The World of Journals

Welcome to one of the nation’s only undergraduate research journals in mass communications.

The website of the Council on Undergraduate Research lists more than 200 undergraduate research journals nationwide.

Some of these journals focus on a discipline (e.g., Journal of Undergraduate Research in Physics), some are university-based and multidisciplinary (e.g., MIT Undergraduate Research Journal), and others are university-based and disciplinary (e.g., Harvard Political Review).

The Elon Journal focuses on undergraduate research in journalism, media and communications.

The School of Communications at Elon University is the creator and publisher of the online journal. The first issue was published in spring 2010 under the editorship of Byung Lee, associate professor in the School of Communications. Harlen Makemson, professor in the School of Communications, has overseen the publication since fall 2018.

The three purposes of the journal are:

  • To publish the best undergraduate research in Elon’s School of Communications each term,
  • To serve as a repository for quality work to benefit future students seeking models for how to do undergraduate research well, and
  • To advance the university’s priority to emphasize undergraduate student research.

The Elon Journal is published twice a year, with spring and fall issues.

Articles in the journal may be downloaded, reproduced and redistributed without permission for non-commercial purposes as long as the author and source are properly cited. Student authors retain copyright ownership of their works.