UNC publishes more than 50 open access journals across a wide variety of disciplines. Reflecting the strengths and missions of constituent institutions, they include international publications, law reviews, creative and literary magazines, and undergraduate research journals.
Open access journals help UNC accomplish its mission to discover, create, transmit, and apply knowledge to address the needs of individuals and society. They offer broader visibility and foster greater public engagement, since content is available to everyone, regardless of whether they or their institutions can afford to pay. This helps foster interdisciplinary conversations, wider collaborations, and faster scientific advances. Studies have shown that open access articles are viewed and cited more often than articles behind a paywall. Open access journals emphasize the rights of authors to retain copyright in their work and to license that work in ways that encourage sharing and reuse.
Journals Listing by University
Appalachian State University
BeeXML: Journal for Bee Data Standardization
Founded in Fall 2020 by collaborators worldwide including Apimondia and researchers at Appalachian State University, BeeXML: Bee Data Standardization (Bee XML) is an open access journal that focuses on pollinators and developing data interchange standards to facilitate data science and learning outcomes. A unique feature of BeeXML is the publishing of an open data standard that would be validated through the publishing process and published in a digital library for the world to use. Pollinators are responsible for 1⁄3 of our food supply, and many of our pollinators are in danger. This effort would help rural development by helping protect our pollinators and food system that much of our rural and underrepresented communities depend on.
Data & Analytics For Good
Founded in Fall 2020, Data & Analytics For Good is a partnership between Appalachian State University’s Center for Analytics Research and Education, University of Arkansas, and SAS Institute. In addition to being open access, Data & Analytics For Good will collect and peer-review data sets that furthers one or more of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. A unique feature of this journal is that each article will be linked to a real open access dataset that can be downloaded and used. By bringing all of this data for good in one place it can be mined for educational and applied projects to benefit the community while providing learning and educational opportunities for those wishing to learn data science.
Journal of the Blue Cross Blue Shield North Carolina Institute for Health & Human Services
The Journal of the Blue Cross NC Institute for Health and Human Services (JIHHS) addresses the most salient regional problems and opportunities surrounding health and wellness in Western North Carolina and highlights the ongoing efforts of the Institute’s regional collaborations to address these through research, outreach, education/training, and program development.
East Carolina University
Ancient TL
Ancient TL is a journal devoted to luminescence dating, electron spin resonance (ESR) dating, and related techniques. It aims to publish papers detailing experimental and theoretical results in this field, with a minimum of delay between submission and publication. Sponsor/Owner: Luminescence Dosimetry Laboratory, Department of Physics, East Carolina University
Engineering Design Graphics Journal
The Engineering Design Graphics Journal serves as the official journal of the American Society for Engineering Education, Engineering Design Graphics Division and provides a professional publication for educators and industry personnel associated with activities in engineering, technology, descriptive geometry, CAD, and any research related to visualization and design. Sponsor/Owner: American Society for Engineering Education, Engineering Design Graphics Division
Global Partners in Education Journal
Global Partners in Education Journal (GPEJ) publishes original research and best practices articles focused on advancing the knowledge base of global education. Sponsor/Owner: Global Academic Initiatives, East Carolina University
Journal of Curriculum & Instruction
The Journal of Curriculum and Instruction was a peer-reviewed, open access journal that provided a forum for the dissemination of articles focused on research, practice, and related issues relevant to teaching and learning in the PreK-12 environment. Sponsor/Owner: College of Education, ECU
North Carolina Folklore Journal
The North Carolina Folklore Journal features studies of North Carolina folklore and folklife, analyses of folklore in Southern literature, and articles whose rigorous or innovative approach pertains to local folklife study. Sponsor/Owner: North Carolina Folklore Society
North Carolina Libraries
North Carolina Libraries publishes article of interest to librarians in North Carolina and around the world. It is the official publication of the North Carolina Library Association and as such publishes the Official Minutes of the Executive Board and conference proceedings. Sponsor/Owner: North Carolina Library Association
The Lookout
The Lookout is a journal of undergraduate research and creative writing dedicated to showcasing the writing prowess of students from all disciplines at East Carolina University. Sponsor/Owner: ECU English (undergrad research across all disciplines)
Theory and Practice in Rural Education
Theory & Practice in Rural Education is a journal focusing on the needs of rural students, educators, community partners, and schools. Research Forum and Practice Forum are the two main sections of the journal. Sponsor/Owner: Rural Education Institute, East Carolina University
Fayetteville State University
Journal of Research Initiatives
The Journal of Research Initiatives (JRI) is a peer-reviewed and methodologically diverse open access journal, publishing articles and book reviews on K-12 and higher education research and best practices. The peer review process is an essential aspect of JRI, as this maintains a substantial standard in publishing and brings to the journal a diverse editorial review board and researchers globally. The journal covers a broad range of educational issues including social justice, economic equality, academic achievement, intellectual best practices, and cultural empathy. JRI is edited by Dr. Linda Wilson-Jones, founder and editor-in-chief and the editorial staff in the College of Education at Fayetteville State University. The first edition was published Fall/Winter 2013.
North Carolina Central University
North Carolina Central University Law Review
The North Carolina Central Law Review is a student-operated journal at the North Carolina Central University School of Law which publishes scholarship relevant to the interests of judges, attorneys, researchers, and students in North Carolina and nationwide.
North Carolina Central University Science & Intellectual Property Law Review
North Carolina Central University Science and Intellectual Property Law Review serves as a unique and cutting-edge journal which sought to make substantial contributions to the development of biotechnology and pharmaceutical law.
North Carolina Central University Undergraduate Research Journal
North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics
Blue Mirror
Blue Mirror is North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics’s art and literature journal devoted to providing an outlet for the creativity and passion of NCSSM students.
Broad Street Scientific
The Broad Street Scientific showcases some of the most interesting and complex math- and science-centered research projects explored by students at NCSSM. Sponsor/Owner: NCSSM Science Department
North Carolina State University
A Contracorriente: una revista de estudios latinoamericanos
A Contracorriente ofrece una amplia gama de títulos sobre los estudios latinoamericanos y otros temas afines a nuestra revista. Todos nuestros títulos están disponibles en la mayoría de las tiendas virtuales (Amazon o Barnes and Noble) así como a través de nuestro distribuidor The University of North Carolina Press.
UNC Asheville
African Americans in Western North Carolina and Appalachia (Conference Proceedings)
The African Americans in Western North Carolina journal contains the proceedings from the annual conference. Sponsor/Owner: UNC Asheville
Appalachian Curator
The Appalachian Curator is a newsletter by and about special collections and archives that collect primary and secondary materials related to the Appalachian mountains. Our intended audience is scholars, students, researchers, archivists, librarians, and anyone else with an interest in resources that document Appalachia. Sponsor/Owner: Appalachian Studies Association Special Collections Committee
Dignity
Dignity: An Undergraduate Human Rights Journal endeavors to showcase a broad spectrum of human rights scholarship by undergraduate students in the University of North Carolina System. Dignity fosters awareness of international and domestic human rights by publishing an annual academic journal containing high-quality, undergraduate human rights research from across the disciplines.
Mathematics and Sports
Mathematics and Sports (MAS) aims to be an all-inclusive journal at the interface of mathematics and sports. MAS serves to publish high quality quantitative analysis encompassing all aspects of sports at all levels with the aim to better understand sports and to further mathematics education through sports. MAS welcomes submissions that include mathematical, statistical, and computer science analysis of all sports including professional, collegiate, youth, and Olympic sports as well as outdoor recreation, non-traditional sports, and education through sports.
Moja: Interdisciplinary Journal of Africana Studies
Moja presents an open-access platform for interdisciplinary scholarly dialogues on topics from all disciplines related to Africana (African-Diasporic, African, or African-American) studies. Moja invites the submission of scholarly, critical, theoretical, or pedagogical manuscripts or other modalities such as spoken word performance or visual arts.
Proceedings of the National Conference on Undergraduate Research
The Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR), founded in 1978, is an organization of individual, institutional, and affiliate members from around the world. CUR members share a focus on providing high-quality and collaborative undergraduate research, scholarly, and creative activity opportunities for faculty and students. CUR believes that faculty members enhance their teaching and contribution to society by remaining active in research and by involving undergraduates in research, and that students engaged in undergraduate research succeed in their studies and professional advancement. Papers and proceedings are hosted by UNC Asheville.
Southern Appalachian Undergraduate Philosophy Conference Papers and Proceedings
Conference papers and proceedings from the annual Southern Appalachian Undergraduate Philosophy Conference on the campus of UNC Asheville.
UNCA Journal of Undergraduate Research
The UNCA Journal of Undergraduate Research is an open-access journal of scholarly work conducted by undergraduate students at UNC-Asheville. Sponsor/Owner: UNC Asheville
UNC Charlotte
Dialogues in Social Justice: An Adult Education Journal
Dialogues in Social Justice: An Adult Education Journal (DSJ) (ISSN 2578-2029) is a scholarly, blind peer-reviewed, open-access journal which seeks to publish a unique blend of original high-quality research, policy, theory, and practice articles, reflection essays, book and resource reviews, and arts-based works related to all aspects of social justice in the field of adult, continuing, and adult higher education.
Journal of Applied Educational and Policy Research
The Journal of Applied Educational and Policy Research (JAEPR) is a peer-reviewed, scholarly, open-access journal of the Center for Educational Measurement and Evaluation at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in partnership with the North Carolina Association for Researchers in Education (NCARE).
NHSA Dialog: The Research-to-Practice Journal for the Early Childhood Field
The mission of NHSA Dialog: The Research-to-Practice Journal for the Early Childhood Field is to: a) offer a quality outlet for research results to the Head Start and broader early childhood community, b) ensure that research results are effectively translated for practice and policy, and c) that provides a forum for two-way communication between researchers and practitioners.
Undergraduate Journal of Psychology
Undergraduate Journal of Psychology is a refereed, open-access journal, open to undergraduate students across the U.S. and around the globe. The journal is dedicated to publishing exceptional, original, student-authored manuscripts. Empirical studies and integrative literature reviews on timely topics in Psychology or Psychology-related fields including interdisciplinary research.
University of North Carolina at Charlotte Undergraduate Research Journal
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte Undergraduate Research Journal is an open-access and peer reviewed journal of scholarly work conducted by undergraduate students.
Urban Education Research and Policy Annuals
The Urban Education Research & Policy Annuals is a graduate student journal that consists of empirical and theoretical research written by masters and doctoral-level students in the areas related to urban education.
UNC Chapel Hill
Carolina Planning Journal
The Carolina Planning Journal contains articles written by academics and practitioners in the field of urban planning and cover a wide range of public planning topics. Additionally, the journal features book reviews, reports on current planning projects, and a list of recent departmental Master’s theses and PhD dissertations. Sponsor/Owner: UNC-CH Department of City and Regional Planning
First Amendment Law Review
The First Amendment Law Review (FALR) is a student-edited legal journal that seeks to promote and protect the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution through publishing scholarly writings on, and promoting discussion of, issues related to the First Amendment.
Global Africana Review
The Global Africana Review is the African, African American and Diaspora Studies department academic journal comprised of UNC undergraduate students’ research. Sponsor/Owner: UNC-CH Department of African, African American and Diaspora Studies (undergrad research)
North Carolina Banking Institute
The North Carolina Banking Institute is a student-edited law journal at the University of North Carolina School of Law. It is a leading banking law resource for attorneys, judges, policymakers, and scholars and contains practical as well as academic articles and features.
North Carolina Journal of International Law
The North Carolina Journal of International Law (formerly The North Carolina Journal of International Law and Commercial Regulation) has two principal goals: first, to broaden the image of the UNC School of Law by providing attorneys with a publication focused on the practice of international law and second, to keep the law school in contact with those in the business and legal community that are forging ahead in the practice of international law.
North Carolina Journal of Law and Technology
The North Carolina Journal of Law & Technology is a student-published law journal of the University of North Carolina School of Law. The journal’s mission is to provide legal scholarship focusing on the many intersections between law and technology. Areas covered include intellectual property law, cyberspace law, environmental law, criminal law, health law, privacy law, and any other subject area where the sciences and law converge.
North Carolina Law Review
The North Carolina Law Review is a student-operated journal at the University of North Carolina School of Law which publishes scholarship relevant to the interests of judges, attorneys, researchers, and students in North Carolina and nationwide.
Traces: The UNC-Chapel Hill Journal of History
Traces: The UNC-Chapel Hill Journal of History publishes a historical research and writing on a variety of subjects by UNC students. Sponsor/Owner: UNC-CH Department of History (undergrad & grad research)
UNC Greensboro
Archival Practice
Archival Practice provides a scholarly forum for research articles, case studies, and position pieces related to all aspects of modern archival practice. Sponsor/Owner: UNCG University Libraries
Communication Center Journal
The Communication Center Journal (CCJ) is a national, peer-reviewed journal that features research and perspectives relevant to communication centers in higher education. Sponsor/Owner: UNCG University Libraries
Found Sounds: UNCG Musicology Journal
Found Sounds: UNCG Musicology Journal, is a journal devoted to the publication of musicology research papers by UNCG Students, Faculty and Affiliates. Sponsor/Owner: UNCG University Libraries
Global Journal of Peace Research and Praxis
The Global Journal of Peace Research and Praxis is interdisciplinary and globally focused regarding the advancement of peace scholarship and peace praxis. Sponsor/Owner: UNCG University Libraries
International Journal of Critical Pedagogy
The International Journal of Critical Pedagogy is committed to publishing original articles that propose innovative understandings and applications of critical pedagogy. Sponsor/Owner: UNCG University Libraries
International Journal of Nurse Practitioner Educators
The goal of the International Journal of Nurse Practitioner Educators is to assist faculty from around the world as they transform nurse practitioner education. This peer-reviewed quarterly journal promotes excellence in national and international advanced practice education. Sponsor/Owner: UNCG University Libraries
Journal of Appreciative Education
The Journal of Appreciative Education (JAE) is an open-access e-journal committed to promoting educational theories, practices and collaborations from an appreciative, strength-based perspective. Sponsor/Owner: UNCG University Libraries
Journal of Backcountry Studies
The Journal of Backcountry Studies is a refereed scholarly journal on the Internet focused on the colonial history of the Backcountry – the rural corridor that stretches from southern Pennsylvania to Augusta, Ga. Sponsor/Owner: UNCG University Libraries
Journal of Learning Spaces
The Journal of Learning Spaces provides a scholarly, multidisciplinary forum for research articles, case studies, book reviews, and position pieces related to all aspects of learning space design, operation, pedagogy, and assessment in higher education. Sponsor/Owner: UNCG University Libraries
Journal of Movement Arts Literacy
The Journal of Movement Arts Literacy focuses on movement notation, movement analysis, body-mind cognition, pedagogy, movement theory, and research integrating these subjects. Sponsor/Owner: UNCG University Libraries
North Carolina Journal of Mathematics and Statistics
The North Carolina Journal of Mathematics and Statistics is a broad-based journal encouraging submission of original research papers, significant review articles, and book reviews in all areas of mathematics and statistics. Sponsor/Owner: UNCG University Libraries
Partnerships: A Journal of Service-Learning and Civic Engagement
Partnerships: A Journal of Service-Learning and Civic Engagement is a peer-reviewed journal focused on how theories and practices can inform and improve such partnerships, connections, and collaborations. Sponsor/Owner: North Carolina Campus Compact; UNCG University Libraries
Proceedings of the Conference for Entrepreneurial Librarians
The Conference for Entrepreneurial Librarians provides a forum to share and celebrate the entrepreneurial accomplishments of librarians and information professionals to inspire each other to innovate and promote change, and to create a community to promote entrepreneurial practices. Sponsor/Owner: UNCG University Libraries
Working Papers in Education
UNCG’s Working Papers in Education is an annual, peer-reviewed, online journal managed by graduate students of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro’s School of Education. Sponsor/Owner: UNCG University Libraries
UNC Wilmington
Academy of Economics and Finance Journal
The Academy of Economics and Finance Journal (AEFJ) is the refereed publication of selected research presented at the annual meetings of the Academy of Economics and Finance. Sponsor/Owner: Cameron School of Business, Dept. of Economics and Finance
Atlantis: a creative magazine
Atlantis is a creative magazine that features all types of art, photography, prose, and poetry with a unique perspective with contributions from undergraduate or graduate students at any public or private university or community college in North Carolina. Sponsor/Owner: UNCW Student Media
Economic Barometer
The Economic Barometer is a quarterly snapshot of local, regional and national economic trends. It is produced by the Swain Center’s economic and financial team. Sponsor/Owner: Cameron School of Business: Swain Center for Executive Education & Economic Development
Explorations: the journal of undergraduate research and creative activities for the State of North Carolina
Explorations: The Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities Journal for the State of North Carolina is intended as a means for featuring the work of undergraduate students across the state as a companion publication to the State of North Carolina Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities Symposium. Sponsor/Owner: CSURF from 2007-2017; Moved to NCSU in 2017
Journal of Economics and Finance Education
The Journal of Economics and Finance Education (JEFE) is an electronic journal of the Academy of Economics and Finance (AEF). It is a general interest publication, which targets articles in the area of economic and finance education. Sponsor/Owner: Cameron School of Business, Dept. of Economics and Finance
Journal of Effective Teaching
The Journal of Effective Teaching is a peer reviewed electronic journal devoted to the discussion of teaching excellence in colleges and universities. Ceased in 2017, predecessor to JETHE. Sponsor/Owner: Center for Teaching Excellence
Journal of Effective Teaching in Higher education
The Journal of Effective Teaching in Higher Education is an open access electronic peer-reviewed journal that advances the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) focused on institutions of higher education. Sponsor/Owner: Center for Teaching Excellence
Palaver: UNCW’s interdisciplinary journal
Palaver is UNCW’s online interdisciplinary journal housed in the Graduate Liberal Studies program. At Palaver, we challenge and embrace the vintage definition of “an often prolonged parley usually between persons of different levels of culture and sophistication.” Sponsor/Owner: Graduate Liberal Studies
Semicolon Literary Journal
semicolon explores the facets and intricacies of mental health and illness through the various ways it manifests in our lives. We aim to showcase fiction, nonfiction, and poetry by established and emerging writers. Sponsor/Owner: Founded by UNCW students and alumni
Undergraduate Journal of Service Learning & Community-Based Research
Undergraduate Journal of Service Learning and Community-Based Research is a refereed, multi-disciplinary, online undergraduate journal dedicated to publishing exceptional intellectual and reflective work by UNCW undergraduates on service learning and community-based research and all related curriculum- and/or research-based public community engagement activities. Sponsor/Owner: Office of Applied Learning
