The editors of International Journal of Damage Mechanics have decided to launch a special issue for ICDM-4. The publication of the special issue on IJDM includes the following steps:

1) Registration of ICDM-4 should be finished in time and an extended abstract should be submitted to the web system of ICDM-4 (http://www.icdm4.lsu.edu/) before the conference. The extended abstract should not exceed six pages and should be submitted under the category of "abstract submission";

2) The preliminary review would be finished by the MS organizers during the conference and 1-2 papers could be recommended by each MS;

3) The full paper should be submitted to IJDM within two months after ICDM-4 as a special issue paper and the full process of review is required by IJDM.