Instructions for authors
All submissions should adhere to our submission guidelines. Articles should satisfy one of the following categories:
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Review: A review is a balanced, informative analysis of a current issue in science that also incorporates the author’s insights. It discusses research, concepts, media, policy, or events of a scientific nature. Word count: 750 - 2,000
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Original research: This is a documentation of an experiment or survey that you did yourself. You are encouraged to bring in relevant outside knowledge as long as you clearly state your sources. Word count: 750 - 2,500
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Op-Ed: An op-ed is a persuasive article or a statement of opinion. All op-ed articles make one or more claims and support them with evidence. Word count: 750 - 1,500
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DIY: A DIY piece introduces a scientific project or procedure that readers can conduct themselves. It should contain clear, thorough instructions accompanied by diagrams and pictures if necessary. Word count: 500 - 1,000
We cannot accept papers above word count, we can only defer or reject them, even if they are a priority submission. There are no exceptions to word count.
Selection Process
JOURNYS does not accept articles on a first-come-first-serve basis, rather we accept articles after an intricate review process that we can only finalize after all articles are submitted. We do begin reviewing articles as they are submitted, however we cannot send out acceptances or rejections until all submissions are received.
We select articles based on a few key aspects:
Engagement
Will you article be interesting and understandable to our audience?
STEM
Does your article show sound logic and reputable, scientific practices?
Editing
How polished is your article? Does it require more work on grammar than content?
Design
How well have you followed our guidelines for our layout and design?
Editing PRocess
JOURNYS typically spends 3-4 months per issue after the submission deadline to publish an issue. We pride ourselves on reputability; we rigorously push articles through both peer review and Scientist Review Board editing stages to ensure fluid writing and sound accuracy.
Staff Peer-Review
We recruit high school staff editors every new issue to proofread articles for flow and grammar. Interested in editing? Apply as a staff editor!
Scientist Review Board
To ensure our articles are accurate and high-quality, we reach out to experts from all over the world to review articles after the peer-review process. We strive to have the level of reputability between a high school paper and a collegiate-level scientific journal.
A note on author participation:
We engage in an ACTIVE review process once articles are submitted. We expect authors to have a certain level of professionalism; if you are selected, we expect you to reply to emails in a timely manner and actively engage with our staff editors and scientist review board members. Your articles are not guaranteed publication even on acceptance - we, like every other serious, scientific journal, participate in an editing cycle that requires author commitment and revision.
Graphics and design
In addition to our editing team, JOURNYS has unique and vibrant graphics and design teams that produce the beautiful issues in our issue archive. By combining technical text with representative graphics and engaging design layouts, we strive to give both an informative and enjoyable reading experience to our peers.
JOURNYS as a community brings together a variety of students with diverse talents in STEM, journalism, art, design, marketing, and more. We feel the resounding effects of collaboration every time we produce an article. Please enjoy the aesthetic yet enriching and informative issues in our issue archive!