Revitalizing an Academic Journal
The Canadian Undergraduate Journal of Cognitive Science is a premier electronic and print journal showcasing student work from across Canada and around the globe. The inconsistent publishing schedule led the project to fall to the wayside for many years. I took up the mantle to revitalize the journal acting both as director/managing editor as well as a lead designer. Starting from nothing but a few old copies, I, along with my team, brought the journal back online stronger than ever and set up for future success.
- The 2020 Edition was the most polished journal to date, featuring half a dozen academic papers from around the world, and for the first time highlighted artistic explorations of Cognitive Science.
- I returned for the 2022—2023 edition as a mentor and editor, overseeing the largest edition yet.
- The 2025 edition is underway, and I am back again as an advisor.
A Couple Key Aspects
- Re-establish an academic journal including administrative overhead, outreach, and branding
Advertise and promote journal submissions and production - Critically review and edit all submission as individual pieces and within the greater context
- Design and produce both digital and print editions
Outreach, Advertising, and Administration
- Calls for submission were made both digitally and in physical form. I created posters, web banners, and slide-decks to inform potential authors of the opportunities CUJCS afforded them.
- Due to our wide outreach many different versions had to be made including black and white, A-series paper, B-series paper, North American series paper, and digital.
- Over 400 emails were sent to various schools, student unions, and research institutes to help further disseminate the information.
- For the sake of future longevity and to prevent the redoing of work, I kept meticulous records of contacts, programs, and potential collaborators, as well as creating standard operating procedures to ensure smooth communications
Academic Editing and Review
With many dozens of manuscripts coming in, I personally read every single one, while also delegating and distributing the articles to the rest of my editorial board. The board had many back and forth discussions weighing which articles to accept, which in turn transitioned into many rounds of careful revision with the authors. To ensure academic integrity CUJCS also brought in field experts to perform a final round of review before publication.
By the end of the 2023 edition, I have reviewed more than 100 papers, ranging from Germanic linguists to using deep learning with EEGs; from the philosophy of modular consciousness to false memory production, and beyond.
Putting Together The Final Journal
From dozen of submissions, through half a dozen rounds of editing, and countless emails, it all has to boil down to a single journal. Working with a fellow board member, I acted as a design overview lead for the final compilation. Fonts, headings, margins, colours, layout, and so much more went back and forth. Even after having established a core style guide, over 650 revisions (yes I kept track) were made in the final weeks before publication.
