I’m a high school student who is currently doing historical research at my local university. I plan on submitting a research paper to a journal, but I’m not sure which one and the extent of its significance. The university I’m researching at is ranked very low and has its own undergrad research journal which I’d be fairly confident I could be accepted into. I also noticed this journal called the Texas Historian where I could compete to be published into which is specifically for high school students. I also know a higher level historical journal called the Southwestern Historical Quarterly which is for pHD’s and grad students.
The most prestigious journal is probably the Southwestern Historical Quarterly, but I was wondering how much it matters to an AO if you are published in a prestigious journal vs a not prestigious undergrad journal vs a high school journal.
Thanks!! (I plan on applying to ivies and the like).
Given that some journals will print anything submitted, no matter how awful the research, yes peer review and impact matter. Where do the professors you are working with submit their own research first? What is their second/third/fourth/etc. choice after rejection by #1/#2/etc. Where do they recommend high school students submit papers?
He will be submitting a paper I co-authored to a national conference, but I will be submitting this paper likely on my own. I asked him but he doesn’t really know much about the field of history since he is a professor of philosophy (but he needed research on history for his paper so that’s why I did history). I asked another professor of history and he recommended some places and one of them was the university’s research journal, though it seems like it isn’t that high of caliber. I looked into other places to submit to and I feel that the Southwestern Historical Quarterly was a pretty good fit, though I e-mailed one of the editors and he said it would be very difficult for a HS to get published, and he recommended the Texas Historian.
My university’s research journal isn’t ranked with an impact factor so I’m assuming it is really bad.
the journal at my university is a peer-reviewed journal with an editorial board, though it’s only had 2 years of issues. Is it more heavily weighted than the Texas Historian? Also, I know there would be a difference between my university’s journal and the Southwestern Historical Quarterly (SJR: .116, H index 5 for the SHQ. My university’s journal isn’t ranked), but both are peer reviewed. Is there a significant boost in publishing at the quarterly rather than the journal at my university?
In this case, “peer reviewed” refers to professional historians, not simply having someone/anyone read it and decide. Obviously, the more reputable the journal, as a resource for working historians, the better. And I think you understand that those are the journals most difficult to be published in. In his field of history, DH would contact them, then submit a proposal and wait to hear if they’re interested in the topic and findings, whether it offers insights they’re interested in. Then the submission, a peer review (could be months,) then edits, then some future publication date. And I’m skipping some parts.
Better might be if you had a role at the conference, present a portion. But stil not a hook for HYP. You need a good idea of what they look for, need to work on the ECs (decide if you’re a stem applicant or humanities,) and get some scores in.