BERA’s Publications Committee is seeking an individual or team (of up to three people) to guest edit issue 162 of Research Intelligence on the theme of international comparative education.

Research Intelligence is BERA’s quarterly magazine, available to all members in print and digital formats. It carries announcements and news, as well as articles and features on a variety of topics related to education research. The magazine operates a guest editor system, whereby for each individual issue a different editor or team of editors commissions a set of articles that address a particular theme.

For issue 162, BERA’s Publications Committee has selected the theme of international comparative education. In 2024, BERA is celebrating its 50th anniversary through hosting the World Education Research Association (WERA) Focal Meeting at its Annual Conference. In recognition of this, we are seeking to showcase the benefits of research which examines how education systems vary across different countries and geographical regions. 

It is for the guest editor(s) of issue 162 of Research Intelligence to define the precise scope of the issue and the focus of the individual articles to be featured. The articles could cover a wide number of areas in education – including policies, practices and curricula – but should address the theoretical, methodological, ethical and practical challenges of international comparative education research.

The role of guest editor involves commissioning a set of articles that address the theme of the issue, editing the articles, and writing an editorial to introduce and contextualise the issue and its theme. For more information, please refer to the proposal form, which can be downloaded at the link below.

Applicants must be available to work to the following issue schedule.

Mid-September 2024: Themed articles to be commissioned
10 October 2024: Deadline for final list of contributor names and article titles to be submitted to BERA
13 November 2024: Deadline for themed articles to be submitted to BERA for copyediting
27 November 2024: Deadline for authors to check copyedits and resolve any queries from the copyeditor
16 January 2025: First typeset proofs out for review
23 January 2025: Deadline for first proof feedback/corrections
13 February 2025: Issue to print
Publication: c.25 February 2025

To apply, please complete the attached proposal form and send it to publications@bera.ac.uk by 14 August 2024. The proposal form requires a short abstract detailing how you intend to define the scope of the issue within the theme of international comparative education. You will also need to provide a proposed list of article topics to be featured in the special issue, with potential authors if possible. (Note that it is not a requirement for you to have approached the potential authors in advance of submitting your proposal form.)

Proposals received in response to this call will be considered by BERA’s Publications Committee and a decision will be made about which proposal to take forward. Applicants will be notified by the beginning of September.

Before applying, please read the document ‘Research Intelligence: Terms of reference for guest editorial teams and authors’ (which can be downloaded below). Successful applicant(s) will be required to follow these terms of reference throughout their work on the issue and should share a copy of the terms with the contributors they commission to write articles for the issue.