The Journal of Emerging Investigators (JEI) is a nonprofit, peer-reviewed journal for middle and high school students aged 13 and up: every paper needs an adult senior mentor as last author, an adult must submit it for the student, the submission fee is $49 with no publication fee, and only hypothesis-driven natural science research is accepted. JEI does not publish an acceptance rate, but it says it rarely rejects manuscripts. The trade-off is time: adding up the stages in JEI's own review chart gives roughly 45 to 63 weeks from submission to publication.
Every fact about JEI below comes from emerginginvestigators.org, and every fact about IEEE comes from IEEE's Author Center or an IEEE conference page, all linked in the Sources section. Opinions are marked.
What JEI is
JEI was founded in 2011 by three Harvard graduate students, Sarah Fankhauser, Lincoln Pasquina and Chris Wells, to open peer-reviewed publishing to students. JEI says students have since published more than 1,400 peer-reviewed articles with it. It is run as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and its review process is run entirely by volunteer reviewers and editors, mostly graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, along with industry scientists, professional science writers and lab technicians.
JEI is explicit that its review is designed to teach. It says it modified a standard journal review process so it is educational for students publishing for the first time, and that it does not select mainly for highly innovative or novel research. Published articles receive a DOI. JEI's FAQ also says its articles are not indexed, meaning they are not deposited in databases such as PubMed or Google Scholar.
Beyond the journal, the organization runs eiRxiv, a preprint server for students, and Ask-a-Scientist, where students can ask scientists for help designing and writing research.
For how JEI sits next to other student and professional venues, see our list of journals that publish high school research.
Who can submit
| Rule | What JEI requires |
|---|---|
| Student authors | Middle and high school students aged 13 or older |
| Timing | Initial submission must happen before the student enrolls in university |
| Minimum authors | Two: at least one student author and one senior author |
| Senior author | Must be listed last on every manuscript |
| Who submits | An adult submits on the student's behalf. For minors, JEI says a parent or legal guardian must submit |
| Students 18 or older | A separate adult must still submit |
| Limit | One manuscript under review at a time per student |
| Language | English |
| Location | Submissions from outside the U.S. are accepted |
| Lab access | Not required. JEI says access to university labs and advanced techniques is not needed |
The mentor requirement
JEI does not allow a student to be the sole author, and it does not allow students to submit their own work. The senior mentor can be a teacher, a college or university professor, a postdoctoral fellow or a senior graduate student when the research was done in a school or university. A parent can serve as senior mentor if the research was done at home. Undergraduates cannot be senior authors.
If a student did all the work alone, JEI still requires an adult senior author, and expects that person to read the manuscript for errors before submission. JEI also says it does not encourage students to run experiments without adult supervision. Every author needs a valid affiliation; "unaffiliated" is not accepted, and a parent mentor uses the student's affiliation.
Studies with human subjects or vertebrate animals need documentation of regulatory approval at submission.
What JEI accepts and rejects
This is the section that decides most outcomes, and it is where many STEM students are surprised.
JEI accepts manuscripts that clearly test a hypothesis in the natural sciences, meaning the life sciences and experimental physical sciences. The hypothesis must be made before the experiment, original to the student (the student must not already know the answer), clear, testable and measurable. JEI asks authors to state it as "We hypothesized..."
Topics JEI does not accept:
- Mathematics, statistics and theoretical science
- Mathematical modeling without supporting experiments
- Computer science
- Economics, political science, history and linguistics
Manuscript types JEI does not accept:
- Reviews, theorems and commentaries
- Descriptive or discovery research, such as surveys, new species descriptions, data mining or molecular docking without a hypothesis
- Papers that only introduce, optimize or compare an invention, model, method or algorithm
That last rule rules out the most common high school computer science paper. JEI gives examples it will not accept, including a hypothesis that a machine learning model "will be more effective than previous/other models." A student can use machine learning as a tool to test a scientific hypothesis, but the model cannot be the subject of the hypothesis.
JEI makes case-by-case decisions on public health, psychology, social sciences, sociopolitically sensitive topics, meta-analyses and work needing extra ethical approval. If your topic is near those lines, contact JEI before writing. Our science fair hypothesis examples are a useful check on whether a hypothesis is specific enough.
Submission requirements and fees
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Submission fee | $49 per submission |
| Publication fee | None. JEI says there is no separate fee after acceptance |
| Fee waiver | Available on request through the submission checklist |
| Template | Required. Use JEI's Word manuscript template |
| Sections, in order | Summary, Introduction, Results, Discussion, Materials and Methods, References |
| Subheadings | Only in Results and Methods |
| Figures | At the end of the Word file above their captions, not placed in the text |
| Submission system | Editorial Manager only; no email submissions |
Submitting takes three steps: pay the fee, receive a 10-character confirmation code by email, and have the adult author submit the manuscript in Editorial Manager. JEI warns that submitting incomplete or incorrect files can cost two or more weeks, because the manuscript goes back to the end of the queue.
If the student has never written a paper, start with our guides on how to write your first research paper and research paper format for high school.
The review process and timeline
JEI says a manuscript is reviewed by eight or more people from submission to publication. Its published timeline chart lists each stage:
| Stage | Who | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Submit or revise for compliance | Author | 2 weeks |
| Pre-review | Director of Submission Compliance | 2 to 3 weeks |
| Assign reviewers | Associate Editor | 1 to 2 weeks |
| Scientific review | 4 peer reviewers | 2 to 3 weeks |
| Summarize comments | Associate Editor | 2 weeks |
| Scientific revisions | Author | 8 to 12 weeks |
| Assess revisions | Managing and Associate Editors | 2 to 4 weeks |
| Copy editing (assign, edit, finalize) | Copy Editors | 6 to 9 weeks |
| Copy edit revisions | Author | 8 weeks |
| Review revisions | Managing Editor | 2 to 4 weeks |
| Layout | Proofing Editor | 4 to 6 weeks |
| Approve proof | Author | 2 weeks |
| Finalize and post | Proofing Editor | 2 to 4 weeks |
| Approve and notify | Managing Editor | 2 weeks |
Adding these stages gives roughly 45 to 63 weeks, and the chart shows that manuscripts can loop back for more revision. JEI says the times are approximate, that each stage usually runs about two weeks longer from May through September when submissions peak, and that it does not expedite any manuscript for any reason.
For a student, the timing math matters. A paper submitted in the fall of junior year may still be in copy editing when college applications are due. JEI's decision terms help here: a manuscript in pre-review counts as "submitted," one in scientific review as "under review," and one in copy editing as "accepted," and students can cite it that way on applications.
The JEI acceptance rate
JEI does not publish an acceptance rate. After scientific review, its three decisions are "accept, pending presentation changes," "accept, pending scientific and presentation changes," and "reject." JEI says it rarely rejects manuscripts and does so mainly for significant plagiarism or when proper approval for the research was not obtained, usually at pre-review.
The practical filter is scope, not rejection. JEI's FAQ says the biggest issues are literature reviews and descriptions of inventions. A paper outside the scope rules above is not a good fit no matter how well it is written. Inside the scope, a student willing to work through months of revisions has a strong chance of being published.
Common mistakes JEI flags
From JEI's own list of common mistakes:
- Missing senior author.
- Previously published figures used without written permission.
- Written like a lab report instead of a manuscript.
- Formatted like a final article, with two columns or figures placed in the text.
- Weak or missing statistics, such as running many t-tests without a multiple comparison correction.
- Nomenclature errors in gene, protein and species names.
- Tables pasted as images and labeled as figures.
JEI vs IEEE conference proceedings
Many high school students choose between JEI and an IEEE conference. They are built for different purposes.
| JEI | IEEE conference | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Middle and high school students | Professional researchers; students compete in the same pool |
| Review | Educational, 8+ volunteer reviewers and editors, multiple revision rounds | Technical Program Committee review in a fixed window; many conferences only accept or reject |
| Scope | Hypothesis-driven natural sciences; no computer science or model-only papers | Engineering, computing and related fields; scope set by each conference |
| Rejection | Rare, mainly plagiarism or missing approvals | One of three standard decisions; reviewers judge novelty and significance |
| Timeline | Roughly 45 to 63 weeks by JEI's chart | Set by the conference calendar |
| Fees | $49 submission, no publication fee | Registration for the conference, set by each event |
| Presentation | Not required | One author typically must register and present |
| Indexing | DOI, not indexed per JEI's FAQ | Published in IEEE Xplore, part of the scientific record |
| Mentor role | Adult senior author required, listed last | No required senior-author role in IEEE's author guidance |
IEEE sponsors more than 2,000 conferences and requires every conference paper to go through peer review. Reviewers judge scope, novelty, validity, data, clarity, compliance and advancement of the field. Conference policies commonly require an author to register and present; the IEEE LCN conference, for example, says papers not presented will be archived at IEEE but not indexed or shown in IEEE Xplore.
Our view, which is opinion: JEI is an excellent first publication for a student doing hypothesis-driven biology, chemistry or physics, especially without university lab access, and its review teaches scientific writing well. An IEEE paper is the stronger signal for a student in engineering or computer science, because it was judged against adult work by reviewers who looked for novelty, and because JEI does not accept most computing projects anyway. Our step-by-step guide on how to publish in IEEE as a high school student covers that route.
The mentored path to a first-author paper
The hardest part of either route is the same: a research question worth testing, a design reviewers accept, and someone experienced to guide revisions. JEI requires a senior mentor for this reason, and IEEE reviewers expect the rigor a mentor brings.
That is what the YRI Fellowship provides. It is 10 weeks, one-on-one with a PhD mentor matched to the student's field, ending with the student as first author on a paper submitted to a peer-reviewed IEEE, Springer or Elsevier venue. ISEF and JSHS preparation is included, the mentor writes a letter of recommendation, and mentorship continues at no extra cost until the paper is published, which matters when reviewers ask for revisions. 87% of Fellows publish, 73% place at competitions, and Fellows have been admitted to Brown, Johns Hopkins, Stanford, Caltech and Harvard. The cost is $2,997, with a three-month payment plan and scholarships considered case by case. See named results on the Published Work page and finished papers in our high school research paper examples.
Download the YRI Fellowship brochure
The program, the outcomes, the mentors and the tuition, in one PDF you can read with your family.
Related guides
- Journals that publish high school research
- How to publish a research paper in high school
- How to publish in IEEE as a high school student
- How to write your first research paper
- High school research paper examples
- Free research programs for high school students
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the JEI acceptance rate?
JEI does not publish one. It says it rarely rejects manuscripts, mainly for significant plagiarism or missing research approvals. The main filter is scope: JEI accepts only hypothesis-driven natural science research.
How much does it cost to publish in JEI?
The submission fee is $49, and there is no separate publication fee after acceptance. JEI offers fee waivers on request through its submission checklist.
Who can submit to the Journal of Emerging Investigators?
Middle and high school students aged 13 or older, as long as the initial submission happens before the student enrolls in university. Every manuscript needs an adult senior author listed last, and an adult must submit it for the student.
How long does JEI take to publish a paper?
JEI does not give a single figure, but the stages in its timeline chart add up to roughly 45 to 63 weeks, with each stage running about two weeks longer from May through September. JEI does not expedite manuscripts.
Does JEI accept computer science or machine learning papers?
Computer science is not an accepted topic, and JEI does not accept papers that only introduce, optimize or compare a model or algorithm. A student can use machine learning as a tool to test a natural science hypothesis.
Is JEI indexed in PubMed or Google Scholar?
JEI's FAQ says its articles are not indexed. Each published article receives a permanent DOI.
Is JEI or IEEE better for a high school student?
JEI suits hypothesis-driven work in biology, chemistry and physics and teaches the publishing process. An IEEE conference paper suits engineering and computing work and is judged against professional submissions, then published in IEEE Xplore.
How can my child get a first-author paper with a mentor?
The YRI Fellowship pairs students with a PhD mentor for 10 weeks and ends with a first-author paper submitted to a peer-reviewed IEEE, Springer or Elsevier venue, with support continuing at no extra cost until it is published. Admissions are rolling and the application takes about 10 minutes.
Sources
- JEI: Submission FAQ ($49 fee, no publication fee, waivers, adult submitter, one manuscript at a time, DOI, not indexed, 501(c)(3))
- JEI: Author Eligibility and Information (age 13+, before university, senior mentor rules, parent or guardian submission)
- JEI: Topics We Accept (hypothesis requirements, excluded topics and manuscript types)
- JEI: Submission Guidelines (two-author minimum, regulatory approval)
- JEI: Pay and Submit (three submission steps)
- JEI: Review Process Overview (volunteer reviewers, 8+ reviewers per manuscript)
- JEI: Review Timeline (stage-by-stage chart, peak season, no expediting)
- JEI: Decision Terms (decisions, rarely rejects, citing unpublished manuscripts)
- JEI: Common Mistakes
- JEI: Our Story (2011 founding, founders, 1,400+ articles, eiRxiv, Ask-a-Scientist)
- IEEE Author Center: Publish with IEEE Conferences (2,000+ conferences)
- IEEE Author Center: Understand Peer Review (conference review process and decisions)
- IEEE Author Center: View Your Paper in IEEE Xplore
- IEEE LCN 2026: No-show policy (registration, presentation, Xplore exclusion)