how to publish a research paper as a high schooler

High School Guide: How to Publish a Research Paper in 5 Easy Steps

Indigo Research Team

We understand how overwhelming the idea of publishing research as a high schooler may seem. It’s true, that the process of submitting and publishing a paper can be very complex and daunting. It needs a lot of preparation and perseverance.

However, publishing research increasingly becomes the " gold " that a college Admission Officer is looking for. Publication in leading journals, like Concord Review, or International Journal for High School Students can showcase your ability and determination to a college admission officer when you apply for college.

Although it seems complicated, worry not! We’ll simplify the steps for you.

‍ This article will break down 5 steps on how to publish a research paper.

1. Find the Right Mentor for Your Research Purposes

Can you write a research paper on your own? Yes, you can. But, it would be extremely difficult. Finding the perfect mentor is key to having a smooth ride. As an aspiring high school student, you'll want guidance from someone who shares your intellectual interests and can offer expertise in your field of study. Mentors can also help you find information about publishing research as well as where to publish a research paper.

“If you cannot see where you are going, find someone who has been there before.” - J.L. Norris

To find a mentor, first , you need to reflect on your goals and needs. Ask yourself these questions:

• Do you want help developing research questions? • Feedback on a draft? • Opportunities to co-author a paper?

Defining what you hope to gain from mentorship will help determine who may be the best fit.

‍ Secondly, once you know (in general) who you want to work with, you can start your search by browsing the faculty profiles on your school’s website or research database like academia.edu or you can also utilize social media platforms like LinkedIn. Look for professors with expertise in your areas of interest. 

It’s important to reach out in the right manner for them to notice you. Remember, you are the one who needs their help and not the other way around. Therefore, the way you reach out online is very crucial to get their attention. Keep in mind that you should do thorough research about this person before sending a message. Here’s an example of a short template message you can use for initial communication on LinkedIn:

Dear Professor [Last Name],

I'm [Your Name], a high school student passionate about [Your Research Interest]. Impressed by your work in [Their Field]. I'm very intrigued by your argumentation about [Topic]. I’m looking for a mentorship for a project I'm planning. Your guidance would be invaluable. Could we discuss this possibility

Looking forward to hearing from you. Best,

[Your Name] ‍

Third, if you still can’t find an available mentor, you should also expose yourself to new ideas by attending guest lectures, joining online forums, and reading publications in your field. You can also find mentors who have published research papers that you are interested in. Engage with the material by asking questions. This demonstrates your passion for learning and can lead to finding a mentor.

While finding a mentor can be a bit of a hassle, you can check out our mentors and find the mentor of your preferences. After you have found your mentor, you can start doing the second step.

2. Choose an Exciting Research Topic That Interests You

Choosing topics that you are deeply passionate about or interested in is the key to keeping you motivated until the end of the research. 

Discover Your Passions or Interests

There are many passion project ideas that you can explore. But you can always start by asking:

• What do you love to read about or discuss with friends?  • Are there any social issues you care deeply about?  • What are the topics related to your hobbies, favorite books or movies, sports teams, and travel destinations? • Or do you like more of the popular subjects in your school like biology, chemistry, computer science, psychology, or genetics? Look for topics that spark your curiosity or creativity.

Find an Opportunity Gap

Review what research has already been done on topics that interest you. Look for areas that could use more exploration or that you could investigate further. Think about new angles, questions, or perspectives you might bring to the subject. Finding an unexplored niche in a broader topic area can lead to an exciting, original research paper.

Talk to Your Mentor

Discuss ideas with your mentor, especially if you have an area of study in mind but need guidance narrowing down to a specific, manageable research question. Your mentor may be able to suggest topics that would work well for a research paper and align with standards or curriculum. They can also help determine if a topic idea is too broad or narrow, or if resources will be readily available.

Application of the Research in Reality

Choose a topic that could have real-world implications or applications. How can your research paper help real-world problems?

Think about local issues in your community or school that could be addressed or improved through research. Papers investigating practical solutions or the effectiveness of policies, programs, or interventions tend to be very compelling.

3. Choose the Right Journal or Conference to Publish Your Research Paper

“Where can I publish my research paper?” ‍

You can publish your research paper through respectable journals, conferences, or research paper competitions. It's important to have a goal in mind before starting any research paper. Determining this in the beginning might help you to stay on course and motivated. 

Consider the Scope of the Selected Journals

Decide the scope then look for publications that focus on your area of study or research topic. Are you looking to publish a research paper in an international journal? Or are you aiming for more local journals? 

Double-check that the journal accepts submissions from high school students and check their reputation. Aim high, but be realistic. See if any professors or mentors can recommend appropriate platforms. Review the editorial board and see if top researchers in your field are involved.

Examples of the journals that can publish your research paper as a high schooler include:

• Concord Review  
• The National High School Journal of Science
• STEM Fellowship Journal
• Journal of Student Research
• Journal of High School Science (JHSS)
• International Journal of High School Research (IJHSR)

“Where can I publish my research paper for free?” ‍

Here are some journals where you can submit your research paper for free, but be aware some of them require a publication fee:

• Journal of Emerging Investigators (JEI)
• Young Scientist Journal
• Youth Medical Journal
• Journal Research High School
• Hope Humanities Journal
• International Youth Neuroscience Association Journal
• Whitman Journal of Psychology

Review Submission Guidelines

Once you’ve set your mind and chosen your goal, carefully read and follow the instructions for authors. Pay attention to formatting, abstract length, images, and anything else specified. Following the guidelines shows you understand publishing norms in your field.

4. Conduct Thorough Research, Write and Format Your Research Paper Properly

Now that you have selected a topic and compiled sources, it's time to dive into your research and start writing. Publishing a research paper in a journal requires thorough research and a properly formatted paper.

• Analyze and read all of your resources and take notes on the key ideas, facts, questions, examples, data, quotes, and arguments that might be relevant to your research project. Keep it organized into an outline.
• Determine your research question and consult with your mentor. Once you begin drafting your paper, be sure to paraphrase, summarize, and quote the right citation.  ‍
• Carefully proofread and format your paper. Double-check for any spelling, grammar, or punctuation errors. Ensure your paper follows the recommended style guide for font type and size, spacing, margins, page numbers, headings, and image captions. ‍

Of course, writing a research paper is not as easy. If you need guidance, you can also try to join research programs that will allow you to finish the research paper easier.

5. Review Before Submitting Your Research Paper and Respond to Feedback

Once your paper is complete, it's time to share your work with the world.

Review Your Research Paper

Before making this incredible step, review your research paper once again. Have a teacher or mentor check your paper to ensure it meets the journal's standards. Put together a cover letter introducing yourself and your research. Explain the importance of your work and most importantly, why they need to publish your work.

Anticipate Feedback

Even after submitting, your work isn't done. Journals will send your paper out for peer review by experts in the field. Reviewers may suggest changes to strengthen your paper before it can be accepted. Don't get discouraged—even professional researchers incorporate feedback! Address each comment thoroughly and openly. Making revisions will improve your paper and help you become a better writer and researcher.

How Long Does it Take to Publish a Research Paper?

In general, the publication process can take several months to a year or more from the initial submission to final publication. It depends on the institutions and the availability of the peer reviewers. If your paper is accepted for publication, congratulations! If not, use the experience as an opportunity to improve. Carefully consider the feedback and see it as a chance to strengthen your methods, arguments, and writing. Don't hesitate to submit to another journal or work with your mentor to revise and resubmit.

That’s it! Congratulations on finishing all the steps!

Whether or not you get published, finishing the research paper is an achievement in itself. We hope that this article on how to publish a research paper will help you to get your research paper published. Remember that persistence, attention to detail, and a clear understanding of your target journal's guidelines are key. Stay determined and keep researching. You got this!

Need more guidance to do your research paper and most importantly, publish your paper? Don't worry, we've got you! At Indigo Research, we connect you with leading professors from renowned universities who are eager to mentor you and support you in publishing your research!

Click to discover more about how we can help!

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How to Publish Research as a High Schooler

Kevin krebs.

• Last Updated on July 4, 2024

Table of Contents

If you’re a high school student passionate about a particular subject, undertaking an academic research project is one of the best ways to explore your interests, build critical thinking skills, and showcase your academic abilities beyond the classroom. Getting your research published is an extra step that both validates your work and signals to colleges that you’re ready to take on more advanced projects. 

Publishing as a high schooler might seem daunting, but there are many publications dedicated to rewarding and showcasing outstanding work from young academic researchers. In this blog post, we’ll explore how to publish research as a high schooler and highlight 10 research journals that publish high school students.

What it Means to Publish Research as a High Schooler

Publishing your research means that you have gone through a rigorous, peer-reviewed process that has analyzed, critiqued, and accepted your research. Scientific publications are gatekeepers to the broader world. If a research piece is not published by a journal, it means that it has not yet passed a rigorous, external analysis of the research. 

Why Publish in High School?

Publishing your research offers several benefits, including:

Recognition and Validation

Having your work published means validation of your work from the academic community.

Skill Development

The publishing process sharpens key academic and professional skills like research, writing, and communication.

College Applications

A published paper can significantly enhance your college applications , setting you apart from other applicants.

Contribution to Knowledge

Your research could contribute valuable insights to your field of interest.

While publishing your research may be lengthy and time-intensive, the process can be simplified to four steps:

1. Select the right journal.

The first step is to research academic journals that accept submissions from high school students. Some journals have dedicated sections for work by high schoolers while others only publish research from contributors under the age of 18. When selecting a journal, pick one (or several) that align with your research topic and pay close attention to details like word requirements and special criteria.

2. Prepare your paper for submission.

Read your chosen journal’s submission guidelines and format your paper accordingly. This often requires organizing your research into sections and preparing an abstract and/or cover letter.

3. Submit your paper.

Most journals accept submissions online. Before submitting your research, double-check that all required materials are included, correctly formatted, free from errors, and uploaded according to that journal’s specific guidelines. 

4. Respond to feedback and revise.

Once your research is peer-reviewed, you should expect to receive feedback. The journal may ask questions, seek additional information, or request revisions to your paper. After making necessary revisions, resubmit your paper according to the instructions. 

10 Research Journals that Publish High School Students 

Below is a list of 10 research journals that publish high school research on a variety of academic subjects:

1. Open Journal of Business and Management (OJBM)

The OJBM is an international journal dedicated to the latest advancement in the study of business and management. The goal is to platform academics all over the world to promote, share, and discuss issues and developments related to business and management. While most of the contributions come from more experienced researchers, OJBM is one of the few journals to accept high school research projects in business and management.

Subjects: Economics and Business 

Estimated Acceptance Rate: 15-20% (for high schoolers) 

2. Columbia Junior Science Research Journal

The Columbia Junior Science Research Journal is a highly prestigious research journal for high school students interested in the natural sciences, physical sciences, engineering, and social sciences. CJSJ originated from the Columbia Undergraduate Science Journal and is run by the same editorial staff. It promotes the development of young researchers versed in technical and communication skills, facets encoded into the DNA of Columbia University.

Subjects: Natural Sciences, Physical Sciences, Social Sciences, and Engineering

Estimated Acceptance Rate: 3% 

3. The Young Researcher

The Young Researcher is a peer-reviewed journal edited by secondary school students working closely with scholars and active researchers at universities and in the community. The journal’s mission is to provide a larger audience for the original academic research of high schoolers, a forum for peer-review, and a community of young researchers. In addition, the journal strives to advance the quality of academic writing in secondary schools. 

Subjects: Social Sciences, Humanities, and Physical Sciences

Estimated Acceptance rate: 65%

4. The Schola

The Schola is a journal of humanities and social sciences essays contributed by high school students all over the world. They accept essays written on topics in philosophy, history, art history, literature, politics, public policy, and sociology. If your essay is selected, The Schola gives you the full academic publishing experience—presenting research findings to a publisher, receiving editorial feedback, and editing the manuscript. Each student has a personalized editorial experience through the process.

Subjects: Humanities 

Acceptance Rate: They do not disclose their acceptance rate, but it’s safe to say this is a rigorous and highly selective journal.

5. The Concord Review

The Concord Review is a quarterly journal publishing history essays and the most prestigious journal in the country for high school students. Its prestige comes from its high level of selectivity, quality of research, and long history of contributors going on to top universities. The quality of writing for the published papers is also very high, with the average length of papers published at 9000 words (the longest was 21,000!). Only eleven students are chosen worldwide for each issue.

Subject: History 

Estimated Acceptance Rate: < 5 %

6. Journal of Emerging Investigators (JEI)

The Journal of Emerging Investigators is a peer-reviewed journal for middle and high school students, focusing on the biological and physical sciences. Under the guidance of a teacher or advisor, JEI gives students the opportunity to gain feedback on original research and publish their work in a peer-reviewed journal. JEI accepts work that comes from classroom-based projects, science fair projects, or other forms of mentor-supervised research. While the JEI website heavily promotes STEM research, the journal also accepts research from other disciplines, as long as it is original and hypothesis-driven.

Subject area: STEM, but open non-STEM

Estimated acceptance rate: 70-75%

7. Young Scientist Journal

The Young Science Journal is a product of the Vanderbilt Center for Science Outreach, a group that works in the field of scientific and technological literacy through unique partnerships between Vanderbilt University scientists, K-12 educators and students, and the local and global science community. Open to students aged 12 to 20, this journal covers science, engineering, and mathematics, offering a platform for young researchers worldwide.

Subjects: STEM

Estimated Acceptance Rate: 10-15%

8. Walt Whitman Journal of Psychology (WWJOP)

The Walt Whitman Journal of Psychology is a nationally recognized psychology journal run by high-school students for high-school students. The WWJOP is published bi-annually and electronically and reaches hundreds of schools and psychology students around the world. It is one of the few journals at this level to offer a subject specialization in the field of psychology. 

Subject: Psychology 

Estimated acceptance rate: 20-30%

9. Journal of Research High School (JRHS)

The Journal of Research High School is an open-access online research journal that aims at publishing academic work prepared exclusively by high school researchers. It is managed by a team of volunteer professional scientists, researchers, teachers, and professors. JRHS serves as a stepping-stone for high school authors to become experienced researchers with improved skills in the early stage of their academic life. The organization also has a platform where students can interact with other peers while at the same time gaining access to their academic works.

Subject: Any academic subject including the Sciences and Humanities 

Estimated Acceptance Rate: 30%

10. Curieux Academic Journal

The Curieux Academic Journal is a youth-led nonprofit founded in 2017 to publish research by high school and middle school students. They currently operate in California but have editors from across the nation. They are open to submissions from any academic subject, including the sciences and humanities, and encourage all forms of academic writing including but not limited to research papers, review articles, and humanity/social science pieces. Curieux works well as a backup publication for students pursuing research in the social sciences and humanities since they publish twelve issues per year and have a relatively higher acceptance rate. 

Subjects: Engineering, Humanities, Natural Science, Mathematics, and Social Science 

Estimated Acceptance Rate: 60-70%

Publishing research as a high school student is more than an academic accomplishment; it’s a formative experience that lays the groundwork for future success. Publishing offers a platform to share your discoveries, build your skills, and contribute to your field of interest in a meaningful way. Students who undertake this challenge learn more about their chosen topic, but also about perseverance, critical feedback, and the satisfaction of contributing knowledge to the world. The path to publication is demanding, but by following this guide and exploring the many publications open to high school students, you’ll discover that the rewards are worth it.

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How to Write a Research Paper as a High School Student

By Carly Taylor

Senior at Stanford University

6 minute read

Read our guide to learn why you should write a research paper and how to do so, from choosing the right topic to outlining and structuring your argument.

What is a research paper?

A research paper poses an answer to a specific question and defends that answer using academic sources, data, and critical reasoning. Writing a research paper is an excellent way to hone your focus during a research project , synthesize what you’re learning, and explain why your work matters to a broader audience of scholars in your field.

The types of sources and evidence you’ll see used in a research paper can vary widely based on its field of study. A history research paper might examine primary sources like journals and newspaper articles to draw conclusions about the culture of a specific time and place, whereas a biology research paper might analyze data from different published experiments and use textbook explanations of cellular pathways to identify a potential marker for breast cancer.

However, researchers across disciplines must identify and analyze credible sources, formulate a specific research question, generate a clear thesis statement, and organize their ideas in a cohesive manner to support their argument. Read on to learn how this process works and how to get started writing your own research paper, integrating skills like critical thinking and advanced academic writing.

How do I choose my topic?

Tap into your passions.

A research paper is your chance to explore what genuinely interests you and combine ideas in novel ways. So don’t choose a subject that simply sounds impressive or blindly follow what someone else wants you to do – choose something you’re really passionate about! You should be able to enjoy reading for hours and hours about your topic and feel enthusiastic about synthesizing and sharing what you learn.

We've created these helpful writing resources to inspire you to think about your own passion project . Polygence also offers a passion exploration experience where you can dive deep into three potential areas of study with expert mentors from those fields.

Ask a difficult question

In the traditional classroom, top students are expected to always know the answers to the questions the teacher asks. But a research paper is YOUR chance to pose a big question that no one has answered yet and figure out how to make a contribution to answering that question. So don’t be afraid if you have no idea how to answer your question at the start of the research process — this will help you maintain a motivational sense of discovery as you dive deeper into your research. If you need inspiration, explore our database of research project ideas and easy research topics for high school students.

Be as specific as possible

It’s essential to be reasonable about what you can accomplish in one paper and narrow your focus down to an issue you can thoroughly address. For example, if you’re interested in the effects of invasive species on ecosystems, it’s best to focus on one invasive species and one ecosystem, such as iguanas in South Florida , or one survival mechanism, such as supercolonies in invasive ant species . If you can, get hands on with your project.

You should approach your paper with the mindset of becoming an expert in this topic. Narrowing your focus will help you achieve this goal without getting lost in the weeds and overwhelming yourself.

Would you like to write your own research paper?

Polygence mentors can help you every step of the way in writing and showcasing your research paper

How do I prepare to write a research paper?

Conduct preliminary research.

Before you dive into writing your research paper, conduct a literature review to see what’s already known about your topic. This can help you find your niche within the existing body of research and formulate your question. For example, Polygence student Jasmita found that researchers had studied the effects of background music on student test performance, but they had not taken into account the effect of a student’s familiarity with the music being played, so she decided to pose this new question in her research paper.

Pro tip: It’s a good idea to skim articles in order to decide whether they’re relevant enough to your research interest before committing to reading them in full. This can help you spend as much time as possible with the sources you’ll actually cite in your paper.

Skimming articles will help you gain a broad-strokes view of the different pockets of existing knowledge in your field and identify the most potentially useful sources. Reading articles in full will allow you to accumulate specific evidence related to your research question and begin to formulate an answer to it.

Draft a thesis statement

Your thesis statement is your succinctly-stated answer to the question you’re posing, which you’ll make your case for in the body of the paper. For example, if you’re studying the effect of K-pop on eating disorders and body image in teenagers of different races, your thesis may be that Asian teenagers who are exposed to K-pop videos experience more negative effects on their body image than Caucasian teenagers.

Pro Writing Tip: It’s okay to refine your thesis as you continue to learn more throughout your research and writing process! A preliminary thesis will help you come up with a structure for presenting your argument, but you should absolutely change your thesis if new information you uncover changes your perspective or adds nuance to it.

Create an outline

A research paper outline is a tool for sketching out the structure of your paper by organizing your points broadly into subheadings and more finely into individual paragraphs. Try putting your thesis at the top of your outline, then brainstorm all the points you need to convey in order to support your thesis.

Pro Tip: Your outline is just a jumping-off point – it will evolve as you gain greater clarity on your argument through your writing and continued research. Sometimes, it takes several iterations of outlining, then writing, then re-outlining, and then rewriting in order to find the best structure for your paper.

What are some key tips when writing?

Introduction.

A research paper introduction should move the reader from your broad area of interest into your specific area of focus for the paper. It generally takes the form of one to two paragraphs that build up your thesis statement and give the reader an idea of the broad argumentative structure of your paper. After reading your introduction, your reader should know what claim you’re going to present and what kinds of evidence you’ll analyze to support it.

Topic sentences

Writing crystal clear topic sentences is a crucial aspect of a successful research paper. A topic sentence is like the thesis statement of a particular paragraph – it should clearly state the point that the paragraph will make. Writing focused topic sentences will help you remain focused while writing your paragraphs and will ensure that the reader can clearly grasp the function of each paragraph in the paper’s overall structure.

Transitions

Sophisticated research papers move beyond tacking on simple transitional phrases such as “Secondly” or “Moreover” to the start of each new paragraph. Instead, each paragraph flows naturally into the next one, with the connection between each idea made very clear. Try using specifically crafted transitional phrases rather than stock phrases to move from one point to the next which will make your paper as cohesive as possible.

In her research paper on Pakistani youth in the U.S. , Polygence student Iba used the following specifically crafted transition to move between two paragraphs: “Although the struggles of digital ethnography limited some data collection, there are also many advantages of digital data collection.” This sentence provides the logical link between the discussion of digital ethnography's limitations from the prior paragraph and the upcoming discussion of this technique’s advantages in this paragraph.

What is a research paper conclusion?

Your conclusion can have several functions:

To drive home your thesis and summarize your argument

To emphasize the broader significance of your findings and answer the “so what” question

To point out some questions raised by your thesis and/or opportunities for further research

Your conclusion can take on all three of these tasks or just one, depending on what you feel your paper is still lacking up to this point.

How do I cite my sources?

Last but not least, crediting your sources is extremely important. There are many different citation formats, such as MLA, APA, and Chicago style. Research online or consult an expert to make sure you know which citation style is standard in your field of interest.

You have several options for keeping track of your bibliography:

Use a notebook to record the relevant information from each of your sources: title, author, date of publication, journal name, page numbers, etc.

Create a folder on your computer where you can store your electronic sources

Use an online bibliography creator such as Zotero, Easybib, or Noodletools to track sources and generate citations

Under our Projects tab, you can read research papers by Polygence students. You can also explore other opportunities for high school research and writing contests .

If you’re interested in finding an expert mentor to guide you through the process of writing your own independent research paper, consider applying to be a Polygence scholar today!

Your research paper helps even you earn college credit , get published in an academic journal , contribute to your application for college , and improve your college admissions chances !

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Everything You Need to Know About Starting Out With Research in High School

If you are passionate about a certain subject, doing research in that field is a fantastic way to explore your interests, set the building blocks for a future career, and stand out on college applications. However, for many students, the idea of conducting research seems daunting and inaccessible while in high school and the question of where to start remains a mystery. This guide’s goal is to provide a starter for any students interested in high school research.

Research experience for high school students: Why do research?

Research is a fantastic way to delve into a field of interest. Research students at Lumiere have investigated everything, from ways to detect ocean health, new machine learning algorithms, and the artists of the 19th century. Engaging in research means you can familiarize yourself with a professional environment and develop high-level research skills early on; working with experts means you might discover things you may have never dreamed of before. You are given a valuable opportunity to think ahead and ask yourself foundational questions:

“Is this what I want in a future career?”

“What do I like and dislike about this process?”

As a huge plus (and do not underestimate the value of this!), you will likely gain extremely valuable connections, mentors, and recommenders in working closely with your team.

Let’s face it, the college selection process is becoming more and more competitive each year and admission teams are always looking for new ways to distinguish strong candidates. Doing a research project shows that you are someone with passions and, more importantly, someone with a willingness to take the extra step and explore those passions. You showcase your abilities, ambition, work ethic, eagerness to learn, and professionalism, all at the same time. This will no doubt help you when the time for college applications rolls around.

How to do research in high school: finding opportunities

Now that we’ve covered the ‘why’, let’s cover the ‘how’! There are two ways you can go about this, and it’s a great idea to run these in parallel so that one can serve as a backup for the other.

1. Identify research opportunities and apply strategically: Some opportunities are recurring programs. Usually, these are advertised. These can be structured research programs or internships run by universities, non-profits or government departments.

Organization and preparation were key to my own application processes, so be sure to start thinking ahead. Note that most research programs take place in the summer and require applications that are due by January or February. Make a spreadsheet of programs you’d be interested in and take note of their application deadlines, cost, required materials, etc. Applications often have you write essays and submit recommendation letters, so you want to think about those in advance as well.

2. Cold email to find research opportunities that are not advertised: Another way to pursue research outside of the programs is to try contacting people directly and get involved in their research projects. This would mainly involve university faculty, but you might also find a mentor elsewhere; for instance, if you are interested in medical work, you could contact someone at your local hospital. If you are interested in government, you might reach out to your local representative. If you don’t have any personal connections with faculty members in your field, cold emailing them is the way to go. You’ll need to email a lot of researchers; chances are some are busy, some aren’t in need of interns, and some simply don’t check their emails. To up your chances, you should try reaching out to at least 25 people of interest.

For cold emailing, you’ll be asking for opportunities that may not be advertised. You’ll need to prepare an “email template” of sorts that you’ll be sending out to everyone. It should start with an introduction—who are you, where are you from, how do you know this person—and include a set of your skills and interests that you could bring to the table. Keep this email short, friendly and to the point. Don’t be afraid to follow-up if they don’t respond within the first two weeks! Your message might have just gotten lost in their inbox. You’ll also want to update your resumé to attach to the email be sure to include any relevant coursework, accomplishments, and experience in the field.

Types of research opportunities for high school students

1. do a structured research program in high school.

Structured research programs are excellent ways to gain experience under some top researchers and university faculty, and often include stays at actual labs or college campuses with a wide variety of peers, mentors, and faculty. Examples of some competitive research programs include Research Science Institute (RSI) hosted by MIT, the Summer Academy for Math and Science (SAMS) offered by Carnegie Mellon, and a program hosted by the Baker Institute at Rice University for students interested in political science. For more options, here’s a list of 24 programs for this upcoming summer that we’ve compiled for you!

Another great way of deep-diving into an area of your interest and doing university-level research is through 1-1 mentorship.

Lumiere Research Scholar Program

Founded by Harvard and Oxford researchers, Lumiere offers its own structured research programs in which ambitious high school students work 1-1 with top PhDs and develop and independent research paper.

Students have had the opportunity to work on customized research projects across STEM, social sciences, AI and business. Lumiere’s growing network of mentors currently has over 700, carefully selected PhDs from top universities who are passionate about leading the next generation of researchers. The program is fully virtual! You can find the application form here .

Also check out the Lumiere Research inclusion Foundation , a non-profit research program for talented, low-income students.

Veritas AI’s Summer Fellowship Program

Veritas AI has a range of AI programs for ambitious high school students , starting from close-group, collaborative learning to customized project pathways with 1:1 mentorship . The programs have been designed and run by Harvard graduate students & alumni.

In the AI Fellowship, you will create a novel AI project independently with the support of a mentor over 12-15 weeks. Examples of past projects can be found here .

Apply now !

2. Work with a professor in high school

Research typically asks for an advisor, professional, or mentor. So how does someone end up doing research with a researcher in high school? The very first thing you need to do is identify an area of interest. If you really enjoy biology at school, perfect. If you find history fascinating, you’ve found your topic. The important thing is that you’re truly interested in this area; any discipline is fair game!

3. Participate in competitions and fairs

There are many research competitions and fairs available for high school students to participate in. For example, the Davidson Institute offers cash scholarships for student projects in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, literature, music, or philosophy. The Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair is a particularly well-known competition for students who have completed independent research projects. Research fairs are a great way to motivate students in pursuing their own interests, showing initiative and drive. Winning a competition also looks great on a resumé! Check out Lumiere’s guide to research competitions here .

4. Pursue your own passion projects

A passion project can mean more than just a presentation made for competition. For example, a student I know created an app to track music trends at our school and then analyzed the data on his own—just for fun! It was a great story to include on his future internship applications. Take a look at Lumiere’s guide for passion projects here .

5. Write a research paper

Once you’ve pursued your own research project, writing a research paper is a next great step. This way, you have a writing sample you’ll be able to send to colleges as an additional supplement, or to labs and researchers for future opportunities. It’s also a fantastic exercise in writing. We know that many high school students might struggle with learning how to write a research paper on their own. This is something you might work with your high school science teacher on, or with the guidance of a Lumiere mentor.

6. Research internships

These can be standalone or part of a research program. In looking for a more structured research experience, a research internship can be particularly valuable in building strong foundations in research. There are always tons of internship opportunities available in all different fields, some as specific as medical research . If you are wondering how to get a research internship in high school, then check out our blog posts and apply!

Things to keep in mind when working with a researcher.

You’ve gotten into a research program! Now you want to do the best job possible. There are a few things to keep in mind while conducting research.

1. Maintain a professional and friendly demeanor

Chances are, there are many things you don’t know or haven’t learned about this field. The important thing is to keep an open mind and remain eager to learn. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or to offer to help with anything, even if it’s not in your job description. Your mentor will appreciate your willingness to adapt, follow procedures, and engage with challenging material.

2. Keep track of what’s happening

Open up your notes app or get a small journal to remember what has happened in each step of the process. I remember the hardest part of writing my college essays was the very beginning: trying to come up with a list of memorable moments to talk about. If you’re looking to write about your research experience in your college application, you need to remember the moments where you struggled, where you learned, where you almost gave up but didn’t, where you realized something, even the moment you first stepped into the lab! If you are given feedback: write that down! If you are asked to reflect on everything you learned: write that down! This will be incredibly important for now and for later.

3. Ask questions

Not only is your mentor there as a potential future recommender, but they are also there to help you learn as much as possible. Absorb as much as you can from them! Ask as many questions as you can about their career, their previous research, their education, their own moments of realization, etc. This will help you discover what this career really entails and what you might look for in navigating your own future career.

Making the most out of your research: How to publish a research paper in high school

A question we often get is whether or not you need to publish your research for you to mention it in your college application. While the answer is no, the experience is a great one to have and definitely allows your work to stand out amongst your peers. Lumiere has published a complete guide to publishing research in high school here . What’s important to keep in mind is that there are various journals that specifically accept high school research reports and papers, such as the Concord Review or the Journal of Emerging Investigators. In our articles below, we go through a detailed guide of what these journals are and how a student might best approach the submission process.

Useful guides for publishing a research paper in high school

The Concord Review: The Complete Guide To Getting In (lumiere-education.com)

The John Locke Essay Competition

The Complete Guide to the Journal of Emerging Investigators (lumiere-education.com)

Research is an incredibly rewarding learning experience for everyone. While high school may seem early, it’s always better to start sooner rather than later, both for your college applications and for your own personal progress. Although the process may seem daunting at first, we hope we’ve broken it down in a way that’s simple and digestible. And if you want extra support, the Lumiere Research Scholar Program is always here to help!

Amelia is a current junior at Harvard College studying art history with a minor in economics. She’s enthusiastic about music, movies, and writing, and is excited to help Lumiere’s students as much as she can!

An Insider’s Guide to Publishing Research

• Sasha Chada
• October 24, 2023

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Publishing research is an amazing achievement for highschool students, in part because of how hard the process is. Research publication revolves around understanding and contributing new information to a specific field, which can be quite daunting for students who don’t have experience or direct guidance.

We’ve written articles which approach how to write a research paper , and what publishers look for when reviewing papers. In this article, we’ll give you an insider’s view as to what publishing research looks like and means, and how that varies between kinds of publications and between disciplines. This knowledge comes from our research mentors, who are PhDs with long years of research and publication experience across numerous disciplines. Let’s get started!

The Kinds of Publication and Presentation

When we discuss publishing research, we use that as an umbrella term for how research can be disseminated to others in the field, and contribute to the broader pool of knowledge. This can be done in multiple ways; we’ll cover each below, along with notes on how accessible each is to students.

From pop science to textbooks, these are the ultimate expression of research. Professors will spend years working on books, and the amount of effort, original research, and editing required puts them beyond the reach of high school students. For many fields, books are only used to try to popularize concepts otherwise confined to professional circulations.

Peer-Reviewed Journals

These are the backbone of all academic research. Not all journals are created equal, but for most fields (more on that later), research results are published in journals so they can be read and understood by other researchers in that field. These publications are peer reviewed, which means they are critiqued and edited by other experts in the same field. This is seen as a safeguard against poorly designed or conducted research, and ensures the validity of the field. Although anyone can submit their manuscript to any journal, each journal has its own set of criteria and expectations when it comes to the subject matter, type of research (i.e. clinical vs basic), or difficulty. Therefore, journals do not publish all submissions. Not all journals will accept submissions from students, but many will, so long as the research meets their high standards.

Feldschrifts

These are collections of articles which would normally be published in a journal, but are instead published as a book in honor of someone, usually an extremely senior and well regarded researcher in a field. These revolve around a theme, and articles are solicited from notable researchers in the field. These are not open to submissions; we include them here for the sake of completeness. 

We delve more into what preprints are, and how they function, in another article . To sum up; preprints are akin to journal articles, but are not peer reviewed prior to their publication. For this reason, they are not well regarded in many fields.

Conferences

Conferences are meetings of researchers and others in a field, organized around a central theme. These have keynote addresses, sessions which give talks on specific issues, and poster presentations. As an example, a wildlife ecology conference may focus on invasive species one year. One session at that conference may be on aquatic invasive species. The poster presentation hall may be divided into sections, for research projects focusing on different themes around the central topic. 

The keynote presentations from a conference will be collected and published in a volume. These are the conference proceedings, which do take some time to publish. Some conferences include only keynote presentations or select poster presentations in their proceedings; in some instances, this is field specific. 

An oral or paper presentation at a conference is a prepared lecture on a topic related to the theme of the conference. Keynote speakers are invited, but all other speakers may join by submitting a proposal. These are evaluated and selected  by organizers of the conference. Proposals not selected for an oral presentation are typically presented as a poster. Poster presentations allow you to hang a poster, and, at designated times, spend time explaining the poster to other conference attendees or judges. An open call for poster abstracts allows for wide submissions for posters. These are a popular choice for undergraduates and high school students. 

Notes on Writing and Publishing

These are a collection of notes which we think are relevant to publishing research, and which are somewhat consistent across disciplines (with exceptions discussed in the next section). 

Almost no papers are published on their own. Coauthorships are used to apportion the credit for work done, and to make sure everyone who contributed is properly acknowledged. If you write the paper, you are one author. If you have a research mentor advising you, no matter if you did all the work writing the paper, they will be listed as a coauthor due to their guidance, intellectual contributions, and editing. 

This continues at all levels of research. Whichever professor is the principal investigator in a lab always gets listed as a coauthor on any paper published by that lab. A graduate student’s advisor is listed as a coauthor on almost any paper a graduate student publishes. A paper published by a research lab will list any researcher who contributes to that paper as a coauthor, regardless of job title or level of contribution. Oftentimes, large papers have multiple labs collaborating together, which can lead to long author lists across multiple institutions or even countries.

Papers which are not based on original research, such as metaanalyses or reinterpretations of existing data often have fewer coauthors. This is also the case for research papers on more theoretical topics, such as math or some branches of physics. These often require a degree of collaboration, but not the amount as needed in lab or field research.

All research is built off of prior research. Every piece of knowledge or fact that is known was first discovered or reported by someone. Even if you ask novel questions and find novel results, people have asked similar questions before, and it is proper to acknowledge them. Citations come in several different forms:

• In text citations: these appear within the text itself, usually in brackets or parentheses or brackets, and reference sources very briefly.
• Footnotes. These are noted in the text, and appear at the bottom of the page. These are used to cite sources, and on occasion to include notes the author found relevant, but tangential to the current discussion of the text.
• Endnotes. They’re like footnotes, but all at the end of the text instead.
• Bibliography. These are required alongside whichever kind of citations you use . This is a list of every source used, either in alphabetical order or in the order they are referenced in the publication.

There are multiple correct styles of citation; which you should use depends on where you are publishing or presenting your research. Each has their own requirements so you need to check the exact requirements of the conference or journal you are submitting to. For example, UChicago prefers Chicago style citations.

Nuances by Field

There is an assumption that publishing academic research looks similar regardless of the field. This is inaccurate. While the basics are the same across fields, each has their own quirks. We can’t detail every nuance of every field of research, so we’ll focus on some of the most popular for students, which have intricacies that often trip them up.

The writing in biology (and scientific research generally) is quite different from the writing you need to do in high school, or from the kind of writing used in other research papers. This is one reason why working with a research mentor is usually important for crafting these papers. By leveraging their experience and knowledge, you can write in the style expected by professionals.

Biology research papers often have a lot of coauthors. Anyone who contributed to data collection/analysis or reagents/materials must be listed. The professor who supervises the lab you are working in is always the final coauthor listed. This can lead to research papers with a lot of listed coauthors, even if the paper was actually only written by one or two of them. 

Finally, biology papers often have extensive bibliographies, even compared to other fields. In the most extreme cases, articles can have a bibliography longer than the paper itself. This is due to the need to cite all related research done on the question before, and the rapid pace of publishing in biology.

It is very hard to get published in economics journals. Tenured professors publish around one article per year, which is very low when compared to other academic disciplines. The publication process also tends to be very long, even when compared with other fields. You can expect to take at least six months between submission and any possible publication.

Computer Science

Computer science is the fastest field in terms of innovation, due to the speed at which technology evolves. This means that conferences are more prestigious than journals for CS, which is the reverse of every other field. While journal publications exist, most research is presented at conferences, to make sure results are disseminated before becoming obsolete. 

In addition, this makes preprints more valuable in CS research. The most respected researchers often only publish in preprints. That said, most researchers still prefer conferences as venues to showcase their research.

Writing books for professional consumption is more common in math than many other fields. This is because the length of proofs needed for some mathematical research is extensive enough that publishing them as a paper is infeasible. Math papers do exist, and are as prestigious as any other field, but publishing books is more common at higher levels of math.

Final Thoughts

Research is a complex thing to complete, with many field-specific nuances. We hope this insider’s guide has given you a solid introduction to what publishing research entails, and how it can look different based on the field you’re working in. While these differences aren’t as severe for high school students, they do still impact publishing research at that level.

Doing research is hard, especially on your own. The way academia is set up, students progress through stages of mentorship as they get more involved with research and gain more experience and knowledge; that’s why graduate students all have advisors. If you want an advisor for your own research, you should check out our research mentorships . These are great opportunities for students in high school to pursue and publish original research. Schedule a free consultation today to learn how we can help you.

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July 19, 2024

Top 10 Research Journals for High Schoolers to Publish In

For any student looking to enter higher education, research papers are a strong asset to have on a college application. Research projects show college admissions officers that a student has done the work, gained valuable insight, and who continually pursue their passion in their field of choice. To add even more distinction to their profile, students can get their work published in an accredited research journal, where their work can be peer-reviewed to further display the integrity of their efforts. But where should rising high schoolers publish their work? 

To further aid our aspiring scholars in their academic endeavors, InGenius Prep brings you ten research journals for high school students to consider publishing. 

The Young Researcher

Covering a wide range of fields and subjects internationally, the Young Researcher is a peer-reviewed journal with open access and a multidisciplinary focus on various subjects such as humanities, sciences, and social sciences. Its mission is to encourage students from all backgrounds to pursue their interests, and it accepts submissions with no fees associated with publishing with the Journal. Submissions are accepted between January and April, and this Journal is a strong choice for students with a scientific or interdisciplinary interest.

Journal of Emerging Investigators (JEI)

The JEI is a journal for high school students with a focus on original research papers in the realm of biological and physical sciences. In association with Harvard University, the JEI is a well-regarded journal with high standards for material written by middle and high school students. The JEI is a nonprofit organization, and it provides peer reviews and objective feedback for students who submit their research. There is a fee of $35 to submit to JEI. However, there is no publication fee for accepted articles. 

Journal of High School Science

The Journal of High School peer-reviewed journal of STEAM publications. The Journal aims to highlight the ideas and innovations of high schoolers, and it publishes contributions made in the fields of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM). The Journal has a one-time charge of $35 for a submission with no other fees. All submitted materials are subjected to a single-blind peer review. 

The Young Scientists Journal 

The Young Scientists Journal is a peer-reviewed, international journal operating in and connecting with students from 50 other countries. It publishes original research in all areas of science and aims to empower high school students to share their knowledge and passions around the world. The Journal includes several types of publication articles and accepts submissions from scholars between the ages of 12 and 20. 

The Concord Review  

The Concord Review is a journal that publishes academic history papers written by high school students. Founded in 1987, the Concord Review has published over 1,500 research papers by high schoolers in the US and around the world. Essay requirements can be found on its submission page , and fees range from $70 to $150. 

The Schola is a journal that publishes essays in the humanities and social sciences. It is unique in its publication of academic research within the international high school curriculum. Schola publishes quarterly and takes submissions from high school students worldwide. Students can submit multiple essays, and a fee of $180 is required per submission. 

National High School Journal of Science

The National High School Journal of Science is a student-run research journal that publishes peer-reviewed research papers by high school students. The Journal is online, free, and maintains a high standard for publication. Its scientific advisory board consists of professional researchers who peer review each submission. The NHSJS publishes research in physics, biology, chemistry, and many other STEM fields and is a good choice for students with a scientific interest in one or more subjects.

International Journal of High School Research

The International Journal of High School Research is a journal dedicated to the research efforts of high school students. Students can submit "original research" or "literature review," and submission is open to any scholar or mentor from any country. Once the article is accepted for publication, a $200 submission fee will be requested. IJHSR accepts articles from a wide range of subjects, with its general scope being in science, engineering, and math. 

STEM Fellowship Journal (SFJ)

The STEM Fellowship Journal (SFJ) is a peer-reviewed journal published by Canadian Science Publishing (CSP). It is open-access and publishes student research in STEM fields, aiming to support young researchers throughout their high school and university educations. The SFJ publishes two issues per year and charges a publication fee of $400 CAD after a submission is accepted following peer review. 

Youth Medical Journal

Finally, the Youth Medical Journal is a publisher of medical-based research conducted by high school and undergraduate students. It is nonprofit, open access, and run by a cooperative of international students. The YMJ has numerous sub-journals within the realm of medicine, including popular categories like biomedical research , Neuroscience , and even COVID-19 . Submission forms and manuscript guidelines can be found on its publishing page .

Learn More with the Experts in Education

Conducting research and getting a research paper published in an accredited journal is a significant boon to the profile of anyone applying for college. But this is even more true for those pursuing acceptance into an Ivy League or top US school. Completing a research project and getting published shows college admissions officers that you're motivated, dedicated, and passionate about your academic area of interest. These qualities are sometimes more important to admissions officers than research itself. It displays a combination of academic rigor and character traits that make a positive impression on college admissions officers. Especially for those applying to highly selective schools, students should consider conducting and publishing a research project to get that much more of an edge in the competitive college applications landscape.

To learn more about research projects and how students can make the most of their field of interest, See InGenius Prep's Academic Mentorship program . Pair your student with a mentor, professor, or working professional from their school of choice and work on a compelling research project that'll tie their college application together. 

And for even more research journals for high school students, see our previous list, " 10 Journals Where You Can Get Published in High School ."

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17 Research Journals for High School Students

• Last modified 2024-06-06
• Published on 2023-07-20

Enhance Your Research Skills with Aralia’s Research Scholar Classes

1. the concord review.

Introduction: The Concord Review (TCR) is an academic research journal dedicated to publishing historical research papers written by high school students in English. In the spring issue, the quarterly journal has published 1,362 research papers from authors in 46 states and 41 countries. Many TCR authors have gone to prestigious universities and colleges across the U.S. and worldwide. Aralia also published the Guide to the Concord Review to guide students through the process of submitting for the Concord Review, along with the introduction of the Historical Research and Writing class.

Competition Format: All essays should be on a historical topic, although the topic can be in any time period from ancient to modern, and any area from domestic to foreign. Essay submissions must be 5,000-9,000 words, with Chicago-style endnotes and a bibliography. The student must be the sole author of the submission, and the research paper may not be published elsewhere except for a publication of the secondary school the student attends. Students can submit more than one research paper.

Eligibility : Secondary students from all countries and schools can participate.

Deadline : Summer Issue – February 1 / Fall Issue – May 1 / Winter Issue – August 1 / Spring Issue – November 1

Fee : Range from $70 – $150 depending on which type of membership level students want to sign up for. Each author who submits a paper and submission fee, receives the next four issues of the journal in eBook (or print for $30).

Membership Details (Annual Fee): 

• Author – eBook – $70.00 (USD): With your essay submission fee of $70, you will receive a complimentary 1-year subscription to the Electronic (eBook) Edition of The Concord Review. You can choose the Print Edition instead for an additional $30 + shipping and handling.
• Author – Print US – $110.00 (USD): Your essay submission fee of $100 + s&h entitles includes a 1 year subscription to the Print Edition of The Concord Review delivered to your US address.
• Author – Print International – $150.00 (USD): Your essay submission fee of $100 + s&h includes 1 year subscription to the Print Edition of The Concord Review delivered to your address outside the United States.

2. (JEI) Journal of Emerging Investigators

Introduction : The Journal of Emerging Investigators is an open-access science journal and mentorship program that publishes research by middle and high school scientists. JEI is a non-profit organization operated by graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and professors across the United States. Graduate students contribute to the editorial and review processes, as well as the management of the journal. Since 2012, JEI has published over 250 papers by pre-college students. A sample research paper written by students and published in this journal, titled “A simple printing solution to aid deficit reduction” , was covered by CNN .

Submissions go through 4-6 stages of review after the manuscript is received. Summer and fall tend to be busier times for JEI, so research submitted at these times may take longer to go through the review process.

Eligibility : Middle and high school students.

Topic Guideline : Students have the freedom to choose their research topic. However, for all research related to vertebrate animal/human subjects , students are required to adhere to the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) guidelines for ethical research.

Review Timeline : Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis. 

Fee : The subscription is free for students. 

3. Columbia Junior Science Research Journal

Introduction : The Columbia Junior Science Journal is a high school research journal for students with an interest in the natural sciences, physical sciences, engineering, and social sciences. CJSJ originated from the Columbia Undergraduate Science Journal, a professional-level science journal for scholars. The editorial team of the Columbia Undergraduate Science Journal also oversees CJSJ.

Eligibility : High school students worldwide can submit a single one to two-page research paper, or four to five-page review paper. Students can also collaborate with peers and mentors on their submissions.

Submission Deadline : Sep 30, 2024 (based on last year’s deadline)

4. Journal of Student Research

The Journal of Student Research (JSR), an academic, multidisciplinary, and faculty-reviewed journal, is based in Houston, Texas. This journal is devoted to the rapid dissemination of current research published by high school, undergraduate, and graduate students. It accepts AP, IB, Honors Research Articles, Review Articles, Research Projects, Research Posters, and more. Over 2,000 student authors from high schools and universities worldwide have had their work published in JSR.

Only five authors (including advisors) are allowed per submission. If you would like to include more contributors, you must pay $25 per individual. For a fast-tracked review, you can contact the journal and pay a fee.

Fee : $50 at submission for pre-review, and $200 post-review for articles chosen for publication upon notifying the authors.

Deadline : February 29, 2024

5. The Young Researcher

The Young Researcher is a peer-reviewed journal for secondary school students. The editor board includes expert researchers – typically, academics who work as professors in universities, or people with extensive research and publication experience.

List of the editors .

Submission Guideline: Submissions should be no more than 5,000 words, excluding references and appendices (in English). Articles should have:

• Abstract + 4-6 keywords
• Introduction
• Literature Review
• Method, Process, or Approach
• Findings or Results
• Analysis, and/or Evaluation
• Conclusion and Future Directions

The paper can be formatted in any acceptable citation style (MLA, APA, and Chicago). Upon submission, at least three expert editors will review the submission and will provide revisions upon selection for publication.

Deadline : May 1, 2024 (based on last year’s deadline)

6. International Journal of High School Research

International Journal of High School Research is an open-source and peer-reviewed journal that was started in 2019. IJHSR is open to receiving work in all areas of science and surrounding disciplines, including behavioral and social sciences, technology, engineering, and math. International Journal of High School Research primarily focuses on publishing articles containing new experimental data. It also requires “literature reviews”, which are a survey of previously published research, as well as sections where you are expected to draw new conclusions from your research, or discuss what you plan to publish next. The publication notes that the process for literature reviews is extremely selective, as they only publish 2 – 3 articles per issue (6 issues per year).

Submission Guideline: Students can publish articles in either the research or review sections. Research articles should include a discussion and presentation of original research, as well as new experimental data.

Review articles go through an extremely selective process because there is a limitation of 2-3 review articles published per issue. The purpose of the literature review is to provide a summation and evaluation of previous data published by researchers that has influenced your topic. There is no page limit for submissions.

All papers should be submitted in Arial font:

• Body/Paragraph Text: 10pt font
• Sub Headers: 12pt font, italicized, bold
• Section Headers: 14 pt font, bold
• Paper Title: 16pt font, bold

Fee : Upon acceptance for publication, students will pay $200. A copy of the printed journal will be mailed to the author. If for any reason students can’t pay the fee, they can contact [email protected] for support.

Evaluation Progress: Upon submission, the Editor in Chief will check for format, styling, and citations, and may send it back to the author for corrections. Next, they will review the paper for publication with two or more outside reviewers that have expertise in the respective field. After review, the paper will either be accepted or rejected. Upon acceptance, payment will be requested. Once paid, the paper is sent to copy editors and then sent for production. The whole process may take 2-4 months.

Deadline: IJHSR accepts submissions on a rolling basis.

7. The Schola

Introduction : The Schola is a quarterly journal of humanities and social sciences written by high school students worldwide, and is the only international academic journal for students. It is an online journal with a subscription fee of $120 per year.

Submission Guideline: The essay must be 4,000 words long, written in English, and have the student as the sole author. The essay topic can be in philosophy, history, art history, economics, political theory, comparative government, public policy, international relations, or sociology. The whole review process can take up to 7 months to be published (meaning that once students submit their essay, they will be considered for the next three quarterly issues).

Eligibility : The Schola accepts submissions from high school students around the world.

Deadline : Essays are accepted year-round.

8. Journal of High School Science

Focused on science research by students. 

Journal of High School Science (JHSS) is a quarterly journal published in March, June, September, and December. JHSS is a STEM-focused journal that publishes research related to biology, chemistry, physics, engineering, technology, and/or an amalgamation of these disciplines. The editorial board is composed of various experts in the field of science across the United States.

Submission Guidelines: Authors can submit either a Review Article or an Original Research Article, and submissions are accepted at any time.

9. Critical Debates in Humanities, Science, and Global Justice

Hosted by Adelphi University, The Critical Debates in Humanities, Science, and Global Justice Journal invites young scholars in high school to submit original scholarly work and opinion perspectives for this peer-reviewed journal on critical debates that face society.

Submission Deadline: June 1, 2024

Article Types: AP Research, IB Research, Honors Research, Research Projects, Review Articles of Research/Ideas and Innovation, Perspectives, Opinions, Book Reviews, Blog entries (1000 words), and Creative work /Activist projects

Aralia Students Are 4x More Likely to Publish a Research Paper

10. young scientist journal.

Founded at The King’s School in 2006, the Young Scientist Journal is the  largest and oldest journal of its kind. The journal encourages young scholars to conduct original research and be published in a peer-reviewed journal. 

Types of article:

• Original Research: Scientific investigation which has never been done before
• Review Articles: A summary and your take on the research done, drawing from previously published articles and papers.
• Blog or Magazine Article: An opinion piece or news story, sharing your view on a scientific topic. It can include interviews and profiles.

Eligibility : 12-20 year olds

Topics : STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and related topics.

11. National High School Journal of Science

National High School Journal of Science, or NHSJS, is a free, online, student-run, and peer-reviewed research journal for high school students, run by students. Students can submit original research and short articles in the form of reports, policy, media, technical comments, and letters. Students can submit essays related to any STEM topics including, but not limited to, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Environment, Policy, etc.

Deadline: Rolling Admission

Website : https://nhsjs.com/

12. The Journal of Research High School (JRHS)

The Journal of Research High School (JRHS) is an open-access online research journal for high school researchers. Accepted research topics include Engineering, Humanities, Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Social Sciences, among other fields of study. The editors are volunteers with backgrounds as professional scientists, researchers, teachers, and professors in various disciplines. Approximately 30% of submitted papers have been published.

Deadline : Rolling admissions and the general timeline is approximately 3-6 months.

Website : https://www.journalresearchhs.org/

13. STEM Fellowship Journal

Sponsored by Canadian Science Publishing (CSP), STEM Fellowship Journal is an open-access and peer-reviewed journal in STEM research for high school and university students. This journal accepts the following types of manuscripts: Original Investigations, Review Articles, Viewpoint Articles, and Conference Proceedings. 

Fee : $400 CAD

Deadline : Rolling admissions and the general timeline is approximately 2-5 months.

Website : https://ojs.library.ubc.ca/index.php/sfj/about/submissions

14. Stanford Intersect

Ran by undergraduates at Stanford University and supported by the Stanford STS Program (Program in Science, Technology & Society), Stanford Intersect is an international research journal. The journal publishes research and scholarship on the social factors that are shaped by science and technology. Intersect tries to publish three times during each academic year, at the end of Autumn, Winter, and Spring quarters.

Deadline : Rolling admissions

Website : https://ojs.stanford.edu/ojs/index.php/intersect

15. Open Journal of Business and Management

Open Journal of Business and Management is an international journal dedicated to showcasing business and management research. The journal aims to provide a platform for scientists and scholars worldwide to promote, share, and discuss various new issues and developments in different fields of business and management.

Fee : $299 and up

Website : https://www.scirp.org/journal/journalarticles?journalid=2447

16. Curieux Academic Journal

Curieux Academic Journals is a youth-led nonprofit founded in 2017 to publish research by high school and middle school students. They are based in California, but have editors from all across the country. They publish issue once per month, and authors are expected to hear back within 2 to 5 weeks. 

Website : https://www.curieuxacademicjournal.com/

17. The Whitman Journal of Psychology

The Walt Whitman Journal of Psychology is a student-led publication designed to publish research and literature reviews conducted by high school students. Students can submit print/online journals or podcasts for submission. Requirements can be viewed here . 

WWJOP is an excellent choice for psychology students, as it is one of the few journals that offers a subject major at the high school level.

Website : https://www.wwjop.org/

High school research journals offer students an opportunity to explore their interests, build important research skills, practice formal research presentations, and demonstrate their knowledge. From niche topics to more general science-related fields, there are a variety of reliable resources that provide quality content and platforms to showcase student work. For ambitious learners looking to push themselves and develop their academic careers, these research journals can serve as the perfect medium.

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A guide for pursuing independent scientific research opportunities in high school.

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Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, Benjamin Franklin and Nikola Tesla: these famous scientists are known for their innovation and intellectual curiosity. For students who also dream of becoming an innovator, nothing is stopping them from exploring research while they are still in high school through an independent research project (IRP). When conducted well and presented appropriately on a college application, the project can help a student stand out among the masses.

According to U.S. News and World Report , “High school students who have an impressive personal project they are working on independently often impress colleges, because their commitment to a successful solo endeavor conveys initiative, self-discipline and originality.” 

IRPs can showcase critical thinking, initiative, and research acumen. These projects can be used to distinguish the student from their peers, especially in STEM-related disciplines, which is often hard to accomplish.

Students can do an independent research project to stand out when applying to competitive schools.

Ways To Pursue An Independent Research Project

There are many different avenues where students can pursue an independent research project. For many, an easy way to get started is by accessing resources at their high school, either through a research-based class or independently with a teacher. 

Lindsey Conger , an independent college counselor at Moon Prep , frequently guides her students in reaching out to local professors to work with them on their current research projects. Recently, one of her students successfully partnered with a university professor to start a project on how jet lag affects intelligence and plans to finish a research paper by the end of the summer. The long-term goal is to get this paper published in a high school research journal. 

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Many students might prefer a more structured setting by attending a camp focused on research, while highly-motivated students can choose to pursue a project independently. No matter which pathway students choose, the end goal should be the same: getting published in a high school research journal and showcasing your work. 

Research Projects Through Your High School

One of the first avenues to consider is whether your high school already has a research program or a research-based curriculum that you can tap into to start a project. There’s a built-in advantage to this approach because the student can utilize school resources and mentorship from their instructors. Some high schools have research classes with an independent project component that can be submitted to local science fair competitions. Students who win their school’s science fair should always look to take their accomplishments to the next level and compete at the state or national fair. By always looking for ways to continually progress with their projects, students can demonstrate to colleges their motivation and skills. 

Other school pathways for conducting an IRP include AP Capstone . This program from the College Board consists of two Advanced Placement (AP) courses: AP Seminar and AP Research . Both courses guide students through a research project, writing an academic thesis paper, and making a public presentation.

AP Seminar, a year-long course, encourages students to explore real-world issues. By the end of this course, students will have completed both a team project and an independent paper and presentation.AP Research lets students explore any research topic or issue in which they are interested. After a year-long investigation, students will write a 4,000 - 5,000 word paper on the topic.

Work With A College Professor

Finding a mentor to work with you on a research project can help you gain access to resources, guide you through the data-gathering process, and help you form conclusions. 

One way to find a mentor is by reaching out to college professors who are researching or studying a similar topic that you are interested in pursuing. 

To get started, students can follow these steps: 

• Make a list of your future career interests.
• Start to document potential research topics related to your interests.
• Search current research studies, by professors and graduate students, on local colleges’ department faculty websites.
• Reach out to faculty members whose research interests you (a sample email is listed below as a guide).
• Include your activities resume to allow the faculty to get to know more about you and your interests.

Sample email: 

Dear Dr. Andrews,

My name is James Smith, and I am a current junior at Central High School. I aspire to major in microbiology while in college, and I am eager to further my knowledge in the field through hands-on research involving immunology. I have taken numerous challenging courses and received an ‘A’ in AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Calculus and AP Physics. As a Texas native, I have long been familiar with the research resources at the University of Texas, and I find your current research on tuberculosis especially intriguing. I would love the opportunity to learn more about your research. I would greatly appreciate the chance to discuss the potential opportunities for collaboration. Is it possible to schedule a brief call this week? 

Thank you for your time and consideration,

James Smith

Attend A Structured Research Program

Students might be hesitant to tackle an independent project because they are overwhelmed by the process. Choosing the right topic, finding resources, or securing a mentor can all be daunting tasks. Additionally, because students are juggling rigorous courses, extracurricular activities and preparing for standardized exams, gaining momentum can be a difficult hurdle. 

Therefore, STEM-focused research programs can be a more structured pathway to an independent research project. Students are mentored by an experienced instructor through a program and can sometimes even earn college credit. Students can then continue advancing their research after the course has ended or use their newfound skills as a springboard for other research projects. 

Rising Researchers is an online research-intensive class designed to provide students with an introduction to the principles of scientific research. Before the class begins, students are mailed a lab kit, including a microscope. While it is an online class, students won’t be sitting in front of a Zoom screen, statically learning. Through small group discussions and hands-on experiments at home, students delve into the microbial world while learning from a leading scientist from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Many students completing the Rising Researchers program go on to have their independent research published in scientific journals. 

By completing interactive experiments, students will master the proper use of the scientific method to answer a research question, make observations and interpret results. Students can then leverage what they learn throughout the program to take their research to the next level through a passion project.

Sample Passion Project Ideas Include:

• Self-publish a book or guide on Kindle/Amazon
• Start a podcast
• Run an informational campaign on social media 
• Launch a YouTube channel
• File for a patent
• Publish a blog
• Hold a workshop or online course

Publish Your Work In A High School Research Journal

Once you have completed an independent research project, the final step is to get it published in a high school research journal. This can take months, as there is often a strict editing and approval process. Students should plan accordingly to ensure that the paper is published before they submit their college applications. 

However, students who are still in the process of compiling their research can find other ways to get involved in research journals. Some journals allow students to critique an article or write a blog post about current research. Writing a full research paper isn’t always necessary to showcase research skills. 

A Sampling Of High School Science Journals:

1) Journal of Emerging Investigators (JEI)

Founded by Harvard University graduate students, the Journal of Emerging Investigators (JEI) aims to help mentor the next generation of scientists. An advantage of this program is students can get feedback from university Ph.D. candidates and research experts on their topic. Their feedback can help students expand their research question or more accurately interpret results. 

Younger students are also welcome to apply—JEI will accept research from both middle and high school scientists.

2) Columbia Junior Science Journal 

The Columbia Junior Science Journal allows students to publish in topics within the natural sciences, physical sciences, engineering and social sciences fields. Students can submit one- to two-page original research papers or two- to five-page review articles. Because of the shorter length, it makes it more feasible for students to finish the research paper. 

Students don’t necessarily have to complete independent research; they can review a published article instead. The journals are published annually, with each paper undergoing a strict peer-review process. 

3) The National High School Journal of Science (NHSJS)

NHSJS is a free, online, student-run and peer-reviewed research journal that is targeted towards high school students. To be published in this journal, students don’t have to do independent research. They can also submit a review or short article, making NHSJS a good starting point for students interested in research.

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Advice for getting a paper published as a highschooler

I have possibly found a somewhat novel method of proving a famous theorem, and after some research, I found a variant of the method published as a paper. So, naturally, I reached out to the professor who wrote that and asked him for opportunities and I am waiting for a reply.

If he declines my request for help on publishing the paper, what other ways is it possible to get a paper published as a person who isn't affiliated with a university/ Has major connections?

Other than that, the process from an outsider's perspective looks a bit tedious right now, but what are the general things to keep in mind while approaching it?

My educational details are that I've passed out my HS this year.

Note: I've checked with some grad students, the result is indeed correct. The current state of whether they'll help me follow through with publishing however is a 'maybe'

Update: Got in touch with the prof and sent the tex file containing the paper to the publisher which he had published too. Hopefully gets some acknowledgment :-)

Update 2.0: Seems to have been done already (See here) , not sure if there exists a paper on this but that killed of the novelty.

A word from me to all the answerers: Thank you all. Turns out that my proof was posted before on MSE and I do not wish to publish something already done before. However for the actual question which I had asked, I have received many great answers and I honestly can not objectively choose a single answer which have helped me the most since all of them provided value to me in one way or the other.

As is most relevant to my individual problem of me publishing this result, I will accept Kostya's answer as they were the ones who found that the proof was done before. Again, thank you all.

• publications
• paper-submission
• 3 I could have sworn this was asked already, but google-foo fails me. –  CGCampbell Commented Nov 24, 2020 at 16:28
• Possible duplicate: academia.stackexchange.com/questions/6191/… –  KingLogic Commented Nov 24, 2020 at 17:50
• 3 The most important thing is to get feedback from an experienced mathematician to judge your proof. As a high school student it is difficult for you to see what is noteworthy in the field. There are often many ways to prove a result and it could be that your way is considered obvious and doesn't bring anything new to the table. I am not saying that is the case, but you should keep that option in mind when communicating! E.g. when emailing a professor I wouldn't "request help with publishing" but ask for feedback on whether the result could be noteworthy. You're more likely to receive a reply! –  user2705196 Commented Nov 24, 2020 at 19:50
• Noted, sent a reply to the prof –  user110816 Commented Nov 24, 2020 at 20:31
• Most research journals want to publish new research, not a variant of something they already published. –  GEdgar Commented Nov 25, 2020 at 12:00

8 Answers 8

Congratulations on finding the proof!

I have looked into your comments and also your MSE post. Here are some remarks:

• you are mis-attributing the field of your result. It is not 'related to algebra'; modern algebra studies general, abstract features of structures. Neither is it related to operator theory as your tag suggests. If I were to name a field, it would be combinatorics, but the right venue for your proof are indeed high school/recreational math journals, like American Math. Monthly. (Although AMM is quite demanding on the quality.) Serious research-oriented journals are unlikely to be interested.
• it is not true that posting your solution on MSE diminished your chances to publish it a journal. In Maths, most of papers are submitted to journals after they've been already published as pre-prints on arxiv.org website. For example, here you have a paper in an area similar to yours published in AMM. Posting to arXiv requires an endorsement of your paper from someone who has regularly posted there before, but no peer-review process. Publishing to a journal is then merely a "quality stamp" (of course, if it's AMM, more people will actually read it.)
• you seem to think that what you need from academics is their "affiliation" and "connections". This is not really the case. What you need is their expertise to decide whether the result can merit a publication, and if so, how to make a convincing case for that. You can see from a linked example above how such articles are written. First, you need to briefly review the history of the problem and known proofs. You then need to compare your new proof with existing ones, and make sure that it is not one of them, and even not one of them in disguise, make the case about it in the paper, and ideally explain what is the advantage of your proof over known ones. (In the case of the paper above, their proof speaks for itself, in that it is just 7 lines long, and relies on an elementary identity whose proof is another 4 lines, so more elementary than existing ones.) You should also place your method of the proof in a context. Is it new? Is it a standard tool to prove identities which somehow was never applied to this particular problem? Are there other problems it can be applied to?

For an editor to give it a serious look, it shoulnd't feel like it's written by a know-nothing amateur who just came up with this proof, typed it and sent to a journal, because in that case, priors are heavily infavor of that proof being either wrong or a (variant of) something known. It must be clear that you have done your homework, know where your result stands in the context, and have a credible claim for novelty.

UPD: as I see now, there is an earlier MSE answer with essentially the same proof as yours. I don't know if there's a published reference, but (a) I would be very surprised if there weren't and (b) it's beside the point, as it would be inappropriate to publish this proof under your own name anyway.

• Thank you! I had not seen that. –  user110816 Commented Nov 27, 2020 at 8:25
• I asked him for a published reference, but what did you mean that it's in appropriate to publish under my own name? –  user110816 Commented Nov 27, 2020 at 8:38
• A scientific article needs to contain an original contribution. If you re-discovered something, it would be a major violation of norms not to cite prior work (regardless of whether it's actually formally published or not) if you are aware of it. And if all you have in your publication has already been done before, why would you write it? Many a mathematician have been there, and usually they just write off losses and move on to the next project. –  Kostya_I Commented Nov 27, 2020 at 8:56
• In fact, one way to salvage some output is to write a survey article on the topic. Recently, something like that happened to non less than Terry Tao (with co-authors), when he though to have proved a new identity about eigenvalues, only to have been told that this identity has been already discovered and re-discovered multiple times. What resulted is arxiv.org/pdf/1908.03795.pdf , which surveys prior publications with a claim of originality much scaled down. –  Kostya_I Commented Nov 27, 2020 at 9:02
• 2 You should rather ask: how different should it be before it gains novelty? What is it new in you proof that would be of interest to others? It is quite usual that a proof contains many steps, and each of them can be done in several ways. Tweaking any number of them does not produce a new proof, especially if these steps are standard. There must be a new non-trivial idea. –  Kostya_I Commented Nov 27, 2020 at 9:29

I'd recommend not trying to submit a paper to a journal without guidance from a more experienced academic. That academic doesn't have to be a professor; anyone with more experience with the field than you should be good.

You've contacted the professor, which is a great start. If they don't reply, you can/should also talk to your teachers. Since you're fresh out of high school, there's a good chance your somewhat novel method might be wrong, or not novel. Your teachers have been in the field longer than you, so they probably know more than you; furthermore they know you personally so they'd be more likely to look at your method. If your teachers are unable to help, you could also ask friends/family for anyone with more formal training in the field.

• I've checked with some grad students, it's correct for that matter. –  user110816 Commented Nov 23, 2020 at 13:44
• 4 @Buraian you might want to edit that comment into the question, as it is very relevant. –  Tommi Commented Nov 23, 2020 at 14:27

Anyone can publish a paper, regardless of age or affiliation, provided that it meets the (rather high) standards of a journal. The standards will include things like understandable writing, but more important is whether the paper solves an "interesting" question in a "novel" way.

"Interesting" can mean new and important, or classic, or other things. "Novel" means that the approach is new, and for mathematics at least, something that might be exploited for solving other problems. A "famous theorem" is itself interesting, of course.

You don't need a professor's help to do this, but they might be able to give you some advice on your paper and how and where to present it.

But even your secondary school math teacher can probably help you with this, provided that they read enough of the literature.

But the way to get started with a publication is to submit it (probably online) to a suitable journal. You will hear from them fairly quickly if it is rejected. If they find it "interesting and novel" it will be assigned to some reviewers for deeper analysis.

• 1 Do you know of journal's which accept results related to algebra? and how exactly do I submit? –  user110816 Commented Nov 23, 2020 at 13:12
• 1 Sorry, no. But I do know that there is a math journal whose mission is to publish work by students. Look at websites of the American Mathematical Society and the Mathematical Association of America to start. Those two organizations (among others) also have more general journals. –  Buffy Commented Nov 23, 2020 at 13:20
• 11 Perhaps "may not need" ... most people need a lot of guidance in prepping their first ms (no shame), although I'm not in math –  Azor Ahai -him- Commented Nov 23, 2020 at 15:34

A particularly challenging aspect of writing a paper is the introduction. At least in my field of research, I expect this to contain a reasonable overview of related work. Context ist very important to appreciate the value of a paper. The standard is that this needs to be provided by the author, not by the reader. This was a major challenge for me for many years despite working at a top research institute where I have access to very knowledgeable people. For a newcomer this is even more challenging, since you won't have anything close to the broad overview which comes from many years of experience.

I would still encourage you to try. If you're lucky you could get an editor or referee who writes some useful feedback. And if you get it published, even on arXiv, you can be extremely proud. Just don't be discouraged if it doesn't work out.

I was in your same position in high-school, and not to come off as discouraging, but the results you have most likely do not settle the “famous” open problem you’re interested in.

In high-school, I believed I had proved P=NP by coming up with an algorithm that solved an NP-Hard problem. I even typed the solution and emailed it to a few Professors who, rightfully so, did not reply me. I had a look at that paper a few weeks ago and I chuckled at what I had wrote then. I did not understand what P, NP, correctness proofs, or even polynomial time algorithm meant, I just wholeheartedly believed I had solved P=NP.

You mention that your area is in algebra. If you have no formal training in math, the techniques you are familiar with from high-school will most likely be elementary algebra. It is likely that extremely brilliant mathematicians tried to tackle the problem, and failed to do so. Do you think they lacked your intuition or algebraic techniques?

If I were you, I would hold on to this paper for a few years and I would continue to study math. I hope I don’t come off as discouraging, it is just that peer review can be absolutely soul crushing for new researchers, and I would hate for that to happen for you when you’re still exploring Math.

• not 'open', I have posted the result on MSE, see the latest question about Faulbaher's formula. –  user110816 Commented Nov 23, 2020 at 18:42
• And a problem doesn't need to be "open" to be interesting. –  Buffy Commented Nov 23, 2020 at 19:37
• 1 @Buffy I never claimed the problem must be open to be interesting? –  user3508551 Commented Nov 24, 2020 at 7:29
• @Coconut The question seems clear enough: "a somewhat novel method of proving a famous theorem " (emphasis added) It's not an "open problem". The OP has updated the question to state that their solution has been verified. Also, as stated in the comment above, the OP posted the result on MSE and asked for feedback. –  Brian Drake Commented Nov 25, 2020 at 11:42

Congratulations! Even if your paper contains errors, the mere experience of writing it and submitting it for evaluation by others is hugely valuable and shows superb skill and dedication from you!

Please don't stop! I'm not clear if this is something you have already written, or is still unfinished. I am not a published researcher, but I have many friends who are published academic researchers. What I have picked up from them is that papers are never 'finished' and never 'perfect'. So please, don't aim for 'perfection' otherwise you risk never completing it.

Do a rough draft from top to bottom including the end. Don't worry about formatting or grammar. This is the creative part, where you are getting your thoughts on paper and explaining how you got from A to B. Ignore any small errors.

Importantly, wait till after you have a complete rough draft to go back and polish it. Then read it again to catch out any embarrassing mistakes or formatting issues. Then ask your grad friends or a teacher you know to read it for an outside perspective. I apologise for the repetition if you've already done all this, I'm just trying to cover the bases.

As for publishing, go ahead and publish it! Another poster, @Buffy, has mentioned the American Mathematical Society and others. If you're not American, maybe your country has a similar organisation.

Another place to publish is arXiv.org, an open academic publishing forum. They may or may not require you to get endorsement from another academic before allowing you to register with them to publish your paper. Using your school or college email address will help. If they need an endorsement, look for who is publishing papers most similar to yours on arXiv, and email 1 or 2 per day with a copy of your paper and a polite request to ask them to endorse you. Be sure to briefly mention your age and background.

Good luck! Getting a paper published on arXiv is a major achievement! It's not a peer review forum, but it's a big milestone.

Even if the result is not new, if your proof is short (and, by definition, does not require more than what a high-schooler knows), then it might be possible to publish in say American Math. Monthly, or similar. They accept short, nice proofs.

• "by definition, does not require more than what a high-schooler knows" You mean "does not require more than what this high-schooler knows". If their high school is anything like my high school was, then they have progressed way beyond what their school teaches (see, for example, their MSE post containing the proof that is the subject of this question ). –  Brian Drake Commented Nov 25, 2020 at 11:56

The OP stated in a comment on another answer :

I have posted the result on MSE, see the latest question about Faulbaher's formula.

It looks like the question they are referring to is: Faulhaber formula from geometric series and operators?

As far as I know, academic journals generally do not accept work that has previously been published elsewhere. According to a Physics Stack Exchange meta post by Emilio Pisanty :

Of course, pre-publication on Stack Exchange could make some journals and publishers refuse to publish the material, but that is a question that we cannot answer for you.

• 1 damn this was a true catch-22 situation. I had not many friends to discuss this with so I had posted on MSE for checking, but posting on MSE reduces my chances for getting published. –  user110816 Commented Nov 25, 2020 at 13:28

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A Guide to Pursuing Research Projects in High School

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Most common high school pursuits and interests can be fit fairly neatly into the academic or extracurricular categories. There are of course required courses that you take, and then there are the activities that you pursue outside of school hours, usually for your own enjoyment. You may play on a sports team, participate in a service project, or pursue visual arts. In most cases, even if your interests are somewhat untraditional, you can somehow package them in a way that neatly qualifies them as an extracurricular activity.

But what if your interests outside of school are more academic in nature? What if you’ve long been fascinated by the potential that carbon sequestration holds to limit the effects of climate change? What if you’re interested in the history of civil disobedience, or the ability of exams to measure actual comprehension? Whatever the case may be, there are some topics of interest that just don’t fit neatly into any extracurricular club or activity.

If you find yourself longing to pursue an interest such as this, you might consider conducting your own research project. While the concept may seem daunting at first, if you break it down into smaller, manageable tasks, you’ll quickly find that you probably already have the skills necessary to get started.

In this post, we will outline the process for conducting a long-term research project independently, including several avenues for pursuing recognition of your work and a step-by-step guide to completing your project. If you’re interested in pursuing an independent research project during high school, keep reading.

Why Pursue an Independent Research Project?

An independent research project is a great way to explore an area of interest that you otherwise would not get to learn about outside of school. By undertaking a research project on your own, not only will you explore a personal area of interest in more depth, but also you will demonstrate your dedication to pursuing knowledge for the sake of learning and your ability to work independently over a prolonged period.

Independent research projects, when conducted well and presented appropriately on a college application, can be a great advantage to you on your college admissions.

How to Choose a Topic for a Research Project

If you’re interested in pursuing a research project, you probably already have a topic in mind. In fact, the desire to conduct a research project usually stems from an existing interest, not just from the idea to conduct research on a vague or undetermined subject matter.

You should aim to narrow your research project to something that has some academic relevance. Perhaps it is related to your existing coursework. Maybe it reflects work you hope to pursue in the future, either academically or professionally. Try to fine-tune your project enough that you can easily explain the driving force behind it and its relevance to your future career path.

While you don’t need to decide on your exact topic or thesis quite yet, you should have a general idea of what your project will entail before moving forward.

Are There Existing Avenues for Undertaking a Research Project At Your School?

While you could certainly conduct your research project completely independently from your school, it is usually easier and more productive to conduct it in a way that is somehow connected to the rest of your schooling.

If the project is STEM-oriented, think about whether it would fit into a science fair or other STEM competition in which your school already competes. Also consider the AP Capstone Program if your school offers it. The second course in this sequence is AP Research , and it requires an in-depth research project as its culminating assessment.

If neither of these formal avenues are available, or neither provides a good fit, look into the possibility of pursuing your project as an independent study. If your school offers independent studies for credit, you can usually get information about them from your adviser. These types of projects usually require an extended application process that must be followed closely if you want to gain approval.

Finally, even if you can’t take advantage of one of the options above, if you have achieved advanced standing or enough credits, your school might still allow you to undertake an extended individual research project through some type of formal arrangement. Talk with a teacher, mentor, or adviser to learn what your options are. Clearly communicate your innate desire to learn more about this specific topic and be prepared to give some background on the issue that you want to research.

Steps for Undertaking the Research Project

1. find a mentor or adviser.

You will need someone to help guide and advise your work, so finding a willing and able mentor should be one of your first steps. This should ideally be a person with existing expertise in the subject area you wish to pursue. In the least, this person should share your interest and passion for the topic.

A teacher at your school who can also serve as an adviser is ideal, and may even be a requirement if you are formally pursuing the project as an independent study for credit. If that is not possible, you can certainly find a mentor somewhere else, even remotely if necessary.

Find out if your subject matter pertains to any local industries or companies, or if there are any scientists or professionals nearby who specialize in it. Consider checking the instructors of local summer programs or judges from past science fairs at your school.   Also consider a professional who has written an article that interested you in the field.

Before you approach a mentor to request their help, familiarize yourself with his or her work. Be able to speak articulately about what has drawn you to him or her specifically. Put some thought into informed questions you might ask him or her. Be upfront about your needs if you are going to require any specific guidance or extended time or energy from your mentor. It might be difficult to find someone at first, but keep trying. Finding a mentor for your project is an important step.

2. Set a Timeline and Stick to It

Once you’ve found a mentor, you can get started laying out the timeline for your project. When you do this, list each step of your project as specifically as possible. These will include at a minimum: background research, writing a thesis statement, in depth research phase, outlining your final paper, drafting your paper, editing your paper, and publishing your paper.

You will probably have a completion date in mind, whether it’s required by the school or simply the end of the semester or school year. Work backwards from your completion date to set a realistic timeframe for each of these steps.

It helps to have a calendar displayed prominently with your deadlines listed clearly on it to keep you on track. Also be sure to put your deadlines into your school assignment book or Google calendar so that you can see how they overlap and affect your other commitments.

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3. Conducting Research

After you’ve completed your deadline calendar, you’re ready to get started with the fun stuff:   the actual research. There are many sources for finding high quality research materials. You can use your school library, your local library, and sometimes even the library at local colleges or universities. Sometimes the libraries at colleges are open only to registered students and faculty, but if you contact a library official or a member of the department related to your research project, you might be able to gain access for research purposes.

You may also take advantage of online research tools. Google Scholar is a good place to find peer-reviewed, high quality publications. You may also find out if your school has a subscription to any online research databases like Ebsco , or JSTOR . These databases provide digital compilations of hundreds of research journals, both current and archived.    

Be careful what you choose to use as sources, though. You need to ensure that every source you rely on is high-quality and fact-based. Many internet resources now are not as accurate as they might appear. Some are outdated and some are just wrong. Remember that just about anyone can publish something online these days, so you can’t rely on information that you find on just any old website. Be particularly wary of pages like Wikipedia that look like fact-based resources but are actually drawn from unfiltered user submissions.

As you research your topic, take careful notes to track your work. Choose a system to organize your notes, such as writing on notecards that can be easily organized, or using different colored pens to color code different subtopics of your research. By carefully organizing your notes, you’ll be better set up to organize your paper.

4. Organize Your Paper

Once you’ve completed the research phase of your project, you’re ready to organize your paper. Go through your notes carefully to see how they support your thesis. If they don’t, be prepared and open to changing your thesis. Always allow the research to guide the direction of your paper, and not vice versa.

Organize your notes into the order that makes most sense in your paper. Use them to guide an outline of your paper. Once they are in order, write out a rough outline of your paper.

Prewriting is an important step to writing your paper. It allows you to go into the drafting phase with as much preparation as possible so that your writing will have a clear direction when you begin.

5. Write Your Paper 

After your organization and prewriting, you’re ready to draft your paper. Try to break this phase up into smaller pieces so that you don’t burn out. Your final product will probably be one of the longest papers you’ve ever written, usually ranging from 15-30 pages depending on your subject, so you’ll want to pace yourself.

Break up your writing deadlines into more specific sub-deadlines to help guide your work. Set goals for completing the introduction, various sections of the body, and your conclusion.

6. Edit Your Paper 

There will be multiple stages of editing that need to happen. First, you will self-edit your first draft. Then, you will likely turn a draft of your paper in to your mentor for another round of editing. Some students even choose to have a peer or family member edit a draft at some point. After several rounds of editing, you will be prepared to publish your work.

7. Publish Your Work

Publication sounds like a very official completion of your project, but in reality publishing can take many different forms. It’s really just the final draft of your project, however you decide to produce it.

For some students, publication means submitting a draft of your project to an actual journal or formal publication. For others, it means creating a polished draft and a display board that you will present at a school or public event. For still others it might just be a polished, final draft bound and turned into your mentor.

However you decide to publish your work, be mindful that this should be a reflection of an entire semester or year of work, and it should reflect the very height of your learning and abilities. You should be proud of your final product.

If you’re a high school student with in-depth interests in a subject area that doesn’t fit neatly into any of your existing extracurriculars or academic courses, you should consider pursuing a research project to reflect your interest and dedication. Not only will your pursuit allow you to further explore a subject that’s interesting to you, but also it will be a clear example of your independence and commitment on your college applications.

Looking for help navigating the road to college as a high school student? Download our  free guide for 9th graders  and our  free guide for 10th graders . Our guides go in-depth about subjects ranging from  academics ,  choosing courses ,  standardized tests ,  extracurricular activities ,  and much more !

For more information about research and independent projects in high school, check out these posts:

• Ultimate Guide to the AP Research Course and Assessment
• How to Choose a Project for Your AP Research Course
• How to Get a Research Assistant Position in High School
• An Introduction to the AP Capstone Diploma
• How to Choose a Winning Science Fair Project Idea
• How to Plan and Implement an Independent Study in High School

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Do you guys believe high school students should publish research?

This is kind of going off the Professors aren't NLPs post. Research other than college applications can be a great learning opportunity, but what about taking the next step of publishing your paper even though you may not be an expert or experienced in your field? Do high schoolers publishing papers harm or help the research community more?

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How To Prepare for College: The Ultimate Guide for High School Students

You may not be a high school senior yet or feel like you have plenty of time before you graduate. But it never hurts to start preparing for college early.

Going from being a high school student to a college student is a pivotal transition that requires thoughtful preparation and strategic planning. It's not just about getting into college; it's about being ready to thrive once you're there. This guide aims to demystify the process and put you on a path to success, ensuring that when the time comes, you're not just college-bound but college-ready.

From understanding the significance of your GPA to mastering the art of time management, there are countless ways to enhance your college readiness. This guide will provide actionable steps and insider advice to navigate the college preparation landscape. Whether you're a freshman just starting to think about college or a senior amid application season, there's something here to help everyone get ready for the next big step.

College Prep Steps

Here's a college checklist to follow as you get ready for your freshman year:

Research Colleges You May Be Interested In

Researching potential colleges is the first step in the college preparation journey. Start by identifying what you're looking for in a college experience, including the size of the school, its location, available majors, and campus culture. Utilize college search tools online and visit college campuses, if possible, to get a feel for the environment. Remember, the goal is to find a college that aligns with your academic goals and personal preferences.

Understand Each College’s Admission Requirements

Each college has its own set of criteria, which can include GPA, SAT, or ACT scores, and specific course completions. Start by visiting the college's website or contacting the admissions office to gather this information. Early awareness of these requirements can guide your high school course selection and extracurricular activities.

Take Standardized Tests

Taking standardized tests like the ACT or SAT is a key component of the college application process. These exams are a requirement for many colleges and universities and measure your readiness for college-level work. Begin preparing for these tests well in advance by utilizing study guides, taking practice tests, and considering prep courses. Your scores on these tests can play a significant role in college admission decisions and scholarship opportunities.

Participate In Extracurriculars

Engaging in extracurricular activities not only enriches your high school experience but also strengthens your college applications. Colleges look for students who are well-rounded and have demonstrated commitment and leadership in activities outside of the classroom. Whether it's sports, music, volunteer work, or clubs, find activities that interest you and where you can make a meaningful contribution.

Take a Variety of High School Courses

Diversifying your high school course selection can significantly impact your college readiness. Challenge yourself with Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses if they're available. These classes can offer a taste of college-level coursework and may even earn you college credit. Balancing your course load with a mix of subjects also demonstrates your willingness to push yourself academically.

Save for College

Starting to save for college early is a practical step toward managing the financial responsibilities of higher education. Explore savings options like 529 plans or education savings accounts. Understanding the costs associated with college  early on can help you and your family plan more effectively and reduce the need for student loans.

Attend College Fairs

Attending college fairs and information sessions can provide valuable insights into the college search and application process. These events are great opportunities to meet with admissions officers, ask questions, and collect information about various colleges and universities. Make a list of questions beforehand to make the most of these events.

Talk to Your Guidance Counselor

Consulting with guidance counselors for college opportunities  can offer personalized advice tailored to your academic and career aspirations. School counselors have a wealth of knowledge about college admissions, scholarship opportunities, and other resources. They can help you navigate the college application process and make informed decisions about your future.

Round Up Application Materials

Preparing application materials and recommendation letters well in advance of deadlines is essential. Start drafting your college essays early, giving yourself plenty of time to revise and perfect them. Reach out to teachers, coaches, or mentors who know you well to request letters of recommendation, providing them with enough time to write thoughtful endorsements.

Consider Financial Aid Options

Exploring financial aid options is a critical step in the college preparation process. Research scholarships, grants, work-study programs, and federal student aid to understand what financial support you may be eligible for. Completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a necessary step for accessing federal grants, loans, and work-study funds.

Visit Campus If Possible

Visiting college campuses can give you a firsthand look at what life is like on campus. These visits can help you determine if a college is the right fit for you. Take tours, attend information sessions, and if possible, talk to current students about their experiences. Observing the campus culture, academic facilities, and housing options  can provide valuable insights into your potential college life.

Tips for Preparing for College

Even with a step-by-step guide, preparing both mentally and physically for school can be a bit overwhelming. To help you feel ready for this next step, here are some tips to follow:

Stay Organized

Creating a timeline and checklist can significantly ease the college preparation process. Break down tasks by year or semester to manage your time effectively. Include key deadlines for college applications, financial aid submissions, and standardized tests. This approach ensures you stay on track and can make the journey less overwhelming. Regularly updating and referring to your checklist will help you meet your college prep milestones with confidence.

Build Good Study Habits

Establishing strong study and sleep habits early in your high school career can have a profound impact on your college readiness. Effective study techniques, such as time management and active learning, can improve your academic performance and reduce stress. Prioritizing sleep is equally important, as it affects your memory, mood, and overall health. Developing these habits now will prepare you for the rigors of college coursework and help you maintain a balanced student life  between school and personal life.

Take AP or Dual-Credit Courses

Enrolling in AP or dual-credit courses can provide a head start on earning college credits while still in high school. These courses challenge you academically and expose you to college-level material. Completing AP exams or dual-credit classes can reduce your college course load and potentially save on tuition costs. It's a smart way to get a jump on your college education and familiarize yourself with the expectations of higher education.

Practice Your Writing

Writing is a fundamental part of college coursework, from essays to research papers. High school is the perfect time to hone your writing abilities. Take advantage of English classes, writing workshops, and feedback from teachers to improve your clarity, coherence, and argumentation skills. Strong writing can also enhance your college applications, particularly your personal statement and supplemental essays.

Build Your Leadership Skills

Seeking leadership opportunities in extracurricular activities can set you apart in the college application process. Leadership roles demonstrate initiative, responsibility, and the ability to work with others. Whether it's captaining a sports team, leading a club, or organizing community service projects, these experiences can highlight your leadership skills and commitment to making a positive impact.

Ready To Start Your Education?

Discover the transformative education at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS), where students are prepared for a future in healthcare and life sciences. MCPHS offers a unique blend of rigorous academic programs and hands-on learning experiences, guided by experienced staff committed to your success. From day one, you'll be immersed in a culture of innovation and collaboration, setting the stage for a fulfilling career in the healthcare industry.

Whether it's through internships, clinical rotations, or research projects, you'll have the chance to apply what you've learned in real-world settings, guided by faculty who are leaders in their fields.

Our campus is located in the Longwood Medical and Academic Area, a hub of healthcare, research, and education. The vibrant MCPHS campus is surrounded by some of the world's leading hospitals and research institutions, offering unparalleled opportunities for professional development and networking. You'll be part of a dynamic community of scholars and healthcare professionals, all dedicated to improving lives through innovation and care.

Our supportive community and extensive resources are here to help you achieve your goals and make a meaningful impact in the world of healthcare. Start your application today  and take the first step toward a rewarding career that makes a difference.

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Learn more about the MCPHS acceptance rates as well as the retention and graduation statistics of MCPHS students.

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Publishing academic research is becoming a common way for the top high school students to distinguish themselves in the admission process. Yet, for many students what publication is and how to approach it is unclear and confusing. This guide’s goal is to provide a starter for any students interested in research and publication. It comes from the result of working with 500+ students as part of the Lumiere Research Scholar Program.

What does it mean to “Publish Your Research?” What does publication even mean? In short, publishing your research means that you have gone through a rigorous, peer-reviewed process that has analyzed, critiqued, and ultimately accepted your research as legitimate. Scientific publications are gatekeepers to the broader world. If a research piece is not published by a journal, it means that it has not yet passed a rigorous, external analysis of the research.

Publications use a process called the “peer review” which means that fellow researchers in the same field will analyze the paper and its contribution and give feedback to the authors. This process is often double-blind, meaning that the reviewer does not know who the author is and the author does not know who the researcher is.

Is it possible for a high school student to publish their research? The short answer is yes. The longer answer, detailed below, is that there are many different types of journals that have different selectivity rates and bars for rigor. Just like universities, some publications are extremely competitive and provide a very strong external signal for the author. Some journals are less competitive and so provide a less powerful signal. For high school students, there is an emerging group of journals focused on high school or college-level research. These journals understand the limitations of high school students and their ability to do research, and so they are often more feasible (though still difficult) for students to get into. We’ll explore some types of those journals below.

Why publish your research in high school But, why even go to the trouble of publishing? Does it really matter? The short answer again is that it does matter. Publication in a top journal,  like the Concord Review , can provide a valuable signal to a college admission officer about your work.

One thing to consider is  who  is an admission officer (for US universities). These people are usually  generalists,  meaning they have a broad background, but do not have researcher-level depth in many fields. That means it’s difficult for them to distinguish good research from bad research. What is rigorous and what is just put on an application?

This means that admissions officers search for signals when evaluating research or passion projects. Was the project selected into a selective journal? Did it go through a peer-review process by respected researchers? Was it guided by a researcher who the admission officer would believe? Did the research mentor guide speak positively about the student? All of these are positive signals. The publication is thus not the only way to signal ability, but it is one of the most important for young researchers.

What type of research can get published?

Most types of research can be published. But, the more original research that you can do, the broader the options you have. In other words, if you write a literature review, then your writing and synthesis must be very strong for it to be eligible for most publications. If you do some form of data collection or new data analysis, then the bar for rigor in student publications is usually a little bit lower as the difficulty to do this type of data collection or analysis is higher.

Types of Publication Targets

At Lumiere, we think of publications like students think of universities. There are research journals (most selective), target journals, and safety journals. In short, journals range in their selectivity and rigor. The more selective the journal, the better a signal it gives.

Highly Selective High School & College Publications

The first type of journals that students should think about are highly selective high school & college-level publications. These journals include  the Concord Review  or the  Columbia Junior Science Journal . For example, one Lumiere student’s research was recently admitted to the Cornell Undergraduate Economic Review, a rigorous college-level journal for university-level economic papers. This student was the first high school student to ever be published in the journal, a clear signal.

These journals include both a review process and a limited number of spots in the journal. The Concord Review, for example, accepts about 45 student research papers each year of an estimated 900 submissions. The Columbia Junior Science Journal, similarly, publishes between 10-20 papers each year. Most of these journals will require original research or data collection of some sort.

Rigorous, Peer Reviewed High School Publications

The next level of journals are rigorous, peer-reviewed publications. These journals, such as the  Journal of Emerging Investigators  or the  Journal of Student Research , have a peer-review process. These journals have requirements on the type of papers that are accepted (e.g., some will accept new data analyses, some will accept literature reviews). These journals do not have a certain number of slots predefined, but they do have a bar for what type of research they will accept. For these journals, students will submit their paper and the journal will assign (or ask you to identify) a potential set of reviewers for the paper. These reviewers will be researchers in the field, who hold a PhD. The reviewers will then give back comments.  The Journal of Emerging Investigators  stands out here among these journals as being one of the most rigorous and providing the most in-depth, critical feedback to students.

Pay to Play Research Journals (AVOID THESE) Finally, there are some journals that are essentially “Pay-to-play” meaning that they will accept any paper as long as a fee is paid. These journals are not only not academically ethical, they can actually be a bad signal in the admission process. For example, I spoke with a former Harvard Admission Officer,  Sally Champagne , about her experience with publications. During the late 2000s, there was a high spike in students from Russia submitting “publications” that all linked back to a few fraudulent journals.

You can spot a fraudulent journal if there is a high fee for submitting the paper (some journals will charge a nominal fee to recoup their costs. That is OK, especially if they have a financial aid waiver). If any paper you submit is accepted without any revisions or feedback, then this is also a sign that the publication is not rigorous.

PhD Level Publications in A Field Finally, there are publications that PhD researchers or professors target with their research. These journals are highly selective and can take years of back and forth in order for a paper to be admitted. In general, we do not recommend high school students who are working on independent projects to target these journals for their difficulty and time required. The most common way to target these journals is if you act as a research assistant for a researcher on an existing project and you are credited as a supporting author.

Other Publication Options Beyond journals

There are other ways to showcase your research. I highlight some of those below.

Practitioner publications  Another way to showcase your work is to target respected practitioner publications. These are places where non-researchers go to learn about developments. For example, one student in Lumiere  published a piece in Tech In Asia  summarizing his research on Open Innovation and the Ventilator Market (Tech In Asia is the Tech Crunch equivalent in South East Asia). Other practitioner publications include Online Magazines like Forbes or the Financial Times, local newspapers, or online blogs like the Huffington Post can all serve as possible targets. Generally publications in these places requires direct contact with an editorial manager, who can take a call as to whether your work is appropriate or not. To get to these editorial managers, you’ll need to do some online search and send them a pitch email that explains why your work is relevant to their audience. Offering an “exclusive” can be one additional way to make it attractive to the editors.

Research Conferences  Another place to showcase your research is in research conferences. In some fields, like computer science, conferences are actually more common places to publish work than journals. One advantage of research conferences is that they often will accept  abstracts  of research instead of full-length research articles, making the amount of effort required to get accepted lower. As well, many conferences want more researchers to populate the conference, again making the admission process easier. Example conferences for high school students to look at include the  Harvard Science Research Conference  or the  Sigma Xi Annual Meeting . There are also field specific conferences that you should search for based on your research paper.

Competitions

Finally, a common way to showcase your research is in the form of a student competition. Science fairs, such as  ISEF Regeneron , is one common way for students to showcase their work. But, there are dozens of others, including the  Genius Olympiad  (Environmental Issues),  John Locke Essay Competition , or the  STEM Fellowship Competition . Competitions can be one of the highest impact ways to show your work because it’s clear signaling. If you can win a competition with hundreds of entrants, then being able to write about it in your application shows your unique ability. In addition, competitions can often be submitted to parallel with other research publications (check your publications requirements before doing that though!).

The Final Word – Publication Can Be High Impact

If you have already written a research paper, then I highly encourage you to think about submitting it to high school or college level publications. The majority of work that you have done is spent on the research paper itself. So, if you can spend an additional 10-20 hours to showcase your research, then it’s highly valuable for you.

FAQ About Publications

• Do I need to publish my research for it to be impactful? No, but it provides a useful signal. Doing research alone is a rare and impressive way for students to showcase their academic depth. If you can publish that research, it adds a layer of external legitimacy to that research.
• Can I publish a research that is a literature review? Yes, though, you’ll have to think of which target journals accept that. For example, the  Journal of Student Research  and the  STEM Fellowship Journal  both accept literature reviews, but the Journal of Emerging Investigators does not. In general, the more original research that you do (i.e., data analysis, data collection, etc.) the broader the range of publications you can target. With that said, some fields (e.g. astrophysics) can be particularly difficult to do new data collection as a high school student, so for those fields a rigorous literature review is usually the best choice.
• Are all publications the same? No. Publications are like universities. Some are highly respected, selective, and rigorous and others are not. The key is for you to identify a journal that is as selective/respected as possible that you can get into. Watch out for pay-to-play journals, as they can become  negative  signals for you and your application.

Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a PhD student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.

Stephen Turban,  Lumiere Education

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Factors Affecting Artery Size and Blood Flow

Listen to "factors affecting artery size and blood flow".

In people with a healthy vascular system, arteries adjust their size to allow sufficient blood flow to reach different organs. This process is called artery remodeling.

For more than a decade, Yale researchers have investigated the processes related to artery remodeling. A foundational paper published in 2014 in eLIFE by Baeyens et al. showed that endothelial cells that line arteries have a ‘fluid shear stress set point.’ Endothelial cells in arteries guide vessel remodeling so that the fluid shear stress from blood flow is close to the set point.

“The endothelial cells lining our arteries function like a smart thermostat, which knows when to turn on the heating or cooling system if the house becomes too cold or hot,” said Martin Schwartz, PhD , Robert W. Berliner Professor of Medicine (Cardiovascular Medicine) and professor of biomedical engineering and of cell biology. “If the shear stress dips too low, endothelial cells activate inflammatory and remodeling pathways to reduce the vessel size. If the shear stress is too high, blood vessels enlarge.”

People with conditions such as peripheral artery disease and coronary artery disease have arteries that have difficulty remodeling. This results in poor blood flow and ischemia, which causes pain and ultimately tissue damage, and, in some cases, death.

Yale researchers recently published a paper in Nature Cardiovascular Research investigating pathways that regulate vessels that remodel to become larger (or outward remodeling).

“Our hypothesis was that shear stress at the set point stabilizes the vessel. Only when shear stress stays below or above the set point for a long enough time does it lead to inward or outward remodeling, respectively,” said Hanqiang Deng, PhD , associate research scientist (cardiovascular medicine), first author of the paper.

“We thought that made good sense,” added Schwartz, senior author of the paper. “You wouldn’t want a brief change to cause vascular remodeling. You would only want remodeling to happen with a sustained change in blood flow.”

To carry out the research, they put endothelial cells under high shear stress and looked at the pathways that were activated. They identified a pathway, KLF2-BMPER-Smad1/5, that plays a role in high-shear stress outward remodeling.

The paper identified a specific antibody that targets this pathway and suggests that it is a potential therapeutic approach for ischemic disease.

“Our paper showed that BMP9/10 blocking antibodies, which inhibit the Smad1/5 pathway can effectively improve blood flow recovery from hind limb ischemia,” said Deng.

Deng recently received a career development award from the American Heart Association supporting his ongoing research to investigate endothelial fluid shear stress-mediated vascular remodeling. He plans to expand on this research by investigating additional pathways for artery remodeling in different vascular diseases, including hypertension, atherosclerosis, and diabetes.

“Through hard, meticulous work, Hanqiang, Martin, and their colleagues have uncovered a potential new pathway governing arterial remodeling,” said Eric Velazquez, MD , Robert W. Berliner Professor of Medicine and chief of Yale Cardiovascular Medicine. “The construct of tightly controlling blood vessel growth in response to injury and disease would be transformative to science and clinical care. I am excited to see how the story they are writing continues.”

This research builds on previous Yale work, including a paper in the EMBO Journal earlier this year, identifying a protein, Latrophilin-2, activated by changes in blood flow.

“It’s important to remember that this work came out of a basic science desire to understand the processes associated with vascular remodeling,” said Schwartz. “Once you understand that, you can start developing treatments. But the basic science comes first.”

The Department of Internal Medicine at Yale School of Medicine is among the nation's premier departments, bringing together an elite cadre of clinicians, investigators, educators, and staff in one of the world's top medical schools. To learn more, visit Internal Medicine.

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• Martin Schwartz, PhD Robert W. Berliner Professor of Medicine (Cardiology) and Professor of Biomedical Engineering and of Cell Biology
• Hanqiang Deng, PhD Associate Research Scientist (Cardiovascular Medicine)
• Eric Velazquez, MD Robert W. Berliner Professor of Medicine (Cardiology); Chief, Cardiovascular Medicine; Chief, Cardiovascular Medicine, Yale New Haven Hospital; Physician-in-Chief, Heart and Vascular Center, Yale New Haven Health System; Deputy Director, Clinical Trials Innovation, Yale Center for Clinical Investigation (YCCI); Co-Chair, Clinical and Translational Research Oversight Committee; President’s contingency planning committee, Clinical Practice/Clinical Research Subcommittee

Undergraduate Anu Iyer Leads Parkinson’s Research Study

Aug 15, 2024 —.

Iyer completed much of her research while in high school and submitted the paper for publication as a Georgia Tech first-year.

Anu Iyer , a Georgia Tech Dean’s Scholar, published her first research article as a first-year student — based on research conducted while she was in high school. She is the lead co-author of the paper published in  Scientific Reports , a  Nature Portfolio journal.

Iyer, now a second-year undergraduate majoring in biology with a pre-med focus, worked with researchers at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) to develop a novel voice-based diagnostic tool for Parkinson’s disease (PD).

“Essentially, we proved the feasibility of a telemedicine approach towards detecting PD,” says Iyer. “Through a three-second phone call, our machine-learning model recognizes patterns in data to detect Parkinson’s with a 97 percent accuracy rate.”

Iyer states that additional strengths of the project include the potential for detecting PD at an early stage, leading to improved treatment outcomes, and the practical benefits of a virtual diagnostic tool.

“Parkinson’s disease is a nervous system disorder that primarily affects the elderly population, and one of the many issues with detection is that symptoms must be analyzed in person,” explains Iyer. “In Arkansas, 75 percent of our population resides in medically underserved areas — it can be hard for them to access health facilities. Our research addresses the need for convenient detection via telemedicine.”

From science fairs to academic researcher

Iyer’s teachers at her STEM middle school encouraged her passion for science and discovery. A science fair enthusiast, Iyer led a sixth-grade team to win the state title for the Verizon Innovative Learning app, creating a smartphone app that turns off text notifications when a car reaches more than five miles per hour.

Iyer credits her middle school teachers for inspiring her to seek answers beyond what she found in her textbooks. During the summer between eighth and ninth grade, Iyer watched YouTube videos to teach herself machine learning, appreciating the opportunity to use artificial intelligence to analyze data and make predictions.

“Machine learning fascinates me because it holds so much potential,” says Iyer. “I've always been interested in computer science, but machine learning opened my eyes to new possibilities and taught me that I can pay it forward through applied bioinformatics.”

In ninth grade, she emailed UAMS professors with a research idea incorporating medicine and computer science. Her outreach led to a post as an undergraduate researcher, helping create a computer algorithm to detect eye disease. While working on a diagnostic AI model for malignancy, she began collaborating with  Fred Prior , the chair of Bioinformatics at UAMS, who became a valued mentor.

“Dr. Prior introduced me to the joys of research and how small changes can make a big difference in our world,” says Iyer.

Prior assigned her to the team focusing on Parkinson’s in her 11th grade year — and she soon began taking on more of an active leadership role in the research. She spent the rest of high school juggling coursework with constructing code and drafting proposals to create the computer algorithm capable of detecting PD.

Progress and service

Iyer’s desire to improve the world through research led her to Georgia Tech.

“One thing that spoke to me is the Progress and Service motto,” says Iyer. “My career goals include becoming an empathetic researcher focused on reducing healthcare disparities. Specifically, I hope to specialize in developing diagnostic tools that are affordable and available for underserved areas.”

As lead co-author of the PD research study, Iyer spent much of her first year working with Prior and UAMS, participating in Zoom calls every Saturday. As a second-year, Iyer intends to continue working with UAMS on PD and machine-learning research. She has also taken on a new role as multiple principal investigator for a study related to chronic back pain management.

Lainie Pomerleau,  who taught Iyer’s first-year English course, and is now an assistant professor of English at the College of Coastal Georgia, helped Iyer prepare the PD paper for publication. “Anu embodies Georgia Tech's mission to develop leaders who advance technology to improve the human condition,” says Pomerleau.

Despite her busy schedule, Iyer has immersed herself in the Georgia Tech community. She loves the climbing wall at the Campus Recreation Center and points to Cognitive Psychology as her favorite class. Iyer considers  Explore , the science-centered living and learning community, to be one of the highlights of her first year.

“I really enjoyed being a part of Explore, living with other students who prioritize science,” says Iyer. “It was easy to make friends because we all had similar classes.”

In the spring of her first year, she was selected as a College of Sciences Ambassador, accompanying prospective students and their parents to science-related courses and answering their questions about campus life.

She plans to get more involved with researchers at Georgia Tech.

“I am a biology major, but one amazing thing about Georgia Tech is that there is a lot of encouragement to join labs outside of your major and pursue your interests,” says Iyer. “I’d like to work in a Georgia Tech lab, particularly in neurology.”

Looking forward to her next few years at the Institute, she’s excited about the possibilities ahead:

“Georgia Tech is well known for groundbreaking research,” she says. “I want to take advantage of Tech’s many opportunities — and fulfill my ultimate goal of making a positive impact in the world.”

Four students pose with Georgia Tech mascot Buzz at the Georgia Aquarium.

As a first-year, Iyer enjoyed diving into Tech's many events and activities, such as Georgia Tech Night at the Aquarium.

Laura S. Smith  Communications Officer II  College of Sciences

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Massive biomolecular shifts occur in our 40s and 60s, Stanford Medicine researchers find

Time marches on predictably, but biological aging is anything but constant, according to a new Stanford Medicine study.

August 14, 2024 - By Rachel Tompa

We undergo two periods of rapid change, averaging around age 44 and age 60, according to a Stanford Medicine study. Ratana21 /Shutterstock.com

If it’s ever felt like everything in your body is breaking down at once, that might not be your imagination. A new Stanford Medicine study shows that many of our molecules and microorganisms dramatically rise or fall in number during our 40s and 60s.

Researchers assessed many thousands of different molecules in people from age 25 to 75, as well as their microbiomes — the bacteria, viruses and fungi that live inside us and on our skin — and found that the abundance of most molecules and microbes do not shift in a gradual, chronological fashion. Rather, we undergo two periods of rapid change during our life span, averaging around age 44 and age 60. A paper describing these findings was published in the journal Nature Aging Aug. 14.

“We’re not just changing gradually over time; there are some really dramatic changes,” said Michael Snyder , PhD, professor of genetics and the study’s senior author. “It turns out the mid-40s is a time of dramatic change, as is the early 60s. And that’s true no matter what class of molecules you look at.”

Xiaotao Shen, PhD, a former Stanford Medicine postdoctoral scholar, was the first author of the study. Shen is now an assistant professor at Nanyang Technological University Singapore.

These big changes likely impact our health — the number of molecules related to cardiovascular disease showed significant changes at both time points, and those related to immune function changed in people in their early 60s.

Abrupt changes in number

Snyder, the Stanford W. Ascherman, MD, FACS Professor in Genetics, and his colleagues were inspired to look at the rate of molecular and microbial shifts by the observation that the risk of developing many age-linked diseases does not rise incrementally along with years. For example, risks for Alzheimer’s disease and cardiovascular disease rise sharply in older age, compared with a gradual increase in risk for those under 60.

The researchers used data from 108 people they’ve been following to better understand the biology of aging. Past insights from this same group of study volunteers include the discovery of four distinct “ ageotypes ,” showing that people’s kidneys, livers, metabolism and immune system age at different rates in different people.

Michael Snyder

The new study analyzed participants who donated blood and other biological samples every few months over the span of several years; the scientists tracked many different kinds of molecules in these samples, including RNA, proteins and metabolites, as well as shifts in the participants’ microbiomes. The researchers tracked age-related changes in more than 135,000 different molecules and microbes, for a total of nearly 250 billion distinct data points.

They found that thousands of molecules and microbes undergo shifts in their abundance, either increasing or decreasing — around 81% of all the molecules they studied showed non-linear fluctuations in number, meaning that they changed more at certain ages than other times. When they looked for clusters of molecules with the largest changes in amount, they found these transformations occurred the most in two time periods: when people were in their mid-40s, and when they were in their early 60s.

Although much research has focused on how different molecules increase or decrease as we age and how biological age may differ from chronological age, very few have looked at the rate of biological aging. That so many dramatic changes happen in the early 60s is perhaps not surprising, Snyder said, as many age-related disease risks and other age-related phenomena are known to increase at that point in life.

The large cluster of changes in the mid-40s was somewhat surprising to the scientists. At first, they assumed that menopause or perimenopause was driving large changes in the women in their study, skewing the whole group. But when they broke out the study group by sex, they found the shift was happening in men in their mid-40s, too.

“This suggests that while menopause or perimenopause may contribute to the changes observed in women in their mid-40s, there are likely other, more significant factors influencing these changes in both men and women. Identifying and studying these factors should be a priority for future research,” Shen said.

Changes may influence health and disease risk

In people in their 40s, significant changes were seen in the number of molecules related to alcohol, caffeine and lipid metabolism; cardiovascular disease; and skin and muscle. In those in their 60s, changes were related to carbohydrate and caffeine metabolism, immune regulation, kidney function, cardiovascular disease, and skin and muscle.

It’s possible some of these changes could be tied to lifestyle or behavioral factors that cluster at these age groups, rather than being driven by biological factors, Snyder said. For example, dysfunction in alcohol metabolism could result from an uptick in alcohol consumption in people’s mid-40s, often a stressful period of life.

The team plans to explore the drivers of these clusters of change. But whatever their causes, the existence of these clusters points to the need for people to pay attention to their health, especially in their 40s and 60s, the researchers said. That could look like increasing exercise to protect your heart and maintain muscle mass at both ages or decreasing alcohol consumption in your 40s as your ability to metabolize alcohol slows.

“I’m a big believer that we should try to adjust our lifestyles while we’re still healthy,” Snyder said.

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health (grants U54DK102556, R01 DK110186-03, R01HG008164, NIH S10OD020141, UL1 TR001085 and P30DK116074) and the Stanford Data Science Initiative.

• Rachel Tompa Rachel Tompa is a freelance science writer.

About Stanford Medicine

Stanford Medicine is an integrated academic health system comprising the Stanford School of Medicine and adult and pediatric health care delivery systems. Together, they harness the full potential of biomedicine through collaborative research, education and clinical care for patients. For more information, please visit med.stanford.edu .

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Republicans Gain Edge as Voters Worry About Economy, Times/Siena Poll Finds

With elections next month, independents, especially women, are swinging to the G.O.P. despite Democrats’ focus on abortion rights. Disapproval of President Biden seems to be hurting his party.

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By Shane Goldmacher

• Oct. 17, 2022

Republicans enter the final weeks of the contest for control of Congress with a narrow but distinct advantage as the economy and inflation have surged as the dominant concerns, giving the party momentum to take back power from Democrats in next month’s midterm elections, a New York Times/Siena College poll has found.

The poll shows that 49 percent of likely voters said they planned to vote for a Republican to represent them in Congress on Nov. 8, compared with 45 percent who planned to vote for a Democrat. The result represents an improvement for Republicans since September, when Democrats held a one-point edge among likely voters in the last Times/Siena poll. (The October poll’s unrounded margin is closer to three points, not the four points that the rounded figures imply.)

With inflation unrelenting and the stock market steadily on the decline, the share of likely voters who said economic concerns were the most important issues facing America has leaped since July , to 44 percent from 36 percent — far higher than any other issue. And voters most concerned with the economy favored Republicans overwhelmingly, by more than a two-to-one margin.

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Both Democrats and Republicans have largely coalesced behind their own party’s congressional candidates. But the poll showed that Republicans opened up a 10-percentage point lead among crucial independent voters, compared with a three-point edge for Democrats in September, as undecided voters moved toward Republicans.

The biggest shift came from women who identified as independent voters. In September, they favored Democrats by 14 points. Now, independent women backed Republicans by 18 points — a striking swing given the polarization of the American electorate and how intensely Democrats have focused on that group and on the threat Republicans pose to abortion rights.

4 Takeaways From the Campaign Trail

With elections less than a month away, our reporters are across the country following candidates. Scandal roiled the Los Angeles City Council, Mitch McConnell affirmed his support for Herschel Walker, and Senate and governor candidates in Nevada sought endorsements.

Here’s a look at the week in political news →

Los Angeles was rocked by news that three City Council members took part in a secretly recorded conversation involving racist comments . Faced with swirling public condemnation, including from President Biden, the Council president, Nury Martinez, resigned, while the other two officials have so far stayed put.

In the critical swing state of Nevada, the Democratic Senate incumbent, Catherine Cortez Masto, received an endorsement from 14 family members of her Republican opponent, Adam Laxalt. In the governor’s race, the state’s largest teachers’ union announced that it wouldn’t endorse either candidate.

Polling in Georgia found less support among female, Black and independent voters for Herschel Walker, the Republican Senate candidate. He trails Senator Raphael Warnock, but by just three points, within the margin of error. Senator Mitch McConnell said he’d “stick with Walker,” an anti-abortion candidate who has been accused of paying for an abortion.

Two Democratic groups said they would pour millions of dollars into local races in a half dozen states before the midterms in hopes of winning back legislatures. The groups, the States Project and the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, are particularly focused on protecting voting and abortion rights .

Catch up on more political news.

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