Faculty Mentors
Congratulations on working toward a submission to Incite. We're excited to support you and showcase your research. Here’s everything you need to know to prepare, submit, and revise your work successfully.
Thank you for mentoring a student preparing a submission for Incite: The Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship.
Your expertise is essential in helping students navigate the research, writing, and editing process and in ensuring their work meets the standards of scholarly publication.
You may also wish to review the Instructions for Students.
Types of Eligible Student Submissions
Student research submissions may include, but are not limited to:
- Senior seminar research papers/projects
- Original research projects
- Literature reviews
- Research papers completed for coursework
- Translations
- Research proposals
- Research articles
- Write-ups of other research studies
For original creative writing (fiction, poetry, plays, etc.), students should submit to Longwood’s undergraduate-run literary magazine, A Common Place.
Role of the Faculty Mentor
As a faculty mentor, your primary role is to guide your student throughout the research, writing, and revision process. This includes:
- Assisting with research and data collection (if applicable)
- Offering feedback on early drafts to help refine arguments, structure, and clarity
- Guiding acceptable uses of AI and ensuring inclusion of an AI Statement (See Incite AI Policy)
- Assisting with grammar, organization, and formatting (refer to the Incite Style Guide)
- Recommending Writing Center support when needed
- Review and sign off before the student’s initial submission on Digital Commons
- Help your student interpret and implement editorial feedback
- Review and sign off again before the student’s final submission on Digital Commons
Your name will appear alongside the student's name in the published version of the journal.
Submission Process
Initial Submission
Once the paper is polished, the student must:
- Submit it to the Digital Commons: Initial Submission Site
- Upload a completed Incite Cover Sheet Tempate 2025-2026 (doc) signed by you
Your signature confirms that you support the submission and believe it is suitable for publication.
Editorial Review
- The Incite Editorial Board will review submissions and provide feedback, typically by late January via the student’s Longwood email.
- Students will be matched with a board member with subject matter expertise when possible
- If you'd like to join as a reviewer, contact Dr. Hannah Dudley-Shotwell at shotwellhg@longwood.edu.
Handling Editorial Feedback
Students may receive more feedback than they can realistically incorporate. Help them prioritize revisions that most strengthen their work while preserving the integrity of their research and writing.
Use your discretion to balance ambition with practicality, and discuss the differences between publishing in Incite and in a professional academic journal.
- Help your student prioritize which changes to implement
- Use your expertise to guide revisions while preserving the student’s original intent
- Clarify the differences between publishing in Incite and academic journals in your field
Final resubmissions are due mid-February.
Resubmitting the Paper
For the final submission, students must:
- Upload the revised Word document to Digital Commons
- Submit a new Cover Sheet, signed by you
Remind your student to follow the Style Guide carefully, especially the section on images.
Final decisions are made by Dr. Hannah Dudley-Shotwell, in consultation with you and the Editorial Board.
Faculty Mentor Award Eligibility
Faculty mentors are eligible for a Mentorship Award, based on:
- Student feedback
- Quality of mentorship as observed by the Editorial Board
The Editorial Board will select the award recipient.
Celebrate Your Student’s Success
Students who publish in Incite are:
- Automatically eligible for student awards
- Recognized in the Spring Student Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry (late April)
- Provided printed copies of Incite at the Showcase
Thank you for playing an essential role in supporting student research and academic growth!
Questions?
Dr. Hannah Dudley-Shotwell
Editor, Incite
shotwellhg@longwood.edu