Submissions

Author Guidelines

Submission Guidelines for Paw Prints: Michigan Tech University First Year Journal

To prepare your article for submission, review the following guidelines. Paw Prints: The Michigan Tech University Journal of First-Year Writing is aimed at members of the campus community (including students, faculty, and staff) as well as readers from the Copper Country. 

• Author must be a first-year undergraduate student. In particular, articles prepared for first-year writing courses are prioritized, but all first-year writers are invited to submit. 
• The manuscript should be about any academic topic that you are interested in and/or passionate about. We accept articles up to the length of 3000 words (or about 10 pages).
• Aim to include multiple peer-reviewed sources in your reference list.  Please contact the review board at [email protected]  if your subject is less researched and are struggling to find enough sources of existing literature. 
• Your manuscript should be well-written, readable, and understandable for a broad audience with no prior knowledge of your topic. 
• Provide a short, written blurb (maximum 200 words) along with your research article that includes an author’s note with an explanation of why you wrote the article, your department, and your contact information (MTU email and name). You can put this in the "abstract" box which will not appear to reviewers of your article.
• The use of generative AI is prohibited in your writing. If you use AI for research, you must cite any information, images, text, and sounds according to APA guidelines for AI citations. 

Additional details: 

• The manuscript should be in a Microsoft Word Document-compatible format. Do not submit PDF documents.
• Do not include your name on the submitted document in order to receive an unbiased review. 
• Format your paper in 12-point Times New Roman font. 
• The recommended length of your manuscript is eight to ten pages, including figures and tables if applicable.
• Your manuscript can be submitted in any documentation style but a final accepted version should follow APA student paper guidelines. 
• You can provide a writer's statement with your abstract, or upload it separately.