Are conference special issues worthwhile

Background: Conference special issues are common, yet their value to journals, authors, and editors might not be clear. Goal: Use citation rates to assess the performance of papers published in special issues, while bearing in mind that citation rates are not the be-all-and-end-all indicator of scientific merit. Data: Citations from Web of Science to papers in the seven previous special issues of the International Conference on Stickleback Behaviour and Evolution – relative to: (1) citations to other papers published in the same journals in the same years, and (2) citations to stickleback papers published elsewhere in the literature in the same years. From the journal perspective: Papers published inside conference special issues have approximately the same performance as papers published outside special issues in the same journal. However, results vary among issues, with some performing worse and some better than other papers published in the same journal. From the author perspective: Papers published inside conference special issues garner fewer citations than papers on the same taxon (stickleback) published elsewhere; but the difference is often only modest. Moreover, the longevity of influence for papers published in recent (2000 onward) special issues appears better than for stickleback papers published elsewhere. Specifically, citation rates to stickleback papers published in special issues tend to increase with time since publication, relative to those stickleback papers published elsewhere. From the editor perspective: Relative to other editing contexts, the collection of papers in a special issue can be more interesting; the review process is more collegial, constructive, and efficient; editorial decisions are more enjoyable; and the opportunity to advance the field is greater.