Submissions

This page is designed to help you ensure your submission is ready for and fits the scope of the journal.

Before submitting you should read over the guidelines here, then register an account (or login if you have an existing account).

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About

Synthesis (ISSN 2643-8410 (online)) publishes student science communication writ large. Many of the works we publish document community engagement projects that bring science to the public. Others describe student researcher's own scientific work. All works represent students' efforts to experiment with science communication in order to reach audiences beyond the scientific community. The journal is published by the University of Iowa as a joint effort of the Latham Science Engagement Initiative, the Digital Scholarship and Publishing Studio, and Iowa Digital Engagement and Learning.

Focus and Scope

Many of the works we publish document community engagement projects that bring science to the public. Others describe student researcher's own scientific work. All works represent students' efforts to experiment with science communication in order to reach audiences beyond the scientific community.

Publication Guidelines

  1. Work must involve science communication with the public. This journal centers on students actively participating in science communication within their communities.
  2. This work must be produced by a university or college-enrolled student (recently graduated is acceptable).
  3. Your submission cannot be published or currently in the review process in other journals.
  4. All digital media will be considered: podcasts, videos, digital art, written works, and etc.
  5. All work must have a title that is no longer than 15 words.
  6. All submissions should have an abstract of work (~300-word count).
  7. Your submission must include one image that can be used a banner for your article's future page. 

Copyright Notice

This is an open access journal which means that all content is freely available without charge to the user or their institution; there is not embargo period. The journal allows readers to read, download, print, search, or link to the full texts of its articles, without asking prior permission from the copyright holder. Any other use, including distributing non-commercially, must be approved by the author, unless such use is allowed by a license.

Peer Review

Synthesis is not a peer-reviewed journal, but rather an editor-reviewed journal. In contrast to the traditional peer-review model, our publication stands apart as we prioritize a hands-on editorial process. We do not rely on external peer reviewers; instead, our dedicated team of editors actively reviews submissions and collaborates closely with authors. Our goal as editors is not only to evaluate the merit of the content but also to assist authors in refining their work. This unique model allows for a personalized interaction and many opportunities to update and edit submissions - this ensures that each piece undergoes a thoughtful and constructive editorial process. 


Licences

Synthesis: A Digital Journal of Student Science Communication allows the following licences for submission:

Publication Fees

Synthesis is an open access journal that has no publication fees. 

Sections

Public Submissions

Peer Reviewed

Indexed

Front Matter

Article

Video Essay

Audio Essay

Image Composition

Submission Checklist

Before you submit your work please review the checklist below:
  1. Have you provided necessary information of all authors?
  2. Have you provided a title less than 15-words long? 
  3. Have you provided an abstract of your work that is around 300 words long?
  4. Have you submitted an image that can be used as your banner for your submission? 
  5. Have you submitted the paper/audio/video/art in an acceptable file format?