Journal Publication
We welcome your submissions to our journal
Graduating students who have both presented and published their work will automatically receive the University Research Scholar Designation. If a student has published and/or presented research or creative activity somewhere other than the Fall or Spring Symposia and/or the UNC Asheville Journal of Undergraduate Research, please contact studentresearch@unca.edu by the date on the calendar with documentation of the publication and/or presentation for consideration as a University Research Scholar.
Submission Guidelines
- Adhere to all the deadlines indicated on the URCAP calendar
- Inform URCAP of your intent to submit a manuscript for publication by completing this form before fall/spring break.
- Download and prepare your manuscript using the template. Submissions must be in .doc or .docx format (i.e., a Microsoft Word document).
- Submit your manuscript through the Submission system in Janeway.
University Research Scholar Designation
Research Scholar Candidates
The University Research Scholar (URS) designation is awarded to graduating seniors for outstanding performance in undergraduate research and creative activity. Students who present at the Fall or Spring Symposium and publish in the UNC Asheville Journal of Undergraduate Research will automatically be awarded the URS distinction.
Nominations
Students in disciplines in which a Symposium presentation or scholarly paper is not a standard product can be nominated by a faculty member. Students interested in being nominated should discuss it with their faculty mentors. Departments should establish standard criteria and nominate students through the nomination form. Nominations are due the same day as journal submission.
Candidate Requirements
URS candidates must have made a presentation at a UNC Asheville Symposium or other public forum. They must also have published the results of the research or creative activity work in the UNC Asheville Journal of Undergraduate Research or other peer-reviewed journal. Students wishing to receive the designation but not publish in the Journal may submit their work for review, but request for final project to not be published.
Fall 2025 & Spring 2026 Deadlines & Events
August
- 8/28 – Student: Grant Writing Workshop – 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm tentatively @ Laurel Forum
September
- 9/04 – Student & Faculty: Fall Research Grant Proposal Due
- 9/11 – Student: Mentor Recommendation for Fall Research Grant Proposal Application Due
- 9/25 – Student: Mandatory Student Grant Recipient Meeting – 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm tentatively @ Laurel Forum
October
- 10/16 – Student: Fall Symposium Applications and Abstracts Due
- 10/16 – Student: Deadline to Indicate Intent to Submit to the Journal by filling out the form
November
- 11/06 – Student: Submissions to Capstone, URCAP’s journal, are due and must be submitted through Capstone‘s author/reviewer portal
- 11/06 – Faculty: University Research Scholar Nominations for December Graduation due
- 11/18 – FALL SYMPOSIUM (No Day Classes) – 8:00 am to 5:00 pm
- 11/20 – Faculty: Reviews of student submissions due through Capstone‘s author/reviewer portal
- 11/20 – Student: Grant Writing Workshop 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm tentatively @ Laurel Forum
December
- 12/10 – Student: Revisions for final UNC Asheville Journal Papers Due
- 12/12 – Commencement
January
- 1/22 – Student: Grant Writing Workshop – 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm tentatively @ Laurel Forum
- 1/29 – Student & Faculty: Spring Research Grant Proposal Due
February
- 2/05 – Student: Mentor Recommendation for Spring Research Grant Proposal Application Due
- 2/19 – Student: Mandatory Student Grant Recipient Meeting – 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm tentatively @ Laurel Forum
March
- 3/05 – Student: Grant Writing Workshop – 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm tentatively @ Laurel Forum
- 3/19 – Student & Faculty: Summer Research Grant Proposal Application
- 3/19 – Student: Spring Symposium Application and Abstract Due
- 3/19 – Student: Deadline to Indicate Intent to Submit to the Journal
- 3/26 – Faculty Recommendation for Summer Grants Due
April
- 04/02 – Student: Mandatory Student Grant Recipient Meeting – 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm tentatively @ Laurel Forum
- 04/09 – Student: UNC Asheville Journal Papers Due to URCAP via portal to distribute to reviewers
- 04/09 – Faculty: University Research Scholar Nominations for May graduates Due
- 04/23 – Faculty: UNC Asheville Journal Paper Reviews Due returned via portal to distribute to students
- 04/21 – Spring Symposium; No Day Classes – 8:00 am to 5:00 pm
May
- 05/06 – Student: Revisions for Final UNC Asheville Journal Papers Due
- 05/09 – Commencement
Ongoing
- Travel grant application for student presentation at conferences* (up to $750)
- Borrow easels and poster boards using the loan request form at least one week prior to when they are needed.
Journal Archives
The first issue of the UNC Asheville Undergraduate Research Journal was published in 1988 to disseminate the research findings of undergraduate students. The founding editors believed that publication is a vitally important part of the research process from which undergraduate researchers should not be excluded. Publication of significant, new research results is the natural concluding stage of any successful research project and it also serves as a reward for the student researcher. By completing the whole cycle of a research project, from the initial identification of a problem and the preparation of a research strategy to the final publication of results, students achieve a much fuller understanding of the process by which knowledge is generated and disseminated. Moreover, publication of the best student papers also makes significant research findings available to the scholarly community. The editors also hoped that publication here would provide incentive for student researchers to continue to develop their research projects and, after further refinement, to republish their work in nationally circulated publications.
The Journal considers submissions in any discipline, and articles must embody original research and must contribute new data and/or insights to their field.
Fall 2022 – Present Research Journal 2013 – 2022 Research Journal
Your Curiosity and Imagination are Valued at UNC Asheville
Pair creativity with persistence in your quest to uncover truths and share insights in a community that is constantly learning and growing. At UNC Asheville, you’ll find new understandings of the world, rich collaborative partnerships, and lifelong mentors who are invested in your flourishing.