Submissions

Author Guidelines

General Guidelines for All Submissions

SUBMISSION LINK AND SUPPLEMENTAL FORMS CAN BE FOUND HERE

Timeline for Submission

Sunday, November 2, 2025 (11:59 PM EST)

Eligibility for Submission

• ETHEL, UNC Charlotte’s Undergraduate Research Journal publishes manuscripts and/or creative works of all disciplines by UNC Charlotte undergraduate students or alums (within one calendar year of graduation)
• Authors may submit original papers to be considered for publication in the ETHEL Undergraduate Research Journal, and must own the copyright to the work being submitted or have authorization by the copyright owner or owners to submit the manuscript
• Authors are the initial owners of the copyrights to their works (an exception in the non-academic world to this might exist if the authors have, as a condition of employment, agreed to transfer copyright to their employer)

Guidelines for Manuscript Submission

Rules for Submission

ETHEL accepts research articles from any discipline, authored by undergraduate students or alums (within one calendar year of graduation) at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. To be eligible, the research must have been conducted under the guidance of a faculty mentor/instructor. Submissions from diverse academic disciplines are encouraged and will be considered for review. All research articles must meet the following criteria:

1. Authors must be undergraduate students or alums (within one calendar year of graduation) of UNC Charlotte
2. Article submission(s) must be novel work conducted by the author in their field of study
3. Submitted articles must be original works and cannot have been previously published or under current review at another journal or publication. These restrictions apply to both electronic and print publications. Most professional journals have strict policies concerning dual publication; authors should discuss publication plans with discipline-specific journals to which they are considering publishing their work as well as with their faculty mentors
4. Manuscripts should have no personally identifying information such as author name or class year to ensure a blind peer-review process
5. Submissions should be uploaded as a single Word file (.doc or .docx). PDF or other file types will not be accepted
6. The manuscript submission should include an abstract, article, bibliography, and any image/graphics (length guidelines are listed below)
7. Each submission must be accompanied with the following completed forms, signed by both the author and faculty mentor and scanned as PDF:

• Copyright acknowledgement form
• Manuscript/Faculty Approval Form
• Research Protocols Form

1. Submissions may be previously written term or thesis papers that have been transformed to fit the parameters and audience of this journal

Manuscript Requirements for Submission

• Formatting Guidelines
• Times New Roman, size 12
• Maximum of 5,000 words or 20 pages, double-spaced, (not including citation formatting, appendices, or reference/bibliographies) will be accepted. This includes the abstract and body. 

• Manuscript must be saved as a Word document for submission (.doc or .docx file type)

• Tables/Figures
• Include figures and tables that are important in relaying information to readers.
• Cite them properly within the text, and place them at appropriate locations within the text, accompanied with captions. 
• Please do not place figures/tables and their captions on separate pages.
• Citation Guidelines
• Manuscripts should follow formatting and citation guidelines that are utilized in the author’s discipline such as APA,  MLA, Chicago/Turabian, etc.
• Style guides for APA and MLA can be found HERE, and style guides for Chicago/Turabian and other specialized fields can be found HERE. 

As this is an open access publication, authors are encouraged to write their article with language and tone that is understandable by a broader audience without familiarity to field specific jargon or procedures

Suggested Manuscript Layout for Submission

The format below is a guideline, but varying disciplines may deviate from this format. Authors should consult with their faculty mentor regarding any variations on the formatting of their work

1. Title
1. 3-14 words in length
2. Must use language that can be comprehended by the a broad/non-academic readership
2. Abstract
1. 250-word limit
2. Include several keywords that may aid in better comprehension of your paper, below your abstract
3. Introduction
4. Materials & Methods
5. Results
6. Discussion/Conclusion
1. Authors are encouraged to present their conclusions and/or discussions in a manner that is approachable to readers outside their discipline, effectively conveying the significance and broader implications of their work.
7. References/Works Cited/Bibliography
1. Must be cited properly throughout the manuscript using the proper format and style guidelines related to the author’s discipline (e.g. APA, MLA, Chicago/Turabian, etc.)
2. The list of references must be at the end of the manuscript in alphabetical order in the proper format and style guidelines related to the author’s discipline (e.g. APA, MLA, Chicago/Turabian, etc.).
8. Appendix
1. Authors may include supplementary figures or data at the end of the manuscript.
2. If you are including only one figure or table, title the page and item as "Appendix". 
3. If you are including more than one supplementary piece, please title them as "Appendix A", "Appendix B", etc.

Guidelines for Creative Work Submission

(Digital Publication Only)

The ETHEL Undergraduate Research Journal accepts submissions for creative works and traditional research presented in creative formats for publication on their website through a peer-review process. ETHEL is seeking original creative works that can include, but are not limited to the following formats:

• Literary works/short stories
• Essays
• Poetry
• Artwork
• Architectural Designs
• Films/Videos
• Music Compositions/Performances
• Dance Choreography

ETHEL encourages undergraduate students or alums (within one calendar year of graduation) to consider creative ways of presenting their research and creative activities. Research and its dissemination often occur outside of the traditional academic journal setting, and ETHEL hopes to embolden students to find diverse and inventive outlets to present their research and creative projects.

Rules for Submission

• Authors must be undergraduate students or alums (within one calendar year of graduation) of UNC Charlotte
• Submission(s) must be novel work conducted by the author/creator in their field of study
• Submitted articles must be original works and cannot have been previously published or under current review at another journal or publication. These restrictions apply to both electronic and print publications. Most professional journals have strict policies concerning dual publication; authors should discuss publication plans with discipline-specific journals to which they are considering publishing their work as well as with their faculty mentors
• Manuscripts should have no personally identifying information such as author name or class year to ensure a blind peer-review process
• Submissions should be uploaded accurately regarding the type of creative work you are submitting (see “Creative Work Requirements for Submission” for additional details)
• Each submission must be accompanied with the following completed forms, signed by both the author and faculty mentor and scanned as PDF:
• Copyright acknowledgement form
• Manuscript/Faculty Approval Form
• Research Protocols Form

Creative Work Requirements for Submission

If Submitting..

• Written Works 
• Literary works, short stories, poems, essays, etc.
• Submissions should include the following:
• Title
• No more than 2,000 words of text (12 pt, Times New Roman font, double spaced)
• Works should be submitted as .doc or .docx files
• Submissions may include 1 or more images to be included with publication
• Submissions may include 1 or more tables or charts to be included with publication
• Additional multi-media content is encouraged (videos, songs, etc. that add to the article)
•  Reference/Works Cited/Bibliography page(s) as needed

• Still Image Works 
• Visual art, photography, etc.
• Submissions should include the following:
• A high-resolution file of the work (300 DPI or more; The higher the resolution, the better)
• Image files should be submitted as JPG or PNG
• A 500-word (or less) description or contextualization of the work

• Musical Works 
• Music/composition recordings, etc
• Submissions should include the following:
• Submission recordings may be live or edited
• An MP3 or WAV file of the performance (WAV preferred)
• Submissions are limited to 15 minutes in length
• A 500-word (or less) description or contextualization of the work

• Audio Submissions
• Podcasts, audio recordings, etc.
• Submissions should include the following

• • • Submissions are limited to 15 minutes in length
    • An MP3 or WAV file of the performance (WAV preferred)
    • A full typed transcript of the submission (submitted as a .doc or .docx file)
    •  Reference/Works Cited/Bibliography page(s) as needed

• Video Submissions 
• Films, documentaries, dance performances, etc
• Submissions should include the following:
• Submissions are limited to 15 minutes in length
• A MOV or MP4 file of the performance
• A full typed transcript of the submission if talking/discussion is included (submitted as a .doc or .docx file)
• A 500-word (or less) description or contextualization of the work as needed (dance performances, videos with no speaking, etc.)
•  Reference/Works Cited/Bibliography page(s) as needed