Special Sections

CSSC occasionally publishes special sections on specific topics, curated by guest editors. To date, two special sections have been published:

Breaking the Rules (guest editor: Natalie T. J. Tindall), appearing in Volume 5, 2016

Contemporary Marketing Strategies as Communication Tools for Modern Retailers (guest editors: Henry Ho & Timothy Brotherton), appearing in Volume 5, 2016


Interested in guest editing a special section of Case Studies in Strategic Communication? To propose a special section, do the following:

  • Send an initial inquiry to CSSC editor-in-chief Daren C. Brabham at [email protected] In the email, explain your idea and why you think it is a good fit for CSSC. Also discuss a possible timeline for gathering manuscripts, reviewing them, and a target publication date. Ideas do not need to be completely formed at this point, but the more specific the better. If it is a fit for the journal, the journal’s editorial team will work with you to develop the proposal into a formal call for papers.
  • When developing a special section proposal, please keep the following in mind:
    • CSSC is primarily a teaching and learning journal designed to publish peer-reviewed case studies that can be used in public relations, advertising, marketing, and related classrooms. Advancing theory is not the focus of this publication.
    • Cases should be based on real organizations and real events, not hypothetical scenarios. Some insight into the planning and evaluation of particular cases and events is expected. This does not mean an author must be a representative of the organization or have “insider” information about the case, but it does mean that, at minimum, some insight into the planning and outcomes of a case should be accessible, even if that involves synthesizing news reports, public financial records, or interviews with those close to the case.
    • All cases should follow the journal’s overall guidelines. All cases published in the journal will be assigned a Creative Commons license.
    • Guest editor(s) will be responsible for handling manuscript submissions and facilitating double-blind peer review. Those cases deemed acceptable by the guest editors must also meet editorial standards set forth by the journal. The journal’s editorial leadership will have the final say in which cases are published, but will generally defer to guest editor(s)’ judgment.
    • Guest editors are responsible for copy-editing and verification of sources. The journal will handle final layout and publication.