Proposals for Special Issues

Proposal Guidelines for Editors of Special Issues of Global Antiquities

The Editorial Board of Global Antiquities welcomes proposals for guest-edited special issues bringing together articles on a single subject. These guidelines are intended to assist potential guest-editors in preparing successful proposals.

1. Basic information

  • Title of proposed issue
  • Editor name(s), title(s), affiliation(s), email address(es), and ORCID number(s)
  • Editor bio(s) (150-200 words each)

2. Rationale

  • Provide a description of the proposed issue’s scope and aims: 
    • What is the issue about?
    • What are its objectives?
    • What sources and methods do the papers employ?
    • What key themes and ideas tie the collection together?
    • How are the chapters structured and integrated?
    • What are you doing differently from existing literature?
  • Include a statement on the issue’s interdisciplinary engagement:
    • If the papers are all by Classical scholars (including Classicists, Ancient Historians, Archaeologists, etc.), describe how they invoke and advance concepts, theories, and fields beyond antiquity.
    • If the papers are by a mix of scholars of the ancient and modern worlds, describe how they correlate and interconnect. 
    • What do the papers contribute to conversations about global issues?

[It is expected, though not always required, that the guest-editor(s) will contribute a substantive critical introduction to the issue addressing these issues and introducing the individual papers.]

3. Contents

If the proposal is to publish select papers from a conference or panel, include:

  • Annotated table of Contents with paper titles and authors’ names, affiliations, and ORCID numbers
  • Individual paper abstracts (250-300 words each) with 5-6 keywords each
  •  

If the proposal is to issue a general Call for Papers, include:

  • A draft of the Call for Papers
  • A statement of how and where the CFP will be promoted to generate interdisciplinary interest and attract high quality submissions globally (e.g. which distribution lists, networks or associations, conferences).
  • If applicable, include a list of scholars whom you intend to ask for a contribution.
  •  

4. Proposed timetable

5. List of potential reviewers (at least two for each paper).


Once a proposal for a guest-edited special issue has been approved by the journal’s boards, the guest editor(s) will arrange for the submission of the individual papers according to the approved timetable. Each article must be individually submitted for peer-review, though they may be submitted by the guest-editor(s) on behalf of individual authors. Accordingly, all submissions to special issues must also follow the submission guidelines for Research Articles (available here). Since the outcome of the peer-review process is final, guest-editors are expected to work with contributors to ensure the quality and rigor of the submissions.

Prospective editors should contact the Editorial Team (globalantiquities@pitt.edu) with questions or for further instructions.