The University of Kentucky Office of Undergraduate Research is accepting submissions for the spring issue of  Aperture, a new open-access, interdisciplinary student journal.

The journal’s foremost objective is to showcase the rich and diverse scholarship conducted by UK undergraduates and promote the advancement of knowledge by publishing reports of their unique experiential endeavors. Aperture is edited and produced by an undergraduate student editorial board of peer editors, ensuring a platform that reflects the perspectives and contributions of their fellow peers in academia. 

“I believe it is important to provide an opportunity for the students at our university to publish and share their research,” said Kenan Flores, a senior biochemistry major in the College of Arts and Sciences and design committee chair. “I want the journal to be an outlet for students to connect with professors and broaden their outreach of their research, while diversifying the view of what research is for the university.”

As a journal dedicated to undergraduate scholarship, Aperture only accepts submissions of original work conducted, and written, by current or recent undergraduate students. For recent graduates, your submission must be received within 12 months of conferral of your first undergraduate degree.

Students can submit their full-length manuscripts, abstracts and brief reports online starting in January for the spring issue. The journal will focus on the research culture at UK with spotlight articles on student researchers and current topics in research. Manuscripts that have been published or have been accepted for publication elsewhere, or are under review with another publication, are not eligible for review or publication.

Submissions are accepted from all disciplines and categories include:

• Agriculture

• Artistic and Musical Creations

• Biological and Life Sciences

• Business and Economics

• Creative Writing and Poetry

• Cultural and Language Studies

• Design (Architecture, Interior Design, Product Design)

• Environmental Studies

• Honors/Gaines Thesis (special edition May 2024)

• Humanities

• Mathematics and Quantitative Studies

• Medical and Health Sciences

• Physical and Engineering Sciences

• Social and Behavioral Sciences

Each submission goes through four stages of review. Initially, the student’s adviser or principal investigator (PI) reviews and approves the paper. Then Aperture’s editorial team assesses the submission to ensure adherence to the journal’s submission guidelines, checking for errors or inconsistencies. The third stage involves a thorough review by graduate students or faculty advisers specializing in the specific research field under discussion. The final phase of the review process occurs as the editorial team revisits the revised paper, confirming that all necessary changes have been incorporated and ensuring the article is polished and ready for publication.

Founded in June 2023 and supported by the UK Office of Undergraduate Research, Aperture is an entirely student-led organization dedicated to promoting a culture of curiosity.

You can learn more about Aperture and submission guidelines online here.

Submissions are due by 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 16, 2024.