Doug GlazierDepartment of Biology

JUNIATA COLLEGE

Teaching Scholarship with an Undergraduate Research

Journal

Ultimate goal is to

nurture students to be

scholars

Scholars who can effectively:

•Create/discover new solvable questions•Devise appropriate tests•Collect appropriate data•Analyze data•Interpret data•Display summaries of data •Present clear, concise, organized accounts of one’s study, both orally & written

Scholars who can effectively:

•Connect one’s work to that of others•Critically evaluate others’ work •Summarize work in one’s field•Identify ways to advance one’s field •Review & edit others’ work•Do all of the above ethically

How? By engaging students in writing, reviewing

and editing papers for a research journal

How? By engaging students

in writing, reviewing & editing papers for a

research journal

Outline of this Talk

Brief history & rationale for undergraduate research journals (URJs)

Types of URJsAssessment of URJsAlternatives to URJsHistory & apparent benefits of Juniata’s

Journal of Ecological Research (JER) in the context of the Biology Department curriculum

Looking for advice on how to improve JER

Brief history & rationale for undergraduate research journals (URJs)

Website Sources:

Undergraduate Journals (Council on Undergraduate Research)(http://www.cur.org/resources/students/undergraduate_journals/)

The Undergraduate Journals and Conferences Directory (Meryhurst College)(http://upd.mercyhurst.edu/)

Undergraduate Research and Creative Journals (Middle Tennessee State University)(http://capone.mtsu.edu/hcevents/journals.html)

Philosophy Undergraduate Journals (Trinity University)(http://web.trinity.edu/x5950.xml)

Undergrad Philosophy & Religion CFPs (http://undergradphil.blogspot.com/p/undergraduate-philosophy-journals.html)

& random Google searches……

Year1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 2020

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Year1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 2020

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Beta Beta Beta National Biological Honor Society

Bios (1930)

Lambda Epsilon Chapter at Juniata College 1970:Students have presented at regional & national conferencesSponsored annual campus research symposia (1997-2004) LASGoogle website: https://sites.google.com/site/jctribeta/home

JSTOR

Brief history & rationale for undergraduate research journals (URJs)

•Recognizing/highlighting student achievement

•Encouraging engaged learning and creative studies

•Providing opportunity for students to express ideas

•Promoting dialogue in college/academic community

•Providing publishing experience as writers, reviewers & editors

•Preparing students for postgraduate /professional work

Types of URJs

• Subject matter

• Sponsors

• Staff (e.g., students, faculty &/or others)

• Source of submissions (e.g., undergraduate &/or graduate students, faculty, etc. within &/or outside institution)

• Audience (within &/or outside institution)

Types of URJs

• Subject matter

• Sponsors

• Staff (e.g., students, faculty &/or others)

• Source of submissions (e.g., undergraduate &/or graduate students, faculty, etc. within &/or outside institution)

• Audience (within &/or outside institution)

Subject matter Number of URJsAll Academic Disciplines/Interdisciplinary

51

Arts, Humanities &/or Social Sciences 101

Natural Sciences, Math &/or Technology

39

Natural & Social Sciences/Science & Society/Environmental studies

7

Subject matter ofUndergraduate Research Journals

Subject matter Number of URJsAll Academic Disciplines/Interdisciplinary

51

Arts, Humanities &/or Social Sciences

101

Natural Sciences, Math &/or Technology

39

Natural & Social Sciences/Science & Society/Environmental studies

7

Subject matter ofUndergraduate Research Journals

Subject matter Number of URJsCreative writing, composing & arts/Communications

13

Humanities 3Literature/Literary criticism/Foreign language 8Philosophy 23History 7Theology/Religion studies 1Social/human sciences 8Politics/International studies /World affairs/Law

13

Business/ Economics 8Anthropology/Ethnography 3Psychology/Cognitive science 8

Arts, Humanities &/or Social Sciences Undergraduate Research Journals

Subject matter Number of URJsCreative writing, composing & arts/Communications

13

Humanities 3Literature/Literary criticism/Foreign language 8Philosophy 23History 7Theology/Religion studies 1Social/human sciences 8Politics/International studies /World affairs/Law

13

Business/ Economics 8Anthropology/Ethnography 3Psychology/Cognitive science 8

Arts, Humanities &/or Social Sciences Undergraduate Research Journals

Subject matter Number of URJsNatural Sciences 11Biology/Medicine/Agricultural science 11Chemistry 1Physics 2Geology/Marine science 2Mathematics 7Engineering/Materials science/Nanoscience

2

Computer science 1

Natural Sciences, Math &/or TechnologyUndergraduate Research Journals

Subject matter Number of URJsNatural Sciences 11Biology/Medicine/Agricultural science 11Chemistry 1Physics 2Geology/Marine science 2Mathematics 7Engineering/Materials science/Nanoscience

2

Computer science 1

Natural Sciences, Math &/or TechnologyUndergraduate Research Journals

Type of Organization Number of URJsSociety/Journal 22Consortium /Multiple Institutions 10Institution (College/University) 145Division/School /College within Institution

4

Department within Institution 11Student Club/Society within Institution 3Course 3

Types of Organizations that Sponsor Undergraduate Research Journals

Type of Organization Number of URJsSociety/Journal 22Consortium /Multiple Institutions 10Institution (College/University) 145Division/School /College within Institution

4

Department within Institution 11Student Club/Society within Institution 3Course 3

Types of Organizations that Sponsor Undergraduate Research Journals

Type of Organization Number of URJsSociety/Journal 22Consortium /Multiple Institutions 10Institution (College/University) 145Division/School /College within Institution

4

Department within Institution 11Student Club/Society within Institution

3

Course 3

Types of Organizations that Sponsor Undergraduate Research Journals

Assessment of URJs

Virtually non-existent!

Assessment of Undergraduate

Research Experiences

Alternatives to URJs

Publish in professional journals

Advantages & Disadvantages

History & apparent benefits of Juniata’s Journal of Ecological Research (JER) in the context of the Biology Department curriculum

History & apparent benefits of Juniata’s Journal of Ecological Research (JER) in the context of the Biology Department curriculum

• Print version started in 1998 as part of BI 301 General Ecology Laboratory course

Year1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 2020

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JER

History & apparent benefits of Juniata’s Journal of Ecological Research (JER) in the context of the Biology Department curriculum

• Print version started in 1998 as part of BI 301 General Ecology Laboratory course

• Online version started in 2001 (on Juniata College Ecology webpage)

Journal of Ecological Research

PROTOCOL-EXAMPLE PAPERS-ECOLOGY ONLINE

History & apparent benefits of Juniata’s Journal of Ecological Research (JER) in the context of the Biology Department curriculum

• Print version started in 1998 as part of BI 301 General Ecology Laboratory course

• Online version started in 2001 (on Juniata College Ecology webpage)

• BI 301CW started in 2012: students learn about peer review and editing scientific journals

History & apparent benefits of Juniata’s Journal of Ecological Research (JER) in the context of the Biology Department curriculum

• Print version started in 1998 as part of BI 301 General Ecology Laboratory course

• Online version started in 2001 (on Juniata College Ecology webpage)

• BI 301CW started in 2012: students learn about peer review and editing scientific journals

• In 2014 the 15th volume will be printed

History & apparent benefits of Juniata’s Journal of Ecological Research (JER) in the context of the Biology Department curriculum• Understanding all of the steps of doing

science• Understanding how scientific journals

work• Professional formatting• Peer-reviewing• Roles of editors• Archival function of journals

• Using in job & school applications• Papers cited in professional literature

History & apparent benefits of Juniata’s Journal of Ecological Research (JER) in the context of the Biology Department curriculum

BI 189: How to write good scientific papers↓

BI 289: How to be a professional biologist↓

BI 301: How to publish good scientific papersBI 301CW: How to review and edit scientific papers

(SIMULATIONS)↓

BI 389: How to write research proposals↓

BI 489: How to engage in independent, potentially publishable research

(REAL DEAL)

꞉꞉

Looking for advice on how to improve JEROnline search engine

Improving lab & CW components of BI 301

(evaluating individual contributions to group reports; teaching & learning

of peer-reviewing and editing)

Adding Discussions of research & publishing ethics

Methods of assessment

Major objective in 2012 syllabus BI 301CW:

“To enhance your understanding of scientific writing by giving you the opportunity to learn how a scientific journal is edited and published. Your assignments willinvolve writing about the nature of scientific journals, the editing process, and your experiences as editors of JER, as well as an individually written version of your final research report for BI 301.”

Nature of Scientific Journals

Discussion questions:

What is (are) the purpose(s) of scientific journals (and the articles that they contain)? Who are the authors and who are the readers? How are scientific articles structured and why? What is the writing style and why? Who runs scientific journals? What are the relative roles of academic and commercial interests in publishing scientific journals? (Corollary issues related to printed vs. electronic publication of scientific journals, and how they are paid for).  How do scientific journals differ from newspapers and popular magazines? 

Editing Scientific Articles

Discussion questions:

Why are scientific articles peer-reviewed? Evaluate the pros and cons of peer review. Who are the reviewers and what are they expected to do? What duties are performed by the editors of a journal? What kinds of editors do scientific journals have and what are their specific functions? Describe the various kinds of editing that occur before a scientific article is accepted for publication.