The first issue of the SFRN Journal
We’re now inviting submissions for our first issue, planned for Summer 2027. Whether you have a finished project or something still taking shape, there’s a place for your work here.
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Who can submit?
Any current Sixth Form student (Year 12 or Year 13), at any UK state or independent school or college, whether or not your school is already part of the Network.
We do ask that you have a teacher or supervisor at your school or college who is aware that you are making the submission and who is happy to be contacted. Please supply an email address for this person when you submit.
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What can I submit?
We publish articles: short, sharpened versions of a longer piece of research you have already carried out, such as an EPQ, Extended Essay or an independent project of your own. Your article should answer a specific research question or address a set title, so that a reader can see at once what you set out to find and what you concluded. Think of it as your original project refined and clipped to its essentials: the inquiry, the evidence and the argument.
Articles should be roughly 1,500–4,000 words (completed project) or roughly 500–1,500 words (work in progress).
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Does my project have to be finished?
No. There are two tracks, so a project doesn’t have to be finished to be worth sharing. Work in progress is warmly welcomed here, not treated as a lesser version of a finished article.
If you are submitting work in progress, please include a short reflective note on your findings so far and where you’re heading next.
Work in progress submissions should, in the first instance, be expressions of interest. We will work with you so that progress towards publication could not affect the award of a qualification if you are, for example, working towards an EPQ, Extended Essay or any other externally assessed research award. Please do get in touch if you have any questions about this.
We are consulting with examination boards to confirm acceptable time frames for publication for all submissions.
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What citation style should I use?
We prefer APA-style in-text references and a reference list, but will also consider work formatted consistently in another major convention (Harvard, MLA or Chicago). Submissions with incomplete citations cannot be considered.
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When does the Journal launch?
We’re aiming for our first articles to be published in Summer 2027. The journal will be free to read online. We will be taking rolling submissions from the 25th of September 2026. There may however be future calls for papers for special sections which are based around particular themes or subject-specific.
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Who reviews submissions, and when will I hear back?
Submissions are read by a growing editorial board of researchers and educators from across the Network. We aim to respond to all those sharing submissions within 3 months.
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What feedback will I receive?
Your submission will be traffic-lighted with suggestions about how you might edit or evolve your piece of writing in order for it to be published in the journal.
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What do the traffic light feedback tiers mean?
‘Green’ would be very unusual and would mean that it could be published with no corrections. ‘Amber’ would give some suggestions of editing and development required for it to be ready for publication. ‘Red’ would suggest substantial changes are needed to be made in order for your piece to be published.