About Special Collections

What are "Special Collections"?

Each "Special Collection" is a select group of scientific contributions focusing on a central theme. Demographic Research is interested in providing space for related material to be listed together and thus be made more accessible to readers interested in a particular topic, and this is our response to that need.

All material in a Special Collection is peer-reviewed. Each submission must meet the requirements of our Scientific Review Board and be accepted for publication according to the same standards as all other journal content. There are no exceptions to this rule. In addition, material submitted to a Special Collection also needs the approval of one or more of the project editors. The project editors are responsible for defining the scope of the topic and the content of the collection. Each Special Collection project and its editor(s) are assigned or confirmed by the journal’s Editor, Nico Keilman. There may be one or more project editors for each Special Collection.

Special Collection contributions appear on the journal website in two complementary ways. Once a contribution has been accepted for publication, it is published immediately in the current volume of Demographic Research. Thus, it is available online without delay and can be announced to readers and library services. Once the final contribution to a Special Collection has been published, the project editors then issue an editorial (perhaps in the form of an introduction or a summary) for the entire collection. This editorial, which appears as a contribution of its own, describes how the project came about and outlines the focus and content of the collection. The editorial is followed immediately by a list of the specific URLs or links for all contributions in the collection so that readers can find the material easily. As a final step, the editorial and all the related contributions are then grouped together under a separate heading in the section of the journal website reserved for Special Collections. Although each contribution retains its original publication release number and is still listed in the volume in which it first appeared, this second listing enables readers to view the collection of material as a whole. In the Special Collections section it is also possible to list additional material or to provide links to related websites or publications.
As an alternative (and only on the initiative of the special editors of a Special Collection), all contributions to a Special Collection may appear simultaneously in the current volume of Demographic Research together with the editorial. In this case as well they also appear at the same time on the journal website reserved for Special Collections.

How can I submit a proposal for a Special Collection?

The typical process for a Special Collection project is as follows:

The project editor (or editors) submits a short proposal to the Editor, either in person or via our submissions desk (). The proposal should contain a description of the topic or issue and a list of possible papers and authors. Should the group of contributions be the product of a workshop or seminar, the project editor should also submit information about this event and list any sources of funding or other sponsors.

Once the Editor has approved the proposal, the project editor(s) will work together with the office support staff () to begin the review process for each of the submissions as soon as they are available. It is expected that most submissions will be subjected to the review process within a short time frame, but the actual length of the review period will vary for each submission because some reviewers will need more time than others. The project editor is responsible for maintaining contact with the office staff during the review period, for assisting in assigning external reviewers should the need arise, and for helping evaluate the review comments once they are submitted. This includes writing any editorial adjudication decisions. The project editor is also the person who will work closely with the authors to ensure that revisions and problems can be dealt with quickly. Once the reviewers have recommended the publication of a submission, the project editor must also approve the final version of the work before it can be published.

After a decision has been made on each of the submissions, the project editor must then submit an introduction, summary, or editorial for the collection. Depending on the length and content of this piece, it will itself be subject to a full peer review. This piece is also published in the current volume of the journal, either as a "reflexion" , as "research material", or as a "summary". A few days later all Special Collection material is listed for a second time, now in the section of the journal website reserved for Special Collections.

Can I also obtain a print version of my Special Collection?

Each running volume of the journal Demographic Research appears in a softbound print-on-demand (POD) version a year or two after being published online. For more information please contact the office staff. Hence, all Special Collection material is printed in the POD version of the volume (or volumes) in which it was first published. (Special Collections 1 through 3 are an exception to this, as the material of these collections was not initially assigned to a specific journal volume. A special print-on-demand book for each of these items will be available in 2007.)

If the project editors of a Special Collection would like a separate bound book of their material, this must be discussed with the journal’s Publisher. Project editors may consider using the same POD services that Demographic Research employs, and the office staff will be happy to advise project editors on this and other matters pertaining to print versions. Should the project editor decide on another outlet for a print version, the office staff of Demographic Research will supply data files for formatting and will help ensure that the reprint rights are granted for such endeavors.

As with all reprints of all journal content, we do request that a full citation to the online journal Demographic Research be given, including the full URL for each publication. We also encourage authors and editors to label the material as being open access and as having been peer-reviewed. Demographic Research will be pleased to list information about a book or bound POD version which includes reprints of original work published in our journal.