Submission Guidelines
Read this page carefully before submitting. Papers that do not meet these requirements may be returned without review.
Who Can Submit
PJPCR accepts original research from current high school students worldwide. Students who recently graduated may submit work completed during their high school years. Co-authorship with a faculty mentor or advisor is permitted but not required. Your school, country, program, or background does not influence the review process.
What We Accept
We currently accept two types of submissions:
Original Research Articles -- Papers presenting new findings based on experiments, surveys, data collection, or theoretical work. These should follow an Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion structure.
Literature Reviews -- Papers that critically synthesize existing research on a focused topic. These should provide a structured overview of key sources, identify themes or debates in the literature, and draw a reasoned conclusion about the current state of knowledge.
Both types must be written in clear, formal academic English. We accept submissions across all disciplines including natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, mathematics, computer science, and interdisciplinary work.
Eligibility Requirements
To be considered for publication, your submission must meet all of the following:
The work must be original and not previously published in any other journal or platform. The paper must not be under simultaneous review at another journal. The research must have been conducted primarily by the student author. AI-generated writing will not be considered under any circumstances. All human or animal subject research must adhere to standard ethical guidelines.
Formatting Requirements
Word count: 2,000 to 8,000 words, excluding references and appendices. Exceptions may be considered for highly complex interdisciplinary work.
Font: Times New Roman or Arial, size 12, double-spaced.
Page numbers: Required on all pages.
Figures and tables: Must be clearly labeled, numbered, and referenced in the body of the text.
Citation style: APA, MLA, or Chicago are all accepted. Choose the style most appropriate to your discipline and apply it consistently throughout.
Section headings: Required. At minimum your paper should include Introduction, Body or Methods, Discussion or Analysis, and Conclusion.
Abstract Requirements
Every submission must open with an abstract of 150 to 300 words summarising the purpose, methodology, key findings, and conclusions of the paper. The abstract should be self-contained and readable without reference to the full paper.
Title Page Requirements
Every submission must include a separate title page containing the following:
Full title of the paper. Full name of the student author. Current school and grade level. Contact email address. Name of faculty mentor or advisor, if applicable.
Do not include any identifying information within the body of the paper itself. Reviewers read blind.
The Review Process
Step 1 -- Editorial Check: Your submission is reviewed by the editorial team for scope, formatting compliance, and basic eligibility. Papers that do not meet requirements are returned at this stage with notes.
Step 2 -- Double-Blind Peer Review: Your paper is assigned to two independent reviewers with graduate-level expertise in your field. Your name, school, and background are removed before any reviewer sees the work.
Step 3 -- Editorial Decision: You receive one of three outcomes -- acceptance, a request to revise and resubmit, or a rejection with written feedback explaining the decision.
Step 4 -- Publication: Accepted papers are formatted, assigned a DOI, and published in full on the PJPCR website, freely accessible to readers worldwide.
Review typically takes 6 to 10 weeks from submission. You will be notified by email at each stage.
Concurrent Submissions Policy
PJPCR does not permit concurrent submissions. By submitting to PJPCR, you confirm your manuscript is not under consideration at any other journal. If you wish to submit your work elsewhere, you must withdraw from PJPCR first by emailing the editorial team.
Ethical Standards
All submitted work is expected to reflect original research by the student author. Proper citation and attribution are required throughout. Papers found to contain plagiarism, fabricated data, or substantial AI-generated writing will be immediately disqualified and the author notified.
After Acceptance
Authors of accepted papers will be asked to confirm final details before publication. Once published, your paper will be assigned a permanent DOI making it citable in academic databases and accessible to researchers, educators, and admissions offices worldwide. No changes to the published paper can be made after DOI assignment.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Submitting without a title page. Failing to remove your name from the body of the paper. Inconsistent or missing citations. Submitting a paper that is simultaneously under review elsewhere. Exceeding or falling significantly short of the word count without prior discussion with the editorial team.