Submissions

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Submission Preparation Checklist

As part of the submission process, authors are required to check off their submission's compliance with all of the following items, and submissions may be returned to authors that do not adhere to these guidelines.
  • The submission has not been previously published, nor is it before another journal for consideration (or an explanation has been provided in Comments to the Editor).
  • The submission formatting follows the OSURJ Submission Guidelines.
  • If submitting to a peer-reviewed section of the journal, the instructions in Ensuring a Blind Review have been followed.
  • The submission file is in .docx format
  • Ensure there is no mention of your name within the manuscript and only in the publication agreement and cover letter.
  • Where available, URLs for the references have been provided.
  • The text adheres to the stylistic and bibliographic requirements outlined below
  • Ensure all citations follow the Science Journal format
  • Figures are embedded within the manuscript and uploaded as separate high-resolution files.
  • Tables are embedded within the manuscript near first citation.
  • I have created an online account through Open Journal Systems.
  • I have uploaded a cover letter, publishing agreement, manuscript document and figure document all as seperate files.
  • Any use of generative AI tools has been disclosed in the manuscript or cover letter.
  • All co-authors and supervisors have approved the submitted manuscript.
  • Where applicable, research ethics approval has been obtained and described.

Author Guidelines

OVERVIEW OF SUBMISSION PROCESS

1.1 Open Journal Systems:

All articles are submitted online through the OSURJ Open Journal Systems (OJS). https://uottawa.scholarsportal.info/ojs/index.php/OSURJ-JRSUO/index and should include a cover letter attached separately and any other supplementary material such as videos or pdb files.  

1.2 Word Document Format:

All manuscripts must be submitted in Microsoft Word (.docx) format. Figures and tables must be embedded in the text in their correct placement within the manuscript, but must also be submitted separately (see specific submission requirements under IV. Figures.)

For consistency among submissions and to facilitate compliance with OSURJ formatting guidelines, OSURJ suggests writing your manuscript using the following template. Text must be double-spaced and with consecutive line numbering. In addition, each page numbered and continuous line numbers.

1.3 Double-Blinded Review Process:

To adhere to the double-blinded review process, each submitted manuscript must NOT include any names of the authors within the text. Failure to remove all names and identifiers from the manuscript will require revision.

1.4 Referees:

Upon submission, authors may suggest 1–2 potential reviewers (optional), who are faculty members of the University of Ottawa who are experts in the domain of your publication. These individuals may or may not be asked to participate as reviewers of the submission.

1.5 Submission Checklist:

  1. The submission has not been published previously. Any previously published components of the submission must be properly cited as per the Submission Guidelines.

  2. The submission formatting follows the OSURJ Submission Guidelines.

  3. I have created an online account through Open Journal Systems.

  4. Cover letter is attached as a supplementary file via OJS.

  5. The text follows the reference guidelines outlined in the Submission Guidelines.

  6. Manuscript has been copyedited by the author before submission.

  7. All co-authors and supervisors have read the submitted manuscript and signed permission has been obtained to submit the article to OSURJ.

SUPPLEMENTARY DOCUMENTS

2.1 Cover Letter:

The Cover letter should include the names and email addresses of all contributing authors.
A brief description of the main results and their implications should also be included.

The letter should also confirm that all co-authors have read and approved of the submitted version of the manuscript. The Cover letter should not exceed 1 page

Please see the following sample cover letter here.

2.2 Title Page:

Title page should include the article title, the word count for the abstract, and the word count for the manuscript.

2.3 Publishing agreement:

Please upload a publishing agreement with your manuscript.

OSURJ Author Formatting Guidelines

Effective February 2026

These guidelines ensure clarity, consistency, and readability across all OSURJ publications. Authors should carefully review the formatting and style requirements below before submission.

All submissions are to be prepared using Times New Roman font as follows: 20 pt. title, 12 pt. body of text, and 10 pt. font in table legends, figure legends, and footnotes.

1. Manuscript Formatting

1.1 Font and Layout

  • Font: Times New Roman

  • Title: 20 pt

  • Body text: 12 pt

  • Figure and table captions, footnotes: 10 pt

  • Double-spaced text

  • 1-inch margins on all sides

  • Left-aligned text (do not justify)

1.2 Manuscript Structure

Manuscripts must follow this order:

  1. Title

  2. Abstract

  3. Introduction

  4. Methods

  5. Results

  6. Discussion

  7. References

Figures and tables should be embedded within the manuscript near their first citation.
Figures must also be uploaded as separate high-resolution files.

2. Title Requirements

  • Maximum 15 words

  • No acronyms or abbreviations

  • Avoid numbers unless essential

  • Must be understandable to readers outside the field

3. Tables

  • Tables may be portrait or landscape

  • Number sequentially (Table 1, Table 2, etc.)

  • Place tables within the manuscript near their first citation

  • Include a caption below the table

Caption format:
Table 1. Short title. Description and definitions of all symbols.

Tables should be understandable independently of the main text.

4. Figures

4.1 General Requirements

  • Figures must be embedded in the manuscript near first mention

  • Figures must also be uploaded separately as .tiff, .png, or .jpg files

  • Minimum resolution: 300 ppi

  • Must remain readable in grayscale

  • Use consistent software across figures

  • Avoid unnecessary color, detail, or decoration

Axes must:

  • be labeled

  • include units

4.2 Figure Size

  • Single-column: 3.37–8.23 cm

  • Double-column: 12.65–17.1 cm

4.3 Figure Captions

Place captions below each figure.

Caption format:
Figure 1. Short title. Description of results and symbols.

Guidelines:

  • Do not include detailed methods if a Methods section is present

  • Label subpanels I, II, III

  • Chemical structures must use ChemDraw ACS Document 1996 settings

5. Style, Voice, and Tense

OSURJ prioritizes clarity, precision, and accessibility for non-specialist readers.

General Rules

  • No personal pronouns (I, we, us)

  • Use active voice where appropriate

  • Maintain a professional scientific tone

  • Define acronyms at first use

  • Write for a broad scientific audience

Section-by-Section Guidance

Abstract

  • Past tense for methods and results

  • Present tense for conclusions

Introduction

  • Present tense for established knowledge

  • Past tense for specific studies

Methods

  • Passive voice

  • Past tense only
    Example:
    “Cells were cultured at 37 °C.”

Results

  • Past tense for findings

  • Present tense acceptable when referring to figures

Discussion

  • Mix of past (findings) and present (interpretation/general truth)

Consistency Rules

  • Do not switch tense without reason

  • Do not mix passive and active unnecessarily

  • Methods must remain past tense passive

  • No personal pronouns anywhere

General Style

  • Use Oxford commas

  • One space after periods

  • No contractions

  • Italicize Latin terms (e.g., in vitro)

Numbers

  • Spell out one–nine

  • Use numerals for 10 and above

6. Mathematics and Units

  • Use Microsoft Word equation editor

  • Number equations sequentially

  • Define all variables

Formatting:

  • Variables italicized

  • Units not italicized

  • Space between number and unit (20 mL)

  • No space for percentages (20%)

  • Use metric units

  • Leading zero before decimals (0.5)

7. References

The reference format follows the style used in Science, as described here. This includes in-text citations and the list of references accompanying the publication.

Final Submission Notes

  • Submit manuscript as a Word document

  • Embed figures and tables in the manuscript

  • Upload figures separately as high-resolution files

  • Ensure all formatting guidelines are followed before submission

  • Manuscripts must not contain author names, affiliations, or acknowledgements during submission.

Submissions that do not meet formatting requirements may be returned for revision prior to review.

Copyright Notice

OSURJ Publication Rights Policy Agreement

Please fill in the following blanks.

I, ____________________ (submitting author) am submitting an article to the University of Ottawa Science Undergraduate Research Journal (OSURJ) entitled _________________________________________________________________________

  1. OSURJ Mandate:

The University of Ottawa Science Undergraduate Research Journal is a bilingual multidisciplinary open-access and non-proprietary journal. A journal of this nature embraces all disciplines of science and is the result of a collaborative effort between undergraduate, graduate, and faculty members. Our goal is to provide invaluable publishing and submission process experience to undergraduate students and ultimately to promote undergraduate research within the uOttawa community.

  1. Review Process of OSURJ

OSURJ uses a double-blind review process. The submitted article is first reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief(s) to confirm whether the submission is within the scope of OSURJ. After which, it is sent to the managing editor(s) who assign the article to the relevant undergraduate associate reviewer and graduate or faculty reviewer for independent review. The reviewers recommend to either reject, accept, or conditionally accept the article with revisions required. Based on the recommendations from both reviewers, the Co-Editor-in-Chief(s) make(s) the final decision regarding publication.

III. Proprietorship and Author Rights:

Authors retain all copyrights to their research and original data and may publish in other journals at the journal’s discretion. OSURJ acknowledges that all information submitted by the author(s) is their intellectual property and therefore any republication of such property is not allowed without written consent from the submitting author(s). Articles published in OSURJ may be published in other journals. However, authors should be made aware that other publishers may not permit the republication of original research published in an undergraduate journal such as OSURJ. Consequently, the author should consult the publication policies of other journals, and all relevant parties should be made aware of this possibility before proceeding with article submission.

  1. Falsification of Data:

Methods for the acquisition and analysis of data should be accurately and fully displayed to allow for replication by other researchers. Data fabrication and alteration is unethical and may lead to unfounded conclusions. As such, it is not permitted by OSURJ.

 

 

  1. Statement of Originality

The author(s) confirms that their submission, including all content, phrases, graphics and figures are their own. The article demonstrates the author’s own work and skill. The author is aware that plagiarism (the use of someone else's work without their permission and/or without acknowledging the original source) is wrong. They confirm that ALL the work submitted for consideration is their own work and confirms to explicitly indicate and source outside material. The author recognizes that failure to comply with academic integrity could result in disqualification from the journal or other measures.

  1. Permission from All Contributors:
  • Given that research is collaboratively conducted with professors and other students, OSURJ requires that all contributors (co-authors, primary investigators, lab managers, supervisors) consent to the submission of the article to OSURJ.
  • Any person listed as an author of an article must have contributed greatly to the data, analysis or interpretation of said data and should provide approval of the submitted version. It is unethical to not list those who contributed to the standards of an author and to include those who do not meet the criteria for authorship.
  • For articles with multiple authors, primary, secondary (etc.) author status must also be agreed upon. As the submitting author, you must declare that you have read this publication agreement and grant your permission for OSURJ to publish the submitted article. You must also declare that all contributors with claims to this intellectual property have read this agreement and have signed below.

VII. Conflict of Interest Disclosure:

Authors must disclose any financial, academic, or personal relationships that could be perceived to influence the research or its interpretation. If no conflicts exist, authors must state: “The authors declare no conflicts of interest.”

____________________________________________________________

VIII. Research Ethics Compliance

Authors must confirm that any research involving human participants, animals, or sensitive data received appropriate institutional ethics approval and was conducted in accordance with relevant guidelines. Documentation may be requested by OSURJ.

  1. Use of AI Tools

Authors must disclose any use of generative AI tools in writing, data analysis, or figure preparation. AI tools may not be listed as authors and must not be used to generate falsified data or citations.

As the submitting author, I hereby declare that I have read this publication agreement and grant my permission for OSURJ to publish the submitted article. I also declare that all contributors with claims to this intellectual property have read this agreement and have signed below.

Signed,

______________________________ _______________________________ ________

Name of submitting Author                 Signature                                                Date

As a contributing investigator/supervisor/author, I hereby declare that I have read this publication agreement and grant my permission for OSURJ to publish the submitted article. I also declare that I understand that re-publication of this article after publication in this journal, while permitted by OSURJ, might not be permitted by other scholarly journals.

Signed,

______________________________ _______________________________ ________

Name (indicate role)                           Signature                                                Date

______________________________ _______________________________ ________

Name (indicate role)                           Signature                                                Date

______________________________ _______________________________ ________

Name (indicate role)                           Signature                                                Date

______________________________ _______________________________ ________

Name (indicate role)                           Signature                                                Date

______________________________ _______________________________ ________

Name (indicate role)                           Signature                                                Date

Privacy Statement

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