Periodically, Forensic Anthropology (FA) will publish issues or sections of issues dedicated to topical themes (“thematic issues”). The editors welcome the opportunity to work with guest editors of thematic issues to attract significant contributions and to bring them to publication.

Proposals for a thematic issue, for which you would act as a guest editor, should be submitted directly to the editor-in-chief and two editors (https://journals.upress.ufl.edu/fa/board). In reviewing the proposal, the editors may consult with FA Editorial Board members. Notification of acceptance or rejection will be sent by the editors within 30 days of proposal submission.

Examples of special issues published within this journal:

• Forensic Anthropology in East and Southeast Asia. Vol. 2 No. 4 (2019)
• Education, Training, and Competencies in Forensic Anthropology. Vol. 3 No. 2 (2020)
• Ancestry Estimation and its Implications for Forensic Anthropology and Beyond. Vol. 4 No. 4 (2021)
• Diversity and Inclusion. Vol. 5 No. 3 (2020)

Proposals for a thematic issue must include the following information:

1. A description of approximately one page that summarizes the thematic topic and goals of the thematic issue, how this collection is novel or differs from other treatments of the topic, its timeliness, and broader impacts, etc.
2. Name and affiliation of individual(s) agreeing to serve as guest editors. Administratively, these individuals will be serving as associate editor(s) (AEs) for the special issue. If not already in the ScholarOne system, guest editors will need to create accounts, which we can then grant AE privileges to. If accepted, the editors will contact the journal to have each AE added to the ScholarOne system to manage the paper submissions and peer review process.
3. A list of proposed paper titles in the general order in which you wish to appear in the special issue. Include with the proposed titles any authors that have agreed to contribute, including their affiliations and contact information.
4. For thematic proposals based on conference symposia, the list of contributors need not include all participants (e.g., if their topics do not fall within the scope of the journal) and you may add individuals who were not symposium participants.
5. A list of any prospective contributors, including their affiliation and contact information, who are on your invitation list, but have not yet committed to participate, if applicable.
6. A curriculum vitae for the guest editor(s).
7. A timeline for completion of the thematic issue, including date of author submission to the guest editor(s) for initial review and revision, and to the journal via ScholarOne for the peer review process. Please allow sufficient time for review and revision at both stages of the process.
8. An indication of whether you would like assistance from the journal editors in soliciting contributors to the issue.

Please note, acceptance of a proposal DOES NOT guarantee acceptance of all contributions to a thematic issue, as individual articles are peer reviewed through the usual process for submitted manuscripts, with the guest editor(s) acting as associate editor(s) for the papers included in the thematic issue or section. The guest editor(s) will make recommendations to the journal editors, who will make final decisions on the status of each manuscript included in the thematic issue.

Submission of thematic issue papers following acceptance:

1. The guest editor(s) will establish an account in ScholarOne, once added by the journal, to manage submissions for the special issue.
2. All submissions must indicate in the cover letter that the paper being submitted is a part of the special issue (include the title of the special issue and editor(s)).
3. All submissions must conform to the Forensic Anthropologyauthor guidelines (for more information, visit: https://journals.upress.ufl.edu/fa/guidelines) and abide by all of the journal ethical requirements (for more information, visit: https://journals.upress.ufl.edu/fa/ethics).
4. The review process is entirely blinded; therefore, the guest editor(s) should not disclose any information to the author(s) about the peer review that would not otherwise be available. Please ensure that all possible identifying information is blinded for the peer-review process in each submission for the special issue (e.g., university names, grant funding, IRB agency, etc.).
5. If a guest editor(s) is/are also an author on one or more of the submissions for the special issue, the journal editors will assign one of the other editors as the AE for that paper to facilitate the peer-review process.
6. The journal does not have a specific format for referencing between papers within the special issue; either authors (see AUTHOR(s) in this special issue) or page numbers (see pgs #-# in this special issue) may be used. It is at the discretion of the guest editor(s) and they should ensure continuity among submissions.

Each manuscript accepted for publication will go through professional copyediting with author review and subsequent correction of page proofs. Production will take approximately four months from copyediting to publication. Any questions concerning thematic proposals should be directed to the journal editors.