Frequently asked questions

Manuscript Preparation

A. Yes. You are strongly encouraged to develop an essay you have written for school.

A. We publish essays written on topics in philosophy, history, art history, literature, politics, public policy, and sociology. However, significant academic inquiries often encompass various fields of study, and the journal provides a broad disciplinary scope.

A. Choosing a topic for journal publication is a critical first step in the publishing journey. You should deliberate thoroughly when selecting and refining a topic for publication. Regardless of the manuscript’s quality, an unsuitable topic is the primary criterion for rejection as the topic itself cannot be revised. We are in pursuit of manuscripts that exhibit academic significance, analytical rigor, and engaging content.

• Academic significance

Academic research aims to advance knowledge and contribute to sustained social progress, whereas research on social issues may focus on generating actionable insights that have a real-world impact. The subject matter of the journal article should align with the scholarly interests of the humanities and social sciences. Topics currently in the media spotlight or contemporary issues, such as living figures or ongoing warfare, are generally unsuitable. A manuscript that predominantly cites news articles and media sources is unlikely to meet the criteria of an academic paper. The scarcity of academic sources indicates that the topic may not be suitable for scholarly inquiry. The aim should be to elevate a classroom discussion to a higher level of academic discourse, rather than to delve into current affairs.

• Narrowed for an article

The topic should be narrow and specific enough to facilitate an in-depth discussion within a 5,000-word limit. Manuscripts designed as summaries or intended to fulfill multiple objectives, which are more appropriate for a detailed book chapter, usually do not succeed.

• Engaging content

The topic must answer the “so what?” question, captivating the attention of readers and editors alike. Readers want to gain knowledge that is not only academically stimulating but also rich in insights.

Examples of inappropriate topics

• What is justice? This question is too broad to be adequately examined within the length guideline.
• Can Ayurveda and allopathy work together? This topic would be suitable for a publication in health and medicine but not for a humanities and social sciences journal for high school students.
• How political relationships and economic motivations shaped the experiences of foreign-born NBA players? This topic would be appropriate for journalistic writing but not for academic writing. It has little relevance to scholarship in the humanities and social sciences or demand rigorous academic research.

A. Should the essay in question be substantially revised and expanded to the extent that it differs completely from the version submitted to another journal, it would then be eligible for submission. However, if there is a substantial overlap in content between the two versions, they will be regarded as the same work. Such a manuscript would be considered a duplicate submission or a redundant publication. Both practices constitute academic misconduct and breach publication and research ethics. Duplicate submission refers to submitting the same manuscript, or one with only minor variations, to multiple journals simultaneously. Redundant publication, sometimes called “salami slicing,” involves publishing multiple papers that share significant portions of the same data, analysis, or conclusions. These practices are considered unethical for several reasons:

• Waste of resources

Reviewers invest significant time and effort in evaluating manuscripts. Duplicate submissions waste this valuable resource by having multiple reviewers assess essentially the same work. Redundant publications also clog the literature with overlapping information, making it harder for researchers to find truly novel contributions.

• Compromised peer review 

The peer review process relies on the assumption that the work being reviewed is original. Duplicate submissions and redundant publications undermine this process by potentially leading to multiple publications of the same or very similar research, which can distort the perceived weight of the evidence.

• Violation of copyright

Journals typically require authors to transfer copyright upon publication. Submitting the same work to multiple journals can create complex copyright issues and potentially lead to legal problems.

• Misrepresentation of research output

Researchers are expected to accurately represent their contributions. Duplicate submissions and redundant publications inflate a researcher’s publication count, giving a misleading impression of their productivity and potentially leading to undeserved recognition or career advancement. This undermines the integrity of the academic system.

This is not simply a matter of individual journal policy; it is a standard ethical principle across the academic community, designed to ensure the integrity of the scholarly record and maintain trust in the research process.

A. Some students have successfully submitted extensively elaborated versions of their concise essays, which have previously won competitions. This is permissible only if the revised version constitutes a genuinely new and significantly expanded piece of work, distinct from the original. The key is that the new submission must represent a substantial advancement in scholarship, not just a repackaging of existing material.

A. The length of an essay may serve as a proxy for the depth and rigor of the underlying research. The manuscript must be approximately 5,000 words (excluding the abstract, footnotes, and bibliography). While shorter manuscripts are accepted in some fields, such as analytical philosophy, most accepted manuscripts approach the upper limit of 5,500 words. If the essay contains significant excerpts, the length should be adjusted accordingly. You are advised to create an initial draft exceeding the final word count for thorough editing and refinement. Strategically plan your objectives to align with the length guideline.

A. Students interested in economics are advised to pursue interdisciplinary research encompassing public policy, history, and other areas conducive to textual analysis. The publication process is designed to cultivate foundational academic writing skills applicable across various humanities and social sciences disciplines. Heavily quantitative economics essays are not accepted.

A. Exploring masterpieces and their creators is advisable, as they are readily available references.

A. No. While collaborative research is highly valued in academia, the benefits of co-authorship at the high school level are limited. Writing is inherently a solitary activity, and it is most beneficial to engage in it on your own.

A. Essays must be written during high school and may be submitted post-graduation. The submission deadline for essays written in high school is early summer, aligning with the time of high school graduation. The September issue represents the last opportunity for students to have their essays published before starting university in the fall.

Timeline

A. Submissions are welcomed year-round. Manuscripts are evaluated in the order of their receipt, and the editorial decision typically accompanies a timetable for revisions. To benefit from the continuous submission period, it is advisable to submit your manuscript at the earliest opportunity. Speculating about the publication timeline for a specific issue is discouraged as the variability in submission volumes and the unpredictable nature of the revision process can render any forecasts unreliable.

A. The decision on a manuscript is reached within 2-3 weeks of submission. The author of a selected manuscript will be notified in that time frame. The revision timetable included in most acceptance decisions means that obtaining final approval for publication may take several additional weeks. If you don’t hear from us, you may consider submitting your manuscript to other journals. Accepted manuscripts will be published in one of the forthcoming issues. For example, an essay submitted in July, if selected, will be published in the September, December, or March issue. If not selected, it will be permanently excluded from further consideration. We are unable to offer a specific timeline for submission and publication as the representation of disciplines and revision timelines are some of the many factors considered in the publication of each issue.

Review & Decision

A. To be published in The Schola, an essay should meet several general criteria:

• the analysis is rigorous and the argument is logical;
• the essay is well-researched, using a variety of academic sources;
• the topic and/or findings are academically interesting.

All manuscripts are read by the editorial staff. Submissions failing to adhere to the guidelines, including those for the submission portal, are rejected promptly. Then a decision is made from among three possibilities:

• accept, with or without revisions;
• invite the author to revise and resubmit the manuscript before a final decision is reached; the invitation is made once and does not automatically lead to acceptance;
• reject, typically on grounds of insufficient conceptual understanding or major analytical problems, lack of originality, insufficient general interest, or otherwise inappropriate.

A. The acceptance rate – the proportion of manuscripts chosen for publication from all submitted manuscripts – may seem straightforward. However, the publication process is more complex than that. We don’t disclose the acceptance rate due to various factors: manuscripts are seldom accepted without revision; submission quantities differ greatly among disciplines; only one essay per discipline (or branch) is published to ensure a wide variety of topics are curated in each issue; conditional acceptances are rescinded if revision fails to address editorial concerns; both subpar and excellent manuscripts outside the journal’s scope are rejected. Manuscript selection and university admissions are distinct processes with different criteria and evaluation methods.

It is important to be cautious of estimated journal acceptance rates published by some academic coaching agencies. The inaccurate figures could potentially influence your submission decisions in ways that are not beneficial to your academic goals.

Payment

A. For alternative payment methods, request an invoice at checkout or contact us. Invoices are issued promptly, though rare delays of up to one hour may occur. To pay with a credit or debit card (without PayPal), use the button below the PayPal logo on the invoice.

Additional Questions

A. Prospective authors should meticulously review our website to grasp the journal’s focus. In addition to the submission guidelines, which offer comprehensive instructions on manuscript preparation, Author Spotlights offers insights into the research and publication process from the perspective of published authors. Reviewing published essays is beneficial for students as it aids in refining their work and familiarizes them with the journal’s standards, including understanding the different types of essays, steering clear of topics that have been previously published, and discerning the caliber of research expected. Subscribe & Submit enables students to access published essays and submit their manuscripts at a later time.

Empirical research is a systematic and structured approach to acquiring knowledge based on observation or experience, as opposed to relying solely on theory or pure logic. It involves the collection and analysis of data to investigate questions and test hypotheses. Proper empirical research requires sufficient training in both the subject matter and research methodologies, typically at the graduate level, although some foundational training may be acquired during undergraduate education. Hence, we approach the evaluation of empirical research performed by high school students with significant caution. These studies often lack a solid theoretical basis and tend to superficially mimic the structure of professional research. We hold the view that empirical studies are generally unsuitable for high school students, with few exceptions. Instead, at this stage of education, emphasis should be on writing essays that incorporate theoretical research and the analysis of existing literature and established studies, as this will lay a solid groundwork for future advanced research.

A. No. Once the submission process is complete, your submission is locked and you are NOT allowed to make changes to it. You may revise and resubmit your essay, only if you have been invited to do so.

A. Yes. Each submission requires a non-refundable fee of $180.