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Instructions for Authors of Kentucky Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship

The manuscripts must be typed fully, double-spaced and in 12-point font, including references, captions, footnotes and figure legends (Tables must include at least 10-point font). Manuscripts must be in Word format. Page margins on all sides must be at least 1 inch wide. All pages are to be numbered, and manuscripts should not exceed 7,000 words.

The authors should submit a “blind” manuscript, with their identifying information deleted from the submission. They should identify the contributors in a cover letter and in a separate title page.

Mentor Statement

All submissions must also be accompanied by a statement from the lead author’s mentor that the project was primarily created and completed by the student.

Formatting

All submissions are to be written in APA format, and they must follow the current formatting specifications of the American Psychological Association. More information can be found at https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/, and anyone needing assistance can contact Graduate Editorial Assistant Camille McQueen at .

Abstract and Pictorial Representation

All submissions must include an abstract of up to 150 words, and a pictorial representation of their work (e.g., picture of the methodology, graph, table, still photo of a performance).

Document Organization

Research manuscripts should include the following:

Title Page: This should include the title of the article, the names of all authors, the institutional affiliations.

Blind Title Page: This should only include the title of the article.

Abstract: This is a single paragraph composted of no more than 150 words. It briefly describes the entire article, including hypotheses, methods, results and conclusions.

Introduction: This section should provide an explanation for why the study is important, a review of the empirical literature on the topic, a rationale for the current study, and hypotheses or research questions.

Method: This section should describe the materials and procedure involved. It should be clear and thorough enough that a reader could replicate one’s methodology.

Results: This section should provide answers for one’s hypotheses or research questions, supported with evidence from an objective analysis. All tables and figures should be referred to here, but tables and figures should not be embedded in the text.

Discussion: This section should provide a thorough evaluation of how the results contribute to the field. Limitations of the current project and ideas for future applications should also be mentioned.

References: This section lists the references cited in the paper using APA format. They should be listed alphabetically by the first author’s last name.

Tables and Figures (if applicable): If submitting tables, the format must be XLS or DOC. Each table (including the title, body and footnotes) must be double-spaced on a separate page from the text. Number tables consecutively as cited in the text. The title is a brief description of the table’s content. The figure captions should be included on a separate page, after the tables and prior to the figures.

Appendices (if applicable): If the authors deem it necessary to include research materials in appendices, they should include them at the end of the paper, numbered in the order that they are referred to in the text.

Submissions in the Humanities, Creative Writing, Performance Arts and Exhibition Arts should follow the general structure common to their discipline, but all submissions must include an abstract describing the content of the submission.


Submission Process:

  1. Click the Submit Article link on the journal’s main page
  2. Read through the preliminary guidelines for submission, and click Continue
  3. Read and accept the Article Submission Agreement
  4. Provide information about yourself:
    1. Name
    2. Affiliation
    3. Address
  5. Provide information about the authors of the submission:
    1. Email address
    2. Name
    3. Affiliation
  6. Provide information about your project and upload it
    1. Title
    2. Short title
    3. Keywords (separated by commas)
    4. Disclipline
    5. Journal Domain
    6. Abstract (150 words or less)
    7. Streaming Media file (for performing arts). Please use a YouTube or Vimeo file.
    8. The Full Text of Your Submission. Please use a Word file.
    9. Cover Letter. Please use a Word file.
    10. For Additional Files:
      1. Submit a pictorial representation of your project. This can be a graph of your results, a photo of your methodology, or a picture of your artwork
      2. The statement from your mentor indicating that the project was primarily created and completed by the lead author
Media Files

If submitting a performance piece (e.g., dance, theater), please create a YouTube or Vimeo link to upload into the submission system.


Review Process:

Upon receipt of a submission, the executive editor will examine the content and completeness of the submission. The submission will then be sent to an associate editor, who will locate two faculty members to review the submission (faculty may supervise a graduate student or post doc reviewer). The reviewers will be given 30 days to evaluate the submission and send their responses to the associate editor. They will also indicate whether the submission should be accepted, rejected, or if the submission should be revised and resubmitted.

The associate editor will then upload their comments and the reviewer suggestions into the online journal system, where authors can review the comments.

For acceptance decisions: The authors will be asked to complete a copyright form and will be informed of which issue their work will be published.

For rejection decisions: The authors will not be allowed to revise and resubmit the work to this journal.

For revise/resubmit decisions: If authors decide to resubmit, they will have 30 days to complete the revision and resubmit. Authors should also create a response letter, detailing where in the revised submission those comments are addressed. The original reviewers will then be asked to review the revised submission within 30 days and either accept or reject the submission (see above).


Contact Information:

General Questions: Jonathan Gore (jonathan.gore@eku.edu)

Using the Online Submission System: Laura Edwards (laura.edwards@eku.edu)