Information For Guest Editors
Rules for submitting proposals for special issues for Laboratorium: Russian Review of Social Research
To submit a proposal for publishing a special issue, the prospective guest editor must submit to the editors an abstract that contains the title of the proposed issue, names and affiliations of the guest editor(s), a brief overview of the theme, the conceptual approach envisioned, a preliminary list of articles (if you already have an agreement with the authors), and a projected timeline. A brief CV (no longer than 4 pages) for each of the proposed guest editors must accompany the abstract.
The abstract serves to clarify the thematic parameters of the envisioned issue, and serves to state the central theme and conceptual approach that will guide the special issue. What we mean by “conceptual approach” is a clear definition of the analytical and methodological framing that unify the articles in the issue, as well as the theoretical debate to which the special issue will contribute.
Laboratorium welcomes ideas involving the development of qualitative methodologies, including discussions of the newest methods of studying social reality. We are also interested in a broad range of applications of qualitative methods for the purpose of understanding transformations in post-soviet spaces.
The proposal must indicate whether the editors plan to search for others through a call for papers distributed across Russian and international academic networks, or whether the authors will be directly invited by the guest editor. In case of the latter, the proposal must include the list of authors who have indicated preliminary interest about participating in the special issue for Laboratorium. This list can be adjusted as necessary over the course of work on the special issue.
The following dates and deadlines must be indicated in the abstract:
- The date for the final CFP (?) for the special issue
- Deadline for abstract missions (if the editors envision selecting authors based on abstract submissions)
- Deadline for submission of articles for publication
- Expected date of publication of the issue (see below “timelines for special issues”)
The journal accepts for publication texts in the following categories: research articles, essays, thematic reviews, and field notes in Russian or English. Submission guidelines are available in detail on our website. The core of the special issue must consist of no fewer than four articles, which can be augmented by texts from the other aforementioned categories.
The length of the abstract is 400 words maximum, not including the list of potential authors.
Protocol for work on the special issue with a guest editor
After the abstract is submitted, it is reviewed by the journal’s editors. If it is accepted, one of the editors is assigned to be the “lead editor” on the issue. They will work with the gust editor on preparing the issue, ensure that the texts are in compliance with the formatting required by the journal, and serve as liaisons between the guest editors and the editorial collective. When the special issue is published, the name of this lead editor is listed accordingly on the first page of the journal. The name or names of the guest editor(s) appear on the journal cover. In certain circumstances, the lead editor can also serve as a co-editor along with the guest editor. In those cases, both names are featured on the cover. The protocol for the collaboration between the guest editor and the lead editor and the editorial collective is described in detail in the relevant section of instructions.
Timelines for work on a special issue
After the proposal is submitted, the editors will review it and issue a decision in one month at the most.
The duration of work on the special issue can vary, depending on the specific circumstances and work pace of the guest editors and the publication plans established by the editorial collective.
We aim to publish special issues within 12-14 months from the initial proposal submission.
Contact: Oksana Parfenova, Managing Editor, Laboratorium, laboratorium@soclabo.org