Presenting and Publishing

Because the value of an intellectual or creative contribution depends on how accessible it is to others, students are encouraged (with the permission of their research supervisor) to share their work as broadly as possible.

Students who use a research experience to fulfill a degree requirement are expected to present their process and outcomes in a public forum, usually in the form of a poster or slide show presentation. A student’s department may provide a presentation event, or the student may present at the university-wide Undergraduate Scholarly Showcase. Students may also present at a professional conference in their field of study.

Undergraduate researchers often contribute to manuscripts that their research supervisors submit to scholarly (i.e., peer-reviewed) journals. With permission of their research advisor, students may submit their work to an undergraduate journal. A thorough list of undergraduate journals is provided by the Council on Undergraduate Research. One not included is the Ohio Journal of Science, which is not strictly for student researchers but is “undergrad-friendly.”

One way to make your work accessible forever is to archive your documents, images, or recordings in UC’s data repository, Scholar@UC. Archiving is free and allows online access to anyone in the world, including potential employers and graduate programs. For various reasons, any student wishing to archive their work must obtain permission from their research advisor (that is, the faculty member or other research professional who guided you on your project).