To enable our journals to address topics of high contemporary relevance to researchers Libertas regularly publishes supplements, also referred to as “special issues”.  Supplements contain a set of peer reviewed papers written by notable researchers who work in leading international institutions, and when completed are published with an editorial written by the supplement’s guest editors.

We welcome proposals from individuals who wish to publish a set of related papers.  We offer the following benefits:

• Fee discounts

• In-house project management by journal staff: reduces your administrative work-load, comprehensive guidance to authors

• Flexible deadlines

• Fast manuscript processing and publication

• High visibility: Pubmed, Scopus, Web of Science (varies by journal)

• Rigorous, expert peer review

To discuss this further please contact the CEO: or +64 9 475 3930.

Editors in Chief

Most supplement topics are identified by the relevant journal’s editor in chief based on their knowledge of their field, although some topics are also identified by the guest editors.  Upon request editors in chief may also provide advice and support to guest editors.  To maintain consistency in each journal’s editorial direction the normal editorial decision-maker—the editor in chief, deputy editor in chief, or associate editor—is responsible for editorial decisions on supplement papers after manuscript submission to the journal.  Guest editors have primary responsibility for editorial matters prior to manuscript submission.

Guest Editors

Selection of papers and drafting of the guest editorial are the responsibilities of each supplement’s four to seven guest editors.  Guest editors are responsible for the refinement and implementation of their supplement’s editorial direction; they have discretion over the refinement of its aims and scope and over selection of authors and the topics of papers.  Guest editors are admitted to the journal’s editorial board upon supplement publication and are prominently featured in the guest editorial. 

Each supplement has a lead guest editor who is recruited from amongst the editorial board, former authors, reviewers, volunteer peer reviewers, and the journal’s opted-in email list.  It is our policy to never recruit lead guest editors from other sources.  We also welcome unsolicited proposals of supplements by individuals who will then become lead guest editors.  The lead guest editor is responsible for recruitment of other secondary guest editors from amongst his or her colleagues.  The lead guest editor may also in some cases choose the topic for the supplement according to criteria set by the editor in chief in the journal’s aims and scope statement.

Guest editors may also act as peer reviewers for supplement papers where they meet our conflict of interest criteria, and may also recommend other individuals as peer reviewers on that basis.

Authors

At the time that they are approached to contribute, authors are provided a guidance document to aid them in deciding whether to participate.  Authors should take care to understand this and to obtain answers to any questions they may have before they agree to contribute a paper.  Agreement to contribute a paper is considered to be a firm commitment.  It is important for the successful completion of the project that all authors honor their commitments to contribute papers.  We emphasize to authors the importance of reading the guidance document.

Authors are identified by the guest editors from amongst their professional contacts.  The publisher does not provide lists of potential authors for the guest editors to contact.  Occasionally where requested by a guest editor we will send a small set—usually no more than 20—of individualized invitations on the guest editor’s behalf to candidates identified by the guest editor; where this is the case the guest editor will usually be cc’d into each email.  We caution guest editors against contacting candidates outside their network of professional contacts as this is both unethical and ineffective. 

Editorial Board

The editorial board is the primary source of peer reviewers for supplement papers.  Editorial board members may also be guest editors.

Project Manager

The supplements project manager is a Libertas staff member and is responsible for coordinating the work of the parties listed here and insuring that projects are operated in an efficient, professional manner throughout the entire process of production from initiation to the period following publication of the supplement when promotion occurs.  This period spans up to twelve months and requires close on-going supervision of each project.  The project manager works closely with guest editors and authors.

Potential contributors should discuss their contribution with the individual who approached them in the first instance.  Both authors and guest editors are provided with a document containing guidance on their contribution.  This document contains answers to most frequently asked questions and must be read by all contributors without exception.  Under no circumstances should contributors assume that this supplement will be produced in exactly the same way as those of other publishers.

Editorial decisions prior to paper submission are the responsibility of the supplement's guest editors.  Normal editorial decision-making following submission of papers are the responsibility of the journal's normal editorial decision-maker (the editor in chief or associate editor) in order to maintain consistency in editorial decision-making across all papers received by the journal.

Papers accepted for publication in a supplement are subject to a discounted article processing fee.  Guest editors also have discretionary fee waivers available to assign to their own or another author's paper.  All authors are made aware of the discounted article processing fee prior to submission at the time that they are invited to contribute a paper, in the aforementioned author guidance document, and in the reminder emails sent prior to the submission deadline.  It is neither our intention nor in our interest to conceal this important information, and is one of the reasons for the emphasis we place on guest editors and authors reading documentation provided with care.