Publishing with Student Co-Authors

Supporting student research is part of our mission as a teaching-focused institution. Co-authoring with students can advance your own scholarship while building students’ skills, confidence, and professional trajectories. It can help students decide if they're interested in a research-focused graduate program and engages them in real-world applications of what they're learning in courses.

Listing Students as Co-Authors

A student should be included as a co-author if they:

Contributed to the research question, design, data collection, analysis, or interpretation.
Took part in drafting or revising the manuscript.

A good tip: if the student knows the project and findings well enough to explain it if asked, they may qualify as a co-author. If they don't, that's a key sign their participation didn't rise to that level.

Discuss who will be a co-author, and the authorship order, early to ensure everyone has the same expectations. Follow the usual conventions in the field for author order.

Where to Publish with Student Co-Authors

Not all journals accept work with undergraduate co-authors. Check on the policies of the journal you're interested in to see if they have any restrictions or guidance on student authorship, particularly if an undergraduate is the primary/first author.

Some journals specialize in publishing undergraduate student work and can be a good choice to let students experience the process of submitting a manuscript and making revisions. Just be aware these journals may not meet standards expected for faculty publishing in the field; talk to your dean and other respected peers about how such publications would count in promotion, tenure, or award portfolios.