Special Issue Policy

  1. Purpose of Special Issues

The Journal of Architectural and Engineering Research (JAER) recognizes the importance of thematic scholarship that advances focused areas of inquiry within architecture, engineering, urban planning, heritage conservation, and related interdisciplinary fields. JAER Special Issues:

  • Highlight cutting-edge, cohesive research on specific themes of scholarly or practical importance.
  • Provide a platform for scholars to synthesize and disseminate state-of-the-art knowledge in emerging or rapidly evolving domains.
  • Promote collaborative discourse across regions and research communities.
  • Support dissemination of high-quality papers presented at reputable scientific conferences, workshops, symposia, and research initiatives.
  1. Special Issue Topics and Proposals

Special Issues are typically organized around a central thematic focus. Topics may originate from:

  • International scientific conferences and academic events relevant to JAER’s aims & scope.
  • Collaborative calls from guest editors and thematic leaders in the field.
  • Strategic editorial initiatives to highlight emerging research frontiers.

Topic criteria:

  • Alignment with JAER’s mission in architecture, engineering, and allied sciences.
  • Clearly defined and narrowly scoped theme, facilitating depth of analysis.
  • Potential to attract high-quality original research and comprehensive reviews.
  1. Guest Editors and Editorial Oversight

Special Issues are overseen by Guest Editors or Editorial Committees with recognized expertise in the thematic area. Responsibilities typically include:

  • Drafting and refining the Special Issue theme.
  • Assisting with call preparation and dissemination.
  • Coordinating peer review in conjunction with the JAER Editorial Board.
  • Ensuring the scientific quality, integrity, and timeliness of the accepted papers.

Guest Editors must adhere to JAER’s publication ethics and conflict-of-interest policies.

  1. Call for Papers

Once a Special Issue theme is approved:

  1. Call for Papers (CFP) is published on the JAER website and disseminated through relevant academic networks.
  2. CFP content should include:
    • Title and description of the Special Issue theme.
    • Scope and target topics.
    • Submission instructions and deadlines.
    • Guest Editor contact information.
    • Review and publication timeline.

Submissions are encouraged from international authors across academia, industry, and research institutions.

  1. Manuscript Submission and Review

Authors submitting to a Special Issue should:

  • Follow JAER’s general submission guidelines (format, language, length, etc.).
  • Indicate the Special Issue title in the manuscript submission form and cover letter.
  • Submit original research not previously published or under review elsewhere.

Peer Review
All submissions undergo JAER’s standard peer-review process coordinated with guest editors to ensure fair, rigorous, and transparent evaluation.

  1. Publication and Archiving
  • Accepted Special Issue articles are published in a dedicated Special Issue volume/section with continuous pagination.
  • Each article receives a DOI, enabling citation and indexing.
  • Special Issues are archived permanently in JAER’s digital collection and partner repositories (e.g., National Library of Armenia, LOCKSS) to ensure long-term accessibility.
  1. Licensing, Open Access & Indexing
  • The Journal of Architectural and Engineering Research is a peer-reviewed, gold open access journal; all Special Issue content is freely available upon publication.
  • JAER practices a Creative Commons license consistent with its open access policy, allowing users to read, download, distribute, and reuse content with proper citation.
  • Special Issues may be indexed in databases recognized by the journal’s abstracting and indexing services where applicable.
  1. Examples of Special Issues

JAER has published Special Issues that originate from academic events, such as:

Special Issue I 2025 — including peer-reviewed articles drawn from the II International Conference “Architectural Heritage and Contemporary Architecture” (Debet Village, Armenia), with contributions on heritage preservation, design theory, and architectural analysis.

Want to Propose a Special Issue?

Scholars interested in proposing a Special Issue on a focused theme should:

  • Prepare a 1–2 page proposal summarizing the topic, objectives, target audience, potential contributors, and tentative timeline.
  • Contact the JAER Editorial Office via the journal’s Contact page for consideration.