Membership status | Submissions Portal and ISME Account | Authorship | General Instructions for all Abstracts | Session Formats | 
Pathways from Submission to Publication | Other Important Guidelines | Common Submission Mistakes to Avoid | FAQs

The International Society for Music Education (ISME) invites you to share your research, practice and teaching experiences in music education at the 37th ISME World Conference to be held from 26 - 31 July, 2026 at Montreal, Canada.

• All submitting authors must be ISME members at the time of submission as well as registration. 
   
• All co-presenters must be ISME members at the time of registration, when it opens.
   
• Join ISME here or Renew your ISME membership here.

• You will need to use your ISME credentials to log in and access the submission portal.
   
• Please ensure that your ISME account information is up to date
   
• Only current ISME members will have access to the portal for submitting abstracts and/or full papers.
   
• All submissions must be made exclusively through this online portal.
   
• Step to submit
  i. Log in to your ISME account at www.isme.org/login.
  ii. Click the "2026 Conferences: Submit Here" button on the top right corner.
  iii. You’ll be taken to a page displaying your account details. You’ll need these exact details later during submission in step v.
  - Note that if you want to update any information on your profile, click My Account on the top right and scroll down to the cream tiles.
  iv. If your membership is active, a link to the submission portal will be visible on this page. Click the link to proceed to the submission portal.
  v. In the submission portal, enter your details exactly as shown in Step iii.
  vi. If your membership is inactive, the submission link will not appear. You’ll be prompted to renew your membership before proceeding.
   
• Please note that the deadline for all submissions, including full papers, is 30 September, 2025 11:59pm PST. Submissions received after this time will not be considered.

• Criteria for Authorship: All contributors listed on a submission must have made a substantial intellectual contribution to the work presented.
• Corresponding Author: One author must be designated as the main point of contact and must ensure that all listed authors approve the final version before submission.
• Acknowledgment of Support: Those who contributed indirectly (e.g., funding sources, research assistants) should be appropriately recognized.
• Co-author vs Co-presenter: Co-authors may or may not be co-presenters. A co-presenter must be a co-author. The submitting author must also be a presenter.
• Multiple Submissions Policy: An author may present in up to 4 types of submissions in total - including paper presentations, full papers, short presentations, workshops, and panels - but may be the first author on only two of them. You may submit up to 2 poster abstracts.

• Submissions in English will be accepted. 
   
• Abstract Title should not exceed 15 words.
   
• Abstracts should be a maximum of 400 words, except for panels, which may be up to 800 words.
   
• References may be included but will not be counted toward the abstract word count.
   
• Do not include diagrams and tables in abstract (may be included in the full paper, if applicable)
   
• Choose up to 3 keywords that are relevant to your submission
   
• All abstracts must be anonymized. Submissions containing identifying information will not be considered for review.
   
• While it is not mandatory to follow this structure, abstracts generally are reviewed on the following five items:​​​​

1. Theoretical/pedagogical background of the paper 
2. Aim/focus of the work/research reported 
3. Method/approach/modes of inquiry 
4. Results and/or summary of the main ideas 
5. Conclusions and implications for music education

Here is a broad overview of the different types of sessions

Please read the information about Authorship and General Instructions for all Abstracts. 

These are 20-minute paper presentations with 5 minutes for discussion. Only an abstract is required for submission. 
Titles will be included in the conference program, and abstracts will appear in the Abstract book.

Please read the information about Authorship and General Instructions for all Abstracts. 

These sessions follow the 20-minute presentation + 5-minute discussion format. A 3000-word paper must be submitted with the 400 word abstract. Accepted full papers that are presented at the conference will be published in the Conference Proceedings. Full papers must be in English. Presenters should note that Full Paper submissions will be refereed according to a two-stage process:

 

1. Abstracts will be refereed for inclusion as a presentation in the Conference Program. 
2. Full Papers will be refereed for inclusion in the Conference Proceedings. It is possible, therefore, that some Full Paper submissions will be accepted for presentation but will not appear in the Conference Proceedings. Authors should expect to be notified separately of presentation and Full Paper publication decisions. 
   See here for further guidelines on full papers. Download the full paper template here.

Titles will be included in the conference program, and abstracts will appear in the Abstract book. If accepted, full papers will be included in the Conference Proceedings.

Please read the information about Authorship and General Instructions for all Abstracts. 

The sessions are shorter paper presentations, scheduled for 10 mins with 5 mins discussion. These are often grouped around common themes and issues.
Only an abstract is required for submission. Titles will be included in the conference program, and abstracts will appear in the Abstract book.

Please read the information about Authorship and General Instructions for all Abstracts. 

Workshops foster collaboration on shared interests through hands-on activities. Sessions last up to 50 minutes. Presenters must arrange for their own equipment where possible and specify needs, if any, during their submission, though availability is not guaranteed. Only an abstract is required for submission. 

Titles will be included in the conference program, and abstracts will appear in the Abstract book.

Please read the information about Authorship and General Instructions for all Abstracts. 

Poster sessions feature visual displays and informal discussions. Presenters set up posters in a shared space without additional audiovisual equipment. Accepted authors must bring a poster (specifications provided upon acceptance). Only an abstract is required for submission. 

Titles will be included in the conference program, and abstracts will appear in the Abstract book.

Please read the information about Authorship and General Instructions for all Abstracts. 

Panels (also previously referred to as symposia) are 90-minute sessions exploring diverse viewpoints on a focused topic, featuring 3-6 presentations, including a chair, who will ideally submit all the required abstracts. Panelists are responsible for defining the topic, selecting participants, and outlining the session format. Submissions must include an 800-word abstract that outlines the overall theme of the session and briefly summarizes each presenter’s topic. Remember not to include any identifying information in the abstract - co-panelists may be labeled as Participant #1, Participant #2, etc. Chairs and discussants must be ISME members and should possess relevant expertise to effectively guide the session. 

Titles will be included in the conference program, and abstracts will appear in the Abstract book.

• All accepted abstracts will be considered for inclusion in the Abstract Book once the submitting author (and co-presenters, if applicable) register for the conference
   
• All accepted full papers will be considered for publication in the Conference Proceedings only if the author(s)/co-presenters present the paper at the Montreal conference. 
   

Fig. 1: Pathways to getting published in the Abstract Book

Fig. 2: Pathways to getting published in the Abstract Book and/or Conference Proceedings

• Originality of submissions. Do not submit the same proposal for a Commission preconference seminar and the World Conference. Submissions that have been previously published or presented at other professional meetings are not eligible.
   
• Anonymization. All submissions - including panels - must be made without author identification, for blind review. Submissions that are not blinded will be automatically rejected. 
  Note: References may include citations from the author(s) if applicable.
   
• Special requests. Workshop submissions must include details of any equipment, instruments, or facilities that you will require and cannot provide yourself. Conference organizers cannot guarantee to meet your needs but will try their best to accommodate your request.
   
• Selling resources. If your submission is accepted for presentation please note that sessions should not be used to sell resources, publications or other products.

At the time of a Full Paper submission, presenters must indicate agreement with the following copyright conditions:

Copyright Agreement:
I hereby assign to the International Society for Music Education (ISME), copyright of the Full Paper I am now submitting for use by the Society in all formats and through any medium of communication if it is accepted for Publication in the refereed Conference Proceedings.

• I understand that the Full Paper I am submitting will be refereed for possible inclusion in the Conference Proceedings and that it may also appear on the ISME website. 
• I confirm that the Full Paper is original and has not been published previously nor is currently under consideration elsewhere, that I have obtained all necessary permissions for the reproduction of content not owned by me (e.g., illustrations, photographs, charts, and other visual material, etc.), and that the Contribution contains no unlawful statements and does not infringe any rights of others.
• I understand that I will retain copyright of the original submission for purposes of duplicating the article, placing it on my personal and institutional websites, etc., but will give ISME the first and exclusive rights to publish the ISME-formatted and edited version in print or online in ISME Conference Proceedings and/or journals.
• I understand that if my Full Paper is not selected for publication in the Conference Proceedings, then upon such notification the copyright will revert back to me (the author).

• Uploading papers with author identification. All abstract uploads for submissions for papers (paper presentation, full, short), posters, panels, and workshops must be submitted without author identification. 
   
• Exceeding the word limit. Make sure the abstracts adhere to the word limit.
   
• Duplicate submissions. Each abstract must only be submitted once under one topic/subtheme. Please do not re-submit the same abstract under a different topic/subtheme. Do not submit the same abstract for a Preconference Seminar and the World Conference.

• Do I need to be an ISME Member to submit to the ISME 2026 World Conference? 
  Yes, you MUST be an ISME Member to submit. All presenters and co-presenters must be ISME members. 

• What is the deadline for the 2026 ISME World Conference Submissions? 
  30 September, 2025 11:59pm PST
   
• What is the difference between paper presentation and full papers? 
  Paper presentation and full papers have the same presentation format (20 mins + 5 mins discussion). The key difference is that full papers require both a 400-word abstract and a 3000-word full paper, while paper presentations need only the 400-word abstract at the time of submission.
   
• What is the difference between paper presentation and short papers? 
  Both paper presentation and short papers require a 400-word abstract (no tables/images). Short papers get 10 mins + 5 mins discussion, while paper presentation get 20 mins + 5 mins discussion at the conference.
   
• What is the word count for an abstract? 
  All submissions require a 400 word abstract, except for Panels.
  For Panels, please submit an 800-word abstract that outlines the overall theme of the session and briefly summarizes each presenter’s topic.
   
• What structure should my abstract have?
  While it is not mandatory to follow this structure, abstracts generally are reviewed on the following five items: 

1. Theoretical/pedagogical background of the paper 
2. Aim/focus of the work/research reported 
3. Method/approach/modes of inquiry 
4. Results and/or summary of the main ideas 
5. Conclusions and implications for music education

• Can I submit the same abstract under more than one topic/subtheme? 
  No. You may submit different abstracts under the same or different topics/subthemes.

 

• Can I submit the same abstract to a pre-conference seminar and the world conference? 
  No. 
   
• How many times can I be listed as the first author or participant in the program? 
  An author may submit up to 4 abstracts in total - including paper presentations, full papers, short presentations, workshops, and panels - but may be the first author on only two of them. You may submit up to 2 poster abstracts.
   
• Is there a limit on the number of co-authors on my paper? 
  No. There is no limit for co authors listed as long as they all contributed to the paper (see table for exceptions on Workshops and Panels).
   
• Is there a limit on the number of co-presenters on my paper? 
  Yes. All submissions (except panels) allow 1–2 presenters per session. Panels must have 3–6 panelists.
   
• What do I do if I forgot to add my co-author? 
  You can log in and edit your Fourwaves account, including adding coauthors.

1. Log in to the submission site using the email address you provided on the original form.
2. In your dashboard, select the Participant role and navigate to the Submissions tab. Choose the submission for which you want to update the author's affiliation or university.
3. From the side menu on the right, click on Edit submission. You can make changes to your submission until the deadline for all submissions.
    

• Do I need to use a specific format or style, such as APA? 
  No, you do not need to use a specific style for the abstract. For full papers APA 7th edition is preferred.
   
• Why is my submission removed from consideration? 
  Submissions are removed from consideration if you do not follow ISME policies. The main reasons could be when you: 
  • submit a proposal to write a paper rather than a complete paper (though the paper may be preliminary); 
  • include author identification; 
  • exceed the word limit (there are different word limits for papers and symposia and workshop submissions);
  • submit the same paper to more than one conference topic; 
  • submit a paper that has been previously presented or published
     
• Can I change the conference topic I am submitting to after I have already submitted? 
  You can change the topic you submit if the submission deadline has not passed.
   
• I submitted my paper to a journal for publication (or to another conference for presentation). Can I still submit to ISME? 
  Yes, as long as the paper has not been previously published or presented. If you find out after submitting to ISME that your paper has been accepted for publication or presentation at another conference, you can still present at ISME as long as the publication or presentation date is after ISME. If it is before, you should withdraw the submission from ISME.
   
• What if my affiliation/university has changed and I want to update my information? 
  Once you log in to your ISME account, you can click the “My Account” link to edit your profile.
   
• Do I need to create a Fourwaves Account?
  While it is not mandatory to sign up for the Fourwaves submission portal, doing so will enable you to edit your work after submission. Additionally, please note that uploading a profile picture and bio to the submission portal is optional and not required for submission.
   
• How do I submit multiple abstracts?
  1. Go to the abstract submission link again through your ISME login.
  2. Fill in another form using the same email ID
  OR If you have signed up for Fourwaves, you will be able to view all of your submissions.

• 2026 ISME World Conference: Call for Papers
• Guidelines for Authors
• Presentation and Publications Ethics 
• Guidelines for Full Paper Submissions