TL;DR

• Undergraduate Economic Review publishes original student economics research.

• Submissions require a complete manuscript, abstract, and cover letter.

• Peer review at UER typically takes several weeks to several months.

• Choosing the right journal before you write saves significant revision time.

• Formatting errors are among the most common reasons for desk rejection.

You finished your economics paper. You know the argument is solid. Now you want to get it published, and you are not sure where to start. The Undergraduate Economic Review is one of the most recognised peer-reviewed journals for undergraduate economics research, and understanding exactly how its submission process works will save you time and frustration.

Many students assume submitting a paper is as simple as attaching a file and hitting send. It is not. Each journal has specific formatting requirements, scope expectations, and editorial standards. Getting any of these wrong can result in a desk rejection before a single reviewer reads your work.

This guide walks through the Undergraduate Economic Review submission process from start to finish, including what the journal looks for, how to prepare your manuscript, and what happens after you submit.

What Is the Undergraduate Economic Review?

The Undergraduate Economic Review (UER) is a peer-reviewed academic journal that publishes original economics research written by undergraduate students. It is published through Illinois Wesleyan University and is indexed in EconLit, a major economics database maintained by the American Economic Association. Acceptance is competitive, and the journal covers a wide range of economic topics including microeconomics, macroeconomics, labour economics, development economics, and econometrics.

UER was founded to give undergraduate researchers a legitimate, rigorous venue for their work. It is not a vanity publication. Papers go through genuine peer review, and the editorial standards are comparable to early-career professional journals. If your paper is accepted, it carries real credibility with graduate admissions committees and academic employers.

The journal publishes work from students at universities worldwide, so geographic location is not a barrier to submission. What matters is the quality of the research and how well it fits the journal's scope.

Is Your Paper a Good Fit for the Undergraduate Economic Review?

A paper is a good fit for UER if it presents original economic analysis, uses established economic methodology, and contributes a new finding or perspective to an existing body of literature. The journal does not publish literature reviews alone, opinion essays, or purely descriptive reports without analytical content.

Before you prepare your submission, ask three questions about your paper. First, does it use economic theory or econometric methods to answer a specific question? Second, does it engage with existing peer-reviewed literature and position itself within that conversation? Third, does it reach a conclusion that adds something new, even if modest, to what is already known?

If the answer to all three is yes, UER is worth pursuing. If your paper is primarily a policy proposal without supporting empirical or theoretical analysis, you may want to consider a different venue. A broader look at your options is available in this guide to best journals for undergraduate research, which covers journals across disciplines and helps you match your work to the right publication.

One practical check: read two or three papers already published in UER. They are freely available on the journal's website. If your paper resembles them in structure, depth, and methodology, you are likely in the right place.

How to Prepare Your Manuscript for the Undergraduate Economic Review Submission

Preparing your manuscript correctly is the single most controllable factor in whether your paper reaches peer review. Formatting errors, missing sections, or an unclear abstract can result in a desk rejection that has nothing to do with the quality of your underlying research.

Follow these steps before you submit to UER:

1. Check the journal's current author guidelines. UER publishes its submission requirements on its official website. Guidelines can change between volumes, so always read the current version before preparing your final document. Do not rely on a friend's submission from a previous year.

2. Format your manuscript to specification. UER typically requires submissions in Microsoft Word or PDF format. Your paper should include a title page, an abstract of approximately 100 to 150 words, the main body with clearly labelled sections, references, and any tables or figures. Confirm the required citation style, which is generally consistent with standard economics journals.

3. Write a strong abstract. The abstract is often the first thing an editor reads. It should state your research question, the method you used, your main finding, and why it matters. Keep it under 150 words and make every sentence count.

4. Prepare a cover letter. Address it to the editorial board. State the title of your paper, confirm it is original and not under review elsewhere, and briefly explain why it fits UER's scope. One short paragraph is enough.

5. Remove identifying information if required. Many journals use double-blind peer review, meaning reviewers do not see your name or institution. If UER requires anonymised manuscripts, remove your name, acknowledgements, and any self-referential citations from the main document before uploading.

If you are working on your first submission and want a broader orientation to the process, the post on how to publish your first paper as an undergraduate covers the foundational steps that apply across journals.

If you want structured feedback on your draft before you submit, Publication Compass is a platform built to help student researchers do exactly that, reviewing manuscripts and identifying the right journals based on the paper's content and scope.

How to Submit to the Undergraduate Economic Review

Submitting to UER follows a straightforward process, but each step requires attention. Missing one element can delay your submission or result in an outright rejection before review begins.

1. Locate the submission portal. UER accepts submissions through its official submission system, accessible from the journal's homepage at Illinois Wesleyan University's Digital Commons platform. Do not email manuscripts directly to editors unless the guidelines explicitly instruct you to.

2. Create an account or log in. The Digital Commons platform requires a free account. Use your university email address where possible, as this can assist editors in verifying your student status.

3. Complete the submission form. You will be asked for the paper title, abstract, keywords, and author information. Fill every field. Incomplete forms are a common reason submissions stall at the administrative stage.

4. Upload your manuscript and any supplementary files. Upload the main manuscript file first, then any data appendices, figures, or supplementary materials as separate files if required. Confirm file formats match the journal's requirements before uploading.

5. Submit and record your submission ID. Once submitted, you should receive a confirmation email with a reference number. Save this. It is what you will use if you need to follow up with the editorial office.

For a detailed walkthrough of the peer-reviewed journal submission process in general, the guide on how to submit a research paper to a peer-reviewed journal covers what to expect at each stage, from submission to decision.

What Happens After You Submit to the Undergraduate Economic Review

After submission, your paper enters an editorial review stage before peer review begins. The editor-in-chief or a senior editor will assess whether the paper meets basic requirements and fits the journal's scope. This is called desk review. If the paper passes desk review, it is assigned to peer reviewers, typically two or three academics or advanced graduate students with expertise in your topic area.

Peer review at journals like UER can take anywhere from several weeks to several months. The American Economic Association's own publication guidelines acknowledge that review timelines in economics journals are often longer than in other disciplines, partly because the field relies heavily on detailed empirical analysis that takes time to evaluate carefully.

When the review is complete, you will receive one of four outcomes: acceptance, minor revisions, major revisions, or rejection. Acceptance without any revisions is rare. Most accepted papers go through at least one round of revisions. If you receive a revise-and-resubmit decision, treat it as a positive signal. It means the editors believe the paper has merit and is worth developing further.

If you are rejected, read the reviewer comments carefully. Many papers that are rejected from one journal are accepted at another after targeted revisions. Rejection is a normal part of academic publishing, not a verdict on your ability as a researcher.

You may also want to consider whether uploading a preprint before or during submission is appropriate for your situation. The post on what a preprint is and whether you should upload before submitting explains the trade-offs clearly.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Submitting to UER

Most submission errors are avoidable. Knowing what they are before you submit puts you ahead of a significant portion of applicants.

Submitting a paper that is still a coursework essay is the most frequent mistake. Course papers are written for an instructor, not a research community. They often lack a literature review that engages with recent peer-reviewed sources, and they rarely frame their findings in terms of contribution to the field. Revise your paper with a research audience in mind before submitting.

Ignoring scope is another common error. UER publishes economics research. A paper on public health policy that uses no economic framework or methodology is unlikely to be a fit, even if the topic touches on economics tangentially.

Simultaneous submission to multiple journals is against standard academic publishing ethics, and UER's submission process requires you to confirm your paper is not under review elsewhere. Submitting to two journals at once is a violation of publishing norms. If you are unsure about the rules around this, the post on whether you can submit the same paper to two journals explains exactly where the lines are drawn.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does the Undergraduate Economic Review review process take?

Review timelines at UER vary, but students should expect the process to take between two and six months from initial submission to a decision. This includes desk review, peer review, and editorial deliberation. Economics journals generally have longer review cycles than journals in other fields, due to the depth of empirical analysis required.

Does the Undergraduate Economic Review charge submission or publication fees?

UER does not charge authors submission fees or article processing charges. It is published through Illinois Wesleyan University as an open-access journal, meaning published articles are freely available to readers without a paywall. Always verify current fee policies on the journal's official website before submitting, as policies can change.

Can high school students submit to the Undergraduate Economic Review?

UER is specifically designed for undergraduate students. High school students are generally not eligible to submit. If you are in high school and want to publish economics research, journals such as the Journal of Student Research or other student-facing publications may be more appropriate. The undergraduate research journals complete list includes options across different eligibility levels.

What citation style does the Undergraduate Economic Review require?

UER generally follows citation conventions standard in economics, which often align with the American Economic Review style. This typically means author-date in-text citations and a reference list formatted consistently. Always confirm the specific requirements in the journal's current author guidelines, as these details are subject to change between submission cycles.

What makes a paper competitive for the Undergraduate Economic Review?

Competitive papers present a clear research question, engage seriously with existing literature, apply appropriate economic methodology, and reach a finding that contributes something new. Strong data handling, clear writing, and honest discussion of limitations all improve a paper's chances. Papers that read like polished coursework rather than original research rarely advance past desk review.

Getting Your Economics Research Published

The Undergraduate Economic Review is a serious, credible venue for undergraduate economics research. The submission process is structured but manageable when you prepare carefully. Read the guidelines, format your manuscript correctly, write a clear abstract, and submit through the official portal. If you receive reviewer feedback, engage with it seriously rather than treating it as an obstacle.

Publishing takes patience. Most successful submissions involve at least one round of revision, and many published papers were rejected somewhere else first. The researchers who get published are not necessarily the ones with the most original ideas. They are the ones who prepare carefully, follow the process, and keep going after setbacks. For more guidance on the research and publication journey, visit the Publication Compass blog.