The Journal of Emerging Investigators (JEI) was started in 2012 and is a peer-reviewed open-access publication that accepts social, biological, and physical sciences papers written by middle school and high school students. JEI places emphasis on original research and is a non-profit organization that is run by graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and professors in the United States.  Papers submitted to JEI undergo rigorous scientific review.  JEI’s mission includes providing a platform in which students are mentored and receive feedback on their papers.

Types of Research Accepted

All types of scientific projects are accepted – social sciences, physical sciences, biological sciences. JEI requires hypothesis-driven research that contains experiment setups, and JEI’s website states that it places emphasis on “inquiry-based science that builds on previously-published scientific literature.”

Length Requirements/Restrictions

None

Submission Deadlines

Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis and you may submit your work at any time. 

Requirements for Submission

General Requirements:

1. Multiple authors are allowed and students are allowed to have their papers published by JEI after graduating from high school, but students must submit their papers while still officially enrolled in any of grades 6-12.
2. Submission will only pass pre-review and enter the scientific review process, if:

• The person submitting the manuscript is an adult mentor as outlined the author eligibility requirements.
• The manuscript is submitted using the manuscript template and all instructions in the document are followed correctly.
• In cases where the study involves human subjects or vertebrate animals, documentation of regulatory approval is included in the submission.
• The manuscript appropriately cites any outside sources of information, data, or software according to the JEI reference formatting guidelines.

Formatting Structure and Requirements:

Each Journal has its own formatting structure and requirements regarding a variety of technical factors, such as font, citations, bibliography, file naming, spacing, endnotes, illustrations, etc. You must go to JEI’s website and look at the Submission Guide, the Submission FAQ, and the manuscript template, before you begin working on your paper, to see the most up-to-date rules regarding formatting and structure and to make sure you are in line with all the listed requirements as you work on your paper.

Advisor

All submissions to JEI must be made by an adult involved in the student’s research.  A teacher, mentor, or Principal Investigator of a lab must submit on behalf of the student authors. 

IRB Approval or Exemption Required?

Yes. IRB approval is required for any research involving human subjects, including surveys. Please talk to your mentor and Program Coach to determine if this is a consideration based on your dataset. For more specific details on the types of approval available for different areas of research, you can visit JEI’s documentation of regulatory approval.

Link for Submission

All manuscripts must be submitted through JEI’s Editorial Manager platform. Information on the files needed along with access to the platform is found on the submissions checklist page.

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Cost

There is a $35 submission fee.  There is no additional fee for publication if the article is accepted.

Assessment and Acceptance Process

Your submission will undergo multiple steps of review and required editing; detailed information can be found on the Review Process page.

Notification

You should hear back within the first 2 weeks of submission regarding the first stage of the review process.

Past Submissions/Examples

JEI follows an open-access model, and past and previous examples can be found here

Academic Integrity and Publication Protocol

Academic protocol for publication submission dictates that you are allowed to submit to only one journal at time. Please keep this in mind when choosing a journal for publication submission and make sure that if you are considering multiple journals, that you decide on your preferred order before making your first submission.

Additional Steps

If you are interested in submitting to JEI, this decision must be made as early as possible during your mentorship studies. Please speak to your Hugo mentor and Program Coach as soon as possible if you think you are interested in submitting to this journal.