What Happens After You Finish a Research Program? Publication, Presentation, and Beyond

TL;DR

Finishing the paper is the middle of the process, not the end. After a program wraps, students usually pick one of three paths. Submit to a journal. Present at a conference or symposium. Or just use the work in your application, with no further step. None of these paths is required. Picking the wrong one for your goals wastes more time than skipping it. The right choice often depends on how much runway you have left, which is why timing this decision alongside your overall research schedule matters.

Path one: submitting to a journal

Submitting a paper to a journal is one option. It is not the default. Publication is never a sure thing, at any program, no matter what a program's ads suggest. Timelines vary a lot by venue. Some student journals reply in weeks. Others take months. A paper can get rejected, then resubmitted somewhere else.

Before you submit anywhere, check the venue's real process. Some venues run a real review. Others take almost anything for a fee, with little real check. A quick test: real journals describe an actual editing and review process. If a venue's main pitch is speed and a sure "yes" for a fee, look elsewhere. See our full guide on spotting a predatory journal before you submit anywhere.

Path two: presenting rather than publishing

A conference talk, or a program's own closing event, is often faster than a journal. Presenting is a real, citable result on an application, even with no publication to go with it. It shows the same skill, communicating research clearly. It just runs on a faster clock. Many students find this the more realistic option once school starts back up in the fall. Our full breakdown of conference talks versus journal publication covers the tradeoffs in more depth.

Parameter	Journal publication	Conference or symposium
Typical time	Weeks to months	Often built into the program
How picky	Varies a lot by venue	Often a lower bar
What it shows	Rigor, checked by peers	Clear communication

Path three: using it directly, no further step

Not every project needs to go anywhere else to be worth doing. A well-written independent project stands on its own as an activity. The process, what you learned, how your thinking shifted, all make good essay material. That is true whether or not the paper ever leaves your mentor's inbox.

This path is often underrated. A student who can clearly explain what they tried, what didn't work, and what they'd do differently next time is showing real intellectual honesty. That reads better to most admissions readers than a polished but shallow claim of "publication," especially if the underlying venue turns out to be a weak one.

How to actually decide

Ask what you actually want the research to do for you. If the goal was mainly to explore a real interest, presenting or just describing the work may be enough. If your target major cares a lot about publication, check the timeline against your deadlines first. See our guide on timing a research program around deadlines.

It also helps to ask your mentor directly what they'd recommend for a project like yours. A mentor who has guided many students through this decision will usually have a clear, honest read on whether your specific paper is a strong fit for submission, or better used as a described activity.

Talking about it well, whichever path you choose

Whatever you decide, the way you describe the work matters more than which path you took. Be specific about your actual role. If you worked one-on-one with a mentor on your own project, say that plainly. If a project involved a team, say what part was yours. Vague language here reads as an attempt to inflate a smaller contribution, and readers notice, which connects directly to why specificity matters so much in a crowded major.

FAQs: what happens after a research program

Do I need a publication to make research worth including on my application?

No. A well-described, honestly presented project counts as a real activity on its own, whether or not it was ever submitted anywhere.

How long does journal review actually take?

It varies widely, from a few weeks at some student journals to several months at more selective ones. Ask the specific venue directly rather than assuming.

Can I present at a conference and still submit to a journal later?

Usually yes. Many students do both, presenting first while a longer journal review is still pending.

What if my mentor doesn't offer a clear recommendation on next steps?

Ask directly rather than guessing. A program that can't tell you what typically happens after a project wraps is a sign to set expectations carefully going in.

Is it better to submit to a well-known journal or a smaller, faster one?

It depends on your timeline and goals. A smaller, faster, but still legitimate venue is often the better fit if your main deadline is approaching, as long as it passes the review-process check above. Check out our list of top journals here!

Bottom line

Treat publication as a path to take if the timeline works. Not a rule that makes the research "count." A presented or well-described project, told honestly, is a real result. What you did and learned matters more than which path got you there.

Stephen Turban is the co-founder of Lumiere Education and a graduate of Harvard College, where he earned an A.B. in Statistics before beginning a PhD at Harvard Business School. A former McKinsey & Company consultant and former researcher, his research has been covered by the Harvard Business Review, The Economist, BBC News, Freakonomics Radio, and the Washington Post. In his articles for Forbes, he writes on what students and professionals can learn from high school research, high school passion projects, critical thinking, and mentorship. At Lumiere, he leads a selective research program where students work one-on-one with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper. Connect with him on LinkedIn.