Although research is a huge part of academic life for all students, very few undergraduate students get the opportunity to participate in peer-reviewed academic research journals. That’s exactly what makes the University of Guelph-Humber’s new psychology journal, Innovation in Psychology, stand out.
UofGH Psychology instructor Dr. Masood Zangeneh says the new journal, which has just published its inaugural issue, offers a unique opportunity not just for UofGH students, but the global academic community as well.
"Generally peer-reviewed academic journals are open to researchers and academics, usually require PhDs and years of experience writing, and are not open to undergraduate students,” said Dr. Zangeneh, who spent years pursuing the project.
“So I wanted to establish an academic journal targeting undergraduate students, and not limited to the university here, but open to an international audience.”
The first installment spans a wide range of topics within the field of psychology, including social psychology, health psychology, and cultural psychology. Submissions arrived from Israel, the U.S., and other parts of Canada, including from University of Guelph-Humber students.
“An undergraduate student must be part of this process, not as a side participant, but as an active participant,” Dr. Zangeneh said. “The essential part of this is that students are supervised by a professor or a recognized researcher. They don’t do it on their own. And it goes through a regular process of double-blind peer review.”
Throughout the process, undergraduate students benefit from close supervision and collaboration with more seasoned researchers who ensure that the students follow best practices.
“Their supervisors are working very closely with them in making sure they follow appropriate methods, that they don’t bite off more than they can chew, that they follow all ethical guidelines, and that they end up with a quality piece of work,” said Psychology Program Head Dr. David Danto.
Along the way, UofGH students are learning how to prepare manuscripts, how the review process works, and how to revise their work for publication.
“We get them engaged, not just as an audience, but as participants as well,” Dr. Zangeneh said.
“We know for a fact that students who have published have a better chance of getting into grad school. It gives you an opportunity to stand out and be considered first. In academia, publication’s always the gold medal.”
