Submissions

Call for Papers

The International Scholastic Journal of Science is calling for secondary school science students who have conducted original research to submit their work for publication. The Journal publishes papers describing original, entry-level research conducted by secondary school science students.

Papers in all fields of science and technology are accepted. Papers accepted for publishing must demonstrate an original, valid contribution to our knowledge of the world. The conclusions must demonstrate a high level of confidence and be suggestive of further work. Entry-level papers are not expected to be highly important contributions in the field, but they must present new knowledge. It is suggested that authors look at back issues of the Journal to gain a better understanding of the type of work that is accepted for publication.

The Submission Process

Authors who have already written a paper presenting their research findings are invited to email their manuscript to the ISJOS Editor at Editor.ISJOS@gmail.com.

Authors who are interested in writing a paper presenting the findings of their school-based research for publication in ISJOS should begin by discussing this with their science teacher or mentor. Once the author and teacher have agreed to submit the research to the ISJOS for consideration, the author should email a short summary of their research topic and findings to the Editor.

If the research is accepted for consideration, the author will be asked to send the original school lab report, along with any raw data files associated with the research. The Editors will communicate with the author and teacher requesting elaboration and clarification if needed, then submit the research to at least two Reviewers for double blind review. If the research is accepted by the Reviewers for publication, the Editor will email the author with suggestions on the focus and approach of the paper based on the Reviewers' suggestions, along with documents describing the writing and revision process in more detail.

The author will then write a draft of the paper, in consultation with the teacher, following the ISJOS guidelines below. The completed draft should be emailed to the ISJOS Editor, who will respond with suggestions for revision, if necessary. After the paper is finalized, it will be sent for final approval to the Reviewers. One final round of revision according to the Reviewers' suggestions may be required before the paper is published.

Paper Organization and Formatting

How to Write a Paper

Papers published in the ISJOS are very different from the lab reports that high school students typically write for their classes. Prospective authors are encouraged to read a number of ISJOS papers from previous issues to gain an understanding of the expected form. The following is a description of the organization and content of a typical ISJOS paper. While each paper is different, we describe here the general structure of a paper.

Abstract - The Abstract should be carefully revised after the paper has been completed in its final form. It must state the objective of the paper, summarize the procedure, and describe the results. Abstracts are normally less than 200 words.

I. Introduction - Begins with a discussion of the topic, explaining why it is important or interesting. Includes theoretical background and references to published work. May also propose a predictive model.

II. Methods - Short description of the apparatus and techniques used, with an illustrative diagram. Clear explanation of procedures, measurements, repetitions, and ranges tested.

III. Results and Discussion - Presentation of research results, usually with graphs. Discussion of meaning in relation to theory, prior research, or predictive models. Includes limitations and suggestions for further research.

IV. Conclusion - A short summary of the paper’s findings, distilled into a few sentences.

V. References - Sources cited as numbered endnotes in the paper following the APA citation format.

Papers must be formatted as follows:

Font - Times New Roman

Titles and Subtitles - Bold

Equations - Centered, separated from the text and numbered in brackets on the right

Sources - Noted with numbered superscripts referring to the references section

Font Sizes:
Title - 16
Author - 11
Abstract - 10
Subtitles - 11
Text - 11
Captions - 10

An annotated example of a properly formatted ISJOS paper is provided to guide you.