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Publication and equity for non-dominant English speakers

Seeking equity for non-dominant English authors publishing in educational research journals

Non-dominant English speaking authors in mathematics education face greater challenges when attempting to publish their research than their native English speaking colleagues. Professor Rudolf Straesser (Giessen University Germany) and Professor Vince Geiger (ILSTE) are investigating ways to address this problem, which limits the introduction of fresh perspectives and original ideas into discussion and debate within many research fields. The challenges are not only related to the predominance of English language research journals but also include the need to use: theoretical constructs that have no equivalent in English; words that have no equivalent or a different meaning in English; modes of reasoning and meaning making that are foreign to those used in English language research culture. Using the theoretical perspective of heteroglossia, Professors Straesser and Geiger are seeking to determine the degree of support high status journals should provide for researchers who are non-dominant English speakers. An effective response to this problem will enable the sharing of new ideas across national boundaries, generating potential for the development of new solutions to problems in education.