Doing scientific research takes time, often quite a bit of it. You have to read through existing papers, gather and analyze data, present it carefully in written form, and that’s just to create a research paper. Getting that paper published, sharing what you have created with a broader audience, takes even more time on top of that. For academics, who must deal with this regularly, this is a nuisance. For high school students, this can be a problem. Many high school students are turning to research as a way to demonstrate their intellectual capabilities to admissions officers. We’ve discussed this before, and recommend it for some students. Many students, however, then run into the problem of publication; with no way to publish their results before their applications to colleges are due. In this article, we’re going to go through what your options are when you find yourself in this scenario. Let’s jump in!
Why Publication Takes So Long
The publication process is very complicated; we’ve discussed this in prior articles, but we’re going to break it down again here simply. In short, when you submit a paper to a journal, it goes through the following steps:
- It is reviewed by an editor (unpaid). They make sure that the paper fits the theme of the journal and is coherent; a research paper on squids can’t be published in a computer science journal (unless you’ve taught the squids to code).
- The editor sends it to peer reviewers (unpaid). These reviewers are professional academics in the field, who evaluate your work for quality and scientific coherence. They make notes on the paper, and send it back.
- You are expected to revise your paper based on these notes. 95% of papers submitted receive notes before publication.
- The paper is given a final check for formatting by the editor (still unpaid).
- The paper is published, either online, which can be immediate, or in the next edition of the journal, which takes however long it is before that comes out.
Each of these steps takes time, often quite a bit of it. The exact amount is variable based on the journal, but this is always compounded because all of the people doing the work are unpaid. Being a peer reviewer or editor is generally a volunteer position, even for quite prestigious journals. Thus the ten to twenty hours of work required to properly review a paper may fall down their list of priorities. They’ll get to it, certainly, but it will take time.Ìý
This then raises the question of where the publication fees are going, if they aren’t spent on reviewers or editors; after all, accessing journals often takes a lot of money too. That’s an issue for another article, but suffice to say the system is not designed for the well-being of academics.
Speeding the Publication Process
The publication itself is somewhat inflexible, but there are ways you can speed it, some of which are more feasible than others. We’re going to go through each in turn, in order to discuss the pros and cons, and which may be best suited for your situation.
Publishing Via Pre-Prints
We’ve discussed pre-prints before, and the pros and cons of them. In short, pre-prints are articles which are published and disseminated publicly without going through the peer review process. Not needing to be reviewed removes pretty much the entire waiting period for publication, so this is by far the fastest option, but it is also one with some of the most issues.
The biggest con is that most colleges are wary of peer-reviewed papers. Top scholars with established publication histories can benefit from publishing pre-prints, especially if they worry that someone else will publish first. High school students, however, really need the accreditation that comes from peer review, the confirmation from a third party that their research is meritorious. In most circumstances, we advise all students not publish using pre-prints.
Paying to Expedite the Process
Some, but not all, journals offer a fast track to review and publication. This is more common in journals aimed at high school students, but some professional journals offer it as well. This is often a significant additional fee, but guarantees your paper is reviewed on a set timeline. Note that this is still a full review, and will still take some time, including your response to any comments on your paper. All it does is shorten the editorial and peer review process by moving your paper to the top of the priority stack.
This can be a good option, though the timeline for these reviews, even expedited, is often still extensive, especially depending on how many revisions are required. In addition, many journals which offer this service are less reputable. This isn;t true of all of them of course, but you should beware of paper mills, journals which will publish near anything without a proper review. This is a growing problem for academics of all stripes, but is especially troublesome for high school students.
If a journal you are submitting to has an expedited option, and you know the journal is reputable, then this can be a reasonable option if it is within your budget. This is not ideal however, and the time savings can be variable.
Presentation at a Conference
The final option is to present your research at a conference. These are held regularly in all disciplines, and allow researchers to present their findings. The review for conferences is far faster, due to the logistics of conferences; if your research is submitted by the deadline, it will be reviewed and entered into the conference proceedings. In most cases, you will then be able to present a poster at the conference, where you highlight your work and results.
Some conferences will further review and publish a compilation of presentations, though this can take far longer. Presenting in a conference alone, however, is seen as an equivalent accomplishment to publishing in a journal; indeed, in some fields almost all research is disseminated through conferences.
You will have to find a conference which is related to your subject of study, and which is still accepting submissions. The review process is much faster for conferences, but they are very set in terms of timing, and it is still far from instantaneous. It is probably one of the best options for students who are looking to publish quickly however, and one we help many of our students pursue.
Publication and College Admissions
Getting into a great college isn’t the only reason to do research, but publishing serious and thoughtful research is a great boon to most applications. This, then, has students very eager to publish before they submit their applications, something that causes a lot of stress, especially for those applying early decision. It can be nerve wracking, even with these expedited means, submitting a paper and waiting to hear back as deadlines creep closer.
Here, however, there is something you need to know: submission for publication in a journal or presentation at a conference is generally weighed the same as the publication itself. Now, admissions officers do tend to be reticent to discuss exactly how they evaluate research; when approached for comment directly every school we spoke to demurred. This is, however, something we are confident on based on conversations with them, and other sources within universities.
This makes sense; colleges are in the business of producing research, and they know exactly how lengthy and difficult of a process it is. What they care about is the legitimacy of the research you did; submitting it for publication, having it under consideration, shows your dedication to the process, your desire for legitimate academic exploration.
This is heartening, but does still leave some students nervous. If you are concerned, then you can also send admissions officers an update letter once your paper is published. Now, admissions officers only want update letters if there’s been a major update to your candidacy, but publishing research definitely counts. This tends to be more applicable to students applying regular decision, but can be done by students applying early as well.
Admissions officers are not trying to make your life more difficult, and they do want to extend you understanding. If you tell them where you are in the publication process, and explain how you have substantially contributed to the process of research, then it will be beneficial to your application.
Final Thoughts
You do not need to complete research to get into a great college, but it’s quite clear why so many students pursue it. With how much work a research project takes, it’s also clear why students want to get credit for doing it, and why there’s so much stress about how long it takes to publish research. We hope this article has helped you understand why the process takes so long, and what you can do to speed the process.
Publication is quite a confusing process, as research itself is; very different from anything you do in high school, even in AP courses designed to facilitate research. If you are looking for further help understanding these processes, or expert guidance conducting and publishing your research projects, then ³Ô¹Ï¹ÙÍø can help. Our research mentors have long experience in their fields, and are quite capable of guiding you through the entire research process. Schedule a free consultation today to learn more, we’re always happy to hear from you.
