A Problem All Conference Organisers Meet
Colleges, institutes and universities hold seminars, symposiums and multi-day research conferences on a regular basis, and almost all of them face one question when the event ends: where, and how, do we actually publish the proceedings? A PDF of accepted abstracts posted on the conference website gives delegates a memento, not a genuine, peer-reviewed, citable publication with a permanent identifier. JMVRA's Conference & Special Issue Partnership exists to close exactly that gap.
What JMVRA Really Takes Care of for a Conference
Organisers need not juggle separate tools for submissions, review coordination and publishing, because JMVRA brings conference proceedings into its current editorial infrastructure:
- Paper collection & screening — papers accepted at the conference are gathered from delegates and checked for plagiarism just as any regular submission would be
- Peer review — each paper truly undergoes review instead of being merely assembled because it was accepted for presentation at the conference
- ISSN-backed publication — the papers appear as a dedicated Special Issue carrying JMVRA's own ISSN 2984-8911
- Optional Crossref DOI — individual conference papers can receive a lasting, citable identifier if requested
- Digital certificates — given to the authors of accepted papers within the normal process
- Open-access hosting — the special issue stays free to read and easy to find over the long term, whereas a PDF on a conference website vanishes once the event page is removed
The Process Explained, Stage by Stage
- Conference request submitted — the organising institution emails the conference name, organising body, contact person and, if wanted, a brochure to [email protected], or uses the online request form.
- Editorial review — the JMVRA team examines the request and usually replies within 3 working days.
- Paper collection — after confirmation, the institution arranges to gather the accepted conference papers from delegates in the required format.
- Peer review & plagiarism screening — each paper follows the same route as an ordinary JMVRA submission.
- Payment & documentation — the fee for each paper is sent together with the author documents that are needed.
- Special issue publication — accepted papers appear together in a dedicated special issue named after the conference.
The Place of Transparent Peer Review in a Conference Special Issue
Being accepted for the event does not earn a conference paper a lighter review. JMVRA gives every conference paper the same double-blind peer review with author-facing transparency that it gives a standalone submission: the corresponding author gets anonymised reviewer comments and the reasoning behind the editorial decision, rather than a bare accept/reject. Constructive reviewer comments are a useful guide for improving the paper before it is finalised.
For conferences this is significant, because it separates delegates who receive a real, peer-reviewed journal publication from those who get only a certificate of participation. To see what "transparent" truly means in practice, read Transparent Peer Review: Certification & Step-by-Step Process and Peer Review Transparency Models Compared.
The Cost — With No Hidden Bundles
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Paper publication in a conference / special issue | ₹500 |
| GST (18%) | ₹90 |
| Subtotal (without DOI) | ₹590 |
| Crossref DOI (optional extra) | +Optional |
| Total (with DOI) | ₹1,090 |
Included in the fee are editorial screening, peer review, formatting, ISSN-backed publication, open-access hosting and a digital certificate for every author; the DOI is a clearly disclosed optional extra and is not quietly built into the base price. Ask for a written breakdown of what is included before committing to any publishing service.
Eligibility and Requirements for Applicants
- A conference run by a recognised college, institute or university
- At least 10 papers are needed for a dedicated special issue
- Subject area that fits JMVRA's multidisciplinary scope
- Complete conference name, organising body, and the contact person's name, mobile number and email
- Short event description, plus a conference brochure if you have one
Send these details to [email protected] or fill in the Conference / Special Issue Request form.
Is a Self-Published Proceedings PDF Not Enough?
A proceedings PDF hosted by the organisers carries no ISSN, no DOI and no assurance that it will stay online after the conference website is retired; it records the event but is not a citable academic publication. Publishing in an existing, ISSN-registered, peer-reviewed journal gives delegates something that outlasts the conference itself: a permanent, indexed, citable record linked to their own academic profile and not only to the event.
At-a-Glance Checklist
- Proposal finishedDates, themes, committee
- Costs settledAhead of paper collection
- Template circulatedTo every author
- Review clarifiedFor authors and organisers alike
- Documents providedA certificate for each author
A Checklist for Organisers
| Task | Why |
|---|---|
| Set the theme and scope | Keeps submissions coherent |
| Set up a technical committee | Reviewers qualified in the topics |
| Publish author guidelines | Deadlines, length and template |
| Collect author declarations | Authorship, ethics and originality |
| Settle the schedule with the journal | Stages of review, revision and publication |
Points for Conference Authors to Remember
- Use the journal's template — from day one
- Anticipate reviewer comments — and allow time to revise
- Stay under 15% similarity — the same as regular papers
- Verify author details with care — names and affiliations exactly as they should be printed
Organising Conference Review So Proceedings Run Smoothly
Turning presentations into a reviewed set of papers takes planning long before the event. These suggestions are aimed at conference organisers coordinating authors, reviewers and publication.
- Agree the publication plan in advance. Decide with your committee how papers will be selected, reviewed and published before the call goes out, and state this plainly in your announcement.
- Separate presentation from publication. Tell authors that being accepted to present is not the same as being accepted for the proceedings. Clear wording avoids disappointment and complaints.
- Recruit reviewers from outside your team. Include subject experts who have no link with the authors, and give them a simple scoring form so comments are consistent across papers.
- Set a realistic revision window. Allow authors enough time to respond to comments, and ask them to submit a short note explaining each change they have made.
- Keep a master tracking sheet. Record each paper's status, reviewer, decision and correspondence in one shared sheet. It saves confusion when many papers move at the same time.
Plan the review and publication path before the call is announced, and track every paper from submission to final decision.
Questions Researchers Often Ask
How Transparent Peer Review Works, Stage by Stage
- SubmissionScope, formatting and plagiarism checks come first, before anything else happens to the paper.
- Assigning reviewersThe Scholar9 portal is where subject specialists are chosen.
- Double-blind reviewReviewers score the paper for originality, method, significance and clarity.
- DecisionAuthors learn by email and WhatsApp whether the paper is accepted, needs revision or is rejected.
- RevisionAuthors reply to each reviewer comment, point by point.
- TransparencyScholar9 stores the record of the review, and the report can be asked for.
Open reports, optional reviewer identity and open participation are the three forms of transparency. Find out how JMVRA applies them.
Ready to Publish? Submit to JMVRA
JMVRA is aligned with UGC's Suggested Parameters for Choosing Peer-Reviewed Journals.
JMVRA is a Transparent, Peer-Reviewed, Open Access Journal (Refereed Journal). Following the discontinuation of the UGC and UGC-CARE journal listing, and in alignment with the latest UGC-CARE recommendations and guidelines, JMVRA is aligned with UGC’s Suggested Parameters for Choosing Peer-Reviewed Journals.
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