The Library as Collaborator in Student Publishing: An Index and Review of Undergraduate Research Journals

As libraries build in-house publishing programs, they can aid campus undergraduate research journal efforts in several ways. They may provide publishing platforms, archive student work such as multimedia, professionalize titles through activities such as assigning DOIs, and offer instructional training that introduces undergraduates to the content creation process. To better understand the current landscape of undergraduate research publications, this study establishes an index of undergraduate research journals for the United States across all disciplines. This article examines several qualitative characteristics from a sample size of the index, including the publication processes, the review process, intellectual property issues, journal professionalization, and library involvement. The authors also offer an outline of guiding principles that can assist faculty mentors and students in making decisions regarding the student publication process.