How to Publish Research in High School | RISE Research
How to Publish Research in High School | RISE Research
Shana Saiesh
Shana Saiesh
Publishing a research paper in high school is not as rare as it sounds. Thousands of students do it every year, across every subject from quantum computing to economic policy to medieval history. What most of them have in common is not genius. It is that they understood how the submission process actually works and stuck with it long enough to get through it.
This blog walks you through the process of publishing your research while still in high school.
Before You Submit: Get the Paper Ready
The biggest reason student papers get rejected immediately, before any reviewer even reads them, is not weak research. It is sloppy submission. Wrong format, missing abstract, co-author names left inside the manuscript when the journal uses blind review, incorrect citation style. These are all fixable problems that get papers desk-rejected in 48 hours.
Before submitting anywhere, do three things. First, read the author guidelines of your target journal in full, not skimmed. Every journal has specific requirements for word count, citation format, abstract length, file type, and what materials to upload. Second, have someone else read the final draft. Not for encouragement, but for errors. Third, confirm that the journal accepts high school submissions — not all do, and sending to the wrong journal wastes months.
Pick Your Target Journal Honestly
This is where most students make their second mistake: aiming either too high or too low without a strategy.
The honest approach is to have a primary target and a backup. Submit to the more competitive journal first. If rejected with reviewer comments, revise and submit to the next one. Most published student researchers did not get accepted at the first journal they tried.
Journal of Emerging Investigators (JEI) — Original STEM research only, no literature reviews. One of the most recognized student science journals. Review takes 7 to 8 months. Submission fee $35, with need-based waivers. emerginginvestigators.org
Journal of Student Research (JSR) — Accepts original research and literature reviews across STEM, social sciences, and humanities. Uses double-blind peer review. About 70% of submissions eventually get published, though often after revision. Rolling submissions. jofsr.org
National High School Journal of Science (NHSJS) — Free to submit, student-run with an academic advisory board. Faster turnaround than most. Good for STEM original research. nhsjs.com
International Journal of High School Research (IJHSR) — Accepts original research and literature reviews across science and social science. Requires students to contact three professors or postdoctoral scholars who agree to review the paper, which is unique and time-consuming — factor that in early. Cost $200, rolling submissions. ijhsr.terrajournals.org
Oxford Journal of Student Scholarship (OJSS) — Multidisciplinary, accepts STEM, humanities, and social sciences. Acceptance rate around 40 to 50%, with detailed reviewer feedback. A strong first-publication option for work that crosses disciplines. oxfordjss.com
Curieux Academic Journal — Student-run nonprofit, accepts any academic subject including humanities and social sciences. Publishes 12 issues per year, higher acceptance rate. Best used as a backup or for a first publication. Cost $200. curieux.us
The Concord Review — For history papers only. The most prestigious high school research journal in existence, with a 5% acceptance rate and papers averaging 8,500 words. Not a starting point for most students, but worth knowing. tcr.org
Understand the Peer Review Process
When a journal receives your paper, it goes through two stages. The first is desk review, where an editor checks whether the paper meets basic criteria: scope, format, word count, and whether it reads as a serious academic submission. Papers that fail at this stage never reach reviewers. This is why formatting matters.
If the paper passes desk review, it goes to peer reviewers, typically two or three people with relevant subject expertise. They assess the significance of the research question, quality of the methodology, strength of the argument, and clarity of the writing. They return comments to the editor, who then issues a decision: accept, revise and resubmit, or reject.
Most first submissions come back as revise and resubmit, not outright rejection. This is good news. It means the journal sees potential and wants the paper to be stronger. Address every reviewer comment specifically. Do not ignore the ones that feel uncomfortable. Reviewers are trying to improve the paper, and a thoughtful response to their feedback dramatically increases the chance of acceptance on resubmission.
Preprints: An Underused Option
Submitting to a journal does not preclude sharing your work in the meantime. Preprint servers like bioRxiv, arXiv, or OSF Preprints let you upload a paper publicly before peer review. This gets your work seen, invites informal feedback from the research community, and establishes a timestamped record of your findings. It does not interfere with journal submission afterward.
For students on tight application timelines, a preprint can be listed on a college application while the journal review is still in progress. It is not a peer-reviewed publication, but it demonstrates that the work is complete and publicly available.
The Timeline Problem
Most students underestimate how long this takes. JEI takes 7 to 8 months from submission to decision. JSR takes 12 to 24 weeks. NHSJS is faster but still not instant. Factor in the time to write and revise the paper, and a project that starts in September of junior year can realistically produce a published paper by senior fall — just in time for applications, but only if nothing slips.
If you are applying to college in the fall, the math works out roughly like this: finish a submission-ready draft by November or December of junior year, submit immediately, and you have a realistic chance of a decision before applications are due. Every month of delay makes that window smaller.
If the paper is not published by the time you apply, you can note it is under review on your application. Most admissions readers at selective universities understand what that means, especially for journals like JEI or the Concord Review.
What the Publication Actually Does for Your Application
A published paper touches your application in multiple places at once. It belongs in the activities list. It can anchor your personal statement or a supplemental essay. It gives you specific, fluent material for interviews.
Close to 90% of students accepted to top-15 universities in the 2024 to 2025 cycle had at least one published research project on their application, according to Indigo Research. Yale and Columbia have both begun encouraging students to submit research as an application supplement.
That said, a publication is only useful if you can talk about it. A paper you cannot explain is not a credential. The students who benefit most from research are not necessarily the ones who published; they are the ones who can describe what they found, what surprised them, and what they would do differently. The paper is proof of that thinking. It is not a substitute for it.
Getting Help
Most student publications involve a mentor. Not because the rules require it, though many journals do require a faculty co-author or supervisor, but because the practical difference a mentor makes to the quality of the work is large. A mentor catches methodological errors before they reach reviewers, knows which journals are realistic targets, and can advise on how to respond to reviewer comments.
Summer research programs for high school students offer students a structured way of exploring research with the support of expert mentors. Over the course of this 8 -10 week program, students work one-on-one under the guidance of PhD researchers to create an independent project, which by the end of the program is developed into a final paper with opportunities for publication. The process is designed to help students acquire hands-on experience in research, critical analysis, writing, and presenting their ideas in a clear manner.
FAQs
Q: Can I submit to more than one journal at a time?
A: No. Simultaneous submission is considered unethical in academic publishing. Submit to one journal, wait for a decision, then move to the next if needed.
Q: What if my paper gets rejected without comments?
A: Desk rejections rarely include feedback. If the rejection was based on fit or format, revise the paper for the next journal's specific guidelines and resubmit. If you suspect it was a quality issue, ask your mentor to review the paper before the next submission.
Q: Is a preprint the same as a publication?
A: No. A preprint has not been peer-reviewed. It can be listed on an application as a working paper or preprint, but it should not be described as a publication. The distinction matters, and misrepresenting it would be a problem.
Author: Written by Shana Saiesh
Shana Saiesh is a sophomore at Ashoka University pursuing a BA (Hons.) in English with minors in International Relations and Psychology. She works with education-focused initiatives and mentorship-driven programs, contributing to operations, research and editorial work. Alongside her academics, she is involved in student-facing reports that combine research, strategy, and communication.
Publishing a research paper in high school is not as rare as it sounds. Thousands of students do it every year, across every subject from quantum computing to economic policy to medieval history. What most of them have in common is not genius. It is that they understood how the submission process actually works and stuck with it long enough to get through it.
This blog walks you through the process of publishing your research while still in high school.
Before You Submit: Get the Paper Ready
The biggest reason student papers get rejected immediately, before any reviewer even reads them, is not weak research. It is sloppy submission. Wrong format, missing abstract, co-author names left inside the manuscript when the journal uses blind review, incorrect citation style. These are all fixable problems that get papers desk-rejected in 48 hours.
Before submitting anywhere, do three things. First, read the author guidelines of your target journal in full, not skimmed. Every journal has specific requirements for word count, citation format, abstract length, file type, and what materials to upload. Second, have someone else read the final draft. Not for encouragement, but for errors. Third, confirm that the journal accepts high school submissions — not all do, and sending to the wrong journal wastes months.
Pick Your Target Journal Honestly
This is where most students make their second mistake: aiming either too high or too low without a strategy.
The honest approach is to have a primary target and a backup. Submit to the more competitive journal first. If rejected with reviewer comments, revise and submit to the next one. Most published student researchers did not get accepted at the first journal they tried.
Journal of Emerging Investigators (JEI) — Original STEM research only, no literature reviews. One of the most recognized student science journals. Review takes 7 to 8 months. Submission fee $35, with need-based waivers. emerginginvestigators.org
Journal of Student Research (JSR) — Accepts original research and literature reviews across STEM, social sciences, and humanities. Uses double-blind peer review. About 70% of submissions eventually get published, though often after revision. Rolling submissions. jofsr.org
National High School Journal of Science (NHSJS) — Free to submit, student-run with an academic advisory board. Faster turnaround than most. Good for STEM original research. nhsjs.com
International Journal of High School Research (IJHSR) — Accepts original research and literature reviews across science and social science. Requires students to contact three professors or postdoctoral scholars who agree to review the paper, which is unique and time-consuming — factor that in early. Cost $200, rolling submissions. ijhsr.terrajournals.org
Oxford Journal of Student Scholarship (OJSS) — Multidisciplinary, accepts STEM, humanities, and social sciences. Acceptance rate around 40 to 50%, with detailed reviewer feedback. A strong first-publication option for work that crosses disciplines. oxfordjss.com
Curieux Academic Journal — Student-run nonprofit, accepts any academic subject including humanities and social sciences. Publishes 12 issues per year, higher acceptance rate. Best used as a backup or for a first publication. Cost $200. curieux.us
The Concord Review — For history papers only. The most prestigious high school research journal in existence, with a 5% acceptance rate and papers averaging 8,500 words. Not a starting point for most students, but worth knowing. tcr.org
Understand the Peer Review Process
When a journal receives your paper, it goes through two stages. The first is desk review, where an editor checks whether the paper meets basic criteria: scope, format, word count, and whether it reads as a serious academic submission. Papers that fail at this stage never reach reviewers. This is why formatting matters.
If the paper passes desk review, it goes to peer reviewers, typically two or three people with relevant subject expertise. They assess the significance of the research question, quality of the methodology, strength of the argument, and clarity of the writing. They return comments to the editor, who then issues a decision: accept, revise and resubmit, or reject.
Most first submissions come back as revise and resubmit, not outright rejection. This is good news. It means the journal sees potential and wants the paper to be stronger. Address every reviewer comment specifically. Do not ignore the ones that feel uncomfortable. Reviewers are trying to improve the paper, and a thoughtful response to their feedback dramatically increases the chance of acceptance on resubmission.
Preprints: An Underused Option
Submitting to a journal does not preclude sharing your work in the meantime. Preprint servers like bioRxiv, arXiv, or OSF Preprints let you upload a paper publicly before peer review. This gets your work seen, invites informal feedback from the research community, and establishes a timestamped record of your findings. It does not interfere with journal submission afterward.
For students on tight application timelines, a preprint can be listed on a college application while the journal review is still in progress. It is not a peer-reviewed publication, but it demonstrates that the work is complete and publicly available.
The Timeline Problem
Most students underestimate how long this takes. JEI takes 7 to 8 months from submission to decision. JSR takes 12 to 24 weeks. NHSJS is faster but still not instant. Factor in the time to write and revise the paper, and a project that starts in September of junior year can realistically produce a published paper by senior fall — just in time for applications, but only if nothing slips.
If you are applying to college in the fall, the math works out roughly like this: finish a submission-ready draft by November or December of junior year, submit immediately, and you have a realistic chance of a decision before applications are due. Every month of delay makes that window smaller.
If the paper is not published by the time you apply, you can note it is under review on your application. Most admissions readers at selective universities understand what that means, especially for journals like JEI or the Concord Review.
What the Publication Actually Does for Your Application
A published paper touches your application in multiple places at once. It belongs in the activities list. It can anchor your personal statement or a supplemental essay. It gives you specific, fluent material for interviews.
Close to 90% of students accepted to top-15 universities in the 2024 to 2025 cycle had at least one published research project on their application, according to Indigo Research. Yale and Columbia have both begun encouraging students to submit research as an application supplement.
That said, a publication is only useful if you can talk about it. A paper you cannot explain is not a credential. The students who benefit most from research are not necessarily the ones who published; they are the ones who can describe what they found, what surprised them, and what they would do differently. The paper is proof of that thinking. It is not a substitute for it.
Getting Help
Most student publications involve a mentor. Not because the rules require it, though many journals do require a faculty co-author or supervisor, but because the practical difference a mentor makes to the quality of the work is large. A mentor catches methodological errors before they reach reviewers, knows which journals are realistic targets, and can advise on how to respond to reviewer comments.
Summer research programs for high school students offer students a structured way of exploring research with the support of expert mentors. Over the course of this 8 -10 week program, students work one-on-one under the guidance of PhD researchers to create an independent project, which by the end of the program is developed into a final paper with opportunities for publication. The process is designed to help students acquire hands-on experience in research, critical analysis, writing, and presenting their ideas in a clear manner.
FAQs
Q: Can I submit to more than one journal at a time?
A: No. Simultaneous submission is considered unethical in academic publishing. Submit to one journal, wait for a decision, then move to the next if needed.
Q: What if my paper gets rejected without comments?
A: Desk rejections rarely include feedback. If the rejection was based on fit or format, revise the paper for the next journal's specific guidelines and resubmit. If you suspect it was a quality issue, ask your mentor to review the paper before the next submission.
Q: Is a preprint the same as a publication?
A: No. A preprint has not been peer-reviewed. It can be listed on an application as a working paper or preprint, but it should not be described as a publication. The distinction matters, and misrepresenting it would be a problem.
Author: Written by Shana Saiesh
Shana Saiesh is a sophomore at Ashoka University pursuing a BA (Hons.) in English with minors in International Relations and Psychology. She works with education-focused initiatives and mentorship-driven programs, contributing to operations, research and editorial work. Alongside her academics, she is involved in student-facing reports that combine research, strategy, and communication.
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