Teaching Scholarship with an
Undergraduate Research Journal
DOUG GLAZIER
DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY
JUNIATA COLLEGE
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 URJs
Assessment of URJs
Alternatives to URJs
History & 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……
Number of URJs Started
25
20
15
10
5
0
1920
1940
1960
Year
1980
2000
2020
Number of URJs Started
25
20
15
10
5
0
1920

1940
1960
Year
1980
2000
2020
Beta Beta Beta
National Biological Honor Society
Bios (1930)
JSTOR
Lambda Epsilon Chapter at Juniata College 1970:
Students have presented at regional & national conferences
Sponsored annual campus research symposia (1997-2004) LAS
Google website: https://sites.google.com/site/jctribeta/home
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 of
Undergraduate Research Journals
Subject matter
Number of URJs
All 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 of
Undergraduate Research Journals
Subject matter
Number of URJs
All Academic Disciplines/Interdisciplinary
51
Arts, Humanities &/or Social Sciences
101
Natural Sciences, Math &/or Technology
39
Natural & Social Sciences/Science &
Society/Environmental studies
7
Arts, Humanities &/or Social Sciences
Undergraduate Research Journals
Subject matter
Number of URJs
Creative writing, composing & arts/Communications
13
Humanities
3
Literature/Literary criticism/Foreign language
8
Philosophy
23
History
7
Theology/Religion studies
1
Social/human sciences
8
Politics/International studies /World affairs/Law
13
Business/ Economics
8
Anthropology/Ethnography
3
Psychology/Cognitive science
8
Arts, Humanities &/or Social Sciences
Undergraduate Research Journals
Subject matter
Number of URJs
Creative writing, composing & arts/Communications
13
Humanities
3
Literature/Literary criticism/Foreign language
8
Philosophy
23
History
7
Theology/Religion studies
1
Social/human sciences
8
Politics/International studies /World affairs/Law
13
Business/ Economics
8
Anthropology/Ethnography
3
Psychology/Cognitive science
8
Natural Sciences, Math &/or Technology
Undergraduate Research Journals
Subject matter
Number of URJs
Natural Sciences
11
Biology/Medicine/Agricultural science
11
Chemistry
1
Physics
2
Geology/Marine science
2
Mathematics
7
Engineering/Materials science/Nanoscience
2
Computer science
1
Natural Sciences, Math &/or Technology
Undergraduate Research Journals
Subject matter
Number of URJs
Natural Sciences
11
Biology/Medicine/Agricultural science
11
Chemistry
1
Physics
2
Geology/Marine science
2
Mathematics
7
Engineering/Materials science/Nanoscience
2
Computer science
1
Types of Organizations that Sponsor
Undergraduate Research Journals
Type of Organization
Number of URJs
Society/Journal
22
Consortium /Multiple Institutions
10
Institution (College/University)
145
Division/School /College within Institution
4
Department within Institution
11
Student Club/Society within Institution
3
Course
3
Types of Organizations that Sponsor
Undergraduate Research Journals
Type of Organization
Number of URJs
Society/Journal
22
Consortium /Multiple Institutions
10
Institution (College/University)
145
Division/School /College within Institution
4
Department within Institution
11
Student Club/Society within Institution
3
Course
3
Types of Organizations that Sponsor
Undergraduate Research Journals
Type of Organization
Number of URJs
Society/Journal
22
Consortium /Multiple Institutions
10
Institution (College/University)
145
Division/School /College within Institution
4
Department within Institution
11
Student Club/Society within Institution
3
Course
3
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
Number of URJs Started
25
20
15
JER
10
5
0
1920

1940
1960
Year
1980
2000
2020
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 papers
BI 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 JER
Online 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 will
involve 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.