Bio Integration

About Special Issues

Special Issues (SIs) are collections of papers centred around a subject of special interest within the scope of BIO Integration. They provide an opportunity to bring together high-quality research and expert perspectives on important, emerging or rapidly developing areas of biomedical research.

Special Issues are organized and led by subject experts who serve as Guest Editors for the Special Issue.

All manuscripts submitted to a Special Issue are subject to the same rigorous peer-review standards, editorial policies and ethical requirements as regular submissions to BIO Integration. Invited manuscripts are not guaranteed acceptance and are subject to the same editorial assessment and peer-review requirements as unsolicited submissions.

Role of Guest Editors

Guest Editors are responsible for overseeing the editorial and peer-review process for submissions to their Special Issue.

Their responsibilities include:

identifying suitable topics within the scope of the Special Issue;
inviting appropriate contributions;
selecting at least two suitably qualified external reviewers for each manuscript;
managing the external peer-review process; and
providing recommendations on manuscripts based on the reviewers’ reports.

For Special Issue submissions, the Guest Editor manages the external peer-review process following the journal’s initial editorial assessment. This includes selecting suitably qualified external reviewers, overseeing the review process and providing an editorial recommendation based on the reviewers’ reports. Guest Editors do not make final publication decisions.

All final publication decisions are made by the assigned Co-Editor-in-Chief in accordance with the journal’s editorial policies.

Peer Review and Editorial Process

All Special Issue submissions follow BIO Integration‘s single-blind peer-review process and are reviewed by at least two suitably qualified external experts.

All manuscripts must be submitted through the journal’s online submission system.

Following submission, the Editorial Office conducts a pre-check of the manuscript. Manuscripts that pass the pre-check undergo an initial editorial assessment by the Executive Editor.

If the manuscript is considered suitable to proceed to external peer review, the Guest Editor selects at least two suitably qualified external reviewers and manages the external peer-review process.

The external reviewers independently evaluate the manuscript and provide review reports and recommendations.

Following completion of peer review, the Guest Editor considers the reviewers’ reports and provides a recommendation to the assigned Co-Editor-in-Chief.

The assigned Co-Editor-in-Chief makes the final publication decision.

Editorial Independence

Guest Editors are expected to carry out their responsibilities objectively and independently and in accordance with BIO Integration‘s editorial and publication ethics policies.

Editorial recommendations and publication decisions must be based on the academic quality, validity, originality and relevance of the manuscript and must not be influenced by commercial, personal or other inappropriate considerations.

The assigned Co-Editor-in-Chief retains final editorial authority over all manuscripts submitted to a Special Issue.

Conflicts of Interest

Guest Editors must disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest relating to manuscripts submitted to their Special Issue.

A Guest Editor must not manage the peer-review process or provide a recommendation for any manuscript for which they have a conflict of interest, including manuscripts they have authored or co-authored.

In such cases, the manuscript will be handled independently through the journal’s standard editorial and peer-review process. The Guest Editor will have no involvement in reviewer selection, peer review, editorial recommendation or the final publication decision.

Guest Editors, authors and reviewers must comply with BIO Integration‘s Conflict of Interest Policy and all other applicable Editorial Policies.

Guest Editor Submissions

Guest Editors may submit manuscripts for consideration in their Special Issue. Such manuscripts are subject to the same editorial and peer-review standards as all other submissions.

A Guest Editor who is an author or co-author of a manuscript will have no involvement in the editorial handling of that manuscript. The manuscript will be handled independently in accordance with the journal’s standard editorial and peer-review process by an editor who has no conflict of interest.

The Guest Editor will not select reviewers, have access to confidential reviewer information, participate in the assessment of reviewer reports, provide an editorial recommendation or participate in the final publication decision.

Responsibilities of Authors

Authors submitting to a Special Issue must comply with all BIO Integration Editorial Policies and author guidelines.

Submission to a Special Issue, including submission following an invitation from a Guest Editor, does not guarantee publication. All manuscripts must satisfy the journal’s editorial requirements and, where applicable, successfully complete external peer review before they can be accepted for publication.

Appointment of Guest Editors

Guest Editors are selected on the basis of their subject expertise and suitability to oversee the proposed Special Issue and are appointed with the approval of the journal’s Co-Editors-in-Chief. Guest Editors must agree to comply with the journal’s Editorial Policies, including its policies on peer review, publication ethics and conflicts of interest.