Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Can I publish my research in the URNCST Journal? What are the eligibility criteria?

The URNCST Journal’s mission is to showcase the highest-quality undergraduate research. If you are an undergraduate conference or case competition planning committee member and wish to have your event's abstract book published, please reach out to us at editor@urncst.com. If you are an individual undergraduate researcher, unlike other undergraduate research journals, the URNCST Journal typically only accepts manuscript submissions from individual authors on an invitation basis only; unsolicited manuscripts should be first discussed with the editor. There are two main ways in which you may receive invitations: 1) they were a presenter at a conference for which the URNCST Journal published the abstract book (and were subsequently invited via the conference planning committee) or 2) you participated in the URNCST Journal Mentored Paper Competition or the URNCST Journal Artificial Intelligence-Assisted Encyclopedia Entry Initiative and your abstract was deemed to be of high enough quality to be invited to write a full-length article. In addition to being invited to submit a manuscript, first authors must be undergraduate researchers at the time the study was conducted or protocol was written (if you have since graduated and moved on, you are still eligible). Undergraduates and non-undergraduates may serve as any author other than first provided that they meet the journal’s authorship criteria. You may find it helpful to review the URNCST Journal's Aims and Scope.

 

I was invited to submit a manuscript to the URNCST Journal. Why should I publish my research in the URNCST Journal?

Each year, many undergraduate students spend many days, weeks, or even months working on a research project, however, few ever have the opportunity to formally publish their work. The URNCST Journal team is comprised of graduate students, graduate and/or professional degree holders, and research faculty who are well aware that the final step in the research experience is as equally important as all the steps that preceded it, hence the URNCST Journal was created to provide undergraduate students with this valuable opportunity. Publishing your research in the URNCST Journal provides you, as the undergraduate student, with the necessary skillsets required to further your career as a future researcher.

 

I am an undergraduate researcher with an excellent manuscript, however, I was not invited to submit a manuscript. Is there any possibility to still publish my work in the URNCST Journal?

As mentioned above, the URNCST Journal occasionally considers these types of submissions, however, if you believe that your research is of particular importance and interest to the journal, we encourage you to reach out to the editor at editor@urncst.com. The editor will review unsolicited manuscripts on a case-by-case basis and make a final decision as to whether it will be considered for publication. Please do not submit unsolicited manuscripts to the journal without first contacting the editor, as such submissions will be subjected to immediate rejection.

 

Can I publish my research in the URNCST Journal if I didn’t have a supervisor?

In most cases, it is expected that an undergraduate researcher will have trained under the supervision of a research scientist at a university. For example, if you worked in a laboratory and used the materials there to conduct your research, it is required that your supervisor be an author on your manuscript. In rare circumstances where you completed a review on your own, without any supervision, you should acquire a supervisor to review over your methodologies prior to submitting your manuscript to the URNCST Journal. Please note that in case of acceptance, you are still responsible for acquring the funding associated with the article publishing fee.

 

I am about to/I am in the process of writing a manuscript for the URNCST Journal, however, I am concerned that I am not a very strong writer. Do you have any resources that you can recommend?

Learning to write clearly and effectively is extremely important in academic writing, as is ensuring that your writing is free of plagiarism and adheres to good citation practices. Purdue University has created the Purdue Online Writing Lab, which serves as an excellent resource for learning about good writing practices, and all authors are encouraged to visit this site before writing/submitting a manuscript to the URNCST Journal.

 

Does it cost anything to publish in the URNCST Journal?

The URNCST Journal is a publication sustained by article processing fees and limited advertisements. These funds are used to maintaining our open access system and server, peer-review, copyediting, and typesetting. Please be sure to read our Fee Schedule carefully. Depending on how you were invited, promotional discounts may apply (i.e. partnership between the URNCST Journal and a conference to reduce the article processing fee). If you have already received your publishing agreement, the article processing fee due is shown in this document. You should ensure that you have funding secured in case of acceptance BEFORE making a submission.

 

I have a great article that I’d like to publish in the URNCST Journal but I cannot afford the publication fee, what should I do?

Paying the publication fee out of pocket, even in the case of being a single author, should be your last resort. Prior to making a submission to the URNCST Journal, you should first consult your supervisor to determine whether s/he has available funds that they dedicate to open access journal publication fees. If your supervisor is agreeable to you making a submission to the URNCST Journal but does not have funding, you should speak to them about other funding opportunities and/or contact your department or institute for any available funding. Funding may also be available in the form of university-wide or regional research funds.

 

I am a graduate student, graduate and/or professional degree holder, or research faculty member who supports the publication and dissemination of undergraduate research. How can I get involved with URNCST Journal?

We are so glad that you support our cause! Please read more about how the URNCST Journal is governed and how you can join our team here.

 

I have published an article or abstract in the URNCST Journal and I seek a reference letter or verifier. From whom should I make this request?

Congratulations on publishing your work in the URNCST Journal! If you require a reference letter or verifier for your publication, we recommend that you reach out to the supervisor who guided the completion of your research project and/or the head of your department/organization. If you are the author of an abstract for a conference that partnered with the URNCST Journal, please also consider reaching out to the conference's planning committee. As we publish research for hundreds of authors per year, unfortunately, a representative from the URNCST Journal is unable to provide you with a reference letter or serve as a verifier unless you have served as a staff member for the publication. If you participated in a journal-run initiative such as the URNCST Journal Mentored Paper, please reach out to your mentor directly.