URCA Journal

UCSB Library

About

The URCA Journal aims to highlight the amazing research achievements produced by UCSB undergraduates and their graduate and faculty mentors. In the journal, students have the opportunity to share their research and contribute to the broader knowledge of UCSB’s campus.

Journals

In the interest of further highlighting Undergraduate Research at UCSB, the URCA Journal is an open-access publication and will be available to anyone interested. We invite submissions from all undergraduate students in research from all disciplines with no GPA restrictions.

About

A multi-discipline journal for all UCSB undergraduates

UCSB’s Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities Journal (URCAJ) was created in the Spring of 2019 to highlight the research achievements of UCSB undergraduate students. In the interest of furthering the exposure of UCSB undergraduate research, this is an open-access publication and will be available to anyone interested. We invite submissions from ALL undergraduate students in research from ALL disciplines and we intentionally do not have GPA or academic year restrictions so that all of our student’s research accomplishments can be accessed.

We are excited to share that it will be back in 2021-2022!

Students who graduated in 2021, when the journal was on hiatus, will be eligible to contribute articles about original research completed while enrolled at UCSB.

 

Call for Papers

The Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (URCA) is proud to announce the return of a university-wide undergraduate research journal and we want YOU to submit YOUR research papers. Have your papers PUBLISHED online in an open access format.

The URCA Journal aims to highlight the amazing research achievements produced by UCSB undergraduates and their graduate and faculty mentors. Through the journal, students will have the opportunity to share their research and contribute to the broader knowledge of UCSB’s campus.

Submissions will be reviewed by URCAJ Peer Editors for publication in September. Students whose submission are accepted will be asked to review feedback and revise drafts according to editors’ feedback.

The priority submission deadline is June 17, 2022. The general submission deadline is July 1, 2022. 

 

Please direct all inquiries to the following email: urca@ltsc.ucsb.edu

Please submit your papers here: https://forms.gle/KkTGDeWMekC2d8Nr5

 

Who Can Submit

The research can be completed by one or more UCSB students who have completed research either on campus or off campus. In order to be considered, the research must have been completed while the student was an undergraduate at UC Santa Barbara.
 
Students can be in any academic standing or year. We encourage First year, Sophomores, and Transfer students to submit their research!
 

Why Should You Publish?

Students who are seeking post-graduate opportunities (especially Master’s and Ph.D. programs) focused on research will find that this the URCAJ is a great opportunity to publish their research and supplement their professional career. Students will also be making valuable contributions to their fields of study and enriching their academic experience. Also, many graduate programs request concise versions of your research and this would be a ready-made edited, research paper to submit for applications. The undergraduate research selected for this journal will display the diversity of research done at UCSB and how this research lays the foundations for practical applications in many fields.
 

Please Include the Following in Your Submission

  • 10-15 Page Research Paper
  • 100-200 Word Abstract
  • Brief (50-100 word) biography of the student(s) written in the third person
  • Faculty name and email address. They will be contacted for endorsement prior to publication.
 

Guidelines for Research Paper Submission

  • Submit in Word Format
  • 10-15 pages (limit does not include bibliography or appendices)
  • Do not include a cover page
  • 12-point font, double space, and 1-inch margins
  • Consistent citation style that follows your discipline (APA, MLA, Chicago)

Editorial Review Criteria

  • Clarity: Does the author provide enough background knowledge and context to make the research paper understandable and compelling to a general audience?
  • Organization: Is the research understandable and are the author’s motivations clear?
  • Appropriateness: Was the topic and its significance communicated in a manner appropriate for an intelligent, but non-specialist audience?
  • Visuals: If used, did the extra images, charts, graphs, etc. enhance the research and help to emphasize the primary points of the research? Is the research well formatted?
  • ​Intellectual Significance: Did the author explain why the project matters (for example, its significance to the academic discipline)?

 

 

 

Journals

URCA Journal Volume II | Spring 2020

Journal Volume I Cover

URCA Journal Volume I | Spring 2019

Journal Volume I Cover