Once the excitement of creating a new journal has waned and publication has begun, a new challenge arises in sustainability. Augusta University first published their undergraduate research journal, Arsenal, through their institutional repository managed by the University Libraries in 2016. The Arsenal (ISSN 2380-5064 online) is a peer-reviewed, open-access interdisciplinary publication that is dedicated to publishing manuscripts resulting from Augusta University undergraduate research. Each paper published in the Arsenal undergoes a peer review process facilitated by the journal‘s Student Editorial Review Board and must be approved by an appointed faculty reviewer in the paper’s respective discipline. It is a student-run journal sponsored by the Center for Undergraduate Research & Scholarship (CURS) and published and managed by the University Libraries. The Arsenal serves as a great impetus for developing careers of nascent researchers.
Since the journal’s first publication in 2016, however, several unanticipated factors arose that have influenced continued publication. Some of these factors include changes on the student editorial board, faculty turnover, research agendas for mentoring faculty, and IRB requirements. Librarians from Augusta University will discuss some of the challenges that arose since initial publication and how the library adapted to these challenges. They will also discuss ways the library is bridging gaps to ensure continued publication of the journal, such as increasing marketing and promotion of the Arsenal to faculty and students, as well as developing further relationships with student organizations to ensure the Arsenal’s student-centered focus.
