Theme/Issue for Next Volume’s Submissions
Democracy, Then and Now:
The 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence
We are excited to announce a call for papers for the Undergraduate Journal of Contemporary Issues & Media. The year 2026 marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the official founding of the United States. There will be parades and festivities, and likely, social movement momentum. This edition will focus on the idea of democracy. What is it? What does it mean to you? What do you want for its future? We invite undergraduate students from any college/university in any discipline to contribute their research, insights, and perspectives on this important topic.
In 1776 people from the Colonies came together to sign the Declaration of Independence, an announcement of the separation of what became the United States of America from Great Britain. The document listed numerous injustices the King of Great Britain had perpetrated on the Colonies to motivate them to divorce from the country to form their own, to uphold the ideals of Enlightenment thinking. The idea of democracy has withheld the test of time in the United States, with people continuing to advocate for the Declaration of Independence. Much has changed since then. American society is in a time of great change. The principles put forth in the Declaration of Independence impact us all.
To read the Declaration of Independence, go to:
https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript
For the upcoming volume of The Undergraduate Journal of Contemporary Issues & Media, we welcome submissions that engage with issues of democracy. We are interested in a variety of submission types, including traditional academic research, personal narrative, oral history, creative writing, visual/multimodal texts, and more.
Authors might consider topics like the following in scholarly, creative, and/or narrative submissions:
- Democracy as an ideal and where it is today.
- How democracy has taken different forms, from voting rights to free speech.
- How your expectations of democracy have formed and/or transformed.
- Generational perspectives on democracy.
- The role of institutions in supporting or limiting democracy.
- How different cultures and people experience democracy.
- The role of the media in contributing to and constraining democracy.
- Strategies and “better practices” to support and preserve democracy.
- Civil discussions toward positive action to help democracy thrive.
- Personal narratives about democracy.
(Please note that submissions on other topics will be considered.)
Submission Information
Submission Deadline: September 1st, 2026
Submission Process: Please submit your papers to undergraduatejournal
Review Process: All submissions will undergo an editorial review process from undergraduate student editors in a Technical Editing course at the University of Utah during Fall 2026.
Important Dates
- Submission Deadline: September 1st
- Notification of Acceptance: End of September 2026
- Publication Date: Spring 2028
Contact Information: For any queries, please contact the Associate Editor, Maureen Mathison at undergraduatejournal or Rachel.Bryson
We look forward to your contributions and to advancing the conversation on democracy, then and now.
Formatting
- MP3 for sound;
- MP4 for filmic;
- jpg for photography;
- Arial 12-pt for traditional texts (we have no required fonts/sizes for creative texts).
Note
Please make sure to complete the Institutional Review Board Process at your institution or receive signed permissions from your participants if doing research with people. Also, be mindful of copyright when using photographs or other work from the internet or social media.
Rachel Bryson, PhD
Assistant Professor (Lecturer)
Associate Director of Composition
Co-Editor, UJCIM
Department of Writing & Rhetoric Studies
The University of Utah