Goals: The SCSE aims to start an online student publication that features student STEM research completed at NEIU or at an external internship site. This will engage and challenge research students to learn key writing techniques for their field. Additional students will gain experience as peer-mentors and editors for the publication. Students may also learn science literacy and science writing skills through contributing science news articles, summary articles, or reading about the projects completed. Having a publication listed on a resume or application will greatly benefit students aiming to gain employment in research fields, as well as increase STEM identity, and satisfaction with the rigor of NEIU STEM programs.
Overview: The online publication will be its own web page connected to the SCSE home page and hosted by the library page. The publication will initially be published once in April. Students may submit publications at any time, but reviews begin with the semester cycle. Each publication will be reviewed by one student peer-reviewer, one faculty or research staff member, and one SCSE staff member in addition to the student editor. Feedback will be sent to the student author and will be focused on clarity, data visualization, and communication skills with minimal emphasis on requesting additional experiments. Additional content can be contributed by students writing about science news, recent publications, STEM events at NEIU, or relevant STEM topics. Staff and faculty may occasionally be featured in interviews, or as authors of non-research articles, however, the focus will be on student contributors. There are many roles available for student editors, coordinators, and contributors. The publication will follow student interests closely to allow for students to cultivate their own individualized experiences with the program.
Potential Article Topics
- Student research project completed at NEIU or externally by an NEIU student
- Long-term class project that gathered novel data and is written according to the format of a research paper
- Summary article of a research paper published elsewhere in the past 3 years with a focus on connecting experimental methods and findings
- News article describing recent findings or developments in STEM with considerations to the broader impact
- Opinion piece on a STEM topic including research, education, and policy
- Reporting on STEM activities carried out at NEIU or by NEIU students and staff including
- New publications by faculty members
- Awards received by any NEIU STEM members
- Reporting on NEIU STEM Alumni activities
- Grants received
- SCSE or departmental events
- Student organization activities
- Writing on other relevant topics related to STEM and STEM identity including interviews with faculty, staff, and alumni or exploration of career opportunities
