A special issue runs as its own small journal inside the main one. An editor creates it from the Issues screen and appoints guest editors, who get a deliberately narrow account: they see and run only their issue, never the rest of the journal. The journal's own editors see everything, with the special issue clearly marked.
Guest editors · scoped WordPress accountsOne pool · special submissions tagged, not hiddenBespoke link · routes submissions to the issue
A design mockup — static, links inert. Sample journal: the fictitious Elgin Law Journal.
1The editor creates the issue and appoints guest editors
On any issue marked special, a Guest editors panel appears. Adding someone invites them as a scoped account and reveals the issue's own submission link.
Elgin Law JournalHowdy, Editor
Dashboard
Journal
Overview
All articles
Issues
Submissions
Reviewer pool
Settings
Users
Edit Issue
Issue
This is a special issueNumbered within the volume, or given its own name.
Will appear as “AI and Law” — a titled special issue of Volume 12.
Guest editors — they will see and run only this issue
Dr Priya Anandp.anand@oxford.ac.ukscoped account×Prof. Tomas Lindqvistt.lindqvist@lu.seinvite pending×
iInviting a guest editor creates (or scopes) a WordPress account that can see only this issue — its submissions, reviews and contents. They can't reach the journal's other issues, the general queue or any settings. Removing them here revokes that access.
Submission link for this issue
↗Share this with invited contributors. Papers submitted through it are automatically tagged to AI and Law and land in the guest editors' queue — and, tagged, in the journal's main queue too.
2What the guest editor sees when they log in
A pared-back admin: their issue and nothing else. No general Journal menu, no other issues, no settings — just the workflow for their special issue.
Elgin Law JournalHowdy, Dr Anand
Elgin Law JournalGuest editor
Dashboard
AI and Law
Submissions
Reviews
Issue contents
Profile
AI and Law
A special issue of the Elgin Law Journal · guest-edited by Dr Priya Anand & Prof. Tomas Lindqvist
Submission link to share
Your queue — 4 submissions
Predictive Policing and Due Process
Review in Dr Ade Okafor ·Minor revisions· 2 of 2 in
3 days ago
Liability for Autonomous Systems
New Marco Bellini
today
Machine Evidence and the Rules of Proof
Revision with Sara Lindgren for revision
6 days ago
Automated Decision-Making and the Right to Explanation
Out for review Dr Hannah Vogel · 1 of 2 in
9 days ago
iEverything here is scoped to this issue. Dr Anand never sees the journal's other submissions, issues, reviewers or settings — only the four papers submitted to AI and Law.
3What the journal's editors see
One queue, everything in it. Special-issue submissions are tagged and lightly shaded so they're easy to tell apart — but nothing is hidden from a general editor or admin.
Elgin Law JournalHowdy, Editor
Dashboard
Journal
Overview
All articles
Issues
Submissions
Reviewer pool
Settings
Users
Submissions
Manuscript
Stage
Handling
Submitted
Proportionality in Administrative Review
Prof. Karl Vogt
Under review
General queue
4 days ago
Predictive Policing and Due Process Special · AI and Law
Dr Ade Okafor
Review in
Guest: Dr Anand
3 days ago
Standard-Form Contracts and Consumer Protection
Dr Eleanor Hughes
New
General queue
1 day ago
Liability for Autonomous Systems Special · AI and Law
Marco Bellini
New
Guest: Dr Anand
today
Equitable Remedies in Commercial Disputes
Síofra Walsh
Accepted
General queue
2 weeks ago
Machine Evidence and the Rules of Proof Special · AI and Law
Sara Lindgren
Revision
Guest: Dr Anand
6 days ago
iAn editor can open, reassign or override any special-issue submission — the guest editors run the day-to-day, but the journal keeps full oversight. The Issues screen shows AI and Law tagged Special with its guest editors listed.
Citable · design mockup of guest-edited special issues · not a screenshot of finished software.