22 3 / 2011
Why you should submit to The Tower
What does undergraduate research mean to you? Undergraduate research should not just be another line on a résumé or another source of income, rather it should give undergraduates experience in experimental-based learning and an in-depth preview of academic research. Becoming involved in undergraduate research clears uncertainties about what you would like to pursue after college—something that I have discovered from personal experience. If you currently research, I encourage you to participate in research conferences to further explore the world of research to determine, or at least narrow down, your possible career directions.
Fortunately, there are many outlets for you to use here at Tech to become well-versed in the world of research. These outlets include the many research conferences, such as Georgia Tech’s Annual Undergraduate Spring Symposium, that go on throughout the year in metro-Atlanta. While presenting posters and oral presentations are important, the students who advance by writing articles about their research truly epitomize the ideals of an undergraduate researcher.
Research articles solidify laboratory knowledge and thus are an indispensable part of an undergraduate researcher’s experience. Writing a concise research article demonstrates a researcher’s thorough understanding of the scientific method—the foundation of all academic research—and how the scientific method is used to discover the secrets of the universe.
The Tower, Georgia Tech’s Undergraduate Research Journal, is a publication peer-reviewed by graduate and undergraduate students. Submitting a research article to The Tower and going through our two-stage review process simulates the peer-review process of academic journals, giving our authors and staff a taste of the publication process in industry and academia.
The Tower accepts four different types of submissions from undergraduate researchers:
- Article — the culmination point of an undergraduate research project; the author addresses a clearly defined research problem
- Dispatch — reports recent progress on a research challenge; narrower in scope
- Perspective — provides personal viewpoints and invites further discussions through literature synthesis and/or logical analysis
- Synopsis articles— brief overview of a published paper of which the undergraduate author is a co-author of the original paper; should highlight the parts the undergraduate researcher focused on
Even if you are in the preliminary stages of data collection, we would nonetheless love to hear about your research goals through a dispatch. If you would like to provide a discussion of previously published articles or provide a review of your field, we invite you to submit a perspective. We also encourage administration, faculty, and graduate students to submit pieces on topics related to undergraduate research, such as their experiences with undergraduate students.
Whatever field your research is in, you have something to contribute to The Tower. Contributing to The Tower not only helps you communicate phenomena, but also allows you to discover if a research career is in your future, whether that be in industry or academia. Keep in mind that the common complaint among employers and graduate/professional school admissions directors is that students who participate in undergraduate research cannot articulate their research well in interviews. By submitting to The Tower, you will demonstrate understanding in your field of study and practice communicating your research to a wide variety of audiences.
We encourage you to read our online journal and visit our website at gttower.org. You can find copies of the current print journal in the Student Center, the library, IBB, ES&T, the CHEM Annex, and all metro-Atlanta GTRI facilities. We are also continuously looking for people to join our staff to assist in production, review, and marketing. If you are interested, visit our website at http://gttower.org/.
Michael Chen
Editor-in-Chief
The Tower Undergraduate Research Journal
