Guidelines for Student Research Journals

This article provides a comprehensive guide to the guidelines for student research journals, drawing upon the practices and requirements of several journals to offer a consolidated resource for aspiring student researchers.

Manuscript Types Accepted

The American Journal of Student Research (AJSR) primarily accepts several manuscript types authored by undergraduate or high school students:

Original Research: These reports present original findings obtained through experiments, surveys, or other systematic research methodologies. They typically follow the IMRADC format (Introduction, Methods and Materials, Results, Discussion, and Conclusion).
Narrative Review: This type of manuscript summarizes and synthesizes existing literature to provide an overview of a specific topic. Narrative reviews do not follow the IMRADC format but are organized around logical themes or conceptual frameworks.
Systematic Review: A literature review that uses transparent and reproducible methods to identify, appraise, and synthesize evidence addressing a clearly defined research question. It is typically structured according to the IMRADC format (Introduction, Methods and Materials, Results, Discussion, and Conclusion).

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Meta-Analysis: This is a research article that uses quantitative methods to synthesize and statistically analyze data from multiple independent studies, enhancing the precision and reliability of effect size estimates and overall conclusions. It is typically structured according to the IMRADC format (Introduction, Methods and Materials, Results, Discussion, and Conclusion).
Opinion/Perspective: This provides interpretation or commentary on an issue without presenting new data.

Additionally, some journals may accept other types of articles, such as research projects, analyses, short essays, opinions, or updates on current affairs.

Manuscript Preparation

File Format

Manuscript files should be submitted in DOC or DOCX format. Microsoft Word documents should not be locked or protected.

General Formatting

Font: Use Times New Roman or the closest comparable font available, size 11 for text and size 14 for the title. Avoid fonts smaller than 6pt. Where special symbols are needed, other fonts may be used. The text should be double-spaced.
Margins: Use 1-inch margins on all sides (top, bottom, left, and right).
Justification: All text should be left-justified (flush with the left margin). Ideally, text should also be right-justified (flush with the right margin), but it is better to have jagged right margins than awkward spacing.
Indentation: Indent all paragraphs except those following a section heading.
Line Spacing: Use 1.15 line spacing.
Color: Set the font color to black for the majority of the text. Ensure that there are no colored mark-ups or comments in the final version, unless they are meant to be part of the final text.
Emphasis: If you wish to emphasize text, italicize it rather than underlining it. Excessive emphasis is discouraged.
Page Numbers, Headers, and Footers: Do not include page numbers, headers, or footers.

Headings

Use a clear and consistent heading structure. The AJSR recommends the following three levels of headings:

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Level 1: BOLD AND ALL CAPITAL LETTERS
Level 2: Bold with Standard Capitalization
Level 3: Normal text with underlining

Length

The typical manuscript length is 3,000-5,500 words (excluding references and supplementary materials). Limit the number of figures or tables to no more than eight. The total character count of the main text, including all sections and including spaces but excluding supplemental data, should not exceed 55,000.

Title Page

Include a title page as the first page of the manuscript. The title should be no more than 250 characters. List the title, authors, and affiliations. Write author names in the following order: First name, Middle name, Last name. Each author on the list must have an affiliation.

Abstract

Provide an abstract of 250-500 words. The Summary consists of a single paragraph of fewer than 300 words. It should clearly convey the conceptual advance and significance of the work to a broad readership. In particular, the abstract should contain a brief background of the question, a description of the results without extensive experimental detail, and a summary of the significance of the findings. This section should be divided with subheadings.

Keywords

Place three to five keywords, separated by commas, on a line below the abstract. Use only singular words/nouns. Spell out scientific names (e.g., spell out Aedes albopictus instead of Ae. albopictus).

Main Body

The main body of the text should be set in 12pt. Avoid the use of fonts smaller than 6pt. main body text by their fonts or by using small caps. the font size. There should be space above and below headings. in Times or closest comparable font available. rather than at the end of the paper. Footnotes should be in 10 pt. punctuation. Excessively long footnotes are probably better handled in an appendix. are referenced in the text. Avoid the use of overly small type in tables. separate document or file. should be italicized. size than the main text. Also expressions using many different levels (e.g., such as the fractions) should be set as display math. can also be set off as display math. Equations should be numbered sequentially. on the right or left is the choice of the author(s). be consistent in this. avoided. on her printer. drawn from other than standard fonts. necessary information. After the last sentence of your submission, please insert a line break-not a page break-and begin your references on the same page, if possible.

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Tables and Figures

Tables and figures, as well as their detailed legends, should be incorporated into the manuscript word file. The figure images shall be in high-quality PNG or JPEG format.

All illustrations, figures, graphs, charts, and tables are placed within the text at the appropriate points with their respective title and legend, rather than at the end of the manuscript. All illustrations, figures, graphs, and charts should be inserted as image files in the word document (Only PNG and JPEG are acceptable) and must be individually uploaded as "Image File" during Step 2 of the submission along with the manuscript and other supplemental files. All image files uploaded must be named appropriately such as Fig1.png, Fig2.png, etc. Figures can only be labeled as whole numbers such as Fig 1, Fig 2, Fig 3, and NOT Fig 1a, Fig 1b, and so on. Multi-panel figures must be a single image file. Tables must be created in the word document. Do not insert and label an image as a table in the word document. All text color must be black, and the heading rows/columns must be shaded with light gray colors.

Tables should be placed after the reference section and the title of each table should be directly above the table. High-quality figures should be placed at the end of manuscript and right after Tables. The title and legend of each figure should be directly above the figure.

Figures may be embedded in the manuscript, preferable within one line of when figure is referenced in text, and should cross two columns for readability. Figures may be in black and white or color.

Figures should be inserted in the manuscript file in one of the following formats: TIFF, EPS, WMF, or JPEG. Although figures of any size can be submitted, figures that fit exactly the width of 1 column (72 mm) or 2 columns (148 mm) expedite the publication process. Figures should be no longer than 195 mm from top to bottom. Separate parts of the same figure must be grouped together and arranged to use space efficiently. Wherever possible, it is best to avoid using a full page for a set of illustrations. When choosing a font size, remember that it should be large enough so that reduction to fit the journal page will not make lettering difficult to read. Final lettering size should be 8 or 9 point using the fonts Arial or Helvetica or Times New Roman or Times Roman. Letter locants on figures composed of more than one element should match those in the text (either upper- or lowercase). Use a scale bar in lieu of magnification, and define scale in the figure caption. Photographs may be used as figures, and should be inserted into the manuscript and labeled as figures accordingly. Photographs should be inserted in the manuscript file in one of the following formats: TIFF, EPS, WMF, or JPEG. Type all captions double-spaced. All captions should be in paragraph form as shown by the example below. Figure captions should be placed below the figure itself, and labeled as Fig. 1. (etc.), with the word “Figure” abbreviated to “Fig.” and a period after the figure number. Each figure placed in the manuscript must be referred to in the text. Caption should be a description of the figure, and include all relevant information, including p values, symbols, etc. Fig. 1. Relationship between percentage of defoliation of oak trees and gypsy moth population density. (A) Defoliation and egg mass density. Letter locants on figures composed of more than one element should match those in the text (either upper- or lowercase). Fig. 2. Longevity compared of A. fusca adults at different temperatures.

Embed tables within the body of the manuscript, preferably within one line of when the table is referenced in the text. The table should cross two columns to ensure readability. Double-space and number all tables. Boldface table title. Do not repeat data already presented in text. Place the title of the table above the table itself. The title should be short and descriptive. Boldface table number and title only. Include "means + SEM" in title if applicable. Use horizontal lines to separate title from column headings, column headings from data field, and data field from footnotes. Do not use vertical lines to separate columns. Use approved abbreviations. Use abbreviations already defined in the text and define others in the general footnote. Use the following abbreviations in the body or column headings of tables only: amt (amount), avg (average), concn (concentration), diam (diameter), exp (experiment), ht (height), max (maximum), min. (minimum), no. (number), prepn (preparation), temp (temperature), vs (versus), vol (volume), wt (weight). Repeat operational signs throughout the data field. Use footnotes to define or clarify column headings or specific datum within the data field. Do not footnote the title; use the unlettered first footnote to include general information necessary to understand the table (e.g., define terms, abbreviations, and statistical tests). Example: Means within a column followed by the same letter are not significantly different (P < 0.05; Student t-test [Abbott 1925]). Use lowercase italicized superscripted letters to indicate footnotes. Table 1. Developmental times (days) of A.

Equations

Equations should be numbered sequentially. The numbering (on the right or left) is the choice of the author(s), but be consistent in this. Mathematical expressions that are part of a sentence should be italicized. Also, expressions using many different levels (e.g., fractions) should be set as display math. Long equations can also be set off as display math.

References

References should appear right after the end of the document, beginning on the last page if possible. References should have margins that are both left and right-justified. The Journal of Young Researchers uses numbered “Vancouver” style. However, some journals recommend the authors use the APA style guide for references, but you can use a discipline-specific reference style guide. References must be included at the end of the manuscript. Where available, URLs or DOIs links for the references MUST be provided.

After the last sentence of your submission, please insert a line break-not a page break-and begin your references on the same page, if possible.

References should include only articles that are published. Unpublished data, submitted manuscripts, abstracts, and personal communications should be cited within the text only. Personal communication should be documented by a letter of permission. Submitted articles should be cited as unpublished data, data not shown, or personal communication.

The references must include the last name of the first author, first initials, and, optionally, their middle initials.

Examples of references:

Journal-based references:
1. Zhang X, et al. Development of anticancer agents targeting Hedgehog signaling. Cell Mol Life Sci.
2. Sheng, CC, Hao, J. and Hong, CC. A Phase 1 Study of IPI-926 in Patients with Advanced and/or Metastatic Solid Tumor Malignancies.
3. Richard, P., Charron, P., Carrier, L., Ledeuil, C., Cheav, T., Pichereau, C., … & Gueffet, J. P. (2003). Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
4. Kelly, M., & Semsarian, C. (2009). Multiple mutations in genetic cardiovascular disease.
Book: Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of work.
- Stoneman, R. (2008). Alexander the Great: A life in legend.
Report: Organization Name. (Year). Title of report.
- United States Government Accountability Office. (2019). Performance and accountability report: Fiscal year 2019.
Website: Name or organization (Year, Month Date). Title of page. Site name.
- Price, D. (2018, March 23). Laziness does not exist. Medium.
- Alliance on Mental Illness. (n.d.). Mental health conditions.
Better late than never: Peterzell, J. (1990).
Calls made to strengthen state energy policies: Schultz, S. (2005, December)

For multiple publications by the same author, list them chronologically:

Evans, M. A. 2000. Article title: subtitle (begin with lowercase after colon or dash unless first word is a proper noun). J. Abbr.
Evans, M. A. 2001a. Article title. J. Abbr.
Evans, M. A. 2001b. Article title. J. Abbr.
Evans, M. A., and R. Burns. 2001. Article title. J. Abbr.
Evans, M. A., and A. Tyler. 2001. Article title. J. Abbr.
Evans, M. A., A. Tyler, and H. H. Munro. 2000. Article title. J. Abbr.
Evans, M. A., R. Burns, and A. A. Dunn. 2001. Article title. J. Abbr.
Evans, M. A. 2002. Article title. J. Econ. Entomol.
Burns, R. 2001. Title (initial cap only): subtitle (no initial cap after colon).
Evans, M. A. 2001. Colorado potato beetle, 2nd ed.
Tyler, A. 2001. Western corn rootworm, vol. 2.
Tyler, A. 2001. Article or chapter title, pp. 000-000. In T.A.J. Royer and R. B. Burns (eds.), Book title.
Tyler, A., R.S.T. Smith, and H. Brown. 2001. Onion thrips control, pp. 178-195. In R. S. Green and P. W. White (eds.), Book title, vol. 13.
1. Title. (IRRI) International Rice Research Institute.
1. Title.
Harred, J. F., A. R. Knight, and J. S. McIntyre, inventors; Dow Chemical Company, assignee. 1972 Apr 4. Epoxidation process.
Martin, P. D., J. Kuhlman, and S. Moore. 2001. Yield effects of European corn borer (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) feeding, pp. 345-356. In Proceedings, 19th Illinois Cooperative Extension Service Spray School, 24-27 June 1985, Chicago, IL.
Rossignol, P. A. 2001. Parasite modification of mosquito probing behavior, pp. 25-28. In T. W. Scott and J. Grumstrup-Scott (eds.), Proceedings, Symposium: the Role of Vector-Host Interactions in Disease Transmission. National Conference of the Entomological Society of America,10 December 1985, Hollywood, FL. Miscellaneous Publication 68.
James, H. 2001. Thesis or dissertation title. M.S.
SAS Institute. 2001. PROC user's manual, version 6th ed.
Reisen, W. 2001. Title.

When there are two authors, use both last names. "Edlin and Reichelstein (1996) claim . . .

If two or more cited works share the same authors and dates, use "a," "b," and so on to distinguish among them. Be unambiguous. Use parentheses or brackets to separate the date from the surrounding text.

Supplemental Material

Supplemental Material may be submitted in the form of one or more files to accompany the online version of an article. Ensure that the paper can stand on its own without the need for the reader to access the supplemental information to understand and judge the merits of the paper. Any files containing Supplemental Material must be provided at the time of manuscript submission and will be distributed to reviewers as part of the normal peer-review process.

Each supplemental file must be labeled with an appropriate title and prefaced by a short (50 words maximum) summary description of the contents. Within each file, any tables, figures, videos, or other material must be accompanied by an appropriate caption. Citations for any literature referenced within a Supplemental Material file should be listed in a References Cited section at the end of the file, even when a citation is duplicated in the main body of the paper. Scientific names and authorities must be spelled out (except for Fabricius and Linnaeus, which are abbreviated as F.

Other Style Considerations

Avoid clichés and common misconceptions.
Use standard English grammar.
Nonstandard abbreviations should be defined when first used in the text. Use of abbreviations should be kept at a minimum.
Give the scientific name (including order:family) and authority (author) at first mention of the subject organism. Do not cite references, figures, tables, probability levels, or specific results.
Express data in this format: day-month (use a Roman numeral)-year. Start with the largest area followed by successively smaller areas separated by colons. Capitalize countries. Example: MEXICO: Tamaulipas: 1 male, 1 female, Ciudad Mante, 15-III-97, K. Haack; 5 females, Ciudad Victoria, 3-VII-99, C. Hughes, MCZ. Arrange localities alphabetically.
The introduction should clearly state the basis of your study along with the background of the problem and a statement of purpose.
The Materials and Methods section should include a clear and concise description of the study design, experimental execution, materials, and method of statistical analysis.
Results should be clearly differentiated from the interpretation of your findings in the Results section or within the Results and Discussion. Cite tables and figures in numerical order as they should appear in the text. Present your materials/methods in a logical sequence in the text.

Submission Process

How to Submit

Once your manuscript is ready to submit (manuscripts correctly placed in the correct template and with proper citations), please submit it as a single “word” file (.doc) online via the journal’s submission portal. Any tables and images (including figures, formulas) used in the manuscript should be included in the single manuscript file.

The submission process for the Authors is broken down into five steps, with guidance provided at each step. The submission file must be a Microsoft Word document format (Docx).

Submission Requirements

Originality: By submitting a manuscript to the American Journal of Student Research (AJSR), the corresponding author affirms that the work is original, has not been previously published, and is not under consideration for publication elsewhere.
Ethics: All data presented must be accurate, complete, and collected in accordance with relevant ethical standards and institutional guidelines. For research involving human or animal subjects, all necessary approvals and informed consents must have been obtained prior to submission.
Permissions: Any third-party material (such as figures, tables, images, or datasets) must be properly credited and used with written permission authorizing both print and digital reproduction. Documentation of such permissions must be provided upon request.
Authorship: Only 5 authors including advisors are free of charge per manuscript submission. For additional author charges, see Article Processing Charge (APC) section.

Review Process

Reviewers are selected by the Editorial Staff at the Journal of Student Research and the estimated time for the review process is 12-24 weeks.

The journal uses a double-blind review, which means that both the reviewer and author identities are concealed from the reviewers, and vice versa, throughout the review process. Authors need to ensure that their manuscripts do not give away their identity to facilitate this.

Decision and Revision

Based on the evaluation, a manuscript may be rejected or returned to the authors for revision to address required comments or improvements. Revised manuscripts must be returned to the journal within the specified timeframe before a final publication decision is made.

Acceptance, Payment and Publication

Once a manuscript is accepted for publication, authors will be notified and asked to complete the article processing charge (APC). Authors will receive a galley proof for final review and correction, along with the License to Publish Agreement for signature prior to publication.

Once the authors approve the final version and sign the License to Publish Agreement, the article will be scheduled for publication, typically within 3-5 business days.

Timeline

The review process typically takes 3-6 weeks for most submitted manuscripts. If your manuscript is accepted with revisions, the timeline for publication will depend on the number of revisions required and how quickly the revised version is submitted. Most manuscripts are published within one week after FINAL acceptance. In the case of rejection, a decision is usually communicated within 3-4 weeks.

Ethics in Publishing

By submitting a manuscript to the American Journal of Student Research (AJSR), the corresponding author affirms that the work is original, has not been previously published, and is not under consideration for publication elsewhere. Submission further confirms that all co-authors (if applicable) and the appropriate institutional authorities have approved the manuscript.

All data presented must be accurate, complete, and collected in accordance with relevant ethical standards and institutional guidelines. For research involving human or animal subjects, all necessary approvals and informed consents must have been obtained prior to submission.

The manuscript must not contain any unlawful, defamatory, libelous, or confidential material, and must not infringe upon any intellectual property rights or the rights of third parties. Any third-party material (such as figures, tables, images, or datasets) must be properly credited and used with written permission authorizing both print and digital reproduction. Documentation of such permissions must be provided upon request. AJSR assumes no legal responsibility for any claims arising from compensation disputes or the unauthorized use of third-party content.

Preprint Policy

Authors may post their manuscripts to preprint servers before or at the time of submission to our journal, provided the following conditions are met:

Authors may post on non-commercial, discipline-specific, or institutional preprint platforms such as arXiv, bioRxiv, medRxiv, PsyArXiv, SocArXiv, OSF Preprints, Preprints.org, EarthArXiv, or similar.

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