Effective strategies for publishing as an undergraduate in science, engineering, and other fields

This paper presents what the authors believe to be a mature approach to undergraduate publishing. It is rooted in the idea that the value which professionals bring to society comes not only from the quantity and quality of their professional knowledge but more importantly from their ability to use that knowledge for the good of others. Undergraduates who begin to apply their learning to meeting real world needs via dissemination of their ideas and findings will discover heightened motivation for learning as well as achieve greater depth in learning, thus enabling them to develop into professionals much faster. To promote this approach to professional growth at the undergraduate level, this paper presents four useful strategies for publishing as an undergraduate, based on findings from different fields as well as on the experience of some successful scientists, engineers, and educators. These strategies are applicable to students in most disciplines; however, the examples selected for this paper come primarily from science and engineering, since these are fields the authors know best, and connecting publishing to learning in these fields is particularly important for helping young scientists and engineers develop into highly employable problem solvers.