Policies

Focus and Scope

The Journal of Undergraduate Research at Ohio State, or JUROS, is an online peer-reviewed publication dedicated to publishing research conducted by OSU undergraduate students across all disciplines.

Peer Review Process

All submissions undergo review by a trained manuscript editor. The manuscript editor and author may work together during the review process to answer any questions and to improve the manuscript. The manuscript editor will provide a preliminary publication decision, and will alert the author of any changes that need to be made. Following the preliminary review, each submission will go through at least two rounds of double-blind peer reviews by trained manuscript editors. At this stage, the Editor-in-Chief will be alerted regarding any errors or edits that need to be addressed, and the Editor-in-Chief will contact the authors directly.

JUROS does not follow the traditional double-blind peer review system common to most journals because JUROS seeks to provide both a publication and a learning experience for all authors, many of whom are attempting to publish for the first time. However, if an author wishes to undergo a traditional double-blind peer review and forego the traditional interaction with a manuscript editor, the author may request this.

All JUROS staff members who would like to submit a manuscript will undergo a double-blind peer review in order to prevent conflicts of interest. The editing process in all double-blind peer reviews will be coordinated by the Editor-in-Chief or the Assistant Editor-in-Chief.

Publication Frequency

JUROS is published on an annual schedule.  Submissions are received during the course of the year and, if accepted, published at the end of the academic year when the peer-review process is complete.  Once per year, a print edition is published, which features works submitted by the print deadline. The items in the print edition are also published online.

Open Access Policy

This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.

What is the difference between Oculus and JUROS?

JUROS is the Journal of Undergraduate Research at Ohio State, an online publication. Manuscripts are accepted on a rolling basis quarterly (i.e., JUROS has quarterly deadlines based on Ohio State's academic calendar). We publish one annual print publication in the fall, which has our Oculus award-winners; these are manuscripts received throughout the year that are designated as among the best articles submitted to JUROS. The Oculus Award is determined by the JUROS Editorial Board.

What qualifies as research?

Research involves investigating a question or topic in an original way that contributes to the scholarship of a field of study. Topics may represent any areas of academic study at OSU, as well as interdisciplinary areas with the approval of an OSU faculty member. JUROS publishes many types of research by Ohio State undergraduate students. The only requirement is that each researcher must have an OSU faculty member approve the submission. This includes the following types of projects:

  • Projects that have been approved as a Senior Honors Thesis. If already completed, the senior thesis manuscript may need to be shortened to comply with the submission guidelines for authors.
  • Projects that are past or proposed submissions to the Denman Undergraduate Research Forum.
  • Independent research for which the student has or has not received academic credit.
  • Research that is part of a larger project to which the student has made a significant contribution. This is particularly relevant for research in the biological and natural sciences, which is typically an incremental series of investigations of previous work.
  • Course papers that emphasize original research. A review of previously analyzed and developed ideas will not be accepted.
  • Research and creative projects including fine arts pieces and performances, films, and other media. However, each submission must be accompanied by a written submission.

How often does JUROS publish?

Submissions will be published electronically on a rolling basis; however, to be considered for the Oculus Award Edition of JUROS, submissions must be turned into JUROS by the date specified. The date may be located on the home page of the JUROS website, or in the document "Publication Gudie for Prospective Authors."

What research is eligible for submission to JUROS?

Any research conducted while the author is enrolled as an undergraduate student at OSU. While OSU does not have to sponsor this research, the project must have been approved by an OSU faculty member. Students who have graduated can still submit work up to 1 year after date of graduation.

What areas of study qualify for publication in JUROS?

All articles are grouped into two categories published in JUROS. They include Science & Technology (which will include Psychology) Arts & Humanities (which will include Business).

How can I be published in the print edition that is distributed in the spring?

Oculus is an annual hard-copy review edition of the best research published in JUROS in the past year. The Editorial Board will determine which publications will be included in each year's Oculus Award Edition.

What rights do the authors published in the JUROS retain?

Authors retain all rights to their work. JUROS may reproduce their work through an electronic or print medium. JUROS will not prohibit reproduction of the manuscript; however, if authors intend to publish their work elsewhere, they are responsible for knowing the copyright procedures of other journals.

What if I want to submit a manuscript about a project but others who are involved in my research group have already (1) submitted it to another journal, or (2) will submit it to a journal this year or the next?

(1) JUROS will not accept any manuscripts which have already been published or are currently under review by another publication. In these circumstances, authors may submit an abstract for consideration as a JUROS Feature Article.

(2) All authors of every manuscript must consent for research to be published in JUROS. Authors must review the copyright section.

What if this research has already been published elsewhere?

If any of your content has been previously published, you must request permission from that publisher to use that content for this journal.

What if I want to submit this research to another journal in my field?

The license you signed gave only limited and non-exclusive rights for JUROS. You are free to submit your content to any other publication. A few publications will ask if your content has been previously published. If so, you will need to carefully describe which content had been included in JUROS and made available on the web. In many cases, however, the initial publication in JUROS will be of minor conflict since normally you will significantly modify and expand the content for formal, peer-reviewed publication.

Can graduates or faculty be co-authors?

Yes, as long as an undergraduate is the main author.

Will JUROS retain any rights to my research?

You retain full copyright to your work. The only rights you have assigned to JUROS are "to reproduce, translate, and/or distribute the submission (including the abstract) as agreed upon, in print and electronic format and in any medium, including but not limited to audio or visual for the purposes of inclusion in JUROS." These rights are "non-exclusive" meaning you can assign them to others if you wish.

What is a Creative Commons License and how do I use it?

Creative Commons licenses give you the ability to dictate how others may exercise your copyright rights-such as the right of others to copy your work, make derivative works or adaptations of your work, to distribute your work and/or make money from your work. Creative Commons licenses attach to the work and authorize everyone who comes in contact with the work to use it consistent with the license. Creative Commons licenses are all non-exclusive. This means that you can permit the general public to use your work under a Creative Commons license and then enter into a separate and different non-exclusive license with someone else, for example, in exchange for money.

For more information visit: The Creative Commons FAQ