Going Beyond Publications: Optimizing Publishing Practices and Building Community Engagement in Undergraduate Research 

Presenters: 

• Prasun Kar (he/him), Queen’s University 
• Guloona Kamran (she/her), Queen’s University 
• Sina Sayyad (he/him), Queen’s University 

Journal: Queen's Science Undergraduate Research Journal  

Description:

The Queen’s Science Undergraduate Research Journal (QSURJ) empowers undergraduate researchers at Queen’s University through our dynamic platform to share and advance academic discoveries. With a dual focus on refining publishing best practices and fostering community engagement, we have undertaken significant steps to make research accessible and inclusive for students. This presentation highlights how we implemented key initiatives, the challenges we faced, and strategies driving QSURJ’s success. 

A major milestone in late-2024 was the assignment of DOIs to publications, enhancing accessibility and citable credibility. DOIs (globally recognized identifiers) ensure permanence and traceability for academic work, elevating QSURJ’s credibility and empowering undergraduate researchers to share their innovations confidently. OJS staff training streamlined submission workflows, while two-tier peer review process optimization—incorporating undergraduate and interdisciplinary faculty reviewers—enhanced submission quality and reduced review times. These improvements built trust in students by ensuring a transparent and rigorous submission process that prioritizes the integrity of their work, ultimately demonstrating our commitment towards supporting our community. 
QSURJ prioritizes community engagement via workshops and research panels. Our first-ever panel webinar connected undergraduate/postgraduate/faculty researchers, offering students practical insights into exploring research opportunities and addressing key challenges for novices. We collaborate with university governments, student organizations, and the Vice-President Research Portfolio to address undergraduate research needs and implement initiatives. 

By balancing operational excellence with community-driven initiatives, QSURJ demonstrates how undergraduate journals can support students’ academic journeys effectively. This presentation provides actionable steps and scalable strategies for optimizing workflows and fostering inclusive research environments, ensuring broader advancements in research accessibility. 

Session Outcomes: 

After participating in this session, attendees will be able to: 

1. Identify the various forms of peer review, their significance, justification, and how to establish an operational framework for a two-tier review process.  
2. Understand the different means of collaboration with other organizations, faculty departments, and even university administrations. 
3. Apply an enhanced rapid assessment to submission peer reviews to improve workflow efficiency.  
4. Incorporate OJS training for editorial board members, with an exemplar of our own.  

Student Journal Growth & Quality Control 

Presenters: 

• Kritika Taparia (she/her), University of Alberta 

Journal: Spectrum 

Description:

As we continue to see an increasing number of submissions to our student journal, Spectrum, our commitment to publishing high-quality work must simultaneously evolve. During this presentation, we hope to discuss some of our observations regarding the uptick in submissions we receive and the resultant growth of our editorial team, as well as some practical suggestions we implemented to effectively use our resources. To handle a larger volume of submissions, we’ve implemented a submission-tracking system and created workflows to smoothly handle a submission as it transitions through the various editorial stages. We are also continuing to refine our editorial onboarding process, as well as our peer review training. Lastly, with the widespread growth and usage of artificial intelligence (AI), it becomes imperative for journals to learn how to detect and respond to AI-written submissions and peer reviews, and we aim to discuss some of our relevant experiences during this presentation. 

Session Outcomes: 

After participating in this session, attendees will be able to implement solutions to address the growth in submission number, as well as growth and turnover of an editorial team. Attendees will also learn some tips in identifying AI-written submissions or peer reviews and how to address this. 

Supporting Graduate Students’ Capacity as Authors and Editors 

Presenters: 

• Aurra Startup (she/her), York University 

Journal: Canadian Journal for New Scholars in Education / Revue Canadienne des jeunes chercheures et chercheurs en éducation 

Description:

The Canadian Journal for New Scholars in Education / Revue Canadienne des jeunes chercheures et chercheurs en éducation (CJNSE) is an open access, non-masked peer reviewed journal managed by graduate students under the guidance of a Senior Advisory Board, comprised of professors. CJNSE's mission is to showcase high quality graduate student and early career scholarship in Canada while providing new scholars with opportunities to develop their skills and experiences as authors, reviewers, and editors. For the last several years, CJNSE has published two regular issues, which include both English and French language articles, and one Special Issue annually. CJNSE is run by a graduate student Editorial Team, comprised of Associate Copyeditors, Senior Copyeditors, an Associate Editor, and a Managing Editor. Members of the Editorial Team also serve dual roles as Reviewers and Review Mentors to actualize CJNSE’s mission. In this presentation, CJNSE's Managing Editor, Aurra Startup (York University) will present about CJNSE’s work with a specific focus on how CJNSE has aimed to support graduate student capacity building on both sides of the peer review process—i.e., as authors, reviewers, and editors. For authors interested in gaining publishing experience, the presentation will include an explanation CJNSE’s publication process and the Review Mentor program, which we offer to authors who would like extra help navigating the peer review process. The presentation will also highlight tips and tricks to help new scholars build their publication records, and unique opportunities offered by CJNSE’s annual Special Issue which is based on an ongoing partnership with the Canadian Committee of Graduate Students in Education (CCGSE/CCÉÉCSÉ). For those looking to gain valuable experience and develop their skills as peer reviewers and editors, the presentation will illuminate the tasks and processes that members of the Editorial Team fulfill, as well as tips for conducting peer reviews and copyediting. The presentation will also include information about collaborative activities the CJNSE Editorial Team engage in to develop their skills and professional networks. 

Session Outcomes: 

After participating in this session attendees will be able to: 
• Describe the organizational structure of a graduate student run peer reviewed journal 
• Identify the CJNSE’s mission and activities; 
• Identify tips for publishing, reviewing, and editing; and 
• Name different forms of capacity building CJNSE engages in for graduate student authors, reviewers, and editors. 

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Globalizing 'The Mirror': Taking Your Journal International 

Presenters: 

• Margaret (Maggie) King (she/her), Western University 
• Danielle Janicki 
• Florence Silva-Rodrigue 

Journal: The Mirror 

Description:

From our experience in globalizing The Mirror we hope to advise other journal attendees about how to broaden their audiences and readership. The opportunity to globalize ourselves has further legitimized our journal and encouraged more essay submissions from students across Canada. In this session, we will provide valuable advice to other journals as to how to advertise their journals to global audiences. This year, The Mirror has garnered its highest number of submissions (seventy two), which has been attributed to our outreach with international partners. Our team researched possible collaborative partners extensively, identifying their publication process and timelines. We also networked with other journals, organized group meetings and participated in journal forums, to connect with possible partners. We contacted various student journals via email, with a handful of them interested in our partnership. For the release of our 45th Anniversary Edition, we have extended our editorial process to include partnerships with history journals at international institutions such as the London School of Economics, the University of Queensland and the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Connecting with other student journals has further legitimized The Mirror in Canada and increased our number of readers, thus leading to a higher number of essay submissions. In this session we will tell our story about globalizing The Mirror to provide valuable advice to journals that may be struggling to receive an adequate number of submissions. 
Session Outcomes: 

After participating in this journal session, attendees should know how to reach out to other journals to form partnerships, advertise essay submissions to the journal, create and propose new opportunities to benefit their journal (such as creating a journal forum, hosting a webinar, etc.), identify what factors will further legitimize their journal, improve number of essay submissions. 

The Meducator’s Blueprint: Crafting Efficient Interdisciplinary Procedures For A Student Journal 

Presenters: 

• Dominic Gangemi (he/him), McMaster University 
• Ria Patel (she/they), McMaster University 
• Aarani Selvaganesh (she/her), McMaster University 
• Veronica Grignano 
• Henin Ye 

Journal: The Meducator 

Description:

With an established history of over 20 years, The Meducator has held a prominent place in undergraduate academic circles at McMaster University. The Meducator’s hallmark style combining unique student and staff written articles with engaging illustrations has only grown in recognition throughout the McMaster and Hamilton community. Through this detailed talk, we will highlight the distinct, interdisciplinary processes that have shaped the growth, success, and impact of The Meducator within the realm of undergraduate health sciences literature. This will draw directly from the four pillars of our journal: the editorial, creative, video, and promotional teams. With an extensive 6-stage editing process featuring peer-reviewers, DOI registration, and on-copy sessions, the editorial board ensures quality and student accessibility in each publication. Our creative team utilizes in-person collaborative meetings to ensure illustration creativity, depth, and linkage to the article, capturing immediate visual appeal to engage audiences. Broadening The Meducator’s output beyond publication into informational content on multimedia platforms, our video team extends the accessibility of our journal beyond the undergraduate audiences. Our promotional team builds The Meducator’s presence on social media, and hosts internal and McMaster-wide events that boost engagement for members and non-members. In discussing these strategies used at The Meducator, we seek to share our mission of promoting accessible and interdisciplinary scientific literature and inspire the processes of other Canadian student journals. 

Session Outcomes: 

Following this session, all attendees will be informed of the practices The Meducator uses to drive student engagement. This includes our editorial team's quality assurance, our creative team's constant collaboration, our video team's boundary-pushing content, and our promotional team's events for all. By detailing these procedures, we hope attendees will begin to adopt similar practices at their own institutions. 

Promouvoir la recherche étudiante dans les programmes cliniques en psychologie    

Presenters: 

• Marie-France de Lafontaine, Université Laval 

Journal: Psycause : revue scientifique étudiante de l’École de psychologie de l’Université Laval 

Description:

Les études en psychologie sont généralement centrées sur l'intervention, mais la participation à la recherche n’est pas autant mise de l’avant dans ces programmes. De plus, ce sont souvent les aspects éthiques ou méthodologiques de la recherche qui sont enseignés, tandis que son côté innovant et fondamental est rarement présenté. Généralement, les possibilités de travail en laboratoire de recherche demeurent également limitées en milieu universitaire, surtout dans les programmes qui accueillent quelques centaines d’étudiants. Par conséquent, favoriser un intérêt réel pour la recherche dans un cheminement en psychologie, de même que dans tout domaine axé sur la pratique, peut s’avérer ardu. Néanmoins, la promotion de la recherche a le potentiel de créer un engouement pour le développement des connaissances et de former des professionnels sensibilisés à l’importance des données probantes dans leurs domaines respectifs. Il existe donc un besoin essentiel d’établir des initiatives étudiantes qui valorisent la recherche. Psycause est une revue scientifique francophone qui a été créée par des étudiants aux cycles supérieurs à l’Université Laval. Cette initiative vise à promouvoir la recherche en psychologie en offrant aux étudiants une opportunité inégalée de se familiariser avec le processus de rédaction et de révision d’articles scientifiques. La revue Psycause publie deux éditions par année : une édition régulière, pour laquelle les étudiants de toutes universités peuvent soumettre un article, et une édition spéciale Recherche Dirigée, qui met en valeur les projets des finissants du baccalauréat en psychologie de l'Université Laval. En plus de promouvoir la revue Psycause, cette session vise à discuter de la place de la recherche dans les parcours universitaires en soulignant sa pertinence dans les domaines d’études appliquées. 

Session Outcomes:

Après avoir assisté à cette session, les participants pourront mieux comprendre les défis liés à la promotion de la recherche dans les programmes qui forment des cliniciens. Ils auront aussi l'opportunité de découvrir la revue Psycause et de s’informer sur la démarche pour y publier et réviser des articles. Par le biais de cette session, ils seront informés que la revue Psycause est en processus d’inclusion au DOAJ. Finalement, les participants seront invités à collaborer avec les éditeurs-en-chef de Psycause pour des opportunités de formation pour la mise en place et la gestion de leur propre revue scientifique étudiante. 

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Knowledge Mobilization from Within: Digital & Arts-Based Publishing 

Presenters: 

• Jade Da Costa (they/them), Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Guelph 
• Naiomi Perera (she/her), PhD Student, York University 

Journal: New Sociology: Journal of Critical Praxis 

Description:

In this presentation we discuss the benefits of including digital and arts-based publications within student run journals by drawing on our experiences with founding (Da Costa), managing (Da Costa and Perera) and publishing with (Perera) New Sociology: Journal of Critical Praxis. We highlight the scholarly and intellectual merits of non-traditional outputs from a social justice equity perspective while also foregrounding their practical ability to improve the overall health and longevity of the journal. Not only do digital and arts-based submissions limit the journal’s dependency on peer reviewers, as well as the amount of labour required of the student editors, but they also open knowledge production to historically marginalized authors. Positioning this approach as a praxis of "knowledge mobilization from within," we explain both how and why other student journals can adopt this model for themselves, observing that it provides better mentorship opportunities for the authors and board members alike. Most significantly, we find that readers engage best with digital and arts-based content and that this, in turn, further promotes the health of the journal by increasing its popularity and reach. 

Session Outcomes: 

After participating in this session attendees will have a better sense of how to incorporate non-traditional submissions into student run-journals, including seeing examples of this process, and gain knowledge on why doing so promotes equity and journal longevity. 

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“This could die on a vine”: Keeping a Student Journal Alive 

Presenters: 

• Tka Pinnock, York University  

Journal: IYARIC 

Description:

How do you keep a new and fledgling student journal alive? In this session, we aim to offer strategies that we have used to sustain the graduate student-run journal - IYARIC. First published in 2022, the journal emerged as one response to elevate the scholarship and voice of Black and Indigenous graduate students whose scholarly work and interest is in the Latin America and Caribbean region. Since then, we have and continue to work to build and sustain our very small journal so that it does not “die on a vine.” In this session, the editor-in-chief will draw on the experience of managing IYARIC over the last couple of years to offer insights on the challenges faced by and opportunities available to new journals that are housed in small intellectual communities; to map the strategies used and are currently being tried to build and sustain the journal, with attention to our grounding in the principles of equity, diversity, inclusion, and decolonization (EDID) ; and, to share  the outcomes of our efforts to date. As we are currently navigating the murky waters of keeping our baby journal alive and supporting it to maturation, this presentation will be a live snapshot our in-progress work. 

Session Outcomes: 

Attendees will leave the session with strategies and tips for journal sustainability that include but go beyond legacy documentation. We further hope that, generally, attendees will have a deeper appreciation for thinking about and cultivating a culture of sustainability as part of starting (or restarting) a journal. 

Publishing, Privilege, and Passion: The Costs of Culture 

Presenters: 

• Isobel Sinclair (she/her), Simon Fraser University 
• Callie Cheng (she/her), Simon Fraser University 
• Michael Wu (he/him), Simon Fraser University 

Journal: The Lyre 

Description:

The Lyre is a literary magazine entirely run by students — six executive editors and upwards of thirty associate editors to manage the submissions. Despite only publishing once a year, it is a huge undertaking that involves a long process that all too often invites struggles with balancing the continued stress of student life with our passions for literature and publishing. This presentation will cover the ways we negotiate the privilege of working within an unpaid student magazine with the realities of other obligations.  
 
As a literary magazine run out of SFU’s department of World Literatures and Languages, The Lyre heavily focuses on cross-cultural experiences and features a variety of poetry, prose, and translations which touch on these themes. While we strongly believe in the importance of platforming diverse voices within the range of cultures and students at SFU, we acknowledge that there remains a tension between platforming cross-cultural exchange and student diversity, while meeting the transactional and logistical aspects of running a journal. Our presentation will highlight the experiences and challenges our team has with balancing these two aspects of The Lyre. 

Session Outcomes: 

This presentation aims to provide participants with a hopeful outlook on the landscape of diversity and equity within student-run journals. We hope what our participants take away from this session is how acknowledging the aspects of privilege which go into working as an unpaid volunteer for a student journal ultimately provides a guiding point for how your journal can help to platform less privileged members in your community. 

A Guide to Support Journal Editorial Processes 

Presenters: 

• Fatima Nawaz (she/her/hers), University of Toronto Mississauga 
• Christopher Eaton (he/him/his), University of Toronto Mississauga 

Journal: Writing for University and Beyond: A Journal of First-Year Student Writing at UTM 

Description:

This presentation will showcase a guide that was created to support student journal editorial processes. This resource provides students with a framework of useful strategies to support editorial teams as they create a journal or transition new team members. The guide contains a host of information that could benefit student journals, including: a breakdown of publication workflow, information on building an editorial team, and communicating with authors and editors. The guide also contains downloadable templates, links to copyright information, and communication templates.  

Our presentation will focus on how the guide can best be navigated and adapted to different journal contexts. We will place particular emphasis on how editorial teams can use the guides at various points within their publication workflow. It will begin with a brief overview of the guide’s purpose and development but focus on discussing the intersection between different parts of the guide and journal editorial processes. 

Session Outcomes: 

After participating in this session, attendees will: 

• have access to a guide and resources that can support their editorial processes 
• a deeper understanding of editorial workflow and what resources are available to support each stage of that workflow 
• understand how the resources can be adapted for their journal processes

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Reviving Student Journals: Lessons from a 'Selected Works' Approach 

Presenters: 

• Zsofia Agoston Villalba (she/her), Western University 
• Sydney Holland (she/her), Western University 
• Madelyn Hertz (she/her), Western University 
• Javier Alvarez Vandeputte, Western University

Journal: University of Western Ontario Journal of Anthropology 

Description:

The University of Western Ontario Journal of Anthropology (UWOJA) is a student-run publication that operated for 22 years before activity ceased in 2016. After a six-year hiatus, UWOJA was relaunched in 2022. This presentation outlines the approach our team took to revitalize the journal, the challenges and successes we encountered, and the insights we gained in the process, with the aim of supporting other student journals in similar situations. To relaunch, we published a special issue that republished a selection of the most highly cited or relevant articles previously featured in the journal, alongside new reflections from the original authors on their work, which ranged from 8 to 28 years old. This process involved developing selection criteria reflective of the journal’s priorities and values. Categories included both quantitative (i.e., citation metrics) and qualitative (e.g., research subfield, author response) information to build a holistic profile of papers and their authors. In their included reflections, many authors highlighted how publishing in student journals helped build their confidence in writing and provided valuable professional development opportunities. They placed these articles within the context of their current careers and noted the significant changes in the discipline since their articles' original publication, providing suggestions on how they might frame certain topics differently today. This approach to relaunching offered a unique opportunity to explore the impact of reading, writing, and publishing, while highlighting the collective effort of previous authors, reviewers, and editorial boards in establishing and maintaining the journal throughout its history. 

Session Outcomes:

After this session, attendees will gain insight into the strengths and weaknesses of this ‘selected works’ approach, which could be applied by other journals to relaunch their publications or as a special anniversary issue to celebrate their journal’s previous work. Attendees will also be able to recognize the impact that student journals can have on authors and their future endeavors. 

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