Call for Special Issue Proposals

Call for Special Issue Proposals

Editors of the International Journal of Multicultural Education (IJME) invite scholars of multicultural education to submit special issue proposals at any time. The purpose of a special issue is to provide readers with a collection of articles on a specific topic of multicultural education that the journal has not covered substantively. This is an excellent opportunity for timely and innovative topics. IJME typically publishes one special issue per year, in December. Proposals should be submitted by December of the year before publication. Calls for papers to the special issue are generally published in spring of the same year and Guest Editors spend summer and fall putting the special issue together.

What is IJME?

International Journal of Multicultural Education is a peer-reviewed, open-access journal for scholars, practitioners, and students of multicultural education. No fees are charged for publishing in IJME or accessing the journal. Committed to promoting educational equity for diverse students, cross-cultural understanding, and global justice for marginalized people in all levels of education, including leadership and policies, IJME publishes three types of articles: (1) qualitative research studies that explicitly address multicultural educational issues; (2) conceptual and theoretical articles, typically grounded on in-depth literature review, which advance theories and scholarship of multicultural education; and (3) praxis articles that discuss successful multicultural education practices grounded on sound theories and literature. We accept submissions of high quality from the global community in the fields of education, anthropology, sociology, cultural studies, and other social sciences.

IJME is indexed in databases including, but not limited to, ESCI, EBSCOHost, ERIC, Journal Metircs, SCImago Journal and Country Ranking (SJR), and Scopus. The journal has a readership of more than 23,000 and an acceptance rate of 7-8%. Learn more about the journal’s rankings here: https://www.scimagojr.com/journalsearch.php?q=21100202940&tip=sid&clean=0

What should be included in a special issue proposal?

  1. A plan describing the following:
    • The topic for the issue and relevance of the topic to the scope of the journal with an obvious link to multicultural education.
    • A plan of action (how submissions will be solicited, how peer reviewers will be secured, who will be involved in editing, and what timeline will be followed).
    • The guest editor's personal statement about his/her ability to manage submission, editing, and proofreading process in a computerized journal management system that IJME uses (no prior experience with Open Journal System is required, but a willingness to learn to operate it is a must).
    • A draft call for papers (300-500 words) that articulates the topic of the issue and submission guidelines (we will provide information about the journal, the submission process, and the blind peer review requirement to be added to the call for submissions). Please view the IJME website for special issues to see examples: https://ijme-journal.org/index.php/ijme/special_issues. Submission guidelines can also be viewed here: Special Issue Proposal Guidelines
  2. The CV of the guest editor(s).
  3. A sample journal publication by the guest editor(s).

How should a proposal be submitted?

  1. Register at www.ijme-journal.org as Author and complete your user information.
  2. Email your proposal, cv(s), and sample publication(s), along with any questions, to Sherry Marx, Editor in Chief, sherry.marx@usu.edu.
  3. If you have co-guest editor(s), include their author information as well.

How will a proposal be selected?

  1. The Editorial Board aims to evaluate proposals within a month.
  2. Proposals with missing components, English language that is difficult to comprehend, or a focus that is not within the multicultural education scope of the journal will not be selected.
  3. Proposers will be notified of our decision as soon as possible.
  4. The following criteria will be used for selection.
    • The proposed topic is within the scope of the journal.
    • The topic complements what the journal has already published and advances new perspectives on multicultural education.
    • The guest editor has a strong track record of publishing in the general area of multicultural education (journal editing experience is a plus).
    • The plan of action convinces the evaluators that the guest editor is capable of securing high quality reviewers (2-3 per submission) and delivering the final product within the proposed deadline.


What will be expected of the Guest Editor (GE)?

  1. Once the proposal is accepted, GE and the Editorial Board will circulate the call for papers for the special issue and invite submissions.
  2. GE will participate in an online editor orientation.
  3. GE will manage submissions to the special issue in the Open Journal System (the web-based journal management system) including assigning reviewers, collating reviews, communicating with authors, making editorial decisions of acceptance and decline, editing, and proofreading. Journal staff will help with this process.
  4. GE will coordinate the editorial process in consultation with the Editor in Chief and journal staff.
  5. GE will collaborate with the Editor in Chief and journal staff to produce a high-quality issue.
  6. GE will meet deadlines and deliver the final project as scheduled.
  7. GE will conduct all business with reviewers, authors, and editorial staff in an ethical and professional manner. 
  8. GE will not receive any monetary compensation for the work associated with publishing the special issue.