Policies
Style Guidelines
Submissions should be submitted as a single Word document. The main body of research articles should not exceed 4000 words and should be single-spaced throughout (including the title page, references, tables, and figure captions) in 12-point Calibri font with 1” margins on all sides. Tables, figure captions, and references are not included in the word count. All pages including the title page, abstract, and the main body of the manuscript should be numbered consecutively. Please add continuous line numbering to the main body of the manuscript.
There is no need to mimic the format of the finished journal. The Editorial team will format it in two columns and place tables and figures, etc.
Measurements: Report measurements in metric and other standard scientific units. Units or symbols that are likely to be unfamiliar to a general readership should be defined.
Abbreviations: Only standardized abbreviations and symbols should be used. Uncommon abbreviations and acronyms, if used, should be defined in parenthesis in the text upon the first appearance.
Figures: All images should be high quality (1200 dpi for line art, 600 dpi for grayscale, and 300 dpi for color, at the correct size). Each figure must be submitted as a color 300 DPI resolution JPG or PNG file at a standard figure width of at least 5 inches (select “constrain proportions” and height will default proportionally).
When submitting color scientific images, be mindful of reader accessibility. For more information on the use of color in scientific publications, please refer to the article The Misuse of colour in science communication from Nature Communication.
The final size of figures will be adjusted by the editor to fit the page layout. Make sure that all text labels within the figure and x- and y-axis labels will be readable at the final publication size. Please use 11 point Calibri (a sans-serif font) for all figure text. Make sure all text used in figures and tables is in black not gray (which is the Microsoft default).
Center figure captions below the figure in a 9 pt. sans-serif font such as Helvetica./p>
Figure placement should be identified within the text but submitted separately as supplemental files.
Tables: Create tables using the Table function in Microsoft Word. Do not use tabs, spaces, and hard returns. This will result in the tables needing to be reformatted which allows the introduction of errors and could delay publication of your manuscript. Use a sans-serif 9 pt. font (e.g., Helvetica, Calibri) with title only in bold and centered above table.
Figure placement should be identified within the text but submitted separatelt as supplemental files.
Submission elements
Mentor form: Manuscripts should be accompanied by a form from the faculty mentor explaining the significance of the research described in the research article.
Abstract and keywords: All manuscripts should include a brief and succinct abstract (maximum of 250 words) summarizing the research results described in their article. Abstracts should clearly describe the objectives of the research, and the results and their significance. For indexing purposes, four to five keywords reflecting the content and major thrust of the research should be provided on the abstract page. The abstract and keywords will be submitted directly into the submission portal.
Title page: Research articles should contain a title page with names of all the authors and the mentors (faculty mentors should be listed as a coauthor), department and college affiliation(s), and the email address of the corresponding author.
Research article contents
Research paper formatting is often discipline-specific. Most disciplines consider that research articles should contain the following sections:
Introduction: The introduction section should clearly state the purpose of the investigation, the hypotheses tested, and the relationship to other work related to the field of study.
Materials and Methods: The Materials and Methods section describes the experimental design, materials used, statistical analysis, and any other details needed for another researcher to reproduce the study and to confirm the validity of findings and conclusions. Published procedures may be referenced by a literature citation. In addition, appropriate precautions should be mentioned if hazardous materials or dangerous procedures are employed in the research.
Results: Results should be presented in a clear and concise manner. Figures and Tables, along with relevant captions, should have position locations within the text and will be submitted as supplemental documents.
Discussion: This section should contain an interpretation of the results in the context of published work in the field.
*Note that the Results and Discussion section can be combined as a single section.
Conclusions: The Conclusions section presents a brief summation of the research project presented in the paper and the significance of the findings and practical applications. No references are necessary and please do not introduce new material not discussed previously in the paper.
Acknowledgments: Research grants or other funding (including relevant grant or project numbers) must be acknowledged. In addition, if applicable, significant contributions of individuals providing scholarly or technical assistance should be acknowledged.
Works Cited: The works cited should only include those items which were referenced in the text and should be cited in the order they first appear in the text. References must be cited properly using APA format throughout the manuscript. For more information on the APA style, please see our guide at https://uark.libguides.com/apastyle.
NOTE: Please be very meticulous about the proper use of citations. All Inquiry papers will be run through a check for plagiarism.
Bioethics: Research published in Inquiry, involving vertebrates or human subjects, should meet the requirements set forth by Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) and Institutional Review Board (IRB) .
Scientific misconduct: Inquiry: The University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal intends to adhere to the highest values of ethics in the articles that are published. In this context, falsification of data, plagiarism, or any other practice(s) that deviates from accepted norms of publication in academic and research communities will be deemed as actionable misconduct.
Other
Publication Agreement form: Authors who publish their work in Inquiry: The University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal retain their copyright but are requested to license the University of Arkansas the rights to non-exclusive use in electronic formats for all materials submitted for publication.
Authors will be required to sign the publication agreement form at the time of submission of their article.
