Publishing research before college is becoming increasing common, and such publications are viewed favorably for college applications. That said, for most high schoolers (and their parents), this is new territory. At the AIClub Research Institute, our students have published over 50 research papers, most at prestigious venues such as IEEE, ACM and SPIE, where acceptance is based on merit review by experts in the field. These students are often the only high schoolers at the respective venue, where most other work presented is by professors, Ph.D students, and professionals. We even have 100% acceptance rates to some of these venues, where every AIClub student who has submitted has had their research paper accepted. In this blog, we explain the landscape of targets available to high school students, and the tradeoffs therein.
Is a research publication for a high schooler prestigious?
Engaging in research demonstrates passion for a topic, a commitment to studying deeply, and a capability to apply good logical and scientific principles to explore hypothesis and validate innovations. Publishing that research reaches a new level. Publication in a reputable and prestigious venue demonstrates that others, often leaders in their fields, have recognized the merit of your work and recognize your innovative contributions.
Conferences vs. Journals
A conference is typically a scheduled event, where research is presented. Conferences can be archival or non-archival. Archival means that the research paper will be published. Journals, on the other hand, do not usually have an associated event. Conferences and journals can vary in prestige - one is not necessarily better than the other.
High School vs. Professional
High school journals and conferences usually accept research from high school (or middle school) students regardless of topic. Some are limited to high schoolers. Professional conferences, on the other hand, tend to be topic focused, and will consider work in their specific domain regardless of the age of the submitter.
Which is better for my high schooler?
In the AIClub Research Institute, our mentors guide students to the best target based on many factors, such as - the target timeframe for completion, the topic of the project, the competitiveness of the work, and the student's previous work. For example, a student who has previously published in a high school venue or journal is likely to be encouraged to target a professional venue, where the bar is higher but the prestige is also much higher.
Are these pay to play?
No. We never recommend pay to play journals or conferences. Note that many of these exist, but AIClub only recommends venues where acceptance is based strictly on merit. Many of the professional venues even review blind (to ensure that decisions are in no way based on who you are). Acceptance at these reputed venues is the best for our students - anyone reviewing their accomplishment can be certain of the quality of their work and the acceptance by experts in their field.
How can I get started?
Check out some of our students' publications and sign up for a consultation here.
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