You may not know it, but undergraduate students can have their research published! Students are able to submit work they have already written to numerous journals, both within and outside the university. Getting published means that you can easily demonstrate to future employers and admissions officers that you are a talented writer and researcher! So, take these tips into consideration and soon you’ll be a real author.
Enter Student Writing Contests at your University
Many Canadian universities often run writing contests, allowing students to submit their work into a competition with other students. Students, in this case, are often submitting work they’ve already written for a class meaning there is little extra work in the submission process. Once the submission is complete, reviewers and judges read all work and determine the top writers based on the accepted submissions.
Contests like this are run at Simon Fraser University through the Student Learning Commons and Western University through the Arts and Humanities Department. Many other schools run these contests, so be sure to monitor your university’s news feeds and social media so you don’t miss a deadline!
Enter Writing Contests External to Academia
There a number of different writing contests out there in Canada for students to look into! Doing a Google research will reveal a number of different contests out there for students, with cash prizes available for the winners of these contests. Below is a list of a number of available contests for students:
- Young Writers of Canada – Creative Writing Contest
- Young Writers of Canada – Poetry Contest
- Winning Writers – Contests
- Fraser Institute – Student Essay Contest
- Write the World – Competitions
There are a number of other competitions external to universities available for students. If you want to keep tabs on the ongoing competitions, it’s a good idea to follow some organizations on Facebook and reserve the time to search for these competitions on a bi-weekly or monthly basis.
Submit your Papers to Journals
Of course, a common method is submitting work to academic journals. One of the most common ones for undergraduate students in Canada is the Canadian Undergraduate Research Journal. Here you can submit your research and include two people to contact two different reviewers. It’s a rather simple process and gives you a good chance of being a true author!
Other journals include the following:
- Reinvention: an International Journal of Undergraduate Research
- Western Social Science – Student Journals
- International Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities
Review Other Submissions in Academic Journals
Another great option is to sign up to review the work of other student submissions! This is an option for undergraduate students submitting work to the Canadian Undergraduate Research Journal. Not only does reviewing mean you could be published, but it’s also a great way to experience the review process and understand how your papers will be reviewed.
Reviewing is a great skill to learn – both for publications and also for learning to be a better writer all the time!
Getting published is a great way to demonstrate to future employers and admissions officers that you are a great writer, with a talent for doing impactful research. Being published is especially relevant for students hoping to pursue further education beyond the undergraduate level. This includes a master’s degree, law degree or medical school. Many admissions officers here will look for work samples before admitting you. Therefore, follow these tips and start getting into publications as early as your first year.
