O-1A Published Scholarly Articles: The official definition states: “Evidence of the alien’s authorship of scholarly articles in the field, in professional journals or other major media.” In essence, this means the applicant must demonstrate that their work has appeared in a well-recognized trade publication or similar major outlet.
Start by determining whether you have any published work. If the answer is affirmative, you can move on to the next step.
Next, evaluate if your publication has significantly influenced your field.
You can assess this by examining your publication more closely. For instance, most PhD candidates are required to publish some of their research to earn their degree. However, merely having a publication does not necessarily indicate that you are among the top experts in your area.
In academic circles, an article is typically published about 80% of the time if its topic is of interest to the journal. That said, some publications mandate a rigorous peer review process where experienced scholars assess the work. This review can take six months or more, often involving several rounds of revisions before the article meets the high standards required for peer-reviewed journals.
If your work has undergone peer review, it is generally considered more credible than an article that has not. Moreover, there are journals that are known to only publish peer-reviewed submissions.
Citations by Other Academics: Another factor an O-1A officer might examine is whether your article has been referenced by other scholars. Since researchers typically only cite work that is deemed valuable and relevant, the number of citations can serve as a strong indicator of your article’s impact.
If your article has not been cited or has not been peer reviewed, the officer might question its influence within your field. Nevertheless, the policy does allow you to provide additional evidence to prove the work’s significance. For example, consider business articles where economists publish their theories in the business press—such pieces can be highly persuasive within that community.
On the next page, we will review the ‘Critical or Essential Capacity’ Criteria. We appreciate your visit and hope you find our resources useful. When you’re ready, please feel free to email or call us for a free consultation to discuss your case.