3 Things to Consider When Publishing High School Research
Once you’re enrolled in a Scholar Launch research program, you can count on a few things: you will have hands-on guidance when deciding what to research and how, you will be coached on the appropriate methodology for your project, and you will have every opportunity to fine-tune your research until it reaches its greatest potential.
Our expert faculty advisors are here to make these benchmarks a reality for all of our dedicated scholars.
So, if you decide to publish your research upon completion of your program, you can at least be sure that the results of your hard work will be high quality and, therefore, primed for publication. There are, however, a few things to consider before you start trying to publish your high school research.
All Good Things Take Time
By publishing your research, you increase your chances of receiving grants, scholarships, internships, job opportunities, and so much more. Aside from the personal benefits, you could pave the way to additional funding and recognition for your entire academic community. However, consider this: how much time do you have on your hands?
Before you embark on this journey, it’s important to keep in mind that getting published doesn’t happen overnight. Once you factor in how much time it takes to prepare for submission, implement journals’ requested revisions after submitting your work, and the institutions’ internal timelines and availability, the process of getting published can take a few months to a year or more.
Therefore, honing your patience and having a well-structured strategy ahead of time is key. To do this, choose the journals you want to be published in wisely.
Target Journals with Wisdom and Precision
As an industry standard, simultaneous submissions or submitting your research to more than one journal at a time are against the rules. Peer-reviewed journals won’t even consider publishing research that another journal has already considered. The practice of intentionally duplicating publications is widely accepted to be unethical and may result in rejection, retraction, and a ruined academic reputation.
Students and other researchers must wait until their submission is rejected by a journal before they try their hand elsewhere. That said, it’s imperative that you be strategic about which journals you’re submitting to so you don’t waste inordinate amounts of time.
It’s good practice to submit to journals you’re already familiar with, so you have an innate understanding of their mission, voice, culture, and community. It goes without saying that you must also remember to ensure they accept high school research.
Here are some other considerations when choosing a journal to submit to:
The subject area the journal addresses
The journal’s reputation and target audience
The nuances of the editorial process (peer-reviewed, non-peer-reviewed, student-led, etc.)
The scope of the journal (local, statewide, international, etc.)
Another vital factor to getting published is a subject many don’t like to discuss: money.
The Industry of Academic Research Can Be Costly
The truth is that research journals have to keep the lights on somehow. In the digital OA (open access) era, subscriber revenue doesn’t fund these publications the way it once did. Therefore, many journals assess fees in the form of publication charges to ensure they can continue to provide academic communities with quality content.
These charges–which depend on the publisher, journal, and access type–can range from $50 to $10,000 or more per article. Submission or membership fees, which are charged before you submit your manuscript, are common. Many researchers are familiar with APCs, or article processing charges, which can be required for publishing OA articles.
Other fees, like page and color charges, may also apply, but publishing charges depend on the journal. So, it’s important to be thorough when selecting your journal and discerning when vetting predatory publications that value profit over journalistic integrity.
We realize publishing costs could present obstacles to students submitting their work, which is why we encourage you to seek out journals that allow high school students to publish for free, like:
We love to see our students take their Scholar Launch research to the next level and pursue publication. Keep these tips in mind as you complete your program, or consider joining one, and always lean on the expertise and guidance of your faculty advisors for assistance.
For more information about pursuing research with Scholar Launch, contact us.