Submission Guidelines
NexGen Journal publishes original research and literature reviews written by high school students across the sciences, social sciences, and humanities. These guidelines explain what we accept, how to prepare your manuscript, and how the review process works. Please read them in full before you submit.
Research and review articles
Research Article
High school students and their mentors from any country may submit advanced research for consideration. Research articles must present original research and new data generated by the authors. Students who have earned recognition at regional, national, or international science fairs are especially encouraged to develop their work for publication. Authors must confirm that the work has not been published elsewhere and must explain clearly how it contributes to existing research in the field.
Review Article
A review article, also called a literature review, critically examines previously published research on a focused topic and does not present new experimental results. A strong review evaluates existing studies, identifies similarities, differences, and contradictions in the literature, and highlights unanswered questions or areas for future research. Authors should define a manageable scope, read the relevant scholarly literature, and develop an independent synthesis of the evidence. NexGen Journal accepts only a small number of in-depth review articles per issue, so the selection process is highly competitive.
Fields we cover
NexGen Journal welcomes multidisciplinary work. Choose the field that most closely matches the primary focus of your research. If a submission is not a good fit for the field you select, the editors may reassign it to the most appropriate area.
- Sciences & Engineering. Computer science and AI, biology, chemistry, physics, engineering, environmental science, health sciences, and related fields.
- Social Sciences. Psychology, economics, sociology, political science, education, business, and related fields.
- Humanities. History, literature, philosophy, cultural studies, and related fields.
Preparing your manuscript
- Use a template: Prepare your manuscript using the appropriate NexGen template, either the Research Article template or the Review Article template.
- File Format: Submit a single Microsoft Word (.docx) file. Only the manuscript is uploaded through the submission form.
- Blind your manuscript: Remove all author, school, and mentor names from the manuscript so it can be reviewed anonymously. Your details are collected separately in the submission form.
- File Name: Name your file using the first three words of your paper title, separated by underscores. For example, a paper titled "Interactive Figure-Text Integration at Document Scale" would be named Interactive_Figure_Text.docx.
- Length: Original research papers should be two to three pages; review articles should be four to five pages. Page limits do not include figures or references.
- Abstract: 150 to 250 words summarizing the research question, approach or methodology, key findings, and conclusion.
- References: Use a numbered bracketed citation style, consistent with IEEE, applied throughout.
- Figures & Tables: Include figures and tables within the manuscript, numbered, captioned, and referenced in the text.
Students are strongly encouraged to read a reputable scientific writing guide while preparing their manuscripts.
Who counts as an author
Decide authorship before you submit. Any student or adult who contributed to the research design, the research work, the data analysis, or the manuscript preparation should be listed as an author. Student authors should be listed first and identified as students. An adult supervisor, teacher, or mentor should be listed only if they played a vital role, and they must be identified as a supervisor, teacher, or mentor rather than as an author. Contributions that were helpful but not central should be noted in an acknowledgments section. Once an article is accepted, the authorship list and order cannot be changed. The corresponding author is responsible for all communication with the editors.
Use of generative AI
Generative AI tools may be used only in limited supporting roles. They may not replace the student’s original research, analysis, interpretation, or writing. When AI is used in a way that requires disclosure, authors must keep a log of their prompts and must clearly disclose and cite the AI-assisted content. This policy follows the Society for Science and Regeneron ISEF guidance on generative AI use. AI tools may not be listed as authors. If you use AI in any part of your paper, disclose it in the acknowledgments and describe it in the methods, including the tool, its version, and the full prompts used. Undisclosed or uncited AI use may be redacted from a published article.
Allowed uses
- Using AI to identify or summarize key points in a source before you read the original source.
- Using AI to help generate or develop ideas, while keeping a log of your prompts, since disclosure or citation may be required.
- Requesting grammar and syntax suggestions after you have written the text yourself, as long as AI does not add, remove, or alter your main ideas.
- Using AI to generate initial code, as long as the AI-generated portions are clearly identified and cited and a prompt log is kept.
- Creating a flowchart, graphic, or image, as long as it is clearly labeled as AI-generated and its creation is properly cited.
- Using AI to identify possible statistical tests or software tools, while you independently select the final method and interpret the data.
- Using AI to correct the structure or formatting of a bibliography, while you independently verify every citation.
Not allowed
- Including an AI-generated summary of a source without personally reading and evaluating the original source.
- Using AI to write the initial research plan, abstract, manuscript, poster, or any section of these materials.
- Submitting AI-generated text or analysis as your own work.
- Asking AI to add arguments, evidence, interpretations, or other substantive points to a manuscript.
- Using AI to generate conclusions, recommendations, future research directions, or interpretations of results.
- Using AI to collect or fabricate research data.
- Using AI-generated citations to support claims without locating, reading, and verifying the original sources.
- Using AI to generate a starter bibliography.
Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, citations, and academic integrity of all submitted work. Undisclosed or unauthorized use of generative AI may result in rejection or retraction.
How to submit
Prepare
Write your manuscript using the appropriate NexGen template, and remove all author, school, and mentor names so it can be reviewed anonymously.
Editorial Review
Our editorial board considers each submission for fit, quality, and readiness for peer review.
Peer Review
Promising manuscripts advance to peer review by experienced academic reviewers with relevant subject expertise.
Revise
Authors may be invited to revise their manuscripts based on reviewer feedback.
Decision
Authors receive an editorial decision following the review process.
Publication fee
Submitting to NexGen Journal is free. A publication fee of $250 is requested only after an article has been accepted for publication. This fee helps cover the real costs of publishing, such as registering an ISSN, assigning a permanent DOI, and hosting the article so it stays online and citable.
Review and publication timeline
After you submit, the editors first check your manuscript for formatting, citations, plagiarism, and generative AI use. If the work is scientifically sound and suitable, it is sent to two or more outside reviewers with expertise in the field. Reviewers may request revisions before publication, or a manuscript may be declined. Once revisions are complete and the article is fully accepted, it moves into copy editing and production, and you will have a chance to review the final version before it is published. The full process can take several months, depending on how many revisions are needed and how quickly authors respond.
Common reasons for rejection
- Lack of originality or significant scientific contribution.
- Lack of in-depth analysis of the topic, for review articles.
- Plagiarism or excessive similarity to existing work.
- Fabricated, falsified, or manipulated data.
- Serious ethical concerns.
- Inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable references.
- Failure to disclose AI-generated content or AI-assisted figures when required.
- Writing or organization that prevents meaningful review.
- Research methods that cannot be evaluated or reproduced.
- Conclusions that are not supported by the data presented.
- Failure to follow the journal’s formatting or submission guidelines.
Ready to submit?
Complete our online submission form to submit your manuscript. For questions, see the FAQ or email submissions@nexgenjournal.org.
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