Getting published is often touted as an important résumé-builder for college students. But knowing where to submit your work can be a challenge.
At the U, there are several publications, such as The Hinckley Journal of Politics for policy-driven papers, The Canticle for creative writing and The Undergraduate Research Journal for research-driven pieces from all fields, to which students can contribute.
Rachel Hayes-Harb, director of the U’s Office of Undergraduate Research, sees these publishing opportunities as a way to share your work with the world.
“If you have something that needs to get out there, then publishing is important,” she said.
The Undergraduate Research Journal allows students to get feedback on their work from peers and professionals. In order to be published in The Journal, students must first have a faculty member sign off on the submission, ensuring it meets certain quality standards. Hayes-Harb said this is an important step, because anything published today is permanent and the review process prevents students from being hindered in a future career because of shoddy work.
Having work published holds equal weight in all fields, said Brandon Fuller, co-chair of the English Student Advisory Committee (ESAC).
“Writers are able to participate in the molding and shaping of the poetic form of our generation … in this way, publishing a poem and publishing a research paper serve many of the same goals,” he said in an emailed statement.
ESAC oversees The Canticle, an undergraduate literary journal for creative pieces. While only in its second year, the journal has drawn interest from students both within and outside of the humanities with several submissions from law, medicine and business students.
“Having published creative work goes a long way [toward] showing a valuable diversity of interest,” he said.
Hayes-Harb said she’s not sure what harm can come from not publishing any work as an undergraduate student, but she does believe it’s a quality over quantity situation.
“Our students are incredible,” she said. “The research they do is incredible.”
@sarahnlegg