The review process

Reviewing of Research Papers and Symposia

All research papers and symposia submitted are double-blind reviewed, in full. That is

• full papers are submitted
• the author/s are identified to reviewers
• the reviewers are not identified to authors

The papers are peer reviewed. The reviewers are all mathematics educators with appropriate expertise in the field. They are also experienced researchers with at least 2 refereed publications in MERGA, PME or similar peer-reviewed conferences or journals. All are members of MERGA. A list of the reviewers for each conference appears at the front of the proceedings.

The reviewers are organised in about ten review panels comprising mathematics education researchers with a range of expertise in a variety of research areas, educational levels, and research methods. Review panels are convened throughout Australia and New Zealand by nominated panel convenors: experienced researchers/reviewers who identify colleagues in their geographic region. Panel convenors are trained to implement clear reviewing guidelines that have been refined over a number of years. They also have available examples of strong and weak reviews for different types of research reports.

Panel convenors lead their panels through the reviewing of a set number of conference papers. Prior to the panel's meeting day, each paper has been independently reviewed by at least two panel members, who then discuss their assessments and produce a single consensus report that provides the author(s) with detailed feedback.

Reviewers' recommendations are sent to the conference editorial committee. For consistency across panels, all reviews recommending that a paper not be accepted for publication in the Proceedings are read by two members of a small panel of highly experienced reviewers. The conference editorial committee does have the power to ask for further reviews or to accept a paper where the reasons for rejection are not clear or consistent.

Except when a paper has been entered using MERGA's "Earl Bird" process, authors do not have a chance to change their papers and resubmit them. There is also no appeal process.

Thus only those research papers accepted by at least two reviewers are included in full in the conference Proceedings.  Other papers may be presented at the conference in a variety of formats. They are not published in full, but as abstracts.

Reviewing of round table discussions, short communications, and posters

The abstracts for round table discussions and short communications are also double-blind peer reviewed
by at least two experienced mathematics education researchers.
 

Typical acceptance rates

In the past 10 years, the acceptance rate at the end of the initial reviewing of research reports and symposia papers has been, typically, between 55% and 60%. MERGA's Executive is working to raise this rate, and actions in the last few years have included clearer criteria, more detailed advice to members on how to meet the criteria, training of panels on the variety of research papers that are acceptable, emailed advice to new members, and a pre-conference workshop.