Thematic collections help readers follow a governance question across publication dates and institutional settings. A collection may connect articles on a shared mechanism, policy domain, research approach, or emerging debate. It provides a route through related scholarship while preserving each article’s independent publication record.

Scholarly rationale and selection

A collection should explain the question linking its articles and the criteria used to select them. Selection may draw on published research and new manuscripts accepted through the journal’s normal procedures. Curators may recommend relevant work and identify gaps, but the journal retains responsibility for inclusion and editorial assessment.

A coherent collection should help readers see relationships among contributions: for example, how a governance mechanism operates across different organizations, how findings depend on institutional context, or how competing methods approach the same problem. Collection membership does not amount to an endorsement of every claim made by its contributing authors.

Proposing or contributing to a collection

Proposals should identify the theme, its relevance to GGSR, the proposed curators and their expertise, selection criteria, and any intended call for new work. They should disclose relevant editorial relationships and explain whether the collection is intended to remain open to later contributions. Enquiries may be sent to [email protected].

New submissions associated with a collection must meet the requirements for their article type and undergo the same scholarly and ethical assessment as regular submissions. Neither an invitation nor inclusion in a proposed list guarantees acceptance.

Citation, access, and version history

Readers should cite the individual article rather than the collection page. Its publication date, authorship, licence, and identifier remain unchanged when it enters a collection. Corrections or integrity notices remain linked to that article and should be considered when interpreting its findings.

A collection differs from a Special Issue: it can connect material across issues and dates rather than organizing only a single issue’s new contributions. Both formats follow the journal’s editorial standards.