About the Journal

Channel Islands Currents: Undergraduate Research Journal (CI Currents) is a peer-reviewed interdisciplinary journal dedicated to highlighting the best undergraduate research conducted at California State University, Channel Islands (CSUCI). What makes this undergraduate journal unique is that it welcomes written manuscripts and multimodal submissions, including research posters and recorded presentations. This journal is a platform for current and recently graduated undergraduate students to share their research projects and experiences and to contribute to the academic community.

It is jointly sponsored by the Writing & Multiliteracy Center and Student Research and primarily funded through the Instructionally Related Activities (IRA) Grant.

Mission Statement

CI Currents is dedicated to fostering academic excellence and intellectual curiosity across all disciplines (sciences, social sciences, humanities, business, and education). Working with faculty mentors on campus, we aim to celebrate the diversity of thought and innovation inherent in undergraduate research and communicated in the various modalities and media.  We are committed to:

1. Encouraging rigorous academic research and critical thinking among undergraduates.
2. Providing students with the opportunity to experience the peer-review process and gain recognition for their scholarly contributions.
3. Promoting interdisciplinary dialogue and collaboration by featuring a wide range of research topics and methodologies.
4. Supporting the professional development of students by enhancing their research, writing, and presentation skills.
5. Building a vibrant academic community that values and respects diverse perspectives and approaches to knowledge.

Value to Undergraduate Researchers

Publishing in an undergraduate research journal offers numerous benefits, including:

• Professional Development: Gain valuable experience in academic writing and the peer-review publication process, which is beneficial for graduate school applications and future employment.
• Research Impact: Share their research with a broader audience, demonstrating the significance and academic contributions of the research work conducted independently or with a faculty mentor.
• Feedback and Growth: Receive constructive feedback from both student editors and faculty reviewers, enhancing the quality of their research and presentation skills.
• Resume/CV Enhancement: Highlight their published work as a significant academic achievement.

Who Can Submit

Current CSUCI undergraduates or alumni within 1 year of graduating with their undergraduate degree.

Types of Submissions Accepted

CI Currents welcomes submissions from across all disciplines, written and multimodal. To be impactful, submissions should provide relevant context and background to demonstrate significance of the work to a general academic audience, which may include administrators, faculty, and students from various disciplines. We are interested in research that addresses timely and significant topics and have been conducted at CSUCI with or without a faculty mentor. In addition, we publish both completed projects and works in progress. Submissions cannot be previously published (work published in CI Currents may be re-published later provided CI Currents is properly cited and in accordance with the publications guidelines). The following types of submissions are accepted:

SURF Research. For submission based on SURF research, please include the following:

• Research Poster: Visual presentations summarizing your research findings.
• Recorded Presentation: A 3-minute video explaining your research and its significance to a general audience.
• Abstract: 1-paragraph summary of your research.

CSU Student Research Competition

Undergraduate research abstracts accepted into CSU Student Research Competition are automatically accepted provided CI Currents guidelines are met and revisions from the peer review process are implemented.

Authors may revise or submit their submissions required for the CSU Student Research Competition.  These submissions include:

• Abstract: Include the 2-page abstract of the research submitted for the CSU Student Research Competition.
• Recorded Presentation: A 3-minute video explaining your research and its significance.

Capstone Research. Authors can submit their capstone research. There is a limit of 10 pages for capstone research. Authors may submit excerpts or shortened versions of the research to accommodate the page limit. Page limits do not include the reference list. We recommend that the faculty who advised the capstone research be the faculty sponsor. Contact CI Currents if the faculty who advised the capstone research cannot serve as faculty sponsor. See below for more details on faculty sponsor and CI Currents contact information.

• Capstone Research: If written, not exceeding 10 pages. Students may also submit image, audio, or video files of their research.
• Abstract: Include a 1-paragraph abstract of the capstone research.

Class Assignments. Authors can submit research conducted as a class assignment. There is a limit of 10 pages for class assignment research. Authors may submit excerpts or shortened versions of the research to accommodate the page limit. Page limits do not include the reference list. We recommend that the faculty who taught the class be the faculty sponsor. Contact CI Currents if the faculty who taught the class cannot serve as faculty sponsor. See below for more details on faculty sponsor and CI Currents contact information.

• Class assignment: If written, not exceeding 10 pages. Students may also submit image, audio, or video files of their research.
• Abstract: Include a 1-paragraph abstract of the class assignment research.

Publication Requirements

In addition to the research project, authors must also submit a Faculty Sponsor Form and an Author Bio and Headshot (see below for details). While these are required for publication, the Faculty Sponsor Form and Author Bio and Headshot can be submitted after the research project.

Faculty sponsor. All submissions must be supported by a faculty sponsor. A faculty sponsor is a faculty in a relevant discipline who can attest to the relevance and significance of the author’s submission. Faculty sponsors can be, but are not limited to, the primary investigator of a research project or mentors who oversaw the work in a course or independent study. 

• Authors are responsible for coordinating the submission of a faculty sponsor form
• Faculty sponsor forms are required prior to submissions being reviewed. To complete the form, faculty sponsors will be asked:
  • For the title of the author's research project
  • If IRB approval was required for the research project
  • For 1 paragraph describing the research project's relevance and significance to the field

Author bio and headshot. CI Currents will collect an author headshot and bio before publication. Authors can have a professional headshot taken at the Writing & Multiliteracy Center’s Multimedia Studio.

Publication consent. By submitting a research project, authors are consenting to being published in CI Currents and consenting to their accepted works being used for CI Currents promotions.

Submission Guidelines

• Deadline for Fall Review Cycle (Submission of Spring 2024 and SURF 2024 work):
  Friday, September 27, 2024, 11:00pm
• Deadline for Spring Review Cycle (Submission of Fall 2024 work):
  Friday, March 7, 2025, 11:00pm
• Submission Process: Submit your work using the submission button below. If you have any questions or problems, please email CICurrents@csuci.edu
• Formatting:Submissions should be formatted as follows:
• Written: Times New Roman, 12 font, double-spaced, 1-inch margins, APA 7th edition, submitted as Word Doc files
• Posters
• Video
• Audio

Peer Review Process

All submissions will undergo peer review:

1. Submissions and faculty sponsor form: Submissions may be received without a faculty sponsor form, but a faculty sponsor form is needed prior to initial review.
2. Initial Peer Editor Review: Student editors will review submissions and provide feedback.
3. Faculty Review: Faculty reviewers will assess the revised submission and offer additional insights.
4. Feedback: Comprehensive feedback from both student editors and faculty reviewers will be shared with authors.
   
   • “Accepted”
   • “Accepted with minor revisions”
   • “Revise and resubmit”
   • “Declined"
5. Revision: Incorporate feedback and submit a revised version of the author's work. Authors may be asked to meet with a peer editor at least once to discuss feedback and revision before publication.

CI Currents Staff 

Undergraduate Peer Editors

Marshall Mee, Psychology

Mabel Pyle, Environmental Communication

Faculty Advisors/Editors

Faculty Editorial Review Board, 2024-2025

Questions?  Email us:
CICurrents@csuci.edu