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 email us at our@utah.edu to obtain 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.

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 submissions must use the RANGE Template and be saved as a PDF. The PDF is uploaded into the submission form.
• 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

• 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.

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".

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

NOTICE: 2025 Issue 2 publication will be published January 2026. All submissions received before November 1 will appear in Issue 2. Submissions received November 2 or later will appear in 2026 Issue 1 Published July of 2026.

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