To ensure the internationality of the special issue and comply with international indexing requirements, the following institutional and geographical distribution rule can be established for a special issue containing 20 articles:
Institutional and Geographical Balance Rule for Internationality
1. Geographical Diversity:
- At least 50% of the articles (minimum 10) must come from countries different from the Guest Editor’s country, with a maximum of 3 articles per country.
- At least 25% of the articles (minimum 5) should be from continents different from the Guest Editor’s continent.
2. Institutional Diversity:
- No single institution should represent more than 15% of the total articles (maximum 3 articles per institution).
- There must be at least 10 different institutions represented in the special issue.
3. International Collaborations:
- At least 30% of the articles (minimum 6) must be co-authored by researchers from different countries.
- At least 10% of the articles (minimum 2) must involve intercontinental collaboration (e.g., authors from America and Europe or Asia and Africa within the same article).
4. Authors with Multiple Affiliations:
- At least 10% of the articles (minimum 2) should include authors with dual affiliations in different countries, strengthening the internationality of the special issue.
Example of Distribution in a Special Issue of 20 Articles
| Region | Minimum Number of Articles | Example of Countries |
|---|---|---|
| Guest Editor's Country | Maximum 10 (50%) | Country of the Guest Editor |
| Other Countries (Minimum 5 countries) | Minimum 10 (50%) | Various countries |
| Different Continents | Minimum 5 (25%) | America, Europe, Asia, Africa |
| International Collaboration | Minimum 6 (30%) | Authors from different countries |
| Intercontinental Collaboration | Minimum 2 (10%) | Authors from different continents |
This structure will ensure that the special issue maintains a balanced representation of institutions and countries, meeting international standards for scientific publications for high-impact and internationally diverse journals.