Where to Submit

• All submissions should be submitted through the Journal Submission Form.

Things to Include

• All submissions must use the RANGE Template and be uploaded as a PDF into the submission form.
  • You can access the RANGE Template through Box. You can also access the RANGE Template through Google Drive.
  • Email us at our@utah.edu if you need help accessing the RANGE Template.
• All images, figures, tables, and charts used in submission must be uploaded as a separate file in JPG format along with the article at the time of submission. All Images and Figures require Alt Text provided by the student in the submission form. Images without alt text will not be included in the final publication.
• If submission includes more than 10 total figures, graphs, tables, and/or charts:
  • Upload all images to a UBox folder.
  • Set the folder’s sharing settings to “Viewer” mode.
  • Include the UBox link in your submission.
  • Folder must include an additional file that includes all alt text for image files.
• All images need to be high-resolution and appear clearly and to the expected size in the Word document.

Withdrawal

• A student may withdraw their submission at any time before publication. Students submitting for the URSD see Undergraduate Research Scholar Designation tab.

Full-Length Article

A comprehensive scholarly article that presents original undergraduate research in detail.

Length: 2,500 to 10,000 words (excluding bibliography and citations). Submissions exceeding 10,000 words are permitted with justification.

Voice: First-person or third-person, depending on disciplinary standards.

Examples: Honors theses, peer-reviewed journal articles.

Requirements:

• • Section headers
  • Complete bibliography
  • Author(s) clearly identified

Research Summary or Abstract

A concise overview of the research project, suitable for readers seeking a high-level understanding.

Minimum Length: 500 words
Content:

• • Research question or thesis
  • Description of research activities and methodology
  • Key findings and conclusions
  • May include reflective elements and first-person voice

Required:

• • Bibliography

Research Reflection*

A personal narrative reflecting on the research experience.

Minimum Length: 250 words
Content:

• • Personal insights and growth through the research process
  • Challenges encountered and lessons learned
  • Impact of the research experience on academic or career goals

*Submission Rule: Must accompany a full-length article or research summary. Stand-alone reflections will not be accepted. Research Reflections are submitted on the submission form answering the question "Please describe your undergraduate research experience and its impact on your education and future goals".

Formatting Requirements

• Submissions to the Undergraduate Research Journal must be carefully edited prior to submission. They will be published as-is or with minor formatting adjustments as necessary.
• OUR does not edit submissions - minor edits may be made, but the proofreading is the responsibility of the faculty mentor and authors.
• Students must submit on their own behalf.
• By submitting, you are consenting to publication in this open access publicly available journal.
• Submission must include a bibliography or references.
  • All citations to be complete and list all contributing authors of any article used.
• All submissions must use the RANGE Template and be uploaded as a PDF into the submission form.
  • You can access the RANGE Template through Box. You can also access the RANGE Template through Google Drive.
• Submissions with images, figures, tables, and/or graphs: Students will upload PDF with all images, tables and graphs in the desired location in their article. Student will also need to upload all images, graphs and/or charts to be published with their submission in JPG format. Images need to be high-resolution and appear clearly and to the expected size in the Word document. All images, figures, tables, and/or graphs must be accompanied by alternative text.
• Scholarly references are required for articles. Use standard citations of your field (APA, MLA, Chicago).
• Endnotes may be used, although it should not be "automated" - but manually inserted.

RANGE Template on Google Doc

RANGE Template on Box

• Required Header: centered in 12-point Times New Roman font:

Title of Project [Use Heading 1]
Student's Full Name, Additional Authors in author order
Faculty Mentor: [Faculty Mentor Name] ([Department affiliation], [Institutional Affiliation])

• The remainder of the page(s) may be used to present the student's research or creative works as desired by the student and faculty mentor. The page(s) may include text and/or pictures---submissions may take the form of research abstracts, summaries, paper, artists' statements, and/or pictures of research or creative works. All text must be at least 12-pt Times New Roman font size and single spaced.
• For formatting help, please review previous years' publications.

Guidelines

Disclosing the use of GenAI tools facilitates transparency, trust between researchers and readers, and compliance with terms of use of AI tools. Declarations of use promote replicability and research rigor.

Disclosure

Authors must disclose any substantive use of Generative AI tools in their research and writing process.

• Documentation should include the name of the AI tool used, its version, the purpose of its use, and the review process for AI generated outputs included in research.
  • You may visit the Artificial Intelligence Disclosure (AID) – Statement Builder to build your statement, write on your own, or adjust the template below as needed.

Template

During the preparation of this work the author(s) used [TOOL/SERVICE NAME] for [PURPOSES]. The author(s) [REVIEWED & EDITED CONTENT] in [WAY] as needed and take(s) complete responsibility for the content of the article / Content submitted and published with RANGE: Undergraduate Research Journal.

Use in Research Design and Methods

We recommend that the use of AI tools as part of research design or methods be included not only in the disclosure, but in the Research Methods section. This can include details or supplemental material on prompts, validation, and more. Consider where a disclosure of AI tools as part of research design should be included in your writing if AI tools for writing were used in the following instances:

• Where AI has been used to create, rewrite, structure, organize, or outline your text you are required to include a disclosure for AI use in the writing process.
• Basic grammar, spelling, and punctuation checkers often use AI tools. This does not need to be included in your declaration.
  • Do include if putting your writing through a model to disclose
• Figures/images and items included in the submission that are generated by AI should be clearly labelled as AI generated with a watermark or label, and information included in the caption.

Research Ethics and AI

• Authors who use Generative AI in their research and writing are solely responsible for the output of the tool. They are accountable for avoiding research misconduct; this includes reporting accurate results and properly citing all references, among other responsibilities. For more information, please review guidelines set by the University of Utah's Office of the Vice President for Research.

Accessibility & AI

• Authors who use AI that is integrated with disability-assistance technology for accessibility purposes are not required to disclose; disclosure is at the author’s discretion.

Resources Consulted:

CDC. (2026, May 28). Considerations for Disclosing Generative AI Use in Scientific Work. Artificial Intelligence. https://www.cdc.gov/ai/resources/considerations-for-generative-ai-use-in-scientific-work.html

Elsevier Publishing. (2026, June 1). Generative AI policies for journals. Www.Elsevier.Com. https://www.elsevier.com/about/policies-and-standards/generative-ai-policies-for-journals

Janco, A. (n.d.). Research Guides: Generative AI for Research and Scholarship: Disclosing the Use of AI. Retrieved July 14, 2026, from https://libguides.princeton.edu/generativeAI/disclosure

Resnik, D. B., & Hosseini, M. (2026). Disclosing artificial intelligence use in scientific research and publication: When should disclosure be mandatory, optional, or unnecessary? Accountability in Research, 33(2), 2481949. https://doi.org/10.1080/08989621.2025.2481949

University of Utah Vice Office of the President of Research. (n.d.). VPR Statement on the Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Research—U Research. Retrieved August 10, 2026, from https://www.research.utah.edu/research-impact/use-of-artificial-intelligence-ai/

Weaver, K. D. (2024, October 1). AID Framework – Statement Builder. Artificial Intelligence Disclosure (AID) – Statement Builder. https://aidframework.org/

Wiley Publishing. (2026). AI guidelines for researchers | Wiley. https://www.wiley.com/en-us/publish/article/ai-guidelines/

Any University of Utah undergraduate student may submit their research for publication. While the research reported in the submission does not need to have been conducted under the supervision of a faculty member, a faculty mentor must approve the student's submission.

• Only the first author uploads the submission. It is the responsibility of the first author to include all authors' names and emails during the submission process.
• All authors must agree on an author order. Authorship conventions differ by field; this should be decided in careful consultation with the faculty mentor.
• Each submission may have only one first author, and all other authors must be ordered.
• The first author is responsible for making sure that the submission is completed successfully and for forwarding the emailed confirmation message to all other authors.
• If the faculty mentor on the project is also a co-author, they must be listed twice: as a mentor and also as an author.

All submissions from University of Utah undergraduate students that are approved by a qualified faculty mentor are accepted for publication. Faculty mentors or designated mentors are expected to review their mentee's submission.

Beginning in the fall 2022: the Range: Journal of Undergraduate Research is published on Pressbooks. Pressbooks is made available through the Utah Education Network. All publications are published with Creative Commons Attribution.

•  Submissions received by May 15, appear in the annual issue 1 - published in July.
• Submissions received by November 1, appear in the annual issue 2 - published in December.

Students submitting to RANGE are eligible to earn the Undergraduate Research Scholar Designation (URSD)! This appears in the student’s transcript and you get a cord for graduation!

To be eligible for this requirement, authors must submit their own journal submission as a first or solo author. Only those listed as first authors will be eligible to receive the Undergraduate Research Scholar Designation.

Note on eligibility for the designation:

• If a student submits to RANGE to fulfill the URSD publication requirement but then withdraws their submission, the URSD requirement will become incomplete.
• A student may submit to RANGE to fulfill the URSD requirement and then request to defer their publication up to 1 consecutive issue later.
• To regain URSD eligibility, a new or updated piece must be submitted within 30 days of the withdrawal date.
• New submissions must be submitted through the Journal Submission Form.
• If no new submission is made within 30 days, the URSD requirement will remain incomplete and the URSD designation will be removed off their transcripts.

• OUR Education Series: Publishing Your Research in Journals
  This presentation is for undergraduates who want to learn more about publishing their research in journals. A panel of University of Utah journal editors will share the steps a first-time author should consider, how to find a publication for your project, and how to prepare a manuscript for submission.
• Undergraduate Research Journal Listing
• Seven Great Books About Scholarly Publishing
• Generative AI and Authorship