The Journal of the Southeastern Association for Research in Astronomy was founded to publish astronomical research papers from undergraduate authors, including but not limited to participants in the SARA REU Summer Intern Program, and undergraduates from the 11 SARA member institutions (see saraobservatory.org).

One issue a year will be devoted primarily to our interns' research papers, but we encourage undergraduate astronomical researchers from any institution to submit their manuscripts for publication.

It is our hope that JSARA may evolve to become a primary conduit for publishing undergraduate research projects in astronomy, as we believe there is a need for a journal that fills that role. Our intent with JSARA is that the first author of the submitted manuscripts should be an undergraduate student or recent graduate, and that the first author should have had primary responsibility for the research activities and the writing of the manuscript. A faculty research advisor will either be a co-author or a formal sponsor of the submitted manuscript. Research results do not have to be groundbreaking, but they must be accurate, well-analyzed, complete, and tied to the existing literature on the subject. Manuscripts in JSARA are reviewed by the Scientific Editors of our Editorial Board, but are not refereed in the usual sense of the word. Manuscripts that are incomplete or that do not meet the standards of the JSARA may be rejected by the Editors.

JSARA manuscripts are published as PDF files on our website. No physical journal will be centrally printed for distribution; hence, authors are free to include color figures in their manuscripts.

JSARA is sponsored by the Southeastern Association for Research in Astronomy, a consortium of the 10 Universities Florida Institute of Technology, East Tennessee State University, Florida International University, University of Georgia, Valdosta State University, Clemson University, Ball State University, Agnes Scott College, The University of Alabama, Valparaiso University, and Texas A&M University-Commerce.