Shanae Blaquiere, photo courtesy of UWinnipeg, Cory Aronec
UWinnipeg is launching an exciting new multidisciplinary, peer-reviewed, academic student journal entitled Crossings and is seeking article submissions. UWinnipeg undergraduate and graduate students are invited to submit their research work* in the humanities and social sciences, creative arts, or interdisciplinary studies. The inaugural issue of Crossings will be published in the October 2016 and will then be published on an annual basis.
“We found that students standards of research were very high, both among undergraduate and graduate students,” said Dr. Jane Barter, UWinnipeg Associate Professor, Chair Department of Religion and Culture. “We wanted to find a way to showcase their research, to make it more broadly accessible and create a permanent record of their achievement, which will also contribute to the knowledge-base for future students and researchers.”
Mirroring the concept of the journal, the Crossings Committee is made up of faculty members and students who are rooted in a cross-section of disciplines. The members include Adina Balint (Modern Languages and Literatures), Jane Barter (Religion and Culture), Shanae Blaquiere (student), Matt Dyce (Geography), Danielle Gaucher (Psychology), Marieke Gruwel (student), Michael Hohner (Library), Steven Kohm (Criminal Justice), Jaqueline McLeod Rogers (Rhetoric, Writing and Communications) and Heather Snell (English). Hohner is also assisting the Committee with the technical production of the Journal through the Open Journals System. Crossings is hosted by The University of Winnipeg Library at http://crossings.uwinnipeg.ca.
Marieke Gruwel, photo courtesy of Gruwel
“As an undergraduate student, I am constantly surrounded by the wonderful work and research my peers are doing,” shared Gruwel, a fifth student year working towards an honours degree in Art History. “I get the opportunity to hear presentations and edit my friends’ papers. Unfortunately, there are not many opportunities for undergraduate students to share their research outside of the classroom. Crossings will fill this gap. It will not only be a great way for students to build their CVs and experience the process of publishing an article, it will also be beneficial to the academy and to anyone doing research in the humanities and social sciences.”
“I think that an undergraduate arts journal like Crossings is an excellent vehicle for mobilizing the work of students at the University of Winnipeg,” said Blaquiere who is in her third year of a double major in Rhetoric, Writing, and Communications and Religion & Culture (photo above). “The idea of trying to become a published academic as an undergrad is a daunting one, but the initiative of a student-centered publication like this one makes academia seem far more accessible. It has never even crossed my mind to try to get one of my papers published until the opportunity was presented to me by this paper. Crossings will exemplify the student-centered learning approach and emphasis on mentorship that I’ve experienced in my time at UWinnipeg.”
As an annual journal Crossings has a lot to offer students, “We see this submission practice as another way to mentor students,” explained Barter. “Once papers are submitted and accepted we then guide them in the peer-review process, which includes honing their writing skills in the crafting of a manuscript for scholarly publication. This process also emulates the competitive journal review process which will help students sharpen their analysis, research, critical thinking and writing skills.”
Information on Submission
The articles should be 12 – 15 pages long (Times New Roman, Font 12, double-spaced). The work must be submitted no later than February 29, 2016. Notification of acceptance will be made by March 15, 2016. All papers will undergo a process of peer review. Accepted papers will be provided with constructive feedback and recommendations, and researchers will resubmit revised copy by May 13, 2016.
Crossings is also committed in publishing reviews of recently published books related to any of the areas listed above. Interested students should contact the Managing Editor, Dr. Steven Kohm, at s.kohm@uwinnipeg.ca. The book reviews should be 2 pages long (approximately 600 words, Times New Roman, Font 12, double-spaced).
If you have any questions on submissions please contact:
Dr. Steven Kohm, Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Criminal Justice, and Crossings Managing Editor at s.kohm@uwinnipeg.ca
Dr. Jane Barter, Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Religion and Culture at j.barter@uwinnipeg.ca
*in any language of instruction at the University.
