How to Publish High School Research: Your Comprehensive Guide
The landscape of college admissions is growing increasingly competitive year after year, and the acceptance rates for top schools aren’t getting any higher. To increase your chances of getting into Ivy League institutions like Harvard, Princeton, or Yale, you’ll need more than a high GPA and even higher test scores. Colleges and universities want to admit well-rounded students who add depth and character to life on campus, as well as contribute to their long-standing reputations of honor and excellence.
Students who are strategic about which extracurriculars they add to their academic profiles, and who include only the strongest and most relevant activities that align with their academic personas and goals, reap the benefits during admissions season. Participating in extracurricular research, in particular, is one of the best ways to make your application stand out from the crowd. Not only does studying advanced subjects and gaining hands-on experience with research methodology make you a more desirable applicant–one that can demonstrate a formidable intellect, academic creativity, and dedication to your field of study–but participating in extracurricular research also prepares you for the next level of academia: publishing your work.
How Publishing Your Research in High School Can Enhance Your Academic Career
Publishing research can be a long and arduous process, whether you’re a high school amateur or an esteemed professor with decades of experience. Communicating with editorial board members and making all the necessary revisions to your work can take months or, in extreme cases (that don’t apply to high school students), years. However, the pros far outweigh the cons.
Publishing academic articles can kick the success of your college applications into overdrive by showcasing your initiative, maturity, and advanced skillset to admissions officers. Getting published can increase your chances of receiving grants, scholarships, internships, and job opportunities. And pursuing your passions so fervently can help you build confidence, earn public recognition, and make important connections in your field that may last a lifetime. Aside from personal rewards, you may even pave the way for your school or organization to receive funding. Publishing research in a reputable journal is a mountaintop that many academics strive to reach, which makes the destination worthy of the process.
One of our Faculty Advisors, who helped their student get published, recently reflected on what it took to cross the finish line:
“I did a lot of due diligence before selecting the journal [for my high school student]. I primarily looked for journals that reflect high quality through a strict peer-review process and are indexed in well known databases… the Journal of Emerging Investigators review process was slow, meticulous, and brutal. We went through four rounds of review (2 content, 2 formatting and style). The entire process took almost one year for the article to be published*. This was an excellent outcome for the student but it took hard work!”
It’s important to note that not all journal submissions will require such a lengthy review process, but our goal is to ensure each of our students is prepared for anything. At the outset, attempting to publish your research–similar to climbing a mountain–can seem like a daunting and intimidating task. That’s why we’ve created this comprehensive how-to guide that you can reference at every step of your journey. But as you move forward, remember this: all good things take time.
How to Successfully Publish Your Research
Choose a Narrow but Compelling Research Topic
Publishing your work means more than just rounding out your resume. You’re participating in an ongoing academic discourse by adding to the existing body of knowledge in your field. That means the research question you choose to answer could shape future research endeavors and expose knowledge gaps in your area of study.
So, it’s crucial to choose a niche and an original research topic to focus on. You can start by identifying your field of interest broadly. From there, narrow your focus and hone in on research gaps by consulting with teachers or librarians, reviewing the latest literature, or using AI tools. Research gaps can be any topic that has produced contradictory findings, hasn’t been fully explored, or has been recommended by other scholars as an area for future research.
Once you’ve narrowed your potential research questions down to a few strong contenders, thin your list out even more by considering the scope, feasibility, originality, and impact of each topic.
Scope: If your topic is too broad, you risk glossing over essential information or interesting questions, thereby sacrificing clarity and a compelling narrative in your final paper. However, if it’s too narrow, you may paint yourself into an intellectual corner and quickly run out of information to cite.
Feasibility: Consider how much time and how many resources you have on hand before settling on a research topic. Pursuing a question that’s too complex, or that requires a level of expertise you can’t offer in high school, will just lead to frustration, burnout, and incomplete work.
Originality and Impact: When your research is original and creative, you multiply your chances of making a significant impact in your field and, therefore, getting the green light from reputable journals eager to publish your fresh perspective.
After you’ve found a research topic that you believe adds value to the existing body of knowledge in your field, you can start the search for a mentor.
Find a Great Mentor Who Specializes in Your Field
Having a reliable, honest, and experienced mentor to guide you throughout your research journey is of utmost importance, especially for young academics. The key is to find a professor or researcher who can demonstrate expertise in your field of interest. With their education, work experience, and connections, your mentor should be able to provide you with the literature and exclusive resources needed to conduct your research.
At Scholar Launch, we lean on our network of more than 300 Faculty Advisors, or FAs, to help research program participants find the specialized professional guidance they’re looking for. Additionally, our Teaching Assistants, or TAs, provide each student with direct mentorship in methodology, academic writing, and publication on a weekly basis. As a beginner researcher, you’re going to need steady and comprehensive help to reach your goals, so networking with teachers at your school or professors at local colleges is an indispensable step toward your success.
Just recently, a former student of ours shared with us his appreciation of the mentorship he received during his customized 1-on-1 research program, stating:
“I want to share another good news that my paper has been accepted by The Curieux Academic Journal today!
Dr. M's guidance has inspired me to connect insights from my EMT training with mathematical modeling, enabling me to approach problems from an interdisciplinary perspective. You have nurtured my intellectual curiosity and passion for research, and through your patient encouragement, I’ve learned to persist and work hard through obstacles and continually seek new knowledge when tackling complex challenges. These lessons have not only shaped my research but also deepened my excitement to apply advanced math and data science to real-world community needs.
I am deeply grateful for the time, encouragement, and wisdom you invested in me throughout this journey. This acceptance is as much a reflection of your mentorship as it is of my work, and I look forward to carrying these lessons into future work.”
The academic mentor you decide to share this journey with can alter your research and publication journey for better or for worse. Be sure to choose wisely.
Pick the Right Journal For You
Before you can start selecting journals to target, keep in mind that you generally aren’t allowed to submit the same research paper to multiple publications at the same time. In fact, reputable, peer-reviewed journals won’t even consider publishing the same research as another publication. Deliberately engaging in simultaneous submissions and, therefore, attempting to deceive academic journals is an unethical practice and could result in not only a rejection or retraction of your research but also a significant blow to your reputation.
If you want to pursue publication at various journals, you must either submit different research papers to multiple outlets or wait to see if your work is rejected at one journal before contacting another.
When deciding which publication to submit your research to, try to prioritize the journals that you’re most familiar with so that you already have an understanding of their mission, culture, voice, and audience. You’ll want to take note of the journal’s specialization (natural sciences, psychology, art, etc.), reputation, scope (local, regional, national, etc.), and editorial process (peer-reviewed, student-run, etc.). We strongly advise against unethical “pay-to-play” publications that will publish any author who pays them to do so.
That said, it is common practice for journals to charge article processing charges (APCs), which ensure the journals can continue to operate effectively and serve their communities. These fees aren’t typically assessed until your work is accepted, and they can range from $40 to $400. However, you may be able to request a fee waiver if you can’t afford it, and several journals don’t charge any fees at all.
Our Scholar Launch education team typically approaches journal selection based on a 3-tiered value system:
Reach (Low to High): The Reach tier is ideal for the strongest students who complete compelling original research and/or co-author with their professors. It includes the most competitive, reputable publications that accept high school and undergraduate work.
Target: The Target tier includes selective journals with minimum-to-moderate requirements that diligent students can meet. Students can submit research to the journal directly, as well as to its opinion/editorial outlet options, or affiliated newsletters and magazines.
Safety: The Safety tier includes open-access blog platforms or other websites where students can self-publish or otherwise present their work, thereby retaining control over the process.
With those tiers in mind, all of our students receive tailored 1-on-1 advice on publication strategies during their research programs. There are many different journal options available to suit a variety of academic goals, but here are some example publications that past students have considered:
Columbia Junior Science Journal (CJSJ) (High Reach)
Subject areas: Natural Sciences, Physical Sciences, Engineering, and Social Sciences
A high school research journal for students interested in the natural sciences, physical sciences, engineering, and social sciences. CJSJ originated from the Columbia Undergraduate Science Journal. The Columbia Undergraduate Science Journal editorial team also oversees CJSJ.
Journal of Emerging Investigators (JEI) (High Reach)
Subject areas: Biology, Chemistry, Engineering, Environmental Sciences, Health Sciences, Mathematics, Physics, Psychology, Sociology
An open-access journal, known for its rigorous, 7-to-8-month peer review process, that publishes original middle and high school research in the biological and physical sciences.
Critical Debates in Humanities, Science, and Global Justice (Reach)
Subject areas: Humanities, Science, Global Justice
This journal encourages multifaceted discussions about pressing global issues and invites students to submit research that uses diverse lenses to analyze humanity’s current problems.
Subject areas: History, Art, and Culture of the Middle Ages
A bi-monthly magazine that features articles written by leading scholars and early career researchers in history, art history, archaeology, religion, literature, film, and related fields of study.
Subject areas: Public Policy and Social Sciences
A peer-reviewed high school science journal that aims to expose young academics to new topics and ideas, and that offers rigorous feedback and review processes.
Journal of Arts and Humanities (JAH) (Target)
Subject areas: Arts and Humanities
An academic journal that focuses on theoretical and empirical research in the Arts and Humanities and publishes original research, creative work, and critical discourse on traditional, contemporary, and popular issues in these fields.
Medium–Open Blogging Platform (Safety)
Subject areas: All Disciplines
An open-access and eclectic platform where anyone can share insightful perspectives, helpful knowledge, and life wisdom with the world—generate readership numbers without building a mailing list or a following first.
Follow Submission Guidelines Precisely
When you finally decide which journal you want to submit your work to, read the submission guidelines from top to bottom, leaving no stone unturned. Also, familiarize yourself with the editorial review process. Does your journal conduct a single-blind, double-blind, or open review? What format and style does the publication ask for, and are you familiar with it? Submission guidelines aren’t recommendations or suggestions, but requirements. The more meticulous you can be in making sure you diligently check every box asked of you, the more likely you are to publish your research successfully.
Prepare to Make Revisions to Your Paper After Submitting
Even after selecting the perfect research topic, finding the ideal mentor, conducting your research flawlessly, and following through on all the submission rules, you still need to be prepared to edit. And edit and edit and edit some more until your journal is satisfied with your paper and ready to give it the green light for publication. At this stage, you must remain goal-oriented and resist the urge to become discouraged. Academic journals have long-standing reputations to maintain, and their precise, sometimes grueling review processes are in place to ensure that your final paper is as pristine as possible before its public debut.
If you don’t feel ready to submit your research for publication yet, we also encourage students to present their work in other creative ways that allow them to showcase their work and receive feedback. Ask a teacher or counselor about seminars, conferences, or competitions, like science fairs, that you can join. At these events, you can network with like-minded peers or find new mentors with whom you can collaborate on research projects in the future.
The online research programs we offer to middle, high school, and college students at Scholar Launch have been carefully curated to prepare students for, and assist them with, research publication at every stage of the journey. To learn more about how our education team can help you reach your academic goals, contact us today.