This is a great starting point for getting involved in research. Students will assist a faculty member on one of their current research projects. This is a great opportunity to learn more about research, assist leading scholars in social work research with a wide array of tasks, and gain valuable experience in preparation for future careers and graduate school.

Interested in SOCW 310? What’s next?

• Contact School of Social Work faculty: Browse faculty bios and research areas and check out Illinois Experts
• Talk with fellow BSW, MSW, and PhD students
• Read the BSW e-Newsletter: some faculty will advertise openings or opportunities through the newsletter
• Email Undergraduate Research Program Coordinator, Professor Rachel Garthe, for more information.

After assisting with research, students may want to continue to hone their skills as researchers. There are two additional course options for these students (SOCW 418 and SOCW 480). Both require a faculty mentor and School approval. Contact Dr. Garthe for more information.

If you have written a research piece, policy analysis, literature review, poster presentation, or creative piece (e.g., multimedia presentation, artistic expression), and would like to publish this work in a peer-reviewed journal, consider the Journal of Undergraduate Social Work Research.

The Journal of Undergraduate Social Work Research (JUSWR) is the University of Illinois School of Social Work journal that showcases peer-reviewed undergraduate research and creative pieces from social work and related disciplines. JUSWR is an annual publication that provides a comprehensive forum for discourse on research and other forms of original work relevant to social work and current social issues. JUSWR welcomes submissions throughout the year. Send submissions to our senior editor, Rebecca Hawley, rhawley@illinois.edu 

Submission deadline for the Fall 2025 Volume 9 is Monday, May 26, 2025

Submissions considered for publication include the following:

• Original research articles
• Policy Analysis
• Literature reviews
• Poster presentations
• Creative pieces (artistic expression or multimedia presentations)
• Materials developed for Social Work or other social science classes this academic year or in the previous academic year will also be considered.

Submission Procedure:

Prepare submission files according to the submission guidelines below:

• Email all submission files (including any supplementary materials to JUSWR) rhawley@illinois.edu

• The email subject header should be in the following format:
  JUSWR Submission Spring 2025 for (Insert your last name here).
• Primary author must be a University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign undergraduate at the time of authorship.
• Submitted project concerns original research or original work.
• Submitted work cannot be published or undergoing review in another undergraduate research journal.
• Primary author must be willing to work with JUSWR editors in revising the selected or seriously considered for publication submission.
• Upon selection of a submission, author(s) must consent to journal publication.

Submission Preparation and Formatting:

• Submission must not exceed 15 pages, including all figures/tables and references. Please prepare a Supplementary Materials document containing additional accompanying text, figures and tables if additional space is needed.
• Submission text should be double-spaced with 12-point font and standard margins.
• Written works should be submitted in a Microsoft Word document.
• Writing should be clear, logical and free from typographical or grammatical errors.
• If submitting a creative piece, submissions should include a reflection or summary statement to accompany the piece.
• For all submission types: Include a 150-200 word, non-technical summary or abstract for the summary page and three to five keywords.
• Also, submit a brief author’s biography, stating the names of all authors, year in school, majors/minors, research interests and preferred pronouns.

Structure and Style:

• Written works should use APA style.
• Depending on the nature of the submission, articles should use the following headings: Abstract, Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, References, and Figures/Tables.
• Supplementary Materials may be submitted.

Figures and Tables:

• Figures should be included at the end of the main text or in the Supplementary Information document as needed.
• All figures must be appropriately referenced and include legends in text format.
• Tables should be submitted in text format.
• For plots and graphs, axes should be clearly marked and legible. Figures should be clearly labeled if applicable.
• If a manuscript is selected or seriously considered for publication, the editorial staff will request high-resolution figures.

References:

• Citations should be parenthetical (Author, Year) and embedded within the main text.
• References should be formatted as follows: Authors (Year). Title. Journal/Book. Volume, Page Numbers.
• Example:
  • Noctor, S. C., Martinez-Cerdeno, V., Ivic, L., and Kreigstein, A. R. (2004). Cortical neurons arise in symmetric and asymmetric division zones and migrate through specific phases. Nature Neuroscience, 7, 136-144.

 

Rights for authors including copyright statement: Submitted works must have not been submitted elsewhere, are not currently under review elsewhere, and have been submitted with full knowledge of faculty and research team collaborators. Any submissions that do not meet originality requirements will be rejected without peer-review. All submissions will be reviewed based on intellectual content without regard for age, gender, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, country of origin, or political philosophy of the authors. All works submitted for peer-review are kept strictly confidential by editors and reviewers. At no time will editors or reviewers utilize submitted materials without the consent of the authors. The purpose of the JUSWR is to encourage undergraduate research and creative pursuits and not to hinder the authors’ ability to publish their work in other relevant journals. After publication in JUSWR, the author reserves the right to present any part of their research or work in any form in other publications or proceedings. JUSWR reserves the right to reproduce and reprint any materials published for instructional and promotional purposes. By submitting any material to JUSWR, you agree that your work is original, unless otherwise specifically acknowledged.