VJAS Student Research Submission Guide (2027)

Read the VJAS Handbook for detailed information on each of these items.

1. Membership & Registration (Deadline: January 15)

  • School Membership: Confirm your school is registered with VJAS. Your Head Sponsor must register the school on Reviewr by January 15.
  • Individual Membership: Homeschooled students or individual students from non-participating schools must register as an Individual Member at the time the paper submission application is completed in Reviewr.

2. Prepare Your Research Paper

  • Originality: Your paper must represent an original intellectual inquiry. Plagiarism, fabrication, and the use of AI to write any portion of the paper are strictly prohibited and will result in disqualification.
  • Formatting Requirements:
    • Length: Maximum of 14 pages (text, including abstract through literature cited/appendices).
    • Spacing: Line spacing must be between 1.5 and 2.0.
    • Font: Use 12 pt. font (Arial, Helvetica, Times New Roman, Courier, or Geneva only).
    • Margins: Minimum 1 inch on all sides.
    • Citations: High school students must use APA format. Middle school students may use MLA or APA.
    • Citations Required: Middle school (minimum 3 peer-reviewed/scholarly references); High school (minimum 5 peer-reviewed/scholarly references). Wikipedia references are not accepted.

3. Required Forms & Certifications

  • Mentored Projects: If you worked with a mentor or in a research facility, you must complete the “Mentor and/or Research Facility Form” in Reviewr.
  • Human Subjects: If your research involves human subjects, you must obtain IRB approval and upload the “VJAS Human Subject form” with your paper.
  • Certification Statements: All projects require a “Certification Statement” to be electronically signed by both the student and the sponsor on Reviewr during submission.

4. Paper Submission (Deadline: February 21)

  • Submit your paper, required forms, and abstract as a separate Word document through the Reviewr platform. Application portal opens November 1.
    • Follow the link above to access the Reviewr micro-site.
    • Click ‘Create Account/Login’.
    • If you have submitted to VJAS before, use your existing login credentials.
    • If you have not submitted to VJAS before, create a new account.
    • Answer the questions and follow the instructions on the application.
      • You may save and return to your application.
      • Check with your teacher/sponsor if your school is paying or collecting from you the paper submission fee. If not, you will be prompted for payment at the end of the application process.
  • Paper Submission Fee: A $35 non-refundable paper submission fee per paper is due at the time of the paper application submission.
    • Check with the teacher/sponsor if the school is paying the paper submission fees prior to completing the application. Payment that is being made by a member school for their participating students is due by March 24. 
  • Paper submission fees are non-refundable.

5. Sponsor Review (Deadline: March 3)

  • After your final submission, your sponsor must review and confirm your paper in the Reviewr system. 
  • Students may edit their submission to fix mistakes identified by their sponsor until this deadline.
  • Communicate with your teacher/sponsor when you have made corrections to your paperPro-Tip: Review the official VJAS Handbook 2027 for the full Disqualification List (Appendix) to ensure your project is not penalized for avoidable errors.

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