Thank you for contributing your time and talent as guest editor for a special issue of The Information Society (TIS). It is your task not only to assemble an issue that advances research in your special subject area, but also is accessible to the wider TIS readership, which spans many disciplines. We would particularly emphasize the following: Good articles for TIS are anchored in strong scholarship, but are also written so that they are accessible to non-specialists.

In addition, we want to provide guidelines for the larger editorial task of coordinating the review, selection, and construction of a special issue. Though the primary responsibility for managing this special issue will be yours, there are some requirements that need to be met.

Our requirements are as follows:

1. You should write a Call for Papers for your special issue. Samples of calls for papers are available on our web site. Your call for papers will also be posted on the TIS web site. We strongly encourage you to post the CFP on pertinent listservs as well and to distribute paper copies at conferences.

2. Harmeet Sawhney must approve the manuscripts that you recommend for publication, considering them in light of the general editorial standards of the journal. Official letters of acceptance will be issued by Harmeet Sawhney.

3. When you believe that you have a plausible estimate of the number of articles that will be reviewed, please forward that number, as well as authors, article titles, and abstracts to Harmeet Sawhney. Editors can consult with Harmeet Sawhney during the review process.

4. When you have made your final decision about the contents of the issue, if not before, you must send TIS copies of the pertinent records of all the manuscripts you handled, including correspondence, the names and addresses of the reviewers, and the reviews. TIS is accountable for providing a history of each manuscript to Taylor and Francis, including the dates of milestones in the review process (including date of receipt, of requests for revision, and of final action).

5. You should write an introductory essay for the issue of approximately 1500-4000 words, in which you locate the articles within the discourse on the special issue topic. This essay may take strong positions; indeed, readers will find it helpful if you draw attention to how the articles are positioned in relation to debates within the discourse, as well as to differences between the articles themselves. For instance, articles may represent conflicting approaches, or data in one might conflict with theoretical positions in another. Please bear in mind that the issues and achievements represented in the special issue may not be immediately apparent to the reader of the table of contents; the introduction should not only give readers a deeper understanding of issues in the field, but also make a compelling case for how the special issue advances that field. This essay will be used to advertise the issue. We hope that it will intrigue and attract new readers, as well as those already well-versed in the field.

Given these requirements, we offer the following guidelines:

A. You will manage the review process, which includes soliciting two to three reviews for each manuscript, and eventually, informing the author of decisions and the nature of the reviewers’ comments. Please note:

• Thorough reviews help the authors as well as the editors. We editors must clearly appreciate the strengths and gaps in an article, and we rely upon reviews to help evaluate a manuscript.
• Authors benefit from careful assessments and guidance, as well as from the enthusiasm of sympathetic reviewers and editors.
  
• Use conditional language in your correspondence with authors, particularly concerning acceptances — for instance, you may want to tell the author "I am recommending acceptance to TIS." Harmeet Sawhney will issue final letters of acceptance.
  
• You should not reveal the identities of the reviewers to the author, unless the reviewers expressly direct you to do so.
  
• Keep copies of reviews and pertinent correspondence (including e-mail) for TIS.

B. Coordinate with TIS concerning your judgment of each manuscript.

• You may, on your own, reject manuscripts that are unsuitable for the special issue. However, please inform TIS of manuscripts that might be suitable for other issues. In such cases, please forward the entire file to TIS for further review.
• You may, on your own, request revisions from the author.
  
• When you consider manuscripts ready for publication, please send them with their reviews and correspondence to Harmeet Sawhney for final approval. If you wish, you may inform the author of your favorable recommendation, but please do not promise publication.
  
• Please send articles to be reviewed by Harmeet Sawhney in batches of three or more, if possible, rather than one at a time. In any case, this review may take as much as two to three weeks.