CALL FOR PAPERS FOR A SPECIAL ISSUE
Open Science Advancements in Developing Countries: Ideas, Experiences, and Trends in Research Data Management (RDM)
Guest Editor of special issue: Dr. Reza Rajabali Beglou
Associate professor of Information Science Faculty, Scientometrics and Information Analysis group
Email: beglou@irandoc.ac.ir
Introduction:
Open Science is revolutionizing research by promoting transparency, accessibility, and collaboration. However, developing countries face unique challenges in adopting Open Science practices, particularly in research data management. This special issue of the Scopus indexed Iranian Journal of Information Processing and Management (JIPM), in collaboration with IranDoc's Open Science Laboratory, invites submissions that explore innovative and unique strategies, actions, case studies, and policy frameworks to advance Open Science in such countries. We welcome contributions from researchers, policymakers, and practitioners from all around the world especially from developing countries to foster a global dialogue on equitable data, information and knowledge sharing.
Potential Topics of interest (but are not limited to):
We encourage submissions that critically examine both theoretical and practical dimensions of Open Science and Open Research in developing contexts. We welcome original research articles, policy analyses, case studies, systematic reviews, methodological papers, comparative studies, position papers, etc. in these subjects of matters.
We look forward to receiving your contributions and collaborating in Open Science advancements with emphasis on RDM in developing countries especially according to international fundamentals (e.g UNESCO recommendations, etc.) and standards and guidelines (e.g. FAIR principles, etc.).
Reviews and Quality Assurance: Each submission will be evaluated by the guest Editor and editorial board and those papers recognized as out of scope will be desk rejected. The remaining submissions will be evaluated by at least two reviewers. After being reviewed, the submissions will receive an acceptance email message.
Submission link: click here
Reviewers: Reviewers will be selected based on their relevant expertise.
Template and Style: Each submission is expected to be between 6,500 to 8,500 words including references, tables and figures, and excluding appendices. The submissions must follow the style manual of the Iranian Journal of Information Processing and Management for this special issue: click here
First Announcement: September 1, 2025
Second Announcement: December 1, 2025
Final Reminder: February 1, 2026
Submission Due: June 15, 2026
Reviews Due: July 30, 2026
Final Papers: August 30, 2026
Guest Editor Biography: Dr. Reza Rajabali Beglou is an Associate Professor in Information Science at the Iranian Research Institute for Information Science and Technology (IranDoc). He holds a PhD in Information Science and Knowledge Studies (2015) from Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, complemented by an MSc (2004) from Tabriz University and a BSc (2006) from Shiraz University, all in Information Science. Since joining IranDoc in 2015, Dr. Beglou has spearheaded initiatives to implement National Information Systems (NATIS) in academic and research libraries across Iran. His scholarly work focuses on Knowledge Organization systems and repositories, Information Policy development, Research Data Management infrastructures, Open Science and research transparency.