SPECIAL SECTIONS

PEER-REVIEWED

curated collections of 3–5 concise, original research articles, each 3000–5000 and an introduction by the guest editor(s)/editorial collectives of no more than 1000 words
must include plan for online supplement

Special Sections are proposed by a guest editor (or editorial team/collective) and consist of an introduction that frames the special section along with shorter, more concise sets of 3–5 essays (each essay is approximately 3000–5000 words (including notes and bibliography). Special sections are encouraged to be inclusive and represent a range of voices, experiences, and arguments.

Submission Portal
Please submit all materials through ScholarOne. It is important to note that all revisions, re-submissions, and communication with authors about their manuscript are facilitated through ScholarOne. Authors are encouraged to check spam/junk folders for filtered emails from Wiley, ScholarOne, and the editors.

Required Components for Special Sections
All Special Section submissions must include:

• Title Page. This document is not for peer-review and should include the following:

Editor Information Include the name, affiliation, and email of the guest editor. In the case of multiple editors, be sure to identify who the corresponding editor will be.
Special Section Title We encourage editors to include important keywords (ideally within the first 65 characters) and to keep titles short to enhance their discoverability. For tips, consult Wiley Author Services.
Short Title (4–5 words) This will be used as the running header.
Abstract (<100 words) Describe essential findings and keywords in the first two sentences. Avoid parenthetical citations in your abstract. 
Keywords (5 words). These are critical terms that summarize highlights, themes, and content from the special section. We encourage editors to repeat important keywords in the title, abstract, and article headings.
Editor Bio(s) (<50 words) If including current institutional affiliation, education, positions held, and/or relevant publication for each editor, please describe in narrative form rather than parenthetical.

• Special Section Proposal. (1000 words, including notes and bibliography, follow VAR Style Guide) Upload this as the “Main Document” in ScholarOne. The proposal needs to clearly articulate what the thematic focus of the special section is, why it matters to visual anthropology, and any relevant information about what brought these authors together (e.g.,  a call for contributors, a workshop, a conference, funding source, a working group, a creative collective, etc.). It is advised that manuscripts that will be proposed in the Special Section are already under preparation and nearing completion. This will ensure the special section editor can be as accurate as possible regarding content and scope of the special section. They also should list the 3–5 proposed manuscripts/contributions, including the author(s) names, institutional affiliations, working titles, and estimated word length within the 3000–5000 word range.

Review Process & Decision Timeline
Once the proposal is received through ScholarOne, it will be reviewed by the co-editors who will render a decision (Accept, Reject) typically within three weeks. If they agree to move forward with a proposed special section, a series of actions must follow for both the special section editors and proposed contributing authors. As with special issues published by VAR in the past, all manuscripts in special sections will go through the peer-review process (with the exception of the introduction). With this process, there is always the possibility that an essay proposed for the special section may not pass peer review and would need to be omitted.

• Responsibilities of Special Section Editor. Special section editors are responsible for all preliminary edits of contributing authors’ manuscripts prior to submission to ScholarOne. Special section editors should make certain that all manuscripts conform to VAR Style and are within the length limits. Moreover, they should ensure that the collection works together as a set to elucidate the section theme clearly. We encourage guest editors to communicate the following to authors: (1) being part of a special section submission does not guarantee publication; (2) timelines to publication are dependent on all manuscripts moving through the peer review process, which can vary across manuscripts (e.g., some may require multiple rounds of revision); and (3) while unlikely, if fewer than three manuscripts pass peer review, the special section will not move forward.

• Responsibilities Special Section Authors. Contributing authors are responsible for submitting their manuscripts to ScholarOne, and should follow the instructions listed for Original Research Articles (see above). During submission they will have an opportunity to indicate that their manuscript is part of a special section and to name the special section editor and title. Authors are encouraged to share editorial feedback they receive in the peer review process with special section editors, but do so at their own discretion and direction. Authors should also understand that being part of a special section submission does not guarantee publication. All manuscripts must pass peer review. Any communication about deadlines and/or extensions for revisions should come from the VAR Editorial Office, not from the special issue editors.

• N.B. Special section editors are not a formal part of the VAR peer-review process (i.e., they will not be copied on readers’ reports and editorial decisions). Once an author has submitted their work to ScholarOne, all communication regarding an author’s submission is strictly between the author(s) and the VAR co-editors. It is the authors responsibility to communicate information regarding the status of their work with the special section editor. The VAR co-editors will only communicate with the special section editor once final decisions have been made for each manuscript submitted that was proposed to be part of the special section in order to make decisions about any possible next stages of the publication process.

Special Section Introduction
VAR editors will notify the special section editor once they have rendered final decisions on all of the proposed manuscripts/contributions and ask them to submit a 2500–3000 word introduction as a revision to their original submission in ScholarOne, typically within 3 weeks. The introduction is editor-reviewed only. While special section editors can reference the initial initial idea, panel, conference, or conveners that led to the special section, the introduction should not be autobiographical in nature. Rather, the primary goal of the introduction is to place the special section theme in broader conversations and literatures of visual anthropology. Special section editors should briefly summarize and connect the collected papers and ensure that their manuscript conforms to VAR Style. (See Bodies of Archives / Archival Bodies: An Introduction from VAR 36.1 as an example.)

Accepted Manuscripts Once a manuscript is accepted, authors will work with the editors on final copyediting via First Look in ScholarOne. Final revisions must conform to VAR Style or they will be returned. The editors may enlist an external copyeditor for an additional level of review. Authors will receive e-proofs from the publisher along with queries and corrections approximately six weeks before the issue goes to print. They should take this opportunity to carefully proof their article as this will be their last chance to make any changes. Both copyediting and proofreading must be completed in a timely manner to meet publication deadlines. Prior to publication, the author must complete the Author Agreement Form, which will be sent to the author directly via email from the publisher (Wiley-Blackwell).

Supplements Once your manuscript is in production, you will be invited to provide additional materials (images, videos, links to relevant news articles, etc.) for an online supplement to your work. This is a space in which we feature dynamic, multimedia, and pedagogical content that extends the impact of your work. Authors will work directly with the VAR editorial assistant on these. See recent examples here.