The following is an outline of the Submission Review Process.
Please note that all time estimates given are
estimates and will vary with the volume of
papers being reviewed or the demands of the publication preparation process.
If your paper is accepted by the Editorial Board and moves on to the referee
phase, please remember that professors work on geological time scales.
Receipt of Paper: You should receive a confirmation email stating that
The Pittsburgh Undergraduate Review has
received your submission within 1 week of submitting it; if you do not recieve such notification, please
email us.
Distribution by Editorial Board: Your paper will be put in line behind all
previously submitted papers. Once every paper before yours has been
reviewed, your paper will be distributed to our editorial board for review.
Review by Editorial Board: One week after receiving your paper, the
editorial board will convene to discuss its fate. After heated discussion
a decision will be made. If the editorial board rejects your paper you
should receive a rejection letter in the next couple days.
If the editorial board accepts your paper, it moves on to Stage 4.
Referee Review: Selected editors will now find two professors with
knowledge related to your paper and request that they review your paper.
This process takes a long time.
Referee Decision/Dialogue: The referees will either Accept, Accept with
Revision, or Reject your paper for publication using much of the same criteria
used in the initial editorial review but with a special focus on the
contribution that your paper makes to its field and the depth of your
research. If your paper is rejected, a rejection letter will be sent
within two weeks of the decision being reported to the editorial board.
If your paper is Accepted with Revision, the comments of both professors will be
forwarded to you. At this point it is your responsibility to make the
changes necessary for publication. Once these changes are made, the
referees will review the paper again, and decide whether or not the changes are
sufficient. This process of revision and review may happen multiple times.
If your paper has been accepted without revision, or all sufficient revisions
have been made, your paper will be published. At this point the editors
may contact you for additional information or questions.
The Edythe Portz Prize: In each issue, the paper that best exemplifies the
ideals of the PUR is awarded the Edythe Portz Prize of $250 (Note: this prize
also comes with lifetime bragging rights and the invaluable respect of the
wonderful people on the Editorial Board).
Copyright 2009 Pittsburgh Undergraduate Review. Designed by: Nedim Slijepcevic
