Publishing Your Research
Similar to presenting at a conference, publishing your research is a form of research communication. The process of publishing (writing, submitting to a journal, editing, etc) is a way to expand the reach of your research, grow your professional network, stretch your communication skills, and establish or expand your professional reputation.
We encourage you to work with your research mentor to find an appropriate journal for your work. That can sometimes be the journals that they publish in or an undergraduate research journal. Different disciplines have different conventions about who can publish where.
As an undergraduate researcher, you may be the sole author on your manuscript. It may be you and your mentor. It may be a team of researchers. We encourage mentors to have transparent conversations with (all) students about the authorship order. Authorship can prime currency in academia sometimes so there may be reasons for why the author list occurs as it does that are not obvious to scholars beginning their publishing journeys. Having publications can help with professional/grad school applications, grant proposals, etc.
The Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) hosts a list of Undergraduate Research Journals. Journals self-report to be added to the list and CUR does not validate entries. Always check the eligibility criteria and talk to their editorial boards. Many will be peer-reviewed and have cyclic deadlines. They are also typically free to publish in.
CUR Undergraduate Research Journal Catalog
Note: CSURF can assist with publishing fees. Please place any requests with Dr. Liu before committing to a journal as fees can, unfortunately, be quite high sometimes.