TL;DR

• Involve publishes research co-authored by students at any level.

• Every submission requires at least one student author and one faculty mentor.

• Papers must be original mathematics, not surveys or expository work.

• Submissions go through the Michigan Mathematical Journal submission portal.

• Formatting must follow Involve's LaTeX template before you submit.

You have done the mathematics. You have written it up. Now you want to know whether Involve: A Journal of Mathematics is the right place to send it, and exactly how to submit. That question deserves a direct answer, not a vague overview of academic publishing in general.

Involve is one of the few peer-reviewed mathematics journals that explicitly requires student involvement in every paper it publishes. That single requirement changes the calculus for high school and undergraduate researchers significantly. It means the journal is designed for you, not merely open to you.

This guide walks through the submission process from start to finish, covering eligibility, formatting, what editors look for, and what happens after you submit. If you want a broader view of how peer-reviewed publication works before reading on, the post on how to submit a research paper to a peer-reviewed journal is a useful starting point.

What Is Involve: A Journal of Mathematics?

Involve: A Journal of Mathematics is a peer-reviewed journal published by Mathematical Sciences Publishers (MSP). It publishes original research in all areas of mathematics, with the specific requirement that each paper has at least one student co-author. The journal was founded in 2008 and is indexed in MathSciNet and Zentralblatt MATH, two of the primary indexing databases for mathematical research.

The journal's scope covers pure mathematics, applied mathematics, and mathematical physics. It does not publish surveys, literature reviews, or expository articles. Every submission must present new results. That standard is the same as any serious research journal. The student co-authorship requirement does not lower the mathematical bar.

Involve is a legitimate venue for high school students who have conducted original research under faculty supervision. It is also where many undergraduate researchers publish their first peer-reviewed paper. Understanding that context matters because it tells you what the editors are expecting: real mathematics, clearly written, with a qualified mentor attached.

Who Can Submit to Involve: A Journal of Mathematics?

Any paper with at least one student co-author and at least one faculty or professional mathematician co-author is eligible for submission to Involve. The student can be at any level, including high school. There is no minimum age or grade requirement stated in the journal's published guidelines.

The faculty co-author is not optional. Involve's submission guidelines, published on the MSP website, state clearly that each paper must include a faculty or other professional mathematician as a co-author. This person is expected to have supervised the research and to vouch for the mathematical integrity of the work. If you are a high school student, this means you need a qualified mentor before you submit, not after.

The faculty co-author requirement also means that Involve is not the right venue for independent student work that has had no professional oversight. If your research has been conducted entirely alone, consider seeking a mentor at a local university or through a research programme before approaching this journal. If you are still figuring out how to identify the best journal for your specific paper, the guide on how to choose the right journal for your research paper covers that decision in detail.

If you want structured help preparing your manuscript before submission, Publication Compass is building a platform that helps student researchers go from draft to submission-ready paper with AI-guided feedback and journal matching.

How to Format Your Paper for Involve: A Journal of Mathematics Submission

Involve requires submissions in LaTeX format using the journal's own document class. The MSP website provides a downloadable LaTeX template specifically for Involve. You must use this template. Submissions in Microsoft Word or plain PDF without the correct style file will not be processed.

Here is the formatting sequence to follow before you submit:

1. Download the MSP LaTeX package from the Mathematical Sciences Publishers website at msp.org.

2. Select the Involve journal class file from the package.

3. Write or transfer your paper into the template, preserving all required fields including abstract, keywords, and author information.

4. Compile the LaTeX file and check that all figures, tables, and references render correctly in the output PDF.

5. Confirm that your bibliography uses a consistent citation format. Involve follows standard mathematical bibliography conventions, typically author-year or numbered references consistent with the AMS style.

The abstract is particularly important. It should state the main result of the paper in plain terms, without assuming the reader knows your specific subfield. Editors use the abstract to make initial decisions about fit and quality. A vague or overly technical abstract slows the process down. For practical guidance on writing an abstract that editors will actually read, see the post on how to write an abstract journal editors read.

How to Submit to Involve: A Journal of Mathematics Step by Step

Submissions to Involve are handled through the MSP Editorial Manager system, accessible via the journal's page on msp.org. The process is fully online. There is no email submission option listed in the current guidelines.

Follow these steps to complete your submission:

1. Go to msp.org and navigate to the Involve journal page.

2. Create an account in the MSP submission system if you do not already have one. Both the student author and the faculty co-author will need accounts.

3. Prepare your submission package. This includes the main LaTeX source file, any figure files, the compiled PDF, and a cover letter.

4. Write a cover letter addressed to the editors. The cover letter should state the title of the paper, confirm that the work is original and not under review elsewhere, identify the student and faculty co-authors by name, and briefly describe the main result. For a detailed walkthrough of what to include, the guide on how to write a cover letter for journal submission is directly applicable.

5. Upload all files through the submission portal and confirm the submission. You will receive an automated acknowledgement with a manuscript number.

Involve does not charge submission fees or publication fees for most papers. Mathematical Sciences Publishers operates on a non-profit model, and Involve is an open-access journal funded through library subscriptions and institutional support. Confirm the current fee status on the MSP website before submitting, as policies can change.

One important rule: do not submit the same paper to another journal while it is under review at Involve. This is called simultaneous submission and it violates standard academic publishing ethics as outlined by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). If you are unsure about this rule, the post on whether you can submit the same paper to two journals explains exactly why it matters and what the consequences are.

What Happens After You Submit to Involve?

After submission, the editors conduct an initial check to confirm that the paper meets basic requirements: correct format, student co-authorship, and mathematical content that falls within scope. Papers that pass this check are sent to peer reviewers, typically two or three mathematicians with expertise in the relevant area.

Peer review at Involve follows a single-blind process, meaning reviewers know who the authors are, but authors do not know who the reviewers are. Review timelines in mathematics tend to be longer than in some other fields. A response within three to six months is common, though this varies by subject area and reviewer availability. MSP does not publish a specific average review time for Involve on its website, so treat any estimate as approximate.

Possible outcomes after review are as follows:

1. Accept with minor revisions. The paper is accepted in principle but needs small corrections before final publication.

2. Major revisions required. The paper has potential but needs substantial reworking. You will receive detailed reviewer comments.

3. Reject with encouragement. The paper is not accepted in its current form, but the editors indicate it could be resubmitted after significant changes.

4. Reject. The paper does not meet the journal's standards or is outside scope.

If you receive revision requests, respond systematically. Address every reviewer comment in a separate response document, explaining what you changed and why, or why you chose not to change something. This response document is as important as the revised paper itself.

Other Mathematics Journals Worth Knowing

Involve is not the only option for student mathematics researchers. Knowing the landscape helps you make a better decision about where your paper fits. The Journal of Emerging Investigators publishes student research across STEM fields including mathematics, and the submission process is covered in the Journal of Emerging Investigators submission guide. The Journal of Student Research also accepts mathematics papers from high school and undergraduate students, and their scope and requirements are worth reviewing before you decide.

Involve sits at the more rigorous end of the student publication spectrum. If your paper presents a genuinely new mathematical result and has been developed with faculty supervision, Involve is an appropriate and credible target. If your paper is more exploratory or expository in nature, a different venue may be a better fit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a high school student publish in Involve: A Journal of Mathematics?

Yes. Involve accepts papers from student co-authors at any level, including high school. The journal's published guidelines on msp.org do not set a minimum age or grade. The requirement is that a professional mathematician co-authors and supervises the research. The mathematical quality of the paper is what determines acceptance, not the student's age.

Does Involve: A Journal of Mathematics charge publication fees?

Involve does not charge standard article processing fees. Mathematical Sciences Publishers operates Involve as part of a non-profit publishing model. However, you should verify the current fee policy directly on the MSP website before submitting, as policies can be updated without notice.

How long does peer review take at Involve?

Peer review in mathematics typically takes several months. Involve does not publish a stated average review time. A realistic expectation is three to six months for an initial decision, though complex papers or busy review periods can extend this. The MSP submission system allows you to check your manuscript status after submission.

What kind of mathematics does Involve publish?

Involve publishes original research across all areas of mathematics, including pure mathematics, applied mathematics, combinatorics, number theory, analysis, and mathematical physics. It does not publish surveys or expository work. Every paper must present new results. The journal's scope page on msp.org lists accepted subject classifications in detail.

What should the cover letter for Involve include?

A cover letter for Involve should state the paper title, confirm the work is original and not under review elsewhere, name all co-authors with their affiliations, identify which authors are students, and summarise the main mathematical result in two or three sentences. Keep it under one page. The editors are mathematicians, not marketers, so write plainly and precisely.

Final Thoughts

Submitting to Involve: A Journal of Mathematics is a structured process with clear requirements. Get the faculty co-authorship in place first. Format your paper using the MSP LaTeX template. Write a precise cover letter. Submit through the MSP portal and wait for peer review. Respond to reviewer comments carefully if revisions are requested. Each step is manageable when you know what is expected.

The mathematics is the hard part. The submission process is learnable. For more on navigating academic publishing as a student researcher, the Publication Compass blog covers the full range of topics from formatting citations to choosing the right journal for your work.