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SUBMISSION GUIDELINES


Eligibility


Criterion and eligibility for review and potential publication in Ukweli is as follows:

  • The first author must be a Howard University undergraduate student or has been, and is within one year from graduation at the time of the Call for Submissions announcement.
  • A submission cannot already be undergoing review in another publication. It may be submitted to another journal following review by Ukweli.
  • All author(s) must consent to publication if the submission is selected for publication.


    • The types of submissions considered for review by Ukweli are:

  • Original Research Article: details novel research completed by an undergraduate student and describes the input to a particular field of study.
  • Literature Review: analyzes scholarly sources including journal articles or books and their connection to a specific research question.
  • Photo Essay: creates a visual narrative through a sequence of photographs.
  • Research Report: summarizes information from a previously conducted research project.

    • Research conducted in a research laboratory or center, during a summer research opportunity, in a course, during study abroad, and personal individual or group research projects are all welcome.”



    Formatting


    Submissions to Ukweli must not exceed 40 pages, including all figures/tables and references. The submission should be formatted in Times New Roman 12-point font. Research articles, literature reviews, and research reports must be double spaced. Please upload your file as a .docx, .doc, or .pdf. The document submitted must be an anonymous copy i.e. all identifiers including names, emails, and lab information must be removed from the submitted document. Figures and tables must be appropriately and consistently referenced, labelled, and marked. Captions for figures must be below images. Titles for tables must be above the table. Citations must be formatted in footnotes embedded within the main text. References should be formatted as follows: Authors (Year). Title. Source/Journal/Book. Volume, Page Numbers.

    The submission should be of a similar structure and style to that of typical articles published in professional journals within the respective field. Submissions may include the following sections:

  • Abstract
  • Introduction
  • Methods
  • Results
  • Discussions
  • Figures/Tables
  • References


    • Citations / References
    Please use MLA style formatting for research submitted to the Humanities section. Please use APA style formatting for research submitted to the Social Sciences or STEM sections. Resources for formatting using MLA style can be found here, and resources for formatting using APA style can be found here.


    Research Advisor Approval
    Prior to submission, you must have approval from your lab’s principal investigator to publish your work with YURJ if this work was done in a group. Prior to submission, please receive approval from your professor to publish your work with YURJ if your submission was a paper originally written for a course. If the entirety of your submission is original (meaning not written as part of a class assignment AND all included data was gathered by and rightfully belongs to you), there is no need to obtain approval from a faculty member.



    Author Profile (Optional)
    After your piece is accepted for submission, you may submit a headshot to accompany your published article in print with a short biographical blurb, 50-100 words. Symposia, YURJ’s sister publication, will reach out for optional interviews with all final accepted authors to accompany each YURJ print edition as an online supplement.



    Are you ready to submit?

    Submit to Ukweli - The Howard University Undergraduate Research Journal

    FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

    What are the submission requirements for the journal?
    • The first author must be Howard University undergraduate.
    • All submissions must be accompanied by an abstract and summary as described in the submission form.
    Are there specific formatting guidelines for the submission?

    The formatting guidelines are as follows:

    • Submissions may not exceed 40 pages, including all figures/tables and references.
    • The submission should be formatted in Times New Roman 12-point font. Research articles, literature reviews, and research reports must be double spaced.
    • The document submitted must be an anonymous copy i.e. all identifiers including names, emails, and lab information must be removed from the submitted document.
    • Please upload your file as a .docx, .doc, or .pdf.
    • Figures and tables must be appropriately and consistently referenced, labelled, and marked. Captions for figures must be below images. Titles for tables must be above the table.
    • Citations must be formatted in footnotes embedded within the main text. References should be formatted as follows: Authors (Year). Title. Source/Journal/Book. Volume, Page Numbers.
    • Please use MLA style formatting for research submitted to the Humanities section. Please use APA style formatting for research submitted to the Social Sciences or STEM sections. Resources for formatting using MLA style can be found here, and resources for formatting using APA style can be found here.
    When is the deadline to submit articles?
    The deadline to submit articles for the Spring 2021 Issue is November 20, 2020. However, manuscripts submitted after this date will be reviewed on a rolling basis for another publication year.
    What types of research (disciplines) are showcased in the journal?
    The research disciplines include Natural Sciences & Engineering, Humanities & Social Sciences, Business, Fine Arts, Education.

    Therefore with this in mind, formal research papers will be encompassed, but to expand the diversity of the journal to a more interdisciplinary focus, course essays, senior theses, study abroad write-ups, case studies, reviews, op-eds (rooted in comprehensive research and factual information) are all acceptable forms for submissions and will be considered for publication.
    When is the journal released?
    The journal will be published biannually (Fall/Sep-Oct, Spring/Mar-Apr) after its original publication cycle of only one published journal for the academic year of 2020-2021.
    Can I submit if my research is still ongoing?
    If your research is ongoing, you may still submit your paper for consideration. The research must be completed by the time the journal is published. However, submissions cannot be published or undergoing review in another publication.
    Can I submit multiple articles during the same submission period?
    Yes, you can submit multiple articles during the same submission period.
    What do I do if my research fits into multiple categories?
    You may select multiple categories when submitting your research from our drop-down menu of included disciplines. It will be considered in the areas you select.
    How does the review process work?
    You submit your article during the 1-2 month submission period. If selected, a reviewer will contact you with any edits that need to be made for the publication in the next semester. Reviewers are both undergraduate students with experience reviewing research papers as well as faculty members.
    Can I submit to Ukweli if my research was conducted in a group?
    Yes, all author(s) must consent to publication if their manuscript is selected for publication.
    If the author is graduating before the publication date, can they still submit?
    Yes, all undergraduates as well as graduated students within one year of graduation date may submit an article to be reviewed.
    What happens once an essay is submitted?
    The submissions are received by the editors-in-chief, who forward the anonymous submissions to two members of the Discipline-Specific Student Review team who will not know the identity of the other individual with your submission. The members of the review team will review the articles and send any necessary corrections to the author. Following this process, the author will be notified if their piece is selected for publication.
    If my submission is not selected can I resubmit the same one?
    Authors who wish to submit a submission that was first unsuccessful in the peer review process should feel free to resubmit during submission periods following feedback, notes and commentary provided by the Discipline-Specific Student Review Team.
    If my article has already been published in a journal, can I still submit it?
    Submissions to the journal cannot be undergoing review in another publication. Manuscripts may be published in other journals once the Ukweli review period is complete.