RME: Call for Special Issue Proposals
Research in Mathematics Education (RME) invites researchers to submit a proposal for a Special Issues of RME (2026 onwards). The journal publishes a special issue each year around a theme of interest to researchers in mathematics education. Recent special issues include Mathematics Education, Citizenship and its Other in a Global World in 2021 and later a special issue on Making Mathematical Connections in the Teaching and Learning of Mathematics in 2024 and another on Contemporary Issues in Mathematics Education within a STEM Climate in 2025.
Currently, the journal publishes three issues a year. Issues 1 and 3 comprise original refereed research papers drawn from a wide range of areas within mathematics education. Issue 2 is normally a Special Issue built around articles focussed on a particular theme, with a guest editor who has (or editors who have) a particular expertise and involvement in research on that theme.
We invite proposals from a guest editor or team of editors who have particular expertise and involvement in research around the theme of the proposal. Papers in each Special Issue are acquired by open call and undergo the same peer review process as all other research papers in RME. Guest editors manage the open call for and acquisition of papers, the reviewing process, and the editing process of bringing the copy to a point where it is ready for publication. Support and guidance for this is provided by the RME Editors and the wider RME team.
Experience suggests that the process of developing a Special Issue can take up to 18 months from acceptance of the proposal to publication.
The first step is the submission of a strong proposal. Colleagues interested in developing a Special Issue should write to the RME Editors outlining:
- Theme: indicative title of the Special Issue and brief outline of its intended scope
- Editor(s): names of the Guest Editor(s) including a brief explanation about why they are well-placed to develop the Special Issue
- Rationale: why the theme is of particular interest to the field of research in mathematics education
- Content: potential contributors and their contributions; this may be provisional, but needs to show evidence that there are sufficient researchers from a diverse range of contexts in the area able to contribute high-quality papers for the issue to be sustainable. The precise make-up of the special issue can be negotiated with the RME editors, but it normally takes the form of a number of research papers (perhaps no more than 8000 words each) with some framing introductory material and perhaps some response(s) or concluding material. The total word-length (i.e., the ‘volume equivalent’) is around 45,000 words.
- Timeline: an indicative timescale from acceptance of the proposal to publication (note that accepted articles for a RME SI can appear ‘online first’ on the journal website prior to the final publication of the complete SI and this is strongly encouraged).
The RME SI proposal should be sent to rme@bsrlm.org.uk by 30th November 2023. If you have any questions about this call then please also email the Editors at rme@bsrlm.org.uk. A decision will be made around early January by the RME Editors.
Jenni Ingram, Christian Bokhove and Jodie Hunter
The Editors
Research in Mathematics Education