13th Annual Day of Scholarship and Engagement

Volume 1, No. 1
Online ISSN: 3071-0898

© The authors. This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons 4.0 License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

13th Annual Day of Scholarship and Engagement

NOTE ON CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS

Emma Davis* and Gerard C. Lange⁺

Center for Undergraduate Research and Scholarship, Barton College, Wilson, NC, USA

*Student author, ⁺Faculty mentor

CITATION

Davis, Emma; & Lange, Gerard C. (2026). 13th Annual Day of Scholarship and Engagement [Conference proceedings]. Barton Journal, 1(1), 148–149. https://bartonjournal.org/2026-conf-proceedings-no-012

Note

Since 2012, Day of Scholarship and Engagement (DOSE), formerly known as Barton College Scholars Symposium, was established as a celebration of students and faculty research conducted at the college. From its inception, students and faculty have been given the option to present academic conference-style lectures or posters about their research. In 2012, it was not required to submit abstracts pertaining to research projects, but all potential presenters submitted an application for review. The application process was then used primarily for students competing for grant funding to support their research project. These grants were themselves provided by a grant awarded to college to establish DOSE as an annual event. Later, when the external funding was exhausted, the college shifted away from the application model, opting to require students to submit abstracts that summarized their research projects. In 2025, for the first time, abstracts about the student and faculty research projects were published in the DOSE program. This action paved the way for the college to found and launch the Barton Journal.

In fall 2025, the Barton College administration, under the leadership of President Dr. Douglas N. Searcy decided to create an academic journal to publish student-led research, thereby creating an outward facing representation of research at Barton College. Development of the journal included meticulous research on undergraduate journals from across the United States (and some other countries), in order to evaluate best practices—research that was conducted by two students, Emma Davis and Berkley Ann Hicks, under the direction of Dr. Gerard C. Lange, director of the Center for Undergraduate Research and Scholarship. In total, 30 journals were examined to model, shape, and learn from the production process in order to form the basis of Barton Journal. This research culminated in a white paper and proof of concept issue presented to the college at the end of the term. Ms. Davis and Ms. Hicks were then selected as junior editors to work under Michael K. Brantley, Barton College associate professor and Elizabeth H. Jordan Chair of Southern Literature, who was chosen to be the senior editor. Through the development of the Barton Journal, the solicitation of submissions, along with editing, publication, and stylistic guidelines have been established. At present, a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) and a Library of Congress number (LCN) are all in the process of being completed for this journal, and an International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) has been assigned.

In volume 1, no. 1, of the Barton Journal, there are 11 core articles including the lead article by Dr. Taylor Medlock-Lanier, Barton College class of 2020, and keynote speaker for the 2026 DOSE, four full-length articles, three short articles, one case study, one critical essay, and one commentary. Following this note about the journal, there are 40 abstracts, each included in the 2026 DOSE as lecture or poster presentations. In total, there are 51 presentations of various types included in the 2026 DOSE, that include the aforementioned article types.

Category I Articles
(3000–5000 words)

Full-length Article. Comprehensive, original research study common in the sciences, social sciences, humanities, and interdisciplinary fields. Presents research questions, methods, findings, and implications in full detail.

Review Article. Critical synthesis of existing scholarship across a discipline or subfield, often in the sciences, social sciences, and humanities. Identifies major debates, trends, and gaps in the literature.

Technical Report. Detailed account of applied research, development, or project-based work, typically used in engineering, technology, environmental science, and public policy. Emphasizes procedures, data, and practical results.

Category II Articles
(1500–3000 Words)

Case Study. An in-depth examination of a single event, individual, organization, or community, used widely in business, education, medicine, social sciences, and public policy to illustrate broader concepts.

Creative Scholarship. Scholarly work grounded in artistic, literary, or creative practices. Explores craft, process, or interpretation as a form of inquiry accompanied by explanatory text.

Critical Essay. An argument-driven analysis of a text, issue, or concept, common in the humanities and cultural studies. Prioritizes interpretation, critique, and original perspective.

Data Paper. Documentation-focused article describing a dataset’s collection, structure, and potential uses. Common in sciences, social sciences, and humanities.

Methodology Paper. Focused exploration of research methods, designs, or analytical tools across disciplines such as psychology, biology, statistics, and communication studies. Emphasizes innovation or refinement of methods.

Replication Study. Study that reproduces prior research to test reliability and validity, especially in psychology, economics, biomedical sciences, and education.

Research Note. Short report presenting preliminary findings, emerging questions, or early-stage results. Used in sciences and social sciences to share timely insights.Short article. Condensed research piece that presents a focused analysis, small study, or partial findings across disciplines.

Category III Articles
(750–1000 Words)

Book/Media Review. Evaluative overview of a recent book, film, performance, or digital media, used across humanities, social sciences, and interdisciplinary fields.

Brief. Concise report summarizing key findings, updates, or policy-relevant information, common in public policy, health, and applied sciences.

Commentary. Short, argument-based reflection on a current issue, debate, or publication, common across disciplines.

Letter. Short communication addressing a specific study, idea, or dataset, used in sciences, social sciences, and some humanities fields.

Perspective. Reflective or viewpoint-driven piece offering an informed disciplinary interpretation of an issue, trend, or method.

Category IV Articles
(Abstracts)

Extended Abstract (300–700 Words). A more detailed, mini-article format often used in STEM and interdisciplinary conferences, including background, methods, and preliminary findings.

Conference Abstract (150–300 Words). Concise summary of proposed conference research, outlining the question, approach, and significance across any academic discipline.