Special Issues

1.    Introduction

This document serves as the official guide to the publishing framework and associated services offered through AIDASCO Reviews, an open-access scientific journal supported by the non-profit Association for the Improvement of Academic and Scientific Collaboration (AIDASCO). It outlines the journal’s publishing models, available publishing tracks (Regular vs. Special Issues), ethical and logistical coordination mechanisms, as well as institutional pricing tiers for tailored publishing collaborations.

The document is intended for schools, universities, educators, and institutional partners seeking to publish student-led or thematic collections, ensuring transparency, consistency, and full clarity on operational practices.

2.    Overview of Publishing Activities – AIDASCO Reviews

AIDASCO Reviews is an open-access scientific journal (ISSN and DOI indexed) committed to publishing high-quality contributions from students, early-career researchers, academic mentors, and established scholars. The journal is published by the non-profit association AIDASCO and adheres to the principles of accessibility, academic integrity, and service to the educational community. All submissions to the journal’s regular biannual issues are published free of charge. In contrast, Special Issues, finely curated in collaboration with specific institutions, programs, or thematic groups, require additional coordination and support, and are therefore subject to service fees associated with their preparation and delivery.

3.    Overview of types of issues

In general, AIDASCO Reviews maintains two main publishing tracks:

3.1.         Regular Issues (Free to Publish Charge)

  • Published twice per year
  • Open to all individual submissions from students, young researchers, educators, and established researchers
  • Reviewed by the editorial board or approved guest reviewers
  • Articles are published free of charge (no cost to authors or institutions)
  • Intended for independent or small group academic contributions

3.2.         Special Issues (Institutional or Thematic Collections)

Special Issues are curated volumes within AIDASCO Reviews that are coordinated with an institution, a thematic group, or a third-party academic initiative. These are designed to group articles around a shared origin or concept and offer unique visibility to participating contributors.

We currently identify several types of Special Issues, each tailored to different needs and publishing contexts, from institutional showcases and student-focused collections to thematic compilations involving international researchers.

a)     Institutional Special Issues

Dedicated to the academic work of students and mentors from a single school or educational institution. These may include:

  • 6 - 16 peer-reviewed articles
  • An introductory editorial from the school
  • DOI-linked certificates for each published student
  • Optional workshops or academic engagement from senior researchers

b)     Thematic / Topical Special Issues

Focused on a specific scientific topic or research trend (e.g., sustainability, machine learning in education, green chemistry), potentially involving multiple contributors from different institutions.

c)      Overflow Special Issues

Published when the number of accepted manuscripts exceeds the available space in a regular issue. These help preserve timely dissemination.

d)     Sponsored Special Issues

Commissioned by academic programs, competitions, or events seeking formal publication of selected works.

e)     Exploratory / Custom Special Issues

Flexible collections that do not fall neatly into the above categories. These may arise from unique collaborations, interdisciplinary projects, emerging scientific movements, or community-driven initiatives. This format allows us to remain responsive to novel publishing opportunities while upholding our editorial standards.

4.    Organizational and Logistical Support

While publication in AIDASCO Reviews remains free, the coordination of Special Issues, particularly those requiring project management, structured interaction with schools, formatting, mentoring, and certificate delivery, requires operational support beyond standard editorial processes.

To ensure smooth delivery and professional coordination, certain logistical and technical services are provided by an external academic support entity. This support partner is carefully selected for each Special Issue based on the nature, goals, and scope of the collaborating institution or project. The support entity operates under strict ethical guidelines; it has no influence over editorial decision-making and is not involved in peer review. Its role is strictly limited to operational facilitation and technical support.

In cases where a collaborating institution requests additional academic guidance, such as topic selection support, figure preparation, or scientific mentorship, such services may be provided transparently and with full disclosure, without compromising the independence of the editorial process. These activities are offered solely to assist contributors in developing their work and are fully optional.

When a Special Issue requires significant coordination, an institutional service fee may be applied to cover:

  • Project setup and timeline oversight
  • Submission and author tracking
  • Article preparation and formatting
  • Certificate generation and delivery
  • Liaison with school mentors or program coordinators
  • Optional workshops or academic support
  • Other optional activities

We recognize that each Special Issue is unique. That is why all aspects of coordination and support are discussed in advance and tailored through clear, open communication with the partner institution to best align with its specific needs and expectations.

5.    Models of Institutional Special Issues

The following models, presented in Table 1, illustrate possible structures for institutional special issues. Each model varies in the number of participating students and includes the option of a school editorial.

Table 1. Institutional special issue models

* Sponsoring institution gets the right to promote their sponsors free of additional charges. Please see chapter 6.

** Editorial can be written by the School Board or a similar entity

While these models represent our most common formats, AIDASCO remains fully open to discussing customized structures that best meet the goals, size, and specific interests of each collaborating institution.

We encourage potential partners to share their ideas and priorities so that together we can design a special issue format that maximizes visibility, educational value, and institutional impact.

6.    Sponsor Acknowledgment Policy

AIDASCO Reviews recognizes that local sponsors, foundations, or educational benefactors support many schools and institutions. As part of our commitment to collaboration and academic outreach, we offer all Special Issue partners the opportunity to acknowledge their sponsors within the published issue, free of additional charge.

Key points in this regard are:

  • The sponsoring institution may include brief acknowledgments of its supporters, such as foundations, companies, or individual donors.
  • These acknowledgments may appear in:
    • The editorial article,
    • A dedicated acknowledgments section of the issue,
    • Or a sponsorship note at the end of the issue (format agreed upon in advance).
  • This policy applies exclusively to Special Issues and is available across all publishing packages (Basic, Standard, Premium).
  • Sponsor mentions must be non-commercial in tone, aligning with the academic and non-profit nature of AIDASCO Reviews.
  • All acknowledgments must be pre-approved by the editorial coordination team to ensure clarity, appropriateness, and compliance with journal standards.

We view this as an important way to strengthen institutional partnerships and celebrate the broader community that supports student research and academic excellence.

7.    Pricing and Partnership Condition

The cost of organizing an institutional special issue depends on several factors, including the scope of the project, the number of participating students, the level of editorial and technical support required, and the overall size of the publication. Because these parameters can vary significantly among institutions, we do not publish fixed prices.

Instead, each collaboration is evaluated individually to ensure that the proposed model is both fair and sustainable, reflecting the specific needs and ambitions of the partnering institution.

Our goal is to establish a transparent and mutually beneficial agreement that supports the visibility of the institution and provides meaningful opportunities for its students and staff.

Institutions interested in launching an institutional special issue are kindly invited to contact the AIDASCO Editorial Office to discuss their objectives and receive a customized proposal tailored to their scope and timeline.

8.    Ethical Integrity

Upholding the highest ethical standards is central to the mission of AIDASCO Reviews. All publishing activities, whether part of regular or Special Issues, are governed by transparency, editorial independence, and fairness to contributors.

  • AIDASCO Reviews maintains full editorial independence.
  • All articles, including those in Special Issues, undergo appropriate peer or editorial review.
  • No author is ever charged for publishing in the journal.
  • Fees, where applicable, relate only to organizational and logistical services required to support institutional coordination, not to the publication itself.

9.    Summary

AIDASCO Reviews remains a free, ethical, and academically driven open-access journal. Special Issues are offered as an extension of this mission, providing institutions with a structured, high-quality publishing opportunity.

When needed, professional support services are engaged to ensure these issues are delivered successfully. Any such services are invoiced transparently and separately from the academic publishing process.

 

Important Note on Editorial Independence

Payment for institutional packages or additional services does not influence the peer-review process or the acceptance of manuscripts.

All submissions, including those in Special Issues, undergo standard peer review and editorial evaluation.

Service fees apply solely to logistical and technical coordination, not to the act of publication itself.