Journals open up for undergrad research

Facebook.com, text messaging and Web logs will soon be acceptable topics for published undergraduate research.

Penn's Critical Writing Program is now accepting undergraduate submissions for campus journal Res, and unorthodox topics are welcome.

The journal is the latest in a series of new publications -- including the soon-to-be-launched College Undergraduate Research Electronic Journal -- designed to highlight undergraduates' independent work, one of College Dean Dennis DeTurck's primary goals.

The writing program is encouraging students to pursue nontraditional research in submitting to Res, ranging from the effects of faculty on the networking Web site the Facebook to the future of robot labor, according to writing program Director Valerie Ross.

Res previously existed as a journal that each spring published an issue containing student papers selected by departmental officials. The new version of Res -- to be published each fall in addition to the spring-- will accept submissions directly from students and will focus on interdisciplinary work.

Student research would first appear in next fall's issue of Res, which will be the first research journal to represent students from all four undergraduate schools.

According to Ross, each issue of the journal will center around a specific topic, with the theme for the first being "digital culture."

"This is all a kind of shift in culture that hasn't really been examined or researched," Ross said. "Penn students ... are ideally situated to create the research."

Ross added that a faculty and student review board will choose which submissions to publish, and that this will be the only undergraduate journal at Penn to undergo this system of dual review.

The writing program has received "a few" submissions so far, Ross said, adding that she expects more to arrive by the March 1 deadline.

There are no specific criteria as to what makes one submission better than another, Ross said, but she hopes to see variety in all respects.

"We're quite open to different styles, different content, different approaches [and] compelling research that is clearly presented," Ross said.

For Engineering sophomore Steven Jones, who submitted a paper on Podcasts -- downloadable audio files -- the openness of Res' criteria offered him a chance to combine several disciplines.

"It's a nice change to be able to write a creative paper that's more focused on supporting an idea than outlining what I did in a lab," Jones said.

The start of the new Res coincides with the College of Arts and Sciences' preparation of its own online hub for undergraduate research.

The College will soon launch an electronic undergraduate research journal, to be published annually, which will showcase work by any student in the College. Officials in departments and programs will select which work will be included.

Kristin Davidson, the College's director of administrative affairs, said SAS' journal will encourage an interdisciplinary approach.

"This is intended to be a place where there would be research from all disciplines in the College curriculum: theater arts, music, biochemistry, urban studies; all over," Davidson said.

Davidson also said that since the SAS journal was only recently presented to College administrators, no submissions have been received yet.

Ross believes that the existence of the two journals will increase the visibility of undergraduate research, adding that publishing articles in both journals is welcome.

Art Casciato, the director of the Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships, said that the launch of the SAS journal and Res signals a greater commitment on Penn's part to undergraduate research.

"Res and [SAS' journal] are the two that are attempting much more ambitious collections ... so that the work of undergraduates has a much longer shelf life than ever before," Casciato said.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.