Instruction to Authors

• Before preparing your manuscript, please review our guidelines concerning the acceptable file formats, the word count, and acceptable margins, font style, and font size.

• Before submitting your abstract or full article manuscript, please request a signed letter of support from your principal investigator. The letter of support must confirm that your principal investigator reviewed and approved your submission. The signed letter of support must be attached to the submission email.

• Because we follow a double-blind review guideline, every submission should include both the original manuscript and a blinded manuscript. Details on how to prepare your blinded manuscript can be found on the Double-Blind Peer Review Guidelines page (hyperlink to page).

• We accept submissions only via email at URJ@qcc.cuny.edu

• Work that is plagiarized will not be published.

• The QCC URJ is intended for the publication of:

• First-hand work which was directly performed and analyzed by the author(s).
• Mini review articles that summarize recently published work on a given topic or otherwise makes an original contribution to the literature.
• Technical papers that present new implementations of a program or technique in your field

• All submissions must be made using the .pdf format.
• Normal, 1” margins.
• Times New Roman, size 12 font.
•  Single line spacing.
• Manuscripts should be no more than 6 pages
• Authors preparing their paper with LaTeX should use the qccurj.cls class provided, along with documentation, in this archive.

Citing and referencing common sources using the Vancouver referencing style (more information is available on their site)

Book:

Author AA, Author BB. Title. Publisher; YEAR. # of pages.

Book chapter:

Author AA, Author BB. Title of chapter. In: Editor AA, Editor BB, editors. Title of book. # edition. Place of Publication: Publisher; Year of publication. p. [page numbers of chapter].

Print journal article:

Author AA, Author BB, Author CC, Author DD. Title of article. Abbreviated title of journal. Date of publication YYYY Mon DD; volume number (issue number): page numbers.

Electronic journal article:

Author AA, Author BB. Title of article. Abbreviated title of Journal [Internet]. Date of publication YYYY MM [cited YYYY Mon DD]; volume number (issue number): page numbers. Available from: URL

Abstract only submission guidelines:

• Title: A short and concise title, without any abbreviations or complicated jargon.
• Authors: Must include only your name, followed by your principal investigator's name.
• Affiliations: Your degree/major and your principal investigator's department.
• Abstract: A word count of 500 words or less. Briefly describe your research topic, the objectives of your experiments and a short synopsis of the procedures you performed. Also include your major findings and any limitations. Read: How to write a good abstract for a scientific paper or conference presentation.
• Acknowledgments: Funding source(s) and research program (if applicable).

Natural and Health Sciences

• • Title: A short and concise title, without any abbreviations or complicated jargon.
  • Authors: Your name, followed by anyone else who provided substantial data (use the CRediT method). Lastly, your principal investigator's name.
  • Affiliations: All listed author's degree/major and your principal investigator's department.
  • Abstract: A word count of 200-250 words. Briefly describe your research topic, the objectives of your research and a short synopsis of the procedures you performed. Also include your major findings and any limitations. Your abstract should be written last, as it will summarize and restate your results and discussion sections, and, if applicable, your hypothesis. Read: How to write a good abstract for a scientific paper or conference presentation. Health Sciences, read - Read: It's all about the Bass NO Treble: Writing.
  • Main Text: No more than six (6) pages. Must include Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, and Discussion subheadings in this order.
  • Introduction: Provide a brief review of your general research topic, ending with a tailored description of your specific topic. Use this section to discuss useful terminology, key concepts, and previously published work necessary for a full understanding of your hypothesis and research problem.
  • Materials and Methods: Describe all protocols and procedures used in your research, including a detailed description of how data was collected and analyzed, and any tools or other materials involved.

    Example:

    RNA extraction from sperm cells and RT-PCR. Sperm cells' RNA was isolated and eluted using the QIAGEN-RNeasy Mini Kit. 500 ng of RNA was reverse transcribed using Superscript II RNaseH reverse transcriptase (Invitrogen, Karlsruhe, Germany). 100 ng of abca17 primers (5' -CAGAGTGGCTGTGTTCAGGA forward primer and 5'-CCCCAGACACTGCCTATGTT reverse primer) were used to perform RT-PCR using SYBR Green PCR master mix (Applied Biosystem, Foster City, CA, USA).

  • Results: Organize your data into figures (e.g. graphs, images, etc.) and tables. Present your results in an objective and organized way. Describe any statistical techniques you used and their results (e.g. T-Test, ANOVA, etc.,). Allow your data to speak for itself.
  • Discussion: Discuss and interpret your data. Describe your conclusion and its effects on the previously published works you cited in your introduction. Does it support or refute what was previously published? Analyze and expound on any unexpected data. Lastly, describe the significance of your work and the possibility of your work moving your field forward. Briefly suggest future experiments you plan to perform and their relevance.
  • Figures: Every figure must be labeled, e.g., Figure 1. Every figure caption must begin as a new paragraph with a label, e.g., Figure 1.
  • Tables: Every table must be labeled, e.g., Table 1. Every table caption must begin with a label, e.g., Table 1.

    Example:

    Table 1. Filipin stain of mouse spermatozoa. (+) represents the addition of and (-) represents the absence of substances.

    Type of stain solution	Wild Type Spermatozoa	ABCA17 KO Spermatozoa
    DMSO + Filipin	Stained	Stained
    DMSO - Filipin	No Stain	No Stain

  • Citations: To cite sources within your written text, use in-text citations following the Vancouver style. Assign an Arabic number in round brackets, to each source as they are introduced in your text. Do not use quotation marks.

    Example:

    The presence of several cholesterol transporters throughout the epididymis causes the removal of cholesterol from the sperm plasma membrane during epididymal maturation and transit (1). This flux of cholesterol yields sperm cells with decreasing amounts of cholesterol from caput to cauda epididymis (1). Although the membrane of cauda derived sperm cells remains stable, the efflux experienced during transit prepares the cells to respond to the change in environment upon ejaculation and entry into the female reproductive tract (1, 2).

  • References: No more than one (1) page. Must only include sources cited within your text and must follow the Vancouver style; include a sequentially numbered reference list. Applied Sciences – references must have been published within the last five (5) years.

Example:

• 1. Saez F, Ouvrier A, Drevet JR. Epididymis cholesterol homeostasis and sperm fertilizing ability. Asian J Androl. 2011;13(1):11-7.
  2. Gadella BM, Van Gestel RA. Bicarbonate and its role in mammalian sperm function. Animal reproduction science. 2004;82-83:307-19.
• Acknowledgments: Funding source(s) and research program sponsor (if applicable).

Formal Sciences

• Title: A short and concise title, without any abbreviations or complicated jargon.
• Authors: The names of anyone who provided substantial work. They can be either in the order of involvement in the work or by alphabetical order. Review the CRediT method https://www.casrai.org/credit.html.
• Affiliations: All listed author's degree/major and your principal investigator's department.
• Abstract: A word count of up to 500 words. Briefly describe your research topic, the objectives, and the results obtained. Your abstract should be written last, as it will summarize and restate your results and discussion sections
• Main text: No more than six (6) pages. Includes: Introduction, Definitions (or Notations), Model (if applicable), Proof (if applicable), Experiments (if applicable), Conclusion.
• Introduction: Provide a brief review of your general research topic, ending with a tailored description of your specific topic and the contributions of the paper. Use this section to discuss motivations, useful terminology, key concepts, and previously published work necessary for a full understanding of your research problem.
• Definitions (or Notations): Provide the definition of all symbols and notation that will be used throughout the paper. This part need not be regarding new nor advanced concepts, but merely establishes the language through which they will be expressed. For example: IMAGE
• Model: Provide the formal scope in which the research is conducted. This part introduces new or previously defined but not general-knowledge formalisms. In case-study papers, this part would also contain the very model used in the the study.
• Proof: The main result and its proof. The title of this section should vary to reflect the content of the result or the scheme of the proof.
• Experiments: Describe the context of experiments and the raw results using tables and graphs, as appropriate.
• Conclusion: Summarize your contribution, discuss its limitations and identify future research directions.
• Figures: Every figure must be labeled, e.g., Figure 1. Every figure caption must begin as a new paragraph with a label, e.g., Figure 1.
• Tables: Every table must be labeled, e.g., Table 1. Every table caption must begin with a label, e.g., Table 1.
• Citations: To cite sources within your written text, use in-text citations following the Vancouver style. Assign an Arabic number in square brackets, to each source as they are introduced in your text. Do not use quotation marks. For example:
• References: No more than one (1) page. Must only include sources cited within your text in order of appearance and must follow the Vancouver style; include a sequentially numbered reference list. For example:
• Acknowledgments: Funding source(s) and research program sponsor (if applicable). Can be used to thank colleagues who incidentally participated in the research without contributing significant work (for example, reviewing of a preliminary version, pointing to a reference).

Social Sciences

• Title: A short and concise title, without any abbreviations or complicated jargon.
• Authors: Your name, followed by anyone else who provided substantial data (use the CRediT method). Lastly, your principal investigator's name.
• Affiliations: All listed author's degree/major and your principal investigator's department.
• Abstract: 200-250 words. Briefly describe your research topic, the objectives of your research and a short synopsis of the procedures you performed. Also include your major findings and any limitations. Your abstract should be written last, as it will summarize and restate your results and discussion sections, and, if applicable, your hypothesis. Read: How to write a good abstract for a scientific paper or conference presentation.
• Main Text: Articles should be no more than six (6) pages, and should begin with an Introduction section and end with a Discussion or Conclusion Reports of original empirical research should include Methods and Results sections (see below). Other types of articles should include sections as appropriate to the nature of their inquiry or argument.
  1. Introduction: Provide a brief review of your general research topic, ending with a tailored description of your specific topic. Use this section to discuss useful terminology, key concepts, and previously published work necessary for a full understanding of your hypothesis and research problem.
  2. Materials and Methods: Describe all protocols and procedures used in your research, including a detailed description of how data was collected and analyzed, and any tools or other materials involved. Your description should be as concrete as possible (e.g., verbatim transcripts of survey items, interview questions, and other experimental procedures). Articles that analyze preexisting data should clearly and comprehensively describe the reported data and its origin, and include a rationale to justify its inclusion and relevance.
  3. Results: Organize data into figures (e.g. graphs, images, etc.) and tables. Present your results in an objective and organized way. Describe any statistical techniques you used and their results (e.g. T-Test, ANOVA, etc.,). Allow your data to speak for itself.
  4. Discussion: Discuss and interpret your data. Describe your conclusion and its effects on the previously published works you cited in your introduction. Does it support or refute what was previously published? Analyze and expound on any unexpected data. Lastly, describe the significance of your work and the possibility of your work moving your field forward. Briefly suggest future experiments you plan to perform and their relevance.
• Figures (graphs, diagrams or pictures): Every figure must be numbered, e.g., Figure 1, and may be titled with a short description. The figure number and title/description should be below the figure, as shown in the example below.
• Tables: Every table must be given a number (e.g., Table 1) and title (Sample Table) in the format shown below.

  Table 1 Sample Table
  Type	Score	Duration
  Blue	19	15
  Purple	47	8

• Citations: To cite sources within your written text, use in-text citations following the Vancouver style. Assign an Arabic number in round brackets, to each source as they are introduced in your text.
  • Direct quotations should be used only when another author's specific wording is directly relevant.
    • Short quotations should be enclosed within quotation marks, and indicate the source with a superscript and page number within parentheses, e.g., “this is a sample quote”^1(p361)
    • Quotations longer than four lines should be indented half an inch, in smaller type, and without quotations marks. Indicate the source with a superscript and page number within parentheses, for example:

  Life, as we find it, is too hard for us; it brings us too many pains, disappointments and impossible tasks. In order to bear it we cannot dispense with palliative measures... There are perhaps three such measures: powerful deflections, which cause us to make light of our misery; substitutive satisfactions, which diminish it; and intoxicating substances, which make us insensible to it. ^1(p23)

• References: No more than one (1) page. Must only include sources cited within your text and must follow the Vancouver style; include a sequentially numbered reference list.

  Example:

  1. Freud S. Civilization and its discontents. WW Norton & Company; 1989. 250 p.
  2. Lareau A. Unequal childhoods: Class, race, and family life. Univ of California Press; 2011. 451 p.
  3. Lewin K. The conflict between Aristotelian and Galileian modes of thought in contemporary psychology. The Journal of general psychology. 1931 Apr 1;5(2):141-77.

  Citing and referencing common sources using the Vancouver referencing style:

  Book:

  Author AA, Author BB. Title. Publisher; YEAR. # of pages.

  Book chapter:

  Author AA, Author BB. Title of chapter. In: Editor AA, Editor BB, editors. Title of book. # edition. Place of Publication: Publisher; Year of publication. p. [page numbers of chapter].

  Print journal article:

  Author AA, Author BB, Author CC, Author DD. Title of article. Abbreviated title of journal. Date of publication YYYY Mon DD; volume number (issue number): page numbers.

  Electronic journal article:

  Author AA, Author BB. Title of article. Abbreviated title of Journal [Internet]. Date of publication YYYY MM [cited YYYY Mon DD]; volume number (issue number): page numbers. Available from: URL

• Acknowledgments: Identify any funding source(s) and research program sponsor (if applicable).

Humanities

• Title: A short and concise title, without any abbreviations or complicated jargon.
• Authors: Your name, followed by anyone else who provided substantial data (use the CRediT method https://www.casrai.org/credit.html). Lastly, your principal investigator's name.
• Affiliations: All listed author's degree/major and your principal investigator's department.
• Abstract: A word count of 200-250 words. Briefly describe your research topic, the objectives of your research and a short synopsis of the procedures you performed. Also include your major findings and any limitations. Your abstract should be written last, as it will summarize and restate your results and discussion sections, and, if applicable, your hypothesis.
• Main Text: No more than six (6) pages. Work that demonstrates egregious signs of poor quality (e.g. evidence of extreme carelessness in preparation) cannot be sent for review.
• Introduction: An introduction often makes the arguments and structure of article clear up front.
• Methods: The body of the article often begins by explaining the methodologies and methods used to generate the raw data that will be interpreted by the author in the empirical core of the article.
• Empirical Core: The empirical core of the article often synthesizes, analyzes, and/or interprets the raw data that has been generated by the researcher.
• Conclusion: A conclusion often spells out the implications and, in some cases, offers future directions for the research at hand.
• Citations: To cite sources within your written text, use in-text citations following the Vancouver style. Assign an Arabic number in round brackets, to each source as they are introduced in your text. Do not use quotation marks.
• References: No more than one (1) page. Must only include sources cited within your text and must follow the Vancouver style; include a sequentially numbered reference list.
• Acknowledgments: Funding source(s) and research program sponsor (if applicable). Can be used to thank colleagues who incidentally participated in the research without contributing significant work (for example, reviewing of a preliminary version, pointing to a reference).

Mini-review article submission guidelines: All Disciplines

• Title: A short and concise title, without any abbreviations or complicated jargon.
• Authors: Your name, followed by anyone else who provided substantial data (use the CRediT method). Lastly, your principal investigator's name.
• Affiliations: All listed author's degree/major and your principal investigator's department.
• Abstract: A word count of 150-200 words. Briefly describe your review topic, and purpose of the article.
• Key words: A list of four to six (4-6) words representing the main content of the review article.
• Main Text: No more than five (5) pages. Can be subdivided with short headings.
• References: No more than 15 references.

After manuscript submission

• Following receipt of a submitted manuscript, the subject editor will assess the manuscript's completeness and fit for the QCC URJ, and screen for plagiarism. Based on this initial assessment, the subject editor will reject or request substantial changes, or assign the manuscript to at least two independent reviewers for peer review.
• The subject editor will ensure the review process is double blind and timely, and will issue a recommendation to accept or reject within 2-4 weeks.
• Students will be emailed the subject editor's final decision and if necessary, will be given up to 4 weeks to either comply with or explain why they disagree with the reviewer's comments.
• Students will email their revised manuscripts in both PDF and original file format (e.g., .docx or .tex) to the subject editor who will further ensure that the quality of the manuscript is up to the level of national refereed (peer-reviewed) journal's standards.
• Once a finalized manuscript is accepted for publication, the editor-in-chief or the coeditor in chief will finalize and produce the completed issue for publication.