Publishing Process - FIU Undergraduate Research Journal

Publication Process

Interested in learning more about the stages that turn an abstract into a published manuscript?

The Publishing Process

FIUURJ’s collaborative double-blind, peer review process aims to ensure the quality and accuracy of a Student Writer’s work before final publication. The peer review process is completed in stages by Student Editors, Faculty Reviews, and Advisory board members. During each stage of the revision process, a different focus of a writer’s manuscript, like viable content, style, formatting, and copyediting, will be carefully assessed before proceeding to the next stage. As undergraduate students, we recognize a writers’ time to contribute to peer review is limited which is why this collaborative system of separating and defining goals forms a more manageable timeline.

Our team provides a high quality, constructive, and efficient peer-review process for all manuscripts submitted to FIUURJ. Please review the following timeline for a more detailed explanation of each stage your manuscript experiences, from proposal to publication. Each stage of the publication process can take up to two months; deadlines are subject to a week buffer.

Abstract Proposal
Open Call for Abstract Proposals (April - May)
Student Writers will submit their manuscript proposals to the Advisory Board for consideration using the Qualtrics survey. After a careful review of proposals by Student Editors and Advisory board members to assess the quality of each submission, selected Student Writers will receive a conditional acceptance letter. Once Writers confirm their acceptance by consenting to the FIUURJ publication guidelines, teams may proceed with the creation of the full first draft of the writer’s manuscript. Prospective writers have approximately six weeks to submit their abstract.
First Manuscript Deadline
Writers Submit Manuscript Draft to Digital Commons (August)
During this stage of the publication process, Student Editors are expected to meet with and work alongside their assigned Student Writer to create the manuscript’s first draft. Student Editors provide personalized feedback, consultations, and support to make sure their student’s work is as polished as possible for before submitting it to Digital Commons. Editors and Writers have approximately six weeks to complete the first draft before submission.
Double-Blind Faculty Review
Faculty Reviewers Provide Feedback on Draft (August- September)
Once processed through Digital Commons, Faculty Reviewers will be assigned to manuscript drafts based on expertise in their respective fields. To guarantee the most rigorous and objective assessments, FIUURJ conducts double-blind faculty reviews. This process removes identifiers of both writers and reviewers for anonymous and objective feedback. All feedback Student Writers receive will be used to improve the next revision of their manuscript. This stage will take approximately six weeks.
Second Manuscript Deadline
Applying Feedback for Draft Development (September - November)
During this stage, Student Editors and Writers will apply Faculty Reviewer‘s feedback to the second draft of their manuscript to ensure articles are as compatible with final publications standards as possible. This stage also offers the opportunity for Professional Editing (ENC4212) students to gain publication revision experience as they provide supplementary copyediting comments. The Advisory board provides final approval before Student Editors continue collaboration with Student Editors. This process will take approximately five weeks.
Final Editorial Review
Editorial and Advisory Consultation Period (November- January)
Annual Issue Release
FIUURJ Publication (Digital and Physical Copies)
After nearly a year of effort, the annual edition of Florida International University Undergraduate Research Journal will be published on electronically Digital Commons. Physical copies will also be available for sponsors and contributors to collect, as well.

Open Access Policy

Thanks to the FIU Digital Commons, this journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.