3 rd RSIH&SWA Workshop – Morelia, Mexico – 21 October 2015 Potential Topical/Special Journal Issue(s)? M.M. Bisi (1). (1) RAL Space, Science and Technology Facilities Council, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Oxford, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 0QX, England, UK Please note that the call for sessions for the Asia Oceania Geosciences Society (AOGS) 2016 meeting is now open with a deadline of 25 November 2015; AOGS 2016 ( will take place in Beijing, China – 31 July 2016 to 05 August 2016 and the convenors do not have to attend if they are not able to but still want to propose a session.

A Topical Issue (1)  Do we want one?  Potential Title (depending on the Journal): “Remote Sensing Observations and Space Weather” (more options later)?  Traditionally, we have successfully gone with the Solar Physics Journal (for Aberystwyth 2009 (published 2010), Aberystwyth 2011 (published 2013), and Nagoya 2013 (published 2015).  What about AGU Space Weather Journal or IOP Astrophysical Journal Supplemental Series?  There will need to be three Guest Editors (GEs) again (two are not enough) most likely, depending on the Journal we decide to go with: Mario M. Bisi – Americo Gonzalez-Esparza – Bernard V. Jackson – Igor Chashei.

 If Solar Physics, each volume should ideally be ~220 pages in total where smaller/larger editions are allowed; other journals not too different. Solar Physics is completely free for the authors to publish including no page/colour or movie charges; only charges would be for reprints if required.  AGU Space Weather not too onerous in charges as it is online only; Ap.J.Supp. Can prove expensive, especially for printing colour.  Ap.J.Supp. has the highest impact factor by far, but there will be more-stringent rules and timelines to be adhered to.  Space Weather has the lowest impact factor but is new and upcoming and is being heavily published in and read world wide!  Solar Physics processes are well known and is the ‘safe’ but maybe not the ‘best’ option this time around. A Topical Issue (2)

 Would we want a review/quasi-review article this time around (likely written by the GEs and workshop organisers)?  Authors would firstly submit their abstracts, author lists, and suggested referees several months ahead of the paper-submission deadline regardless of the Journal chosen and ALL papers are refereed as normal!  For papers where one or more of the Guest Editors is an author (especially first author), the paper will then be primarily worked on by journal editors only.  If we can get a topical/special issue set up fairly soon, it is likely that we would specify a deadline for submission late-Spring/early summer 2016, and publication in late 2016/early 2017 in paper form except Space Weather which is only online (depending on refereeing time and collating of all the expected papers). A Topical Issue (3)

 Four possible titles (or something new/a combination): “Remote-Sensing Observations of the Heliophysical System” OR “Space Weather Science and Forecasting with Remote-Sensing Techniques” OR “Remote Sensing Observations and Space Weather” OR “Remote Sensing Investigations for Space Weather Purposes” A Topical Issue (4)

Summary  So, what’s needed today: we need to decide on the journal of preference (Space Weather), we need to know as accurately as possible the number of papers (~12-13) just from our community representatives here, the choice of the TI title (3), the abstract- submission date (01 February 2016), and whether or not this overall rough submission timeline sounds feasible (Yes)?  GEs will work closely with journal editor(s) to approve papers and have some teleconferences to be sure the Topical/Special issue is completed in a timely manner, i.e. chasing authors/referees and also in refereeing papers etc… when referees let us down (which does happen for a few papers)!  Potential GEs now need to put together a brief proposal ASAP to (SWx Journal) which will include a small abstract for the TI – if not Solar Physics, then a small learning curve as it was in 2009!