For the first time at Ohio State, undergraduate students doing research in any field have the opportunity to get their work published in a university-sponsored research journal.

The Journal of Undergraduate Research at Ohio State (JUROS) is made and run by undergraduate students and features only research by undergraduate students.

“The main purpose of it is to really create a forum of discussion and dissemination of undergraduate research for, and by, undergraduates,” said Olga Borodulin, a third-year in biology and editor-in-chief of JUROS.

The first copy of Oculus, the print version of the journal, was presented Tuesday evening to President E. Gordon Gee.

“We take pride in our undergraduate research community,” Gee said. “This (journal) is going to make a real difference to the university.”

JUROSonline.com is the online version of the journal and is a rolling publication. Students wishing to submit a manuscript to the journal can do so on the website. There is no submission fee.

Manuscripts are reviewed by undergraduate students in a double-blind peer review process. Reviewers are in the same field as the research they review.

Once a manuscript has been accepted, it will be published online in its full version.

Researchers also have the option to explain their research in basic terms to a general audience in a video podcast for the website.

“Creating these videos is the best way to really explain the research to those outside of the field and with no scientific background,” Borodulin said.

Oculus is published once a year and contains 10 manuscripts selected by Oculus staff. It will also contain one professor spotlight and seven features. Features are articles written about student research that is not extensive enough to write a full manuscript.

Starting Wednesday, 400 copies of Oculus will be placed in meeting locations around campus, such as the libraries, the Union and University Hall, Borodulin said.

In addition to Oculus, the other print version of JUROS is OculusInBrief. OculusInBrief is a shortened version containing the abstracts of manuscripts in Oculus, and 3,400 copies of it will be distributed around campus.

Those involved with the journal’s creation hope that it will inspire students to get involved with research.

“We want students to look at ongoing undergraduate research at OSU and realize that research is not an extracurricular activity chosen only by advanced students. Rather, it is a fundamental part of undergraduate education,” Borodulin said. “It’s really important to show students that they can do something valuable with their minds and their education.”

Allison Snow, director of the Undergraduate Research Office, emphasized the important role the journal will play in the research process.

“Research isn’t complete until it is communicated to others,” she said, “and we feel that Oculus and JUROS have an important role to play here.”