Eligibility
Q. I have graduated but am I still able to submit work which I wrote as an undergraduate student?
Any work authored while an undergraduate (i.e while studying for a Bachelors degree at a college or university) is eligible for submission to Watcher Junior. If you have any papers written as an undergraduate you are more than welcome to work them into a paper for submission to Watcher Junior.
Q. I am a student at / I am a graduate of a 2-year college. Am I eligible to submit a paper to Watcher Junior?
Yes, students and graduates of two-year colleges are eligible to submit Whedon scholarship, however, the work must have been completed as a student.
Any work authored while an undergraduate (i.e while studying for a Bachelors degree at a college or university) is eligible for submission to Watcher Junior. If you have any papers written as an undergraduate you are more than welcome to work them into a paper for submission to Watcher Junior.
Q. I am a student at / I am a graduate of a 2-year college. Am I eligible to submit a paper to Watcher Junior?
Yes, students and graduates of two-year colleges are eligible to submit Whedon scholarship, however, the work must have been completed as a student.
Writing Tips
Q. May I use informal language in my paper?
Whedon texts lend themselves to conversational language, but this journal features formal academic writing. With that in mind, avoid contractions unless they are part of a quotation and slang unless it is the focus of analysis.
Q. I wrote an essay for my class, and it is pretty good, but I think it could be better. Should I submit it now, or revise it first?
You should take the time to revise your paper before submission so that reviewers are reading your best work. Things to consider as you revise include writing in active voice instead of passive voice, adding precision to your prose by stating what and who you are referring to, and fully analyzing quoted material. A submission with a clear thesis statement and a strong central argument supported by evidence is more likely to be accepted for publication.
Whedon texts lend themselves to conversational language, but this journal features formal academic writing. With that in mind, avoid contractions unless they are part of a quotation and slang unless it is the focus of analysis.
Q. I wrote an essay for my class, and it is pretty good, but I think it could be better. Should I submit it now, or revise it first?
You should take the time to revise your paper before submission so that reviewers are reading your best work. Things to consider as you revise include writing in active voice instead of passive voice, adding precision to your prose by stating what and who you are referring to, and fully analyzing quoted material. A submission with a clear thesis statement and a strong central argument supported by evidence is more likely to be accepted for publication.
Submission
Please refer to the submission guidelines for more information.
Q. In the submission guidelines it states that all submissions should demonstrate a familiarity with previously published Whedon scholarship. Where would I find some of this work?
Slayage is the perfect place to start because it is the only other dedicated Whedon Studies journal. You should also use Whedonology: An Academic Whedon Studies Bibliography. There are a significant number of monographs on the Whedonverse, and many of these should be available through your institution's library system. Journals of popular culture, film and television also feature scholarly work in the field.
Q. How many papers am I permitted to submit?
Authors may only send one submission per issue of Watcher Junior.
Q. May I submit a paper to Watcher Junior if it has already been published elsewhere?
If another journal has previously published your paper, we ask that you obtain permission from that publisher prior to submitting your essay to Watcher Junior and that you provide this information with your submission.
Q. May I submit a paper to Watcher Junior if I presented it at an academic conference such as a Slayage Conference on the Whedonverses?
Yes, we strongly encourage the submission of conference papers for consideration.
Q. In the submission guidelines it states that all submissions should demonstrate a familiarity with previously published Whedon scholarship. Where would I find some of this work?
Slayage is the perfect place to start because it is the only other dedicated Whedon Studies journal. You should also use Whedonology: An Academic Whedon Studies Bibliography. There are a significant number of monographs on the Whedonverse, and many of these should be available through your institution's library system. Journals of popular culture, film and television also feature scholarly work in the field.
Q. How many papers am I permitted to submit?
Authors may only send one submission per issue of Watcher Junior.
Q. May I submit a paper to Watcher Junior if it has already been published elsewhere?
If another journal has previously published your paper, we ask that you obtain permission from that publisher prior to submitting your essay to Watcher Junior and that you provide this information with your submission.
Q. May I submit a paper to Watcher Junior if I presented it at an academic conference such as a Slayage Conference on the Whedonverses?
Yes, we strongly encourage the submission of conference papers for consideration.
Review Process
Q. How does Watcher Junior handle my identity in the review process?
Watcher Junior practices the 'double-blind' review in which the identity of the author is kept anonymous to the two reviewers/evaluators. Instead, each essay is allocated a unique submission ID when it is received and processed. The 'double-blind' practice also means that the identity of the reviewers remains anonymous to the author. This policy ensures that the work is evaluated on its merits alone.
Q. What does "revise and resubmit" mean?
"Revise and resubmit" is the most common response to submissions. It means that the reviewers found your submission topic suitable for Watcher Junior, but that changes are needed before it is ready for publication. The reviewers will provide specific and constructive recommendations for improving your work. Authors should not be discouraged by this response, and should resubmit after revision.
Q. Am I permitted to resubmit my paper if it is rejected?
No, rejected papers are not eligible for resubmission.
Q. How much time am I given to revise and resubmit my paper?
Authors who are asked to revise their papers will be given a deadline for resubmitting their work. Generally, authors will have approximately six weeks to resubmit their essays.
Q. Will Watcher Junior editors help me revise my paper?
No, the editors are not able to help authors complete the actual revisions; they will only provide detailed feedback to the author to identify problem areas.
Q: Once I receive the reader’s comments, what steps should I take to revise before resubmitting?
Watcher Junior practices the 'double-blind' review in which the identity of the author is kept anonymous to the two reviewers/evaluators. Instead, each essay is allocated a unique submission ID when it is received and processed. The 'double-blind' practice also means that the identity of the reviewers remains anonymous to the author. This policy ensures that the work is evaluated on its merits alone.
Q. What does "revise and resubmit" mean?
"Revise and resubmit" is the most common response to submissions. It means that the reviewers found your submission topic suitable for Watcher Junior, but that changes are needed before it is ready for publication. The reviewers will provide specific and constructive recommendations for improving your work. Authors should not be discouraged by this response, and should resubmit after revision.
Q. Am I permitted to resubmit my paper if it is rejected?
No, rejected papers are not eligible for resubmission.
Q. How much time am I given to revise and resubmit my paper?
Authors who are asked to revise their papers will be given a deadline for resubmitting their work. Generally, authors will have approximately six weeks to resubmit their essays.
Q. Will Watcher Junior editors help me revise my paper?
No, the editors are not able to help authors complete the actual revisions; they will only provide detailed feedback to the author to identify problem areas.
Q: Once I receive the reader’s comments, what steps should I take to revise before resubmitting?
- Peer review is meant to assist all writers at every level in improving their argument, analysis, and the article’s relevance to the reader. Revising based on the reader’s comments will strengthen your article and ensure publication.
- First, upon receiving comments and feedback, we recommend re-reading your paper along with the reader’s comments and changes.
- Then, go through and “Accept” the in-line textual changes using the Review button.
- Next divide the reader’s comments between Revisions for Content and Revisions for Style. It is better and more productive to make your content changes, such as thesis, evidence, and answering the “so what” question regarding your argument, before addressing stylistic changes, such as tense, active voice, grammar and citations, in your article.
- Finally, after revising, read your paper out loud to yourself to catch any last awkward phrasing, word choice issues, grammatical problems and to help polish the final product.
- Remember to use the Watcher Junior style guide found on this site to prepare your final draft for publication.
- Congratulations, it is time to resubmit!
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