This week’s instalment of the A-Z of BILT blog series is contributed by the (fittingly-named!) Jay Liu, our BILT Student Fellow heading up this year’s Student Research Journal.
It has been about two months since we began preparing the Student Research Journal (SRJ) for this academic year (2024-2025, sixth edition). As the Editor-in-Chief, I am pleased to share what we have accomplished and what you can expect from this year’s SRJ.
I was the subject editor for Economics in the fifth SRJ (2023-2024), and the experience was incredibly rewarding. I learned a lot from our deputy subject editor, Karina Safarova, and all the peer reviewers. While reading the economic papers submitted by authors, I was impressed by their critical thinking, precise analysis, and detailed documentation. These fantastic experiences motivated me to apply for the role of Editor-in-Chief of the sixth SRJ. I still remember my online interview with Amy, Caroline, and Julian —I was at the hospital! I’m not sure how many people have done interviews from a hospital, but it was a first for me, and I will never forget it.
Luckily, I got the role! So far, working on the journal has been an absolute pleasure. I enjoy working in our wonderful office, surrounded by the fantastic team at the BILT. Thanks to the unwavering support from Amy and Caroline, we managed to start the project earlier than in previous years, giving us more time to recruit editorial board members and accept additional abstracts. This also means that student authors and peer reviewers will have more time to work together to revise and finalize the outstanding papers.
As a social sciences researcher (finance, specifically), focusing on practical problem-solving for the future, I highly value interdisciplinary research. I believe it plays a crucial role in enhancing social welfare, not only for humanity but beyond. Therefore, in this year’s SRJ, I proposed introducing a new section: Special Section: Interdisciplinary Research for the Future. This section welcomes research on topics like Artificial Intelligence, Climate Change, One Health, Geopolitics, and other global concerns. It aims to foster greater interdisciplinary collaboration across the university and offer all University of Bristol students the chance to propose solutions that could shape the future. We also expanded the range of subjects in the journal so that more students from different programs can get involved and contribute.
Subjects Included in the SRJ:
- Special Section: Interdisciplinary Research for the Future
- Biology
- Business Studies (Management, Accounting, Finance, etc.)
- Chemistry and Medicine (Chemistry, Medicine, Dental Studies, Biomedical Sciences, etc.)
- Economics (Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, Econometrics, Labor Economics, etc.)
- EMT (Engineering, Mathematics, and Technology)
- History and Humanities (Classics and Ancient History, History of Art, other historical studies, English, Literature, etc.)
- Law
- Philosophy and Theology
- Politics and Sociology (Policy studies, politics, sociology, etc.)
This year, we have decided to encourage postgraduate research (PGR) students to join us as editorial board members, contributing their advanced academic research skills. All undergraduate (UG), postgraduate taught (PGT), and PGR students can get involved by applying for roles on the editorial board, including Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Copy Editor, Subject Editor, Deputy Subject Editor, and Peer Reviewer. By introducing roles such as Deputy Editor-in-Chief and Copy Editor, we are enhancing the journal with critical insights from diverse perspectives.
What can students gain from joining the Editorial Board?
- Develop editorial skills and gain experience as part of an editorial team
- Acquire knowledge of the scholarly publication process
- Build skills in leadership, collaboration, analysis, teamwork, and problem-solving
- Gain valuable experience for careers in academia, publishing, journalism, or editorial work
- Become a more confident researcher and decision-maker
- Contribute to shaping important debates in your field
- For undergraduates, gain insights into pursuing a postgraduate degree
All UG, PGT, and 2024 graduates are encouraged to submit their papers to the most fitting subjects in the journal, sharing their research papers or dissertation projects.
What can students gain from submitting their papers?
- Help shape academic discourse, inform industry practices, and inspire future research
- Enhance academic and professional reputation by showcasing work to peers, professors, and industry professionals
- Receive valuable feedback from reviewers and the academic community, which helps refine research and gain new insights
- Engage with other researchers, expanding academic and professional networks and opening possibilities for future collaborations
- Experience a sense of accomplishment that validates the hard work invested in the research process, motivating further academic endeavors!
We also plan to introduce the DOI (Digital Object Identifier) system for every accepted paper in the SRJ, which will provide each paper with a unique identification code, bringing us closer to a professional peer-reviewed academic journal. We aim to deliver the full journal (online) and the magazine version (both online and printed) in June 2025. If you’re interested, you can view past editions on our website by clicking here.
Although applications for Editorial Board positions closed on November 12, 2024, abstract submissions are still open. If you are interested in publishing your academic papers, please follow the link for more detailed instructions on Abstract Submission. We look forward to reading your papers!
