Please note: If you submitted a manuscript to the Undergraduate Research Journal prior to the submission period of the most recent semester, you will need to resubmit your work if you would like it to be considered for publication in the latest semesterly issue. We have changed our system of submissions and have no access to submissions from pervious semesters. We apologize to our prospective authors for the inconvenience and warmly invite you to resubmit your work for consideration.
The UC Merced Undergraduate Research Journal accepts submissions from all disciplines of academic study. We encourage UCM undergraduate students and recent alumni who have completed research or are currently engaged in research with either a faculty member or graduate student to submit their work. Former or current coursework projects -- including but not limited to research studies, critical essays, extended reviews of scholarly works, and the like -- as well as independent research conducted by UCM students outside of the purview of their coursework are also acceptable for submission.
For formatting requirements and other details on how to prepare a paper for submission, please review the guidelines for researched writing found on Purdue University's Online Writing Lab (OWL) site.
To be eligible for publication in the URJ, student authors must have completed their projects while attending UCM as an undergraduate student. Work completed while studying at another institution (with the exception of UCM students studying abroad) is not eligible for publication in the URJ.
The URJ accepts work from single authors, co-authors, and multiple authors. Whether you are submitting on behalf of yourself or your co-author(s), please submit only once.
Submission Criteria include:
- The purpose and significance of the research is described clearly for a multidisciplinary audience.
- The research is original and relevant to its field.
- The research project has been well designed and executed.
- The research takes a fundamentally factual, empirical approach.
- The research features an innovative, engaging, and/or creative voice.
- The results are thoughtfully interpreted and thoroughly analyzed.
- Conclusions are logically supported through results and cited sources.
- Supporting materials -- including illustrations, graphs, and references -- reinforce the descriptions and claims made in the text.
- The article is well written, efficiently organized, and easy to follow.
- The article is free from spelling, punctuation, grammatical, and other writing errors.
Article Length:
2,000 to 4,000 words
Format Specifications:
Submissions should be double-spaced, set in 12 pt. Times New Roman, with a one-inch margin all around. Citations should follow the style guidelines of the American Psychological Association (APA).
Submission Deadline for Latest Semesterly Issue:
Eligible authors may submit their work to the URJ at any time via eScholarship, as the journal has a rolling submissions policy. The deadline for potential inclusion in the ongoing semester issue is posted.
The sooner a project is submitted, the more likely it will be closely considered for publication.
To submit your research, click the "Submit" button at the top right of the URJ's eScholarship landing page.