Special Issues

RBIE announces an open call for special-issue proposals, offering a group of guest editors the opportunity to bring together a set of interconnected articles around an innovative or emerging theme. The call is open-themed: there is no predefined thematic axis, so proposals from different areas of Computers in Education and Computing Education may come forward spontaneously.

About special issues

This call invites the community to submit high-quality proposals, which will be assessed through a collaborative and highly competitive procedure. Inspired by the format of event tracks/workshops, it enables a group of guest editors to articulate a set of articles around a unifying theme.

RBIE is committed to original research, which may reflect a variety of theoretical perspectives and different methodological approaches, addressing any age group according to the diversity of learning and instruction contexts. Proposals need not focus on areas already widely covered by the journal; the main criterion is the importance of the contribution to the field.

Nature and scope of proposals

A special-issue proposal must have a well-articulated unifying theme of national and international relevance, in a mature or emerging area in which publishing a set of articles can foster future research. Proposals may include empirical studies based on different theoretical approaches and methodologies, always with scientific rigor, evidence, and replicability criteria.

Proposals are encouraged to bring together contributions from researchers at different institutions. The calls for article submissions arising from the approved proposal must be open to the community.

What the proposal must include

Each special issue must be led by at least three (3) guest editors, who must hold a doctoral degree. The proposal must be submitted as a single document and include the following items:

• Identification of the guest editors (at least three): name, institution, e-mail, link to the Lattes CV (or equivalent), and ORCID number for each proponent.
• Title and abstract of up to 500 words, explaining the scope, relevance, and the innovative or emerging nature of the theme.
• Justification of alignment with RBIE and with the field of Computers in Education and Computing Education.
• Preliminary and feasible schedule for preparing the special issue (from the call for articles to publication).
• Estimate of the number of expected submissions and of accepted works.
• A list of at least ten (10) potential reviewers, all holding a doctoral degree, previously contacted and having consented, indicating their qualification, e-mail, and Lattes CV.
• Dissemination plan for the call for articles within the community (optional, but recommended).

The proposal must be signed by the guest editors; the signature of at least one of the guest editors must be digital (for example, an ICP-Brasil certificate or a gov.br signature).

Deadlines and submission

• Call opens: 23 September 2026.
• Submission deadline: 6 November 2026.

Proposals must be sent to revista.rbie@gmail.com, using the official proposal template provided by the journal. The template is available on Overleaf (editable version) and can also be downloaded directly (a .zip file with the LaTeX source and the compiled PDF) at journals-sol.sbc.org.br/…/downloadPublic/181. The template must be compiled with XeLaTeX or LuaLaTeX; when finished, submit the PDF only.

Evaluation criteria

The selection of the highest-quality proposals results from a collaborative assessment by all members of the editorial team, according to the following criteria:

• Fit with the journal and its scope (Computers in Education and Computing Education);
• Relevance and articulation of the theme (unifying character; national/international reach; mature or emerging area);
• Overall quality of the proposal: originality and contribution to the field;
• Completeness of the proposal;
• Experience of the guest editors in editorial work;
• Experience and suitability of the indicated body of reviewers;
• Feasibility of the proposed schedule.

Selection process and outcome

The evaluation will be conducted by RBIE's editorial team, and the outcome is expected to be communicated to the proponents by 27 November 2026. Once selected, the guest editors will be responsible for running the special issue within the agreed schedule, with the support of at least one RBIE editor.

The works of the selected proposal must be submitted online through SBC-OpenLib (SOL) and undergo double-blind peer review. Articles follow RBIE's official LaTeX template (rbie2026), with a trilingual abstract and mandatory ORCID registration. Publication is on a continuous-flow basis: once the final version (camera-ready) is approved, each article receives a DOI and is published in open access under the CC BY 4.0 license, with no fees (APC).