DeKALB — Stonehouse Academic Journal is accepting submissions to be considered for publication from now until Jan. 31.

The academic journal started five years ago at NIU and was founded by Lenora Murphy. Stonehouse was created to give undergraduates a chance to have their work published in an academic journal. Stonehouse is sponsored by NIU’s chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, according to Stonehouse’s website. Sigma Tau Delta is an International English Honor Society.

“She (Murphy) just wanted to start right away to celebrate the works of undergraduates who have written really, really great essays,” said Brenna Bretzinger, the current editor-in-chief of the Stonehouse Academic Journal. “Unfortunately in a lot of colleges, undergraduate works can’t be published in academic journals, and she really wanted to change that here at NIU.”

The journal is looking to publish professional academic essays with a focus on humanities or general liberal arts and sciences. The word count for articles is between 1,000 to 5,000 words.

“It’s pretty much open to any sort of major,” Bretzinger said. “You don’t have to be a specific year in school or have any sort of specific. You can submit anything from philosophy to anthropology to just a classic English paper.”

People who have submitted their work will know by mid-February if it has been accepted, Bretzinger said. They will receive an email soon after the decision is made saying whether they have been accepted or rejected.

Stonehouse Academic Journal has a staff of 11 students and is looking for more people to join.

“If you want to work for Stonehouse, I think it’s a really, really great opportunity to get a glimpse both into the publishing world and into the world of copy editing and editing,” Bretzinger said. “It’s a technical skill that you can use. It’s things you’re using in your class and you’re learning, and sometimes you don’t always get the opportunity to put to the test in a quote-unquote real world.”

Colin Kempsell, news editor, contributed to this story.