Abstract

Undergraduate research and inquiry‐based pedagogy are increasingly crucial components to college education in the U.S. Providing undergraduates the opportunity to publish their scholarship is a tool to increase scientific literacy and motivation for scientific careers. Spurred by an NSF grant in 2004, the Lake Forest College Biology Department developed a peer‐reviewed undergraduate research journal of life science scholarship entitled Eukaryon (http://www.lakeforest.edu/eukaryon). In each annual issue, Eukaryon publishes scholarship in the life sciences that students produced within undergraduate classrooms and faculty labs. We detail three aspects of the journal's development: 1) how it is governed, published, and financed by undergraduates; 2) how it establishes content and format; and 3) specific strategies that maintain selectivity, encourage inquiry‐based curriculum, and support a community of student scholars. Next, we discuss a survey‐based assessment of our journal's impact on curriculum and student community. We found that Eukaryon contributes significantly to the preparedness for future careers of its board members. Finally, we report an analysis of our online readership using data from Google Analytics. Future goals include strengthening community familiarity with Eukaryon and improving communication with faculty on submission and review progress.(Supported by NSF‐CCLI)

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