writing.

Once the Focus Collection is ready to be closed, Guest Editors may be invited to write a short Editorial article summarizing the contributions to the collection.

FAQs for Guest Editors

Are Guest Editors expected to conduct peer review?
Guest Editors do not have any primary reviewing responsibilities. When contributions are submitted and reviewed, Guest Editors may be approached for advice in certain cases, such as:

• Conflicting information in reports from two reviewers
• Provide a preliminary report detailing whether a contribution fits the scope of the Collection
• Difficulty securing two independent referee reports.

Can Guest Editors co-author contributions to Focus Collections?
Yes, Guest Editors are both welcome and encouraged to contribute to Focus Collections. However, to maintain ethical standards, we would advise that no more than 20% of the overall number of published articles in the Focus Collection can be authored by any of the Guest Editors. This is to avoid cases where the majority of a Focus Collection is made up of publications from the Guest Editor.

By agreeing to become a Guest Editor, you will be taken as having agreed to our terms of engagement and Data Protection policy. Please review these documents to ensure your role and responsibilities.

What is an IOP Publishing Focus Collection?

A Focus Collection is a curated set of articles centred around a specific theme that could be associated by topic, field, geography, institution, conference or event. These collections are led by Guest Editors — leaders or up-and-coming researchers in their field — and designed to spotlight high-quality research and foster meaningful discussion within the scientific community. These collections can also span multiple IOP Publishing journals where they are relevant to the editorial theme. Our Focus Collections fully adhere to industry best practice guidelines, including those set by COPE and DOAJ, ensuring that the research published in them meets the highest standards of scientific and ethical integrity.

Visit our Focus Collections page to view all collections currently open for submissions.

Why publish in a Focus Collection?

When you contribute your work to a Focus Collection, you can:

• Increase the visibility of your research: When you submit to a Focus Collection, your article is published upon acceptance in a regular issue of the journal. It will then be labelled with the Focus Collection tag and featured on a dedicated webpage alongside other papers in the collection, making it easier for readers to discover your work. On average, Focus Collection papers are 78% more likely to be downloaded within the first 60 days compared to standard issue articles, and receive 55% more citations.
• Join a community of experts: Focus Collections align with the aims and scope of the journal and are organized by Guest Editors who are specialists in their field, ensuring your work is part of a high-impact, relevant conversation. These collections also offer a valuable opportunity to connect and collaborate with other researchers. Guest Editors may be members of the journal’s Editorial Board, or they may be members of the journal’s community.
• Be featured among trusted research: Our Focus Collections undergo the same rigorous peer review and research integrity checks as regular articles, overseen by our internal editorial teams. With compliance to COPE and DOAJ industry standards, you can trust that your work is published in a collection committed to research integrity and excellence.
• Work with a publisher that puts purpose above profit: We are a leading society publisher of advanced physics research and any profits generated are invested back into science. We promise that by publishing your work with us, it will benefit the scientific community, not shareholders. Find out more about our Purpose-Led Publishing initiative here.

Whether you’re contributing to a themed issue or responding to a call for papers, publishing in a Focus Collection is a great way to amplify your research and connect with peers in your field.

Why become a Guest Editor? Focus Collections FAQ

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Sunny Vagnozzi is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Trento. His article, “Horizon-scale tests of gravity theories and fundamental physics from the Event Horizon Telescope image of Sagittarius A*”, was published under the transformative agreement with the CRUI consortium in Italy. 

What inspired you to choose open access (OA) for your latest research?
The fact that OA would allow my article to be disseminated more rapidly and efficiently. The transformative agreement (TA) was essential, as without it I wouldn’t have been able to cover the OA funds, since at the time I did not have a grant to cover for this. 

Can you describe any noticeable impact your OA publication has had such as increased visibility, citations, or engagement with your work? 
I would have said that the huge number of citations received by my work is certainly at least in part a result of OA. 

How did the process of publishing through the TA compare to your previous publishing experiences? 
I wouldn’t say the publication process in itself was different. It was very streamlined, at some point I received an email saying that the TA covering had been approved, and that the organization covering the OA fees through the TA would receive the invoice directly. I didn’t have to do anything else, so it was all rather simple for me. 

Can you share a moment when you realised the value of making your research freely available to access around the world? 
I realize it every day, when I see the huge impact my paper has, and the diversity of researchers around the world who are citing it. 

What would you say to other researchers considering publishing OA through a TA?
Definitely go for it! 

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Yahya Choonara is a professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences in the Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology at the University of Witwatersrand, South Africa, and the Chair and Head of the Wits Advanced Drug Delivery Platform (WADDP) Research Unit. His article Tannic acid-loaded chitosan-RGD-alginate scaffolds for wound healing and skin regeneration was published under the transformative agreement with the South African National Library and Information Consortium (SANLiC).

What inspired you to choose open access (OA) for your latest research, and how did the transformative agreement support that decision? 

OA was selected as it offers increased visibility and impact of the research undertaken by my team. Typically we receive higher downloads and citations compared to non-OA articles. Also with OA we retain our copyright, allowing others to build upon our work. In addition, transformative agreements are supportive and cover APCs including gold OA publishing, making our articles freely and permanently accessible to everyone immediately after publication. 

Can you describe any noticeable impact your OA publication has had, such as increased visibility, citations, or engagement with your work? 

We have experienced increased citations, a broader audience reach where our work is also accessed by researchers, policymakers, and practitioners leading to diverse engagement and collaborations. Ultimately this leads to greater societal impact of our work that could inform policy decisions, and further drive innovation. 

Can you share a moment when you realised the value of making your research freely available to access around the world? 

There has been several moments when unexpected emails from people around the world who have been impacted by our work read on an OA platform. This includes policymakers who have cited our research and members of the public expressing gratitude for how the research can impact their life. It underscores the importance of OA in maximizing research impact and reach. 

What would you say to other researchers considering publishing OA through a TA? 

Take advantage of the opportunity to maximize your research impact. Important to check your eligibility for OA via your institution and understand the terms of costs, copyright retention, and licensing. It is also critical to validate the publisher offering OA and not get entangled with predatory journals or publishers. 

Editorial Board Members share their top tips for Early Career Researchers looking to progress in the world of academic publishing. 

We listen to what Dr Christopher Chini (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory), Editorial Board Member of Environmental Research: Infrastructure and Sustainability, has to say in the video below:

What advice would you give to an early career researcher? 

Dr Edgar Virguez (Duke university), Executive Editor of Environmental Research: Energy gives his insight on visibility, overcoming barriers and understanding the publishing process. Read more below:

“My advice for early career researchers who are interested in increasing their engagement in publications in the journal is: first, try to understand that this is a very big field and that it has different components. There is not one silver bullet or one way of doing things.
You can be engaged by being a reviewer, as somebody working directly with the journal, submitting manuscripts, judging manuscripts. Or engage in the different type of activities, for example at conferences, at visiting institutions, or even on the webpage.
So, my advice is to lose the fear that you have of engaging.
You can e-mail members of the editorial staff, you can e-mail members of editorial board, you can try to engage with people who have published in the journal and try to ask them for advice on how to navigate processes. 

The second, of course, is you’ll never learn how to do something completely, until you do it. So try to actually get away from the barriers that are preventing you, and try to engage in the process as early as you can in your career, of course with the advice of mentors. 

Try to understand how the process works. Once you have had that manuscript and it’s been reviewed, you’ll understand how the process works, the timings and the best practises. Sometimes you’ll get very good reviews, and sometimes reviews are not very comprehensive, so you’ll learn throughout this process. 

Basically, learn by doing, and try to understand that you won’t get better unless you do this often and repeatedly.  

And if you’re planning for a career in academia, know that publishing is part of our language, part of what we do in in our careers. You get better and better at this stage, and you don’t have to be a master to start, you can be an amateur and will learn, and start to understand the process.” 

Curious about how to get started with publishing? We asked our Editorial Board Members to share their best advice for Early Career Researchers. 

Hear what Dr Michael Craig, (University of Michigan), Editorial Board Member of Environmental Research: Energy, has to say in the video below:

To assist Early Career Researchers, we asked Editorial Board Members what advice they would give to navigate the early stages of academic publishing. 

Read what Professor Jianping Li, (Ocean University of China) Editorial Board Member of Environmental Research: Letters, what advice he had for Early Career Researchers: 

“Firstly, choose a clear research direction that you are interested in. I think this is very important for a professional career.
Secondly, find a supportive network. Find senior scientists who can provide guidance to help you develop.
Third, is to publish earlier and often. You should learn how to write for publication. And aim for the quality and the impact.
The fourth, stay resilient and embrace failure. Success requires persistence and adaptation. So, I think those suggestions may be helpful to early career researchers.”

Dr Rebecca Peer, (University of Canterbury, New Zealand), Executive Editorial Board Member of Environmental Research: Energy, shares her advice for Early Career Researchers.

Find out what she has to say in the video below:

We asked our Editorial Board Members what tips they have for Early Career Researchers.

Read what Dr Scott Goetz, (Northern Arizona University), Editor-in-Chief of Environmental Research Ecology, has to say:

“My advice is that Early Career Researchers should consider reviewing articles for the journal. It’s a great way to learn, not just by reading the work but seeing the formulative stages. You’ll learn what is important and maybe identify if there is something missing. Peer reviewing is a great way to learn, and it can help to advance your career.”