MDPI Topics - Collaborative and Multidisciplinary

MDPI Topics are multidisciplinary collections of peer-reviewed articles focused on a defined research theme spanning two or more MDPI journals. They bring together research from different disciplines around a common theme and allow authors to contribute to the participating journal that best fits the focus of their research.

Topics are curated and led by a Topic Editorial Team composed of subject-matter experts with relevant expertise across the different aspects of the research theme.  Topic submissions follow the same peer review process as regular submissions, with all articles assessed according to the established editorial standards of the respective journal. Once accepted, articles are published in the regular issues of the respective journal and include an additional label identifying them as part of the Topic; they are also discoverable on the dedicated Topic page.

More about Topics

• Topics disseminate research on specific multidisciplinary themes more widely and efficiently;
• Topics allow authors from different research areas to unite around one subject;
• Authors benefit from cross-disciplinary collaboration, as well as broader readership and visibility;
• Authors can explore multidisciplinary applications and develop new ideas;
• Authors can select the publishing conditions that best match their expectations (e.g., journal scope, Article Processing Charges, indexing status);
• Topics facilitate the sharing of reviews, original articles, case reports, opinions, and perspectives for interdisciplinary subjects;
• Topics help raise awareness of the benefits of publishing with MDPI journals.

• Topics enhance editors’ networks of scientific collaboration;
• Editors can gain insights into trends and growth areas both within and beyond their own research fields;
• Editors can observe how cutting-edge topics presented in an open-access format increase the impact of research;
• Editors can select the most relevant MDPI journals to serve as platforms for their Topics;
• Topics further strengthen collaboration among fellows across various disciplines.
• Topics Reprints: MDPI Books offers the opportunity to republish successful Topics in book format, both online and in print. Reprints are free to read on our platform, and interested scholars can order print copies on demand at a cost. MDPI Books encompasses all the benefits of open access—wide availability, high visibility, and rapid dissemination—and Reprints are indexed in DOAB and available through various channel partners. Find more information here.

The Editorial Offices of the participating journals invite academics to guest-edit Topics on themes of interest. We also welcome proposals from members of the research community within their field of expertise. The Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board Members of each participating journal are responsible for approving Topic proposals and Topic Editor appointments. They provide editorial oversight for the Topic and monitor its overall progress and activity, including submitted content.

If you have a proposal for a Topic, please fill in all the required information and submit it below:

Each Topic Editor contributes expertise from a specific research area within the multidisciplinary theme of the Topic. Together, Topic Editors provide complementary expertise across the various aspects of the Topic.

Topic Editors are responsible for the academic direction of their Topics and make editorial decisions under the oversight of the Editor-in-Chief or Editorial Board Members of the participating journals. Editorial oversight is provided at the individual manuscript level by the Editor-in-Chief or delegated Editorial Board Member of the journal to which the manuscript is submitted. The Editorial Office of the respective journal manages administrative processes and compliance requirements throughout, ensuring a transparent and consistent workflow from proposal assessment to publication. 

Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board Members: Editorial oversight standards

• Provide overall editorial oversight for Topic manuscripts submitted to and considered for publication in their journal, in adherence with COPE guidelines on Guest Edited Collections.
• Maintain a balanced workload; each Editorial Board Member oversees a limited number of collections related to their subject expertise, subject to the agreement of the Editor-in-Chief.
• Monitor the progress and editorial management of Topics and intervene where concerns arise regarding scope, scientific quality, editorial conduct, or research integrity.
• Manage actual or perceived conflicts of interest involving Topic Editors and ensure that affected manuscripts are handled independently.
• Handle post-publication editorial assessment and decisions for Topic articles published in their journal. Topic Editors may be consulted where appropriate, but they do not make post-publication editorial decisions.

Topic Editors: Topic development, promotion, and editorial decisions

• Propose Topics that are broadly aligned with the aims and scope of the participating journals, including a clear and well-defined topic description.
• Promote the Topic within the research community, including inviting suitable authors and disseminating the Call for Papers through relevant professional networks.
• Oversee the peer review process for submissions to their Topic in accordance with the MDPI editorial process, including making editorial decisions under the oversight of the relevant Editors-in-Chief and Editorial Board Members, and ensure that all published content aligns with both the specific scope of the Topic and the scope of the respective participating journal in which it is published.
• Ensure that all decisions are based on the scientific quality, originality, and relevance of the manuscripts, and that MDPI’s ethical standards are upheld.
• Declare and refrain from handling manuscripts where an actual or perceived conflict of interest exists (including their own submissions and those from close collaborators or colleagues), in accordance with MDPI’s conflict of interest policy. In such cases, an independent Editorial Board Member of the relevant journal, preferably the overseeing Editorial Board Member of said journal, will act as the Academic Editor. The Topic Editor has no access to the peer review process for these manuscripts other than in their capacity as an author.
• Limit their own contributions to the Topic to support diversity and inclusiveness in authorship, in accordance with COPE guidelines on Guest Edited Collections.

Journal Editorial Offices: Administrative support, identity validation, and policy compliance

• Provide administrative and technical support throughout the lifecycle of Topics, from proposal assessment to publication.
• Support the Editors-in-Chief or the Editorial Board Members responsible for oversight in the assessment of prospective Topic Editors, including conducting affiliation verification, evaluating publication history and subject expertise, carrying out conflict of interest checks, and screening for relevant prior concerns before appointment. Appointed Topic Editors will also be provided with guidance to support adherence to editorial standards.
• Monitor compliance with MDPI’s editorial policies, ethical standards, and conflict of interest requirements, and escalate concerns for appropriate handling of cases where necessary.
• Coordinate communication between Topic Editors, Editors-in-Chief, Editorial Board Members, reviewers, and authors.

These roles are underpinned by MDPI’s Policies on Publication Ethics and COPE’s guidelines on Guest Edited Collections and other Best Practice Guidelines; please also consult the specific guidelines of the individual journal, which may supplement these general policies.

Contact

For any inquiries related to Topics, please contact the Topics office (topics@mdpi.com)