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 and creative work, 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.

 

Call for Papers

Have your papers PUBLISHED online in an open access format on eScholarship with an ISSN.

The URCA Journal aims to highlight the amazing research achievements produced by UCSB undergraduates. 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.

Submission Guidelines
Submissions must be 10-15 pages, 12-point font, double space, and 1-inch margins. This limit does not include title page, bibliography, or appendices.
 
Originality
All work must be original to the author.
 
Format
Submissions must be in Word (DOC/DOCX), 12-point Times New Roman, with 1" margins.
 
Title Page
Include a title page with author names, paper title, and abstract.
 
Style Guide
Please use the correct style guide for your discipline. If using footnotes, these must be added using the "insert footnote" function from the References tab in Word.
The priority submission deadline is June 16, 2023. The general submission deadline is July 8, 2023. 

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

Submission Portal

 

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.
 

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 III | Fall 2022

URCA Journal Volume II | Spring 2020

Journal Volume I Cover

URCA Journal Volume I | Spring 2019

Journal Volume I Cover