How to Publish a Research Paper in a Journal (According to Published High Schoolers)

“As a rising sophomore, I didn’t have any experience publishing papers. The thought of publishing a paper seemed daunting to me, but ultimately it was not. My mentor was able to share his expertise and experience with me in publishing papers.” -Claire

The double process of writing a research paper and then getting it published can feel terrifying, especially your first time going through it. But research shouldn’t be scary, it should be about finding and diving into your academic passions! Conducting and publishing research contributes valuable knowledge to a global community of scholars. High school students who sign up for Polygence benefit from dual-pronged support in conducting research and showcasing their hard work through peer-reviewed journals, such as the National High School Journal of Science.

In this article, we’ll hear from real high schoolers as they break down the step-by-step process for conducting and publishing your own original research. It’s not easy, but it’s less intimidating than you might think!

Step 1: Connect with a Mentor

“My mentor was very helpful in guiding me in the right direction, accessing papers for me, simplifying things I didn't understand and making sure I was never overwhelmed with the project… Polygence was super helpful with publishing. I had no idea what I was doing and without a mentor, I would have definitely been a lot more stressed…. I also had no idea what this project entailed when I started and my mentor explained everything thoroughly and helped walk me through what was required step by step.” -Abigail

Importance of Mentors for Research

If you’re reading this article, then you’re ready to take your first step toward publishing your research paper by finding and connecting with a mentor! While there is no universal rule stating that research can’t be a solo mission, 99% of the time, researchers are not working in a vacuum on their own. Researchers have support from teammates and colleagues, and, most importantly, they receive guidance from mentors. Undergraduates, graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, even accomplished professional researchers, and tenured faculty receive guidance from mentors within their fields. High school research is no different in this respect. Even though it’s possible to conduct and showcase original research on your own as a high schooler, receiving high-quality mentorship will take your research to the next level, empowering you to produce and publish an original research paper that you will be proud of for years to come.

Tips for Finding and Connecting with a Great Mentor

Identifying and connecting with a dedicated mentor who is also an expert in your field can be challenging. When contacting potential mentors, keep in mind what you are hoping to get out of that mentor/mentee relationship. Communicate the aspects of research where you feel confident, as well as the areas where you feel less sure and could use some support. Demonstrating that you are excited about contributing original research to your field and that you are eager for constructive feedback is a great way to set the right tone. If you are still looking for your perfect mentor, Polygence works with hundreds of expert researchers, all of whom are passionate about supporting young scholars. Let us connect you with your mentor match!

Step 2: Develop Your Research Question

“I have become adept at identifying and analyzing literature for my work… My experience with Polygence was immensely helpful in developing both my research and writing skills. Now, as a college student working in a lab, I am able to apply these skills in both classroom and lab settings.” -Sarubi

Understand Existing Research

The very last thing you want is to find yourself halfway amid your final round of experiments, only to realize that the research topic you chose was too broad, or that others have studied it before in great depth. To make sure this doesn’t happen, and to set yourself up for a successful project in general, it’s important to familiarize yourself with existing research before designing your own experiments. Your mentor can help you find, access, and understand relevant and recent literature within your field. 

Select a Research Topic

Once you and your mentor have explored the existing literature and understand the current state of the field, it’s time to develop a research question or find a gap in the research or an opportunity to contribute your own data. For example, many research papers conclude with ideas or suggestions for further research. If you read any articles from the past two or three years that interest you, take a look at their conclusions and ask your mentor whether it would be feasible to accomplish a portion of what the authors suggest. A great research topic should be:

• Original

  • The goal is to contribute new information or novel connections to the scholarly community.

• Robust but feasible

  • Your topic should be significant but not overwhelming. The research should be important but possible to accomplish within your time frame.

• Something you are passionate about

  • Selecting a topic that you are deeply interested in will make the entire process much more meaningful and enjoyable.

Step 3: Research!

This step will depend on your chosen topic and the plan that you and your mentor develop together. Once complete, we can move on to step 4!

Step 4: Write a Draft of Your Manuscript

“The publication process was quite long... My mentor really helped me figure out how to design an experiment, how to write a paper, and how to make edits.” -Suraga

“One tip I would give is: don’t go into a project hoping to publish in a specific journal. Being able to publish in any journal is an accomplishment that you should be proud of. Additionally, I think that it is important that students write what they want to, and not to impress these journals.” -Claire

“In AP Bio, we had to write many lab reports and the format was very similar to my research paper. It made the lab reports feel not too difficult because I understood the step-by-step process of how to write them.” -Abigail

Once you've completed the research, experimentation, and/or data collection phase of your project, it’s time to start writing. After all, scholarship is a community, and it’s important to clearly communicate your findings so that others can continue to make progress in your field. During manuscript preparation, you will need to carefully organize and present your research data in a way that is both clear and compelling. Some scholars recommend going ahead and identifying your top choice through an academic journal before you even begin writing your paper. That strategy has the advantage in terms of familiarization with the preferred style, format, length, etc., and of the journal you wish to publish in. However, based on input from high school scholars who have been published in these journals, having a particular publication in mind can distract from the writing process, particularly if it’s your first time putting together an original research paper. They suggest taking the process one step at a time, focusing on writing the best manuscript possible and getting frequent feedback from your mentor. Once you have a draft of your manuscript, there will be time to tailor your academic paper to a specific journal during the revision process.

Manuscript Writing Tips for Clarity and Impact

• Each field is different. Consult peer-reviewed journals in your field for ideas on how to structure your writing, how to perform data analyses, and how to present your findings.

• For scientific papers, your hypothesis should always be constructed based on results from published literature.

• The style of writing in most research papers is very dry. Use simple sentence structures, and don’t be afraid to say the same thing twice — in the same way — if that’s what you mean. If you catch yourself reaching for synonyms in search of new ways to rephrase the same idea, remember that academic writing prioritizes clarity above all else. Unnecessarily mixing up your wording can be confusing and obstruct readers’ comprehension of your meaning.

Step 5: Select Your Top Choice Journal During the Revision Process

“My mentor helped me make a list of different places I could send my paper too. Polygence has a platform which shows a bunch of journals to which you can publish and which can align with the subject of the paper you wrote.” -Abigail

Once you feel that your paper is coming into focus, it may be helpful to begin looking for journals that would be good matches for your submission. Remember: ethical research practices dictate that you should only submit your work to one journal at a time. 

Choosing the Right Journal

With your mentor, browse the recent issues from various publications that accept submissions from high schoolers conducting research work in your field. For each publication, learn about the journal’s scope, its audience, its impact factor, and its acceptance rate. Next, create a ranking of your top three or four that seem to be well-aligned with your work and your goals. Make note of the submission requirements for your top choice journal (for instance, some journals specify a maximum number of works cited per article) and the types of papers that they tend to publish. As you fine-tune your paper, keep in mind their stated requirements and your own observations from recent issues.

Step 6: Submit Your Manuscript

“A takeaway would be to be patient because the process to hear back can be kind of long and it is stressful not knowing. But always know that you can resubmit somewhere else if your first attempt doesn't work out.” -Abigail

“It was definitely a strenuous process, but I learned that the reality for any level researcher, from amateur to seasoned, is ultimately that your work is bound to be rejected, but as long as you revise and keep submitting, eventually your work will align with the interests of a publication. Thanks to Polygence, I had my mentor to support me through the process and encourage me to keep pushing until we found success…” -Sarubi

Patience is Key

Waiting is arguably the hardest part of the publication process. Once you submit your paper to a suitable journal, typical response times vary from a few weeks to a few months, depending on their publication timeline, their backlog, and their review process. Stay patient and stay positive. If your article is not accepted, don’t be discouraged. Resilience and openness to feedback are crucial ingredients to finding success in academic publishing. There are plenty of reasons for a journal to reject a paper, even if the research is solid and the article is well-written. If your top choice journal passes on your article, simply work with your mentor to prepare it for submission in another one on your list.

Step 7: Your Article’s Been Accepted — Congrats! Now What?

Having your article accepted by a journal is a great accomplishment, but the process is still not over! Be prepared to go through a few more rounds of revision and editing, which can take several more weeks or even months. Throughout this final revision and editing process, expect to receive detailed feedback from peer reviewers and other scholars. Depending on the journal, these readers could be high schoolers, undergraduate students, graduate students, or and/or professional researchers.

Responding to Critical Feedback

Receiving and responding to critical feedback on your work can be challenging, especially when the paper has been finished — in your opinion — for months. Here are a few suggestions to keep in mind if and when you receive comments on your paper that you disagree with.

• Do not respond immediately. If possible, take some time to reflect on the criticisms. Sleep on it, if you can.

• Remember that your reviewers are on your team. Sometimes, direct feedback can come across as harsh, but don’t take it personally. Their goal is simply to help you publish the best possible version of your article.

• Keep an open mind. Openness to feedback is necessary when engaging with the scholarly community, and the best writers tend to be the ones who genuinely welcome and take advantage of the constructive criticism they receive.

• Try your best to understand where the suggestions are coming from. Even if you disagree with a critique, understanding why a reviewer perceives a weak point in your paper can give you ideas to strengthen your work throughout.

• Say, thank you. Always respond to feedback graciously and politely.

Long-Term Benefits of Publishing a Research Paper

“The biggest benefit of publishing my work is knowing that my research paper is out in the world helping others learn. Through this project, I have also gotten more familiar with the process of writing a research paper. Specifically, what content to include, how it should be structured, and editing. I know that this skill will serve me throughout the rest of my life.” -Claire

Publishing a research paper in high school can have a lasting positive impact. In addition to the satisfaction that comes with active participation in the scholarly community, you’ll learn from your mentor about the process of conducting research in your chosen field, as well as how to write effective journal articles in an academic style. These skills will be beneficial throughout your academic career, particularly if you are interested in continuing to conduct research at the undergraduate level. Finally, authoring an article that is published in an academic journal can help demonstrate intellectual curiosity and resilience in your applications to colleges and universities.

How Polygence Can Help

Polygence supports high schoolers throughout the entire process of conducting and publishing original, independent research. Over your chosen timeline, you’ll develop and accomplish your own original research project with personalized guidance from a dedicated expert mentor in your field. Once you’ve completed your research, you’ll receive tailored feedback as you draft, revise, and edit a research paper that you’ll be proud to show off. Polygence also offers premium showcasing support, giving you a boost of confidence as you and your manuscript step into the world of academic publishing.

Original research is about stepping into the unknown. For high schoolers, producing and publishing an original research paper on your own can feel overwhelming. Having the right mentor on your team can give you confidence that you’re going in the right direction as you discover, explore, and share your passion for research.