Research Topic Policy

Research Topics are focused collections of papers that cover specific subjects or areas of interest and are often multidisciplinary in nature. These topics typically focus on one journal or span journals and are guided by an overarching theme or research question, which helps define the research project's objective and scope. A team of scholars with diverse backgrounds curates and leads each Research Topic, ensuring that all facets of the topic are covered. Additionally, authors are welcome to submit manuscripts in any relevant Research Topic.

Peer-review of Research Topic

All papers submitted to TSP, including those related to Research Topics, will undergo the same rigorous peer-review process and follow the same protocols as regularly submitted papers. We hold ourselves to the highest academic integrity and quality standards and are committed to maintaining these standards throughout the peer-review process.

The detailed TSP's Peer-review Policy is here.

Research Topic Editor

The Research Topic Editor is responsible for establishing the Research Topic, which includes preparing the title, aim and scope, summary, and keywords. Additionally, the Research Topic Editor will work with TSP's Research Topic Team, a network of experts from different fields, to develop new ideas and initiate unique collaborations that would otherwise not be possible. The Research Topic Editor is also responsible for pre-screening submissions, supervising the peer-review process, making initial decisions on new submissions related to the Research topic, and promoting the topic at conferences, on social media, and other relevant platforms.

Conflicts of Interest

To maintain the impartiality and integrity of the peer-review process, all parties involved must disclose any potential conflicts of interest. This includes those involved in the assessment, review, and decision-making process. If an editor has a conflict of interest, they should recuse themselves from the process, and a substitute editor will be appointed if necessary. Moreover, any potential editorial conflicts of interest should be disclosed in writing to the publisher before an editor's appointment and updated whenever new conflicts arise.

Open Access 

The papers in Research Topics will be published in an open-access format, allowing articles to be freely accessible to all readers. However, authors will be required to pay the journal's standard article processing charge to cover the cost of publication.