Skip local navigation

Sub-Navigation Menu

CIE Research Briefs Submission Guidelines

We invite submissions from faculty, doctoral students, practitioners, and partners engaged in international and comparative education.

CIE Briefs are especially suited for:

  • Translating research into actionable insight
  • Synthesizing a focused body of literature
  • Advancing conceptual or theoretical clarity in the field
  • Highlighting implications for program design, policy, or practice

We welcome contributions that engage with themes such as:

  • Intercultural learning and development
  • Migration, displacement, and global mobility
  • Internationalization of education
  • Technology and global learning
  • Equity, justice, and access across contexts
  • Language, Multilingualism, and Global Literacy
  • Youth, Identity, and Belonging in Global Contexts
  • Global citizenship and intercultural competence

Submissions are reviewed by the CIE team for clarity, coherence, and contribution to the field.

CIE Brief Structure & Guidelines

The following format guidelines are provided to ensure CIE Briefs highlight a key issue or problem in the field, provide conceptual and/or theoretical framing, address what is known, propose what should or could be done, and present why it matters.

Length: 1,200–2,500 words

Required Elements

  1. Title and Author Name(s) and Affiliation(s)
  2. Keywords (3–6 terms)
  3. Key Issue
    • Clearly define the central issue or tension
    • Situate within current global or educational context
    • Articulate why this issue matters now
  4. Background
    • Synthesize key frameworks, models, or debates
    • Clarify how the field currently understands the issue
    • Highlight areas of consensus and tension
  5. Evidence
    • Draw on research, cases, or program examples
    • Identify patterns across studies or contexts
    • Move beyond summary to interpretation
  6. Implications and Recommendations
    • Provide clear, actionable insights
    • Address Program design, Policy, Institutional practice, and/or Professional
      • learning
    • Ground recommendations in the evidence presented
  7. Conclusion
    • Reiterate the broader significance
    • Connect to larger global or societal challenges
  8. References
    • APA style

Writing Expectations

  • APA style
  • Write for an informed but broad audience
  • Maintain a clear argumentative throughline (not just description)
  • Balance scholarly rigor with accessibility
  • Use headings to guide readers through the argument
  • Minimize jargon; define key concepts when needed
  • Submissions must be original, unpublished work that is not under consideration elsewhere. Authors are expected to submit writing that reflects their own scholarly thinking, analysis, and voice. The use of artificial intelligence tools is permitted for support purposes (e.g., idea generation, editing, or formatting), but AI may not be used to generate substantive content. Authors are fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of their submission.

Submission Process

Please submit:

  • A Word document (.docx)
  • Author bio (2–3 sentences)
  • Any figures or visuals (optional, high resolution)
  • Submit to: Dawn Hathaway
  • Subject line: CIE Brief Submission – [Last Name]

Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis. Accepted Briefs are published on our Center for International Education website.