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Aletheia—The Alpha Chi Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship debuted in 2016 and is an online, peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary undergraduate journal. The mission of the Journal is to promote high-quality research and scholarship among undergraduates by showcasing exemplary work and by fostering mentor/mentee relationships between faculty and students. In keeping with the strong tradition of student involvement in all levels of Alpha Chi, the journal also provides a forum for students to become actively involved in the writing, peer review, and publication process.
Alpha Chi has always been deeply invested in fueling undergraduate research and creativity—challenging students to find and lend their growing voice to the most pressing conversations and issues of the moment. Publishing that original work—some for the first time—is part of being an Alpha Chi member. Aletheia presents students with an opportunity to disseminate online their empirical research, critical literary analysis, policy analysis, or artistic endeavors to a wider audience. Combined with the opportunity to present papers and creative work at the National Convention, Alpha Chi is a springboard for students to launch their scholarly careers.
The editorial staff of Aletheia works hard to make its peer review a good place to start—helping members craft a high-quality article and providing them with feedback from scholars in their field. Peer-reviewed articles accepted for publication exemplify the best research practices in a field and offer a way to add legitimate value to a curriculum vitae.
All Alpha Chi undergraduate members in good standing may submit research and scholarly work. Manuscript submissions after the author's graduation are welcome if the bulk of the work was completed before the primary author’s undergraduate graduation. Collaborative authorship is also welcome and should follow the convention of the discipline of the scholarship. Questions regarding authorship and undergraduate status should be directed to an editor. Alpha Chi members are exempt from a submission fee.
Non-Member Fee
A $75 submission fee is due at the time of submission. If the submission is rejected by an editor within the first two months, the fee will be refunded.
General Manuscript Eligibility
Submissions must be in English and be in any basic or applied field of study, including physical and life sciences, social sciences, humanities, education, engineering, and the arts. Examples of research articles that may be accepted include the following:
Other types of scholarship that may be accepted include the following:
Follow the detailed Guidelines for Manuscript Submissions (click to view or download the pdf).
Submission Deadlines
Aletheia welcomes manuscript submissions electronically at any time and generally intends to publish issues in the Fall. To ensure Fall publication, send submissions by April 15. If accepted, a submission will be published in the next available issue after it has been fully reviewed and prepared for publication.
Alpha Chi member Abigail Manis from the Missouri Pi chapter talks in this video about her experience with Alpha Chi's publishing process. You may read her published work in Aletheia Volume 4, Issue 2.
Our Peer Review Process
When you go from writing for your professors to writing for publication, you’ll need to understand the concept of peer review. In academic publishing, members of your relevant field (your peers) seek to maintain standards of quality, improve performance, and provide credibility. Before your article is published in a scholarly journal, it first must be deemed appropriate subject matter for the journal and up to the journal’s standards of quality. Impartial scholars in your field will review the manuscript for accuracy and assess the validity of the research methodology and procedures. It is not uncommon for peer reviewers to suggest revisions, or, if they find the article lacking in academic validity and rigor, to reject it. To download the infographic version of this information, see "Aletheia Documentation" below.
What does blind peer review mean?
Peer review points to the high quality not only of the journal, but also of your article. Aletheia goes a step further by using a blind peer review process. This means that your work is carefully and thoughtfully vetted by impartial experts in your field. So your article, if published in Aletheia, shows that your research has been reviewed for quality and substance and that you are making a significant contribution to your field. That’s a big accomplishment to help you to stand out in the crowd. You may list your peer-reviewed publication on your CV or resume—not many undergraduates can do that!
Roles for Graduate Student Members
Alpha Chi’s graduate student members are invited to experience the peer review process from the review side, writing assessments of submissions in their academic field as part of the double-blind review process. If you are interested in serving as a peer reviewer for submitted manuscripts, please email aletheia@alphachihonor.org with your area (or areas) of expertise, the name of your graduate program and school, and your expected graduation date. This information will be kept in a database of potential graduate student reviewers. When a manuscript is received that matches the expertise of a graduate student, the Editors will recommend these students as reviewers when assigning the manuscript to a Manuscript Editor. The selection of Graduate Student Reviewers will be at the discretion of the Manuscript Editor.
Aletheia Documentation
Aletheia Staff
Email aletheia@alphachihonor.org to contact the editorial staff.
Multidisciplinary Editorial Review Board: Dr. Charles Carter, Shorter University; Dr. Karl Havlak, Angelo State University; Dr. Tim Lindblom, Jacksonville State University; Dr. W. Travis McMaken, Lindenwood University; Dr. Craig Nakashian, Texas A&M University Texarkana; Dr. Craig Rogers, Campbellsville University; and Dr. Kathi Vosevich, Lindenwood University
Interested in getting published in Aletheia? Not sure if you have the right stuff?
Just send an email with your manuscript to aletheia@alphachihonor.org, and our friendly editors will give you some quick advice. We’ll let you know if you need a bit of polish or if you should just submit your manuscript directly to the official review process. We are here to help you on your publication journey.