Journal of Math Circles
Information for Authors
Thank you for your interest in submitting a manuscript to the Journal of Math Circles. This open-access journal uses ScholarWorks to support the peer review process and publication of articles. All published manuscripts have unrestricted access and will remain permanently free to read and download.Duties of Authors
- Reporting Standards: Authors should present an accurate account of their original research as well as an objective discussion of its significance. Manuscripts will follow the submission guidelines of the journal;
Originality: Authors must ensure that they have written entirely original work;
Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publications: Authors should not submit the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently. It is also expected that the author will not publish redundant manuscripts or manuscripts describing the same research in more than one journal;
Acknowledgement of Sources: Authors should acknowledge all sources of data used in the research and cite publications that have been influential in the research work;
Authorship of the Paper: Authorship should be limited to those who have made a significant contribution to conception, design, execution or interpretation of the reported study. Others who have made a significant contribution must be listed as co-authors. Authors also ensure that all the authors have seen and agreed to the submitted version of the manuscript and their inclusion of names as co-authors;
Data Access and Retention: Authors should provide raw data related to their manuscript for editorial review and must retain such data;
Fundamental Errors in Published Works: If at any point of time, the author(s) discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in the submitted manuscript, then the error or inaccuracy must be reported to the editor;
The manuscript has not been published previously (partly or in full), unless the new work concerns an expansion of previous work; please provide transparency on the re-use of material to avoid the hint of text-recycling (“self-plagiarism”). The journal may use software to screen for plagiarism.
Changes in authorship, or in the order of authors, are not accepted after the acceptance for publication of a manuscript;
No data have been fabricated or manipulated (including images) to support your conclusions
No data, text, or theories by others are presented as if they were the author’s own (“plagiarism”). Proper acknowledgements to other works must be given; this includes material that is closely copied (near verbatim), summarized and/or paraphrased; quotation marks are used for verbatim copying of material.
Upon request, authors should be prepared to send relevant documentation or data in order to verify the validity of the results.
In case of an accepted paper, the authors should send the consent for publishing to the editor.
Article Submission Types
Manuscripts may be submitted in one of three areas:Lesson Plans.
These papers are intended to support leaders of an outreach session or progression of sessions aligned with the Math Circle core values. Authors must identify the target audience of the session, briefly explain the underlying key mathematical ideas and provide references for further understanding of base material, outline the intended implementation of the activity, and reflect on successes and challenges of the actual implementation of the lesson. The inclusion of participant work or session video is strongly encouraged. Supplemental materials such as handouts, presentation notes, and materials lists, should be included as appendices.Outreach Programs.
These papers are intended to support individuals or organizations in starting or sustaining outreach programs aligned with the Math Circle core values. Authors must identify the target audience of the program, explain the need for and goals of the outreach program, outline the intended implementation and management of the outreach program, and reflect on successes and challenges of the actual implementation of the program. The inclusion of participant work or session video is strongly encouraged. Supplemental materials related to the program description should be included as appendices.Professional Development.
These papers are intended to support leaders of K-12 teacher professional development aligned with the Math Circle core values. Authors must identify the target audience of the professional development, explain how the professional development aligns with current standards and practices for mathematics teaching and learning, outline the intended implementation of the professional development, and reflect on successes and challenges of the actual implementation of the professional development. The inclusion of participant work or session video is strongly encouraged. Supplemental materials such as handouts, presentation notes, and materials lists, should be included as appendices.Manuscript Preparation
Submit a single, blinded PDF document for the main manuscript, as well as the original, blinded LaTeX or Word file as a supplemental document. Final papers will be published online in a LaTeX formatted PDF and authors are encouraged to create manuscripts using this source format. A LaTeX template file is available on Overleaf.General Formatting
Manuscripts should be single-spaced with 12-point, Times font and 1-inch margins. Text emphasis should be done with italics rather than bold font or color. Font color should be black. Exceptions may be made, but the translation to black and white should not render the material illegible or incomprehensible. When possible, pages should not have more than a quarter of the page as empty space. Do not "widow" or "orphan" text (i.e., ending a page with the first line of a paragraph or beginning a page with the last line of a paragraph). 'Math Circle' should be capitalized.Mathematical Formatting
Use equation editor or MathType for equations. Short mathematical expressions should be inline. Longer expressions, expressions with multiple levels (e.g. fractions), important definitions/concepts should use display math. Unusual fonts should be avoided so they are rendered correctly in the PDF document.Figures and Tables
All figures and tables should be embedded in the text and located near the relevant text where they are cited. Figures and tables should be numbered independently and consecutively throughout the paper using Arabic numerals and APA formatting guidelines. Each figure or table should have a concise caption explaining its contents. Images should be scaled to ensure legibility and fit within the margins of the text. No font should be smaller than 6-point.Headings
Use a decimal system of headings with no more than three levels:1 Chapter
1.1 Section
1.1.1 Subsection
References
The reference list should be numbered and follow APA formatting guidelines. The reference list must reference all works cited, including math problems and activities. Only those works cited in the text should appear in the reference list. In-line citations should use numbers in brackets. For example, when referencing the 7th item in the Reference list, the in-line citation will be [7].Appendices
Appendices should be included at the end of the manuscript after references. Supplemental materials such as handouts, presentation notes, and materials lists, should be included as appendices with headings indexed alphabetically. In-line references to each appendix should be included within the main text of the manuscript.Permissions
Authors are responsible for obtaining consent and assent from participants/participant guardians to include identifiable images and artifacts. An example participant photo release form is available here, but the form should be reviewed by your organization to ensure it meets the group's expectations for consent and assent. Authors must also obtain permission from the copyright owner(s) to include figures, tables, or text passages published elsewhere. Any material received without such evidence will be assumed to originate from the authors.Submission Process
You will be prompted to first create an account with Central Washington University when you click submit article. After you have confirmed your account, you can go back to and begin the submission process.Pre-Submission Checklist
To allow for double-blind peer review, authors are responsible for removing any information that might lead a reviewer to discern their identities or affiliations.
- Blind author names, institutions, program name, and city location of program. Replace Math Circle/Program name with “City Math Circle” or "Program," city location with “Town” or “Region,” and author names with “Author(s).”
- Blind any programs, affiliations, or names of individuals not necessarily part of the program, but whose inclusion would easily identify the author(s).
- Blind the abstract, manuscript title, and all files names.
- Remove any weblinks or multimedia files (images, videos) that identify the program leaders or otherwise would make the program identifiable. You can add text describing the removed content, which can be added back to the manuscript prior to publication.
- Source file (Word or LaTeX).
- Source files for all images not removed for blinding.
- Any multimedia files linked within the manuscript and not removed for blinding.
- Supplemental materials such as handouts, presentation notes, and materials lists, should be included as appendices.
- Full name for all authors
- Institution information for all authors
- Short biographical sketch for all authors
- Email address for the corresponding author
- Blinded Article Title
- 3-5 Keywords or short phrases, listed in alphabetical order
- Blinded abstract of no more than 100 words
- Any acknowledgments
- If appropriate, a short description of the Math Circle/Program that includes the program name, location, website, and contact information.
Review Process
Manuscripts are reviewed using a double-blind review process and with high expository standards. Papers deemed appropriate for the journal are sent to at least two independent reviewers. The Editors make the final decision for all manuscript submissions.Reviewers will use the following review criteria:
- Article Overview
Briefly describe the paper. Who are the primary participants for the described activity/event/program? Describe the purpose and scope of the paper and outline the main points of discussion. What are the key takeaways and conclusions? - Alignment with Math Circle Core Values
How well does the session/program align with all of the Math Circle core values? Are there places where the authors should provide more detail?- Exploring Worthwhile Mathematical Tasks: Are the mathematical tasks utilized “worthwhile” (Cai & Lester, 2010)? Do they...
...provide access to some of the essential questions asked by mathematicians?
...require higher-level thinking and problem solving?
...offer multiple approaches using different solution strategies?
...have various solutions or allow different decisions or positions to be taken and defended?
...encourage student engagement and discourse?
- Fostering Problem-Solving Habits of Mind: Are the tasks facilitated in ways that build authentic mathematical experiences? Do participants maintain agency in driving mathematical discussions? Do the facilitators guide participants through higher-level thinking and problem solving?
- Building a Community of Mathematical Thinkers and Problem Solvers: How does the program or session create a connection to the broader community of mathematical practice? How well does the program or session support the development of each participant’s mathematical identity?
- Exploring Worthwhile Mathematical Tasks: Are the mathematical tasks utilized “worthwhile” (Cai & Lester, 2010)? Do they...
- Field Based Evidence of Novel Implementation.
Is there sufficient evidence of implementation so that the lesson/program could reasonably be adapted to another context? “Evidence” means documentation of mathematical thinking, overall session/program participant experience, and/or community responsiveness (how program development meets the needs of the local community). - Communication.
Is the paper written and organized in a way that synthesizes evidence to provide a clear and focused message? Does the paper avoid deficit or disrespectful language? Are interpretations and implications evidence-based? Are all sources properly credited? - Quality of contribution.
Does this paper add to the body of knowledge around programs aligning with Math Circle core values? What are the strengths? Are there any weaknesses that must be addressed to justify the publication of this paper? - Grammar Line Edits.
Identify any grammatical errors by referencing the line number where the error occurs. For example, ‘Line 53: Change facilitator to facilitators.'