Research and Review article submissions must meet the following criteria before they can be reviewed. Please read the information carefully, and format your submission accordingly.
Abstract
Every article submitted to The JES must have an Abstract that consists of a single paragraph of 500 words or less. In the Abstract, the author(s) must summarize why the research was conducted, how it was conducted, and what the major results and conclusions were. References are typically not cited in the Abstract, since the reader expects a more full discussion in the body of the article.
Introduction
Every article submitted to The JES must have an Introduction. The length of the Introduction will vary from paper to paper; however, the structure and content should be similar. In the Introduction, the author(s) must present the problem their research will address, why this problem is significant, and how it applies to the larger field of research. The author(s) must clearly state their hypothesis, and quickly summarize the methods used to investigate that hypothesis. The author(s) should address relevant studies by other researchers; however, a full history of the topic is not needed.
The Introduction should contain all the background information a reader needs to understand the rest of the author's paper. This means that all important concepts should be explained and all important terms defined. Remember: The JES caters to a wide audience of high school students, educators, and professionals. Background information should therefore be extensive enough for a high school student to understand, but not so detailed as to bog down a professional reader. For example, an author need not define an "electron;" however, a "Cooper paired electron" does require a definition.
Body of the Article
After the Introduction, articles may vary in their structure. Some authors will find it best to progress directly into a "Methods and Materials" section; however, others may find a different breakdown more appropriate. The structure of the body of the article is left to the author's discretion.
However, several key points do need to be addressed in the body of the article. The author(s) should thoroughly describe the methods used to investigate the problem, and should briefly describe why these methods were used. Any materials used should be documented, and any computer programs used should be discussed.
The body of the article should address the experiments, models, or theories devised by the author(s). It should contain little to no background information, since this information should be placed in the Introduction. Also, the body of the article should contain no results, conclusions, or interpretations.
Results
Every article submitted to The JES must have a Results section. In this section, the author(s) should thoroughly detail the results of the experiments, models, or theories developed in the body of the article. The results should be supplemented by figures and tables, which should be briefly explained. No interpretations or conclusions should be drawn. All interpretation and discussion of the results should be saved for the Discussion and Conclusions section.
Discussion and Conclusions
Every article submitted to The JES must have a Discussion and Conclusions section. In some cases, when there are many points to discuss, the author(s) may split this into two sections; however, one section is usually sufficient.
In this section, the author(s) should restate the problem being address, and summarize how the results have addressed it. The author(s) should discuss the significance of all the results, and interpret their meaning. Potential sources of error should be discussed, and anomalies analyzed. Finally, the author(s) should tie all conclusions into the "big picture" by suggesting the impact and applications this research might have for the world. This can be accomplished by discussing how the results of this paper will affect the author's field, what future experiments could be carried out based on this research, or what affect the conclusions could have on industry.
Acknowledgments
An Acknowledgments section is not required; however, most papers include a paragraph of acknowledgments and thanks for help received on the research or the paper.
References
Every article submitted to The JES must have substantial references. References may include: research articles published in scientific journals, abstracts presented at scientific conferences, research articles included in published books, personal communications with scientists working in the field, or unpublished data (only data, no conclusions). Web sources are not permitted, except for web publications of scientific journals or official reports (e.g., NASA's Report on the Effects of Long-Duration Space Flight on the Human Respiratory System) or sites with substantial scientific credibility.
The majority of an author's references should come from research articles published in scientific journals. Abstracts and other types of references should be kept to a minimum.
Figures and Tables
Every article submitted to The JES should have figures and/or tables. These should be of high image quality, with minimal pixelization. All figures and tables should be referenced within the text of the article, usually in the Results section. The figures and tables should be thoroughly described within the text, and their meaning discussed within the Discussion and Conclusions section.