Journal Purpose Statement

The URC Undergraduate Research Journal is an annual online national, reviewed journal dedicated to the publication of undergraduate student research. The twofold purpose of the journal is to foster and reward the scholarly efforts of undergraduate human sciences students as well as to provide a valuable learning experience. The articles represent primarily the work of the undergraduate student(s). Faculty members, who deserve recognition, are identified by an asterisk next to their names.

Undergraduate research not only bridges the gap between knowledge and experience but has the benefit of laying the groundwork for career exploration and development. The opportunity for undergraduates to publish in a national journal is an added value to the overall education experience and to the process of self-discovery.

The articles published in this journal will reflect appropriate scope and complexity for excellent undergraduate work. The basis for accepting papers for publication is the agreement among three reviewers (two professionals and one peer) that the project and design are strong representatives of introductory level research.

Instructions for Authors

The URC Undergraduate Research Journal encourages undergraduate students to submit papers for consideration. Submissions are accepted for review on an ongoing basis (no specific deadline). Papers may represent a full range of research design, including experiments, surveys, case studies, and documentary research. Themes of research may include, but are not limited to, integrative, cross specialization research; service learning research; and traditional research in the specializations. See Guidelines for Submissions.

1. The primary author of a submitted paper must be an undergraduate student. Papers from graduate students will be accepted only if the work was completed as an undergraduate student. Additional authors other than the primary author may include other undergraduate students and the faculty mentor or supervisor.

2. Only original papers (not published or accepted for publication elsewhere) will be accepted. (Oral or poster presentations with printed abstracts do not count as published papers.) If you intend to publish elsewhere, be sure to prevent possible copyright issues.

3. Manuscripts may be 1000 - 3500 words or longer if approved by the Editor.

4. All papers must be prepared according to the guidelines for authors for the discipline represented. 

For example, Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.). The manual can be found in your library, or see the APA Web site, www.apastyle.org, for information about ordering. The guidelines are summarized in 

Link to URC APA Guidelines for Authors

Link to Purdue University APA Guidelines for Author

          Link to University of Washington AMA Style Guide - AMA Manual of Style, 
        9th ed., 1998.

        Link to Purdue University MLA Formatting and Style 

5. If human subjects are used, a statement must be included to indicate institutional Internal Review Board (IRB) approval of the research.

6. Copyright statement: All rights reserved by the Undergraduate Research Community.

7. What to submit:

a. An e-mail attachment of the complete paper. Verify that the file is virus-free. The following PC formats are acceptable: Microsoft Word, WordPerfect, or Rich Text Format.

b. Cover page including name, mailing address, telephone, e-mail address, a short biographical sketch, and IRB statement.

c. Keywords (5-8) on the cover page. The main purpose of keywords is to enable successful searching in a database for the main message of your paper. When selecting keywords always think about how any reader might interrogate the database. 

d. Short abstract (2-4 sentences).

e. Camera-ready graphics and photographs, PowerPoint files, or .jpg graphic files are welcome.

f. A sponsoring statement from the faculty supervisor who attests: (a) that the supervisor has read and critiqued the manuscript and (b) that the planning, execution, and writing of the manuscript represent primarily the work of the undergraduate student(s).

Criteria for Acceptance

The following seven criteria will be used in reviewing the papers for publication.

• Relevance to the human sciences
• Justification for the study
• Subject mastery & originality
• Technical mastery
• Logical organization
• Appropriate documentation
• Consistent use of style manual (APA, MLA, etc.)

Submit all papers to:

URC/URJ Call for Papers
4990 Northwind Drive, Suite 140, East Lansing, MI 48823-5031
(T) 517.351.8335 - (F) 517.351.8336 - dmitstifer@kon.org

Undergraduate Research Journal for the Human Sciences
Evaluation Form

B. Writing Style

C. Recommendation

______ 1. Accept as is

______ 2. Accept pending revisions

______ 3. Reject

Return the manuscripts and evaluation forms to:

URC/URJ, 4990 Northwind Drive, Suite 140, East Lansing, MI 48823-5031

Undergraduate Research Journal for the Human Sciences
Evaluation Form

Reviewer’s Comments to Managing Editor:

Please make explicit the basis of the evaluation comments and final recommendation. Comment on specific issues that the author can address directly.