A High Schooler’s Guide to Doing Research (Part 7): Publishing, Competing & Continuing Your Work

By now, you’ve traveled the full arc of the research process. You started with curiosity (Part 1), chose and narrowed a topic (Part 2), built a foundation of knowledge (Part 3), designed your methodology (Part 4), collected and analyzed your data (Part 5), and communicated your results through writing and presenting (Part 6). That’s already an incredible achievement.

But here’s the thing: research doesn’t end with a finished paper or a classroom presentation. In fact, that’s often just the beginning. The next question is: what do you do with your work?

This final part explores three avenues: publishing your work, entering competitions, and continuing your research journey. Together, these take your project beyond your school or notebook and connect it to the larger scientific and academic community.

Why Publishing and Competing Matter

Research is about creating new knowledge, but that knowledge only makes an impact if it reaches others. Publishing your work, whether in a student journal or an online platform, adds your voice to the scholarly conversation. Competitions give you the chance to test your work against peers, receive feedback from experts, and gain recognition for your efforts. Continuing your work means recognizing that research isn’t a one-time project - it’s a lifelong skill and mindset you can carry into college, careers, and beyond.

Think of publishing and competing as amplifiers. They don’t change what you discovered, but they expand the audience, the credibility, and the opportunities that flow from your project.

Exploring Publishing Options

Publishing may sound intimidating, like something reserved for professors or graduate students, but there are many opportunities designed specifically for high schoolers.

1. School and Local Journals – Some schools have their own research journals or newsletters. Even if yours doesn’t, local organizations or libraries sometimes publish student work.

2. High School Research Journals – Examples include the Journal of Emerging Investigators, The Concord Review (for history papers), STEM Fellowship Journal, or Curieux Academic Journal. These are built for students like you and often provide mentorship during the review process.

3. Undergraduate or Professional Journals (Selective) – If your work is especially advanced, some undergrad or even professional journals accept submissions from high schoolers. You’ll need to check their guidelines and may require a mentor’s sponsorship.

4. Online Platforms – Even if you don’t submit to a journal, you can share your work online. Personal blogs, Medium, or community platforms let you showcase your research publicly.

5. Preprints – Sites like arXiv or bioRxiv allow early-stage research to be shared as “preprints.” While not always recommended for high school beginners, this is an option for CS and STEM projects when you want visibility fast.

   
   

Publishing isn’t about prestige. It’s about adding your voice to the conversation and learning how formal scholarly communication works. Even if you don’t get accepted at first, the process of preparing a manuscript for submission teaches you discipline and professionalism.

Entering Competitions

Competitions are another way to share your research, offering unique benefits. They often require you to explain your work both in writing and in person, which sharpens your communication skills. They also connect you to judges, mentors, and peers who can give feedback and open doors.

Some major competitions include:

• ISEF (International Science and Engineering Fair) – The largest pre-college STEM competition in the world. Projects can qualify through regional fairs.

• JSHS (Junior Science and Humanities Symposium) – Focuses on oral presentation and paper writing.

• Regeneron Science Talent Search – One of the most prestigious U.S. research competitions, highly competitive but rewarding.

• WAICY (World Artificial Intelligence Competition for Youth) – For AI-focused projects.

• Local Fairs and Hackathons – Don’t underestimate smaller competitions — they’re great practice and often more accessible.

Competing is not just about winning prizes. It’s about learning how to explain your research clearly under pressure, hearing what experts think of your work, and meeting peers who are also passionate about discovery.

Continuing Your Work

Publishing and competing are ways to share what you’ve done, but continuing your research is about what comes next. Too many students treat research as a one-off project, something they do once for a class or competition. In reality, research is iterative — one project often leads to new questions, improvements, or expansions.

For example:

• A biology experiment testing soil pH could expand into studying local water quality.

• An AI model for image classification could be improved with a larger dataset or new architecture.

• A survey on TikTok and self-esteem could be followed up with interviews or a longitudinal study.

• A humanities project on propaganda could grow into a comparative study across wars or countries.

Continuing doesn’t always mean “bigger.” Sometimes it means “deeper” - exploring one variable more carefully or improving your methodology. The goal is to see research not as a checkbox but as a journey.

Building a Research Portfolio

As you publish, compete, and continue your work, you’re also building something bigger: a portfolio. A research portfolio is a collection of your projects, presentations, and publications that demonstrates your growth as a researcher.

This portfolio can help you:

• Apply for summer programs or internships

• Strengthen your college applications

• Showcase your interests when applying for scholarships

• Reflect on your own progress over time

Your portfolio doesn’t have to be formal. Even a Google Drive folder or a personal website can serve as a living archive of your journey.

Learning from Feedback

Both publishing and competing involve feedback. Sometimes it’s encouraging, sometimes it’s critical, and sometimes it feels discouraging. But feedback is where real growth happens. If a journal rejects your paper, it doesn’t mean your work is worthless - it means you now have pointers for improvement. If a judge questions your methodology, it gives you insight into how to make your next project stronger.

Learning to accept and apply feedback is one of the most valuable skills you’ll gain from this stage. It prepares you for future academic, professional, and personal challenges.

Staying Connected to the Research Community

Publishing and competing introduce you to a larger network of researchers, professors, professionals, and other students. Staying connected to this community can lead to collaborations, mentorships, and opportunities you never imagined.

This is where the next part of the series comes in. Finding mentors and collaborators is a skill of its own, one that deserves its own guide. In fact, you may remember from my Cold Email Series that reaching out to professors or professionals with well-crafted messages can open doors to lab placements, co-authorships, or research guidance. In my upcoming “Extra” installment, I'll dive into strategies for building those connections.

Final Verdict

Publishing, competing, and continuing your work represent the final - and most exciting - stage of the high school research process. Publishing puts your work into the academic conversation. Competitions give you practice, recognition, and feedback. Continuing your work shows that you see research not as a one-time project but as a habit of curiosity and persistence.

Together, these steps turn your project from a simple assignment into a meaningful contribution and a stepping stone for your future. Whether or not you win prizes or get published on your first try, the process itself is invaluable. It builds resilience, communication skills, and a mindset of lifelong discovery.

In the Extra installment, I'll go even further: how to find mentors and collaborators who can guide you on this journey, and how to reach out effectively - drawing on cold email strategies I’ve shared before. Because research is never done alone, the right people can help you take your work to new heights.

About the Author: I'm Jophy Lin, a high school junior and researcher. I blog about a variety of topics, such as STEM research, competitions, shows, and my experiences in the scientific community. If you’re interested in research tips, competition insights, drama reviews, personal reflections on STEM opportunities, and other related topics, subscribe to my newsletter to stay updated!