Submission and publication are on a rolling basis. Once a post successfully goes through the editing processes it will be published online.

How do I submit a post?

Post must be submitted at www.sciencebuzz.com/submit-a-paper. This can also be found at the top of the menu bar.

“Post title” refers to the main title of your research, work, or article. Subtitle is optional. Insert your text into the space provided. All images must be in JPEG or PNG file. The maximum post length (excluding the title page, references, figures and figure captions) is 5,000 words or 10 pages (size 12 font, Times New Roman, 1 line spacing, 1 inch margins).

You must add a featured image which will appear on the site as the main image for your research or article. This should be a personal or royalty-free image. If editors find that it is not, we will insert a replacement picture until you upload a new one.

You must also include the date that you wrote the research paper or article and the grade at the top of the post text. Label with “Date of Research.” The date which will appear throughout the site will be the upload date.

Under categories:

• If your work is a research paper, choose the one that best fits your work.
• If your work is a news article or review, choose the category “Science in the News.”
• If your work is an abstract or quick read, choose the category “Short Summary”.

The “post excerpt” refers to a two to three sentence description or summary of the article. If you choose to not fill in this box, the reviewers and editors will choose what to write.

You must create a profile in order to submit. Any student or faculty that helped in your work must be listed in the article under Acknowledgements.

Why are citations important, and what constitutes plagiarism?

Often, scientists cite research that is published in scientific journals. Given the complexity of these journals and their lack of public availability, we encourage students to also cite textbooks, encyclopedias, and science magazines. All internet sources will be assessed by the reviewers.

It is important that authors cite all information obtained from their sources. However, it is unacceptable to use sentences and paragraphs verbatim from a source, unless it is in quotations and properly cited. Any post that has plagiarized material will be sent back to the author for revisions.

What makes a project appropriate for ScienceBuzz?

That’s the benefit of ScienceBuzz. We do not look for just one type of project or article. We want you to submit anything that you want. If you’d like to write a review of recent advancements in science, you are free to do so as long as you categorize it as Science in the News. For example, if you want to submit work you did three years ago or whenever, you are allowed to do so. Write the grade you were in when you did the research.

Our only rule is if you want more readers to visit your article, make it interesting!

All work with human subjects and/or vertebrate animals must adhere to International Rules for Precollege Science Research. All uncited data published in ScienceBuzz must not be published in any other academic journal to avoid any legal issues. If the work is already published, please cite the journal.

If I’m doing research, what should I submit?

The post must contain:

Title
Summary
Introduction
Results
Data figures
Discussion
Materials and Methods
References

Title

The title page should include a title which succinctly describes the content of the post.  

Summary (Abstract)

An abstract should be a short (under 250 words) summary of the scientific question, major results, and conclusions.

Introduction

The article must provide an appropriate and sufficient background on the subject matter and must include references. The introduction provides context for the post. The introduction should:

• briefly describe the overarching scientific topic of the paper
• provide background information on that scientific question (including references) such that the audience understands the question being asked and why this question is of interest

Results

The authors must describe how they test the scientific question with well-designed scientific experiments. It is important to discuss experimental controls and statistical analysis when appropriate. It is also important to draw appropriate and reasonable conclusions from their experimental data. For each experiment, the authors should:

• describe the rationale for the experiment
• briefly explain how the experiment was performed
• interpret the scientific data, referencing the figures that contain the results (graphs, charts, tables, equations, etc).

Discussion

In the discussion section, the authors should discuss the results and their interpretation of the results. It is important that the authors draw appropriate and reasonable conclusions from their scientific data. The authors should:

• summarize the experimental results and draw conclusions from the experimental data
• discuss factors that could have influenced the results, such as sources of error or bias in interpretation
• address the significance of the results
• discuss remaining scientific questions and/or potential future experiments.

Materials and Methods

The authors should describe the methods in enough detail. Materials should not be listed out, but should be mentioned within the context of the respective experiment that the materials were used.  

References

Citations should be in the appropriate MLA or APA format at the end of the post (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/07/).  An example of a journal citation is as follows:  Author(s). “Title of Article.” Title of Journal.  Volume. Issue (Year): pages. Medium of publication.

Acknowledgments

This is a section to acknowledge people who have made minor contributions to the post, if any.  For example, people who have read and commented on your research before submission should be acknowledged.  This is also the section to state your funding sources (if any). Mentors, teachers, or research assistants should all be acknowledged and their roles should be described.

Figures

Data must be presented in individually numbered figures that contain a descriptive caption.  Each figure should be an individual JPEG or PNG file. To convert an Excel graph, table or chart into a JPEG or PNG, the easiest option is to “right click” on the graph, chart, or table and click “save as picture”.  Alternatively you can “copy” the graph, chart or table and “paste” it into Preview or an Adobe application such as Photoshop.

If I’m doing a Science in the News article, what should I submit?

The short answer: Anything! We want you to write anything about science. If you’ve seen a cool science news article online, summarize or write a review about it. For example, if you’re  knowledgeable about cancer research, write an article detailing current and future methods of treatment. Everything posted will be checked for plagiarism and accuracy by the Editorial Board.

When submitting the post, the first line should be where you adapted your article from. If you had researched one or several articles/news sites while writing, write: “Adapted From: (1) … , (2) …”

What does the editing process look like?

Once you submit the post, the Editorial Board will review the paper and ensure accuracy of information. There are no criteria in terms of research level, sophistication, or societal impact. All posts are accepted if it does not have exaggerated or impractical claims, contains no plagiarism, and has proper use of citations. Therefore, your post will most likely be published on the site within one to two weeks.

What happens when my publication goes online?

When your post goes live, you will receive a notification in your email and on your profile page. Once it’s published, you retain all rights to the post. All content on ScienceBuzz automatically receives copyright protection. You also can regularly update the article or delete it if need be.  

How do I connect with others, join the site, or develop my profile?

All of these answers can easily be found on the What We Do page (www.sciencebuzz.com/what-we-do). If you have further questions or comments on this, please contact us. 

How do I contact ScienceBuzz or the Editorial Board?

There are several ways to get in touch with us. You can subscribe to our mailing list to get weekly updates and new, exciting information. You can contact us directly at contact@sciencebuzz.com or ask questions to the Editorial Board by visiting www.sciencebuzz.com/contact-us and fill out the required fields.