Publishing is key for new researchers — but what do they do when publishing opportunities are limited?

This summer, fourth-year Honours Social Psychology student Namya Tandon is launching a new research journal to enable her and her fellow undergraduates to publish their final year research projects.

“Initially, I was seeking to get something of my own published and realized there was no appropriate publication source [for undergraduate social psychology students]. After finding that there were adequate journals catering to similar needs of other disciplines, I discovered a gap waiting to be filled,” said Tandon.

As inaugural editor of the new McMaster Undergraduate Journal of Social Psychology (MUJSP), Tandon and a small editorial team, including faculty advisor Sarah Clancy, have been reviewing submissions for the first volume launching August 7, 2020.

“The MUJSP aims to recognize the academic excellence of Social Psychology students and provide them with an opportunity to have their original research published,” explains Tandon.

In addition to meeting stylistic requirements, students must receive a grade of at least 85 per cent on their social psychology capstone project research paper to be eligible to submit their paper to the MUJSP. The submission process also requires a statement confirming the project has received ethics approval from the McMaster Research Ethics Board under clearance guidelines from course-based ethics approval processes.

Unlike traditional thesis projects, thesis papers for the Social Psychology capstone course (Social Psychology 4ZZ6) are written by student research teams, working collaboratively to apply their knowledge and skills to a project in their area of interest. All members of the group-based project must consent to submit their paper to the journal for publication.

In years past, capstone projects have been showcased through end-of-term poster presentations. The added opportunity to publish these year-long projects in the MUJSP means students’ work can live beyond presentations, contributing to a broader body of research and helping undergraduate researchers develop their CVs.

“I’m thrilled that our students now have an outlet to publish the great work they do in their research capstone course,” said director of the Social Psychology program Tara Marshall. “This research often has practical implications for improving the McMaster undergraduate experience.”

The process to launch the new journal has been substantial. Since pitching the idea to faculty and staff in the Social Psychology program in November 2019, Tandon has spent nine months working with McMaster librarians, faculty, staff and students to lay out the vision, framework and platform for the journal.

“Namya has worked tirelessly to launch the journal, recruiting an assistant editor, Ranuli DeSilva, and a graphic designer, Jordan Graber, to bring this excellent platform for student research to fruition. The entire editorial board should be commended for their hard work and dedication,” said Sarah Clancy, faculty advisor of the MUJSP and supervisor of the Social Psychology capstone research projects.

“I am honoured to be the faculty advisor for the McMaster Undergraduate Journal of Social Psychology, working alongside such intelligent, talented, and dedicated students – both on the editorial board, as well as those whose work has been accepted for publication.”

The first issue of the McMaster Undergraduate Journal of Social Psychology is now available through Open Journal System, McMaster’s open access publishing system for student journals.

“I truly appreciate the efforts of all the faculty and staff members involved. Without their active encouragement, help and support, the MUJSP would never have been possible,” says Tandon.

To learn more about publishing a student journal, visit the McMaster Library website.