The last thing you’d expect a first- or second-year biology, chemistry, health sciences or medical sciences student to be doing is publishing research papers.
But perhaps that is exactly what they should be doing.
Now in its second year of publication, the student-led Western Undergraduate Research Journal: Health and Natural Sciences (WURJHNS), an open-access, peer-reviewed and faculty-reviewed online journal, is giving students the opportunity to publish original research, review articles and research progress report.
As Associate Dean (Basic Medical Sciences Academic Affairs) at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Dr. Doug Jones sits on the WURJHNS editorial board. He see this journal as providing an opportunity for undergraduate students to get exposure for their research, whether it is of shorter or longer duration.
“It provides highly valuable information for upcoming students regarding the types of research opportunities which are possible at Western and hopefully will lead to a greater interest in becoming involved with research early in their undergraduate careers,” Jones says.
Like most research journals, getting published is a rigorous process. Each manuscript submitted to the WURJHNS is subject to a two-tier, double-blinded review process. The first tier involves reviews by three undergraduate and/or graduate students; the second tier involves reviews performed by at least one faculty member; and the final decision regarding publication of a manuscript is determined by an editorial board consisting of undergraduate students. This decision is based on the comments from faculty and undergraduate reviewers, with the process taking close to two months.
The current team consists of 19 undergraduate students, 23 graduate students, 11 faculty reviewers and 13 faculty correspondents.
Soniya Sharma, co-editor of this year’s journal, says it’s great to be a part of this student-led initiative. Last year, she was part of the editorial review board.
“From its inception, the journal’s aim has been to give students an opportunity to understand the publication process and the merits of research from both sides of the equation: the submission and editorial processes,” says the third-year Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry (Physiology) student.
“Being published at the undergraduate level is a great accomplishment and every graduate and professional school is looking for the most talented student. Having the chance to hone in on scientific writing and publishing skills, with feedback from three different levels (undergraduate, graduate and faculty) is a great asset for any student.”
Although it is important to stress the review process remains rigorous with a heavy reliance on faculty, Jones sees it as a peer-to-peer opportunity for undergraduate students.
“This is unique as there are several avenues for graduate student interactions and publications, but there are very few options for undergraduate students who also must focus on their academics to complete their programs,” he says. “Being student-led also provides role models for other students to recognize their potential and to become the leaders we all encourage them to become.”
Particularly when looking at a potential graduate student, Jones adds it is a real bonus if they have undergraduate research experience and even more if they have a publication from some of this work.
“It provides an indication of their initiative and work ethic – something that is not evident on a transcript,” he says. “If their research supervisor can describe their contributions to a research project, this provides insight that is useful for evaluation of their potential for graduate work.”
Articles are accepted on a rolling submission basis and WURJHNS is always eager to speak with those interested in the review process.
For more information about the Western Undergraduate Research Journal: Health and Natural Sciences, log onto https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/wurjhns/.