Submissions

General Submission Guidelines

ReCUR seeks submissions of research and creative activities from students in all fields (some submissions may include faculty advisors, but students must be first authors for publications in the journal). ReCUR welcomes the submission of research articles and notes in engineering, natural science, the humanities, and the social sciences, as well as the submission of poetry and short creative prose, films, visual art, musical compositions, and plays.

Submissions are open to all Michigan State University Honors College students and all University Undergraduate Research & Arts Forum (UURAF) participants. ReCUR is not currently accepting submissions.

Guidelines for specific submissions are included below.
  • Research Article and Research Notes
    Research Articles communicate the results of substantial completed undergraduate research projects. Research articles should be no longer than 4,000 words (not including Cover Page, Acknowledgments, or References) and include no more than four illustrations or figures. The list of references cited is limited to thirty references.

    Research Notes communicate key research findings that in sum do not add up to a full article. Research Notes should be no longer than 1,000 words (not including Cover Page, Acknowledgments, or References) and include no more than one illustration/figure. The list of references cited is limited to fifteen references.

    Both Research Articles and Research Notes submitted to ReCUR should be written to be comprehensible to an educated general audience.

    All manuscripts must be submitted as a Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) document with one-inch margins, pages numbered in the lower right-hand corner of each page, and 12-point font. Additional formatting guidelines appear below. The manuscript file should be uploaded as the "Submission File" in the portal and should be named with the last name of the submitter.

    Submissions should include a separate cover page. This cover page should be uploaded as a "Supplementary File" in the online submission portal. Please name this file "(last name of submitter) coverpage".
  • Film Submission Guidelines
    Submissions in this category include original short films of no more than 30 minutes in duration.

    • Short films should be submitted electronically as MPEG-4 Part 14 (.mp4) files through the online submission portal. Each file should be uploaded as the "Submission File" in the portal and should be named with the last name of the submitter.

    • Titles are limited to 10 words and are entered directly into the online submission portal.

    • Please include a separate cover page, as described in the Cover Page Guidelines above. This cover page should be uploaded as a "Supplementary File" in the online submission portal. Please name this file "(last name of submitter).

    • An optional short description (50 words or less) of the work can also be submitted. This should be entered in the "Abstract" section of the online submission portal. If you do not wish to include a short description, please enter "No Abstract" in the "Abstract" section.

    • A copy of the original screenplay may also be submitted for evaluation by reviewers. The screenplay should be in Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) format, double-spaced with one-inch margins, with pages numbered in the lower right hand corner and use 12 point typeface. This file should be named "(last name of submitter)_screenplay" and should be uploaded as a "Supplementary File" in the online submission portal.

    • References to works cited, if included, should follow the formatting guidelines for research article/research notes submissions.
  • Musical Composition Submission Guidelines
    Submissions in this category include original musical compositions.

    • Each musical score should be submitted for evaluation to the online submission portal in portable document file (.pdf) format. This file should be uploaded as the "Submission File" in the portal and should be named with the last name of the submitter.

    • Titles are limited to 10 words and are entered directly into the online submission portal.

    • Please include a separate cover page, as described in the Cover Page Guidelines above. This cover page should be uploaded as a "Supplementary File" in the online submission portal. Please name this file "(last name of submitter)_coverpage".

    • A sound file of the composition's performance should also be submitted electronically in.mp3. This file should be uploaded as a "Supplementary File" in the online submission portal and named "(last name of submitter)_performance".

    • A short description (50 words or less) of the artwork can also be submitted. This should be entered into the "Abstract" section of the online submission portal. If you do not wish to include a short description, please enter "No Abstract" in the "Abstract" section.

    • References to works cited, if included, should follow the formatting guidelines for research article/research notes submissions.
  • Play Submission Guidelines
    Submissions in this category include original short plays and play excerpts of no more than 30 minutes in duration when performed.

    • Play scripts should be submitted as a Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) file through the online submission portal. This file should be uploaded as the "Submission File" in the portal and should be named with the last name of the submitter.

    • Titles are limited to 10 words and are entered directly into the online submission portal.

    • Please include a separate cover page, as described on the in the Cover Page Guidelines above. This cover page should be uploaded as a "Supplementary File" in the online submission portal. Please entitle this file "(last name of submitter)_coverpage".

    • An optional short description (50 words or less) of the work can also be submitted. This should be entered in the "Abstract" section of the online submission portal. If you do not wish to include a short description, please enter "No Abstract" in the "Abstract" section.
      References to works cited, if included, should follow the formatting guidelines for research article/research notes submissions.

    • References to works cited, if included, should follow the formatting guidelines for research article/research notes submissions.
  • Poetry Submission Guidelines

    Submissions in this category include original poetry.

    • If the submitted work is in a foreign language, an English translation must be included.

    • Poetry is limited to 1,000 words and should be submitted to the online submission portal in Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) format. Unless a specific visual presentation of the poem is desired, then the word document should be double-spaced with one-inch margins, pages numbered in the lower right-hand corner of each page, and use 12-point, Georgia typeface. This file should be uploaded as the "Submission File" in the portal and should be named with the last name of the submitter.

    • Titles are limited to 10 words and are entered directly into the online submission portal.

    • Please include a separate cover page, as described on the in the Cover Page Guidelines above. This cover page should be uploaded as a "Supplementary File" in the online submission portal. Please name this file "(last name of submitter)_coverpage".

    • A short description, explanation or interpretation of the poem can also be submitted. This should be entered into the "Abstract" section of the online submission portal. If you do not wish to include a short description, explanation or interpretation, please enter "No Abstract" in the "Abstract" section.

    • References to works cited, if included, should follow the formatting guidelines for research article/research notes submissions.
    • Please Note: Although authors and poets are welcome to submit more than one piece to ReCUR, only one submission per category will be published in each issue of ReCUR.

  • Creative Prose Submission Guidelines

    Submissions in this category include original creative prose.

    • If the submitted work is in a foreign language, an English translation must be included.

    • Short Creative Prose is limited to 4,000 words and should be submitted to the online submission portal in Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) format. Unless a specific visual presentation of the story is desired, then the word document should be double-spaced with one-inch margins, pages numbered in the lower right-hand corner of each page, and use 12-point, type-face. This file should be uploaded as the "Submission File" in the portal and should be named with the last name of the submitter.

    • Titles are limited to 10 words and are entered directly into the online submission portal.
    • Please include a separate cover page, as described on the in the Cover Page Guidelines above. This cover page should be uploaded as a "Supplementary File" in the online submission portal. Please name this file "(last name of submitter)_coverpage".

    • A short description, explanation or interpretation of the story can also be submitted. This should be entered into the "Abstract" section of the online submission portal. If you do not wish to include a short description, explanation or interpretation, please enter "No Abstract" in the "Abstract" section. 

    • References to works cited, if included, should follow the formatting guidelines for research article/research notes submissions.
    • Please Note: Although authors and poets are welcome to submit more than one piece to ReCUR, only one submission per category will be published in each issue of ReCUR.

  • Visual Arts Submission Guidelines
    Submissions in this category include all forms of original visual art. 

    • A digital image of the artwork should be submitted in CMYK or Grayscale in TIFF (.tiff) or JPEG (.jpg) format. The resolution should be at least 300 dots per inch (dpi) for color images and 600 dpi for Grayscale images. Files that have less than this level of resolution cannot be published. This file should be uploaded as the "Submission File" in the online portal and should be named with the last name of the submitter.

    • Titles are limited to 10 words and are entered directly in to the online submission portal.

    • Please include a separate cover page, as described on the in the Cover Page Guidelines above. This coverpage should be uploaded as a "Supplementary File" in the online submission portal. Please entitle this file "(last name of submitter)_coverpage".

    • A short description (50 words or less) of the artwork can also be submitted. This should be entered into the "Abstract" section of the online submission portal. If you do not wish to include a short description, please enter "No Abstract" in the "Abstract" section.

Section Formatting Guidelines

All section headings, described below, should be in boldface type. Sections should be placed in the order listed. Please follow the specific formatting and content guidelines below for each section of your submission. NOTE: Not all sections will be appropriate for all types of submissions, such as humanities submissions or research notes.


Title

Titles are limited to 10 words and are entered directly into the online submission portal.

Abstract

The abstract is a 100-150 word summary of the research project highlighting the central issues of the research and the primary results. The text of the abstract should also be pasted into the "Abstract" section of the online submission portal.

Introduction

The introduction should accurately provide information on the technical or theoretical background of the research, but must do so in a way that is comprehensible to an educated general and student audience outside of the field of study. The introduction should contain a brief literature review, and describe the specific objectives and potential impact of the research project.

Methods

The methods section should provide a description of the methods used in the research project. This may include information on equipment, experiment or survey design, interview protocols, specific techniques, archival sources, statistical methods, etc. Inclusion of a distinct "Methods" section may not be appropriate for all submissions in this category.

Results

The results section should include a technical description of the outcomes of your research project. This may include a description of results presented in figures and tables but should not extensively duplicate the figure and table legends.

Discussion

The discussion section should include an interpretation of your results in light of your original research project. This may include a reexamination of your original research question (if appropriate) and/or raise possible questions for further study. The section should also address the impact of your actual results within the larger context of your field of study.

Acknowledgments

The acknowledgments should provide a brief but thorough recognition of any funding sources (e.g., Professorial Assistantship, Honors Research Seminar, undergraduate research funding, faculty member grant number) and people who have made scholarly contributions to the work described in the manuscript but are not authors (e.g., someone who taught you a specific technique, someone who provided editorial suggestions for your manuscript).

Endnotes

The author should use the citation style that is most commonly used in the field of study. The MSU Library has several links to online resources regarding citation styles and formatting.

Bibliography or References Cited

The Bibliography or References Cited section should contain a list of all references cited in your manuscript. If you have any questions about formatting references, or do not see a template for the type of source you would like to use, please e-mail the editors at recur@msu.edu.

Tables and Figures

Original tables and figures should contain at least 10-point type-face font. Brief table legend as appropriate, should be found directly below the table. Tables and figures should appear where they belong in the manuscript. Do not wrap text or do other formatting; just drop the tables and figures into the text where they are referenced.

Each figure should include a caption with the figure number followed by a period (e.g., Figure 1). The legend should provide enough information for the interpretation of the figures but should not extensively duplicate the text of the manuscript. If this information is critical for understanding the figure, please refer the reader back to the main document for reference. The figure legend should also include a key to interpreting any data that is not clearly explained within the figure itself. Figure legends count towards the overall word count of the document.

  • Tables and Figures should also be uploaded separately through the online submission portal as "Supplementary Files".

  • Each table and figure should be CMYK in TIFF (.tiff) or JPEG (.jpg) format.

  • The resolution should be at least 300 dots per inch (dpi). Tables and figures of lower resolution will not be published.

  • Each figure uploaded should be named "(last name of submitter)_Fig(X), where X represents the figure number.

  • Only original tables and figures should be included in submissions.
Any questions regarding formatting should be directed to the ReCUR editors at recur@msu.edu. Failure to follow these formatting guidelines may delay publication of your work.