OxJournal is an academic platform for intellectually engaged young people. We publish high-quality, university-level research papers produced by 12-18 year olds under the supervision of an expert academic or researcher in their chosen field of study. We hope the papers published here will inspire you to further explore your own academic interests and potential.
Business, Economics & Finance
To What Extent Have Major Trade Wars Since 2013 Contributed to De-Globalisation?
Trade wars have historically had an enormous impact on a country’s economy, from changing stock market volatility to increasing retail prices. This article analyses four case studies to examine the extent to which major trade wars have had an impact on globalisation and international relations.
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To What Extent Will AI Assist in Transitioning from the Dependence on Fossil Fuels to the Dependence on Renewable Resources?
This paper examines the extent to which artificial intelligence can assist the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy resources. The study evaluates both the benefits and environmental costs of AI through the frameworks of Hans-Werner Sinn’s Green Paradox and the Sustainability Paradox.
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Computer Science & Coding
Digital Twins: Concepts, Technologies, Applications, Challenges and Future Directions
Digital twin technology has emerged as a foundation for modern hybrid engineering, integrating physical assets with their virtual replicas through continuous, automated bidirectional data synchronisation. This paper explores the concepts, technologies, applications, challenges and future directions of digital twin technology.
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Explainable Artificial Intelligence: A Comprehensive Review of Methods, Applications, Challenges and Future Directions
Explainability is a significant weakness of artificial intelligence. While modern AI delivers outstanding performance, its black box creates significant trust and safety difficulties for users. This paper provides an overview of explainable AI (XAI), a field dedicated to making AI decisions more transparent and interpretable.
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Engineering
How Does Electric Propulsion in Modern eVTOL Aircraft Compare with Traditional Rotor-Based Systems?
This paper asks how electric propulsion in modern eVTOLs compares with traditional ways of flying and what challenges will decide whether electric flying vehicles become part of everyday travel.
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Applications of Ceramic Matrix Composites in Hydrogen Turbines
Greenhouse gases are an increasingly present threat to our environment, and to preserve the lifetime of our planet, reductions in emissions are necessary. This paper examines hydrogen turbines for reducing emissions, explores the current operational challenges and presents one potential solution in the form of ceramic matrix composites designed for this application.
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Law
Gateways to Justice: Assessing the Fitness, Reform and Reach of English Jurisdictional Rules
The expansion of cross-border commerce has made the question of when English courts may exercise jurisdiction over foreign defendants one of the most contested issues in private international law. This paper evaluates the English jurisdictional framework in three stages.
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Artificial Intelligence and Its Influence on Competition Law
Competition law aims to promote healthy competition within a country. In this research paper, the authors focus on traditional aspects of competition law, regulated by the European Commission (EC), and discuss how AI can have positive and negative implications in the region of competition.
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Medicine
A Comprehensive Review of the Impact of Stem Cell Therapies in the Treatment and Progression of Huntington’s Disease
Stem cell treatment is actively revolutionising how scientists understand and treat Huntington’s disease. This paper is a comprehensive review of current stem cell approaches: embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, neural stem cells and mesenchymal stem cells.
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To What Extent Can Regenerative Medicine Restore Damaged Cardiac Tissue Following Myocardial Infarction?
This paper aims to evaluate the extent to which regenerative medicine can restore cardiac tissue and function following MI, focusing on endogenous cardiomyocyte proliferation, cellular reprogramming, exogenous stem cell therapy, biomaterials and tissue engineering, and extracellular vesicle therapy.
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Politics & International Relations
Under What Conditions Does Political Foreign Aid Work?
Political foreign aid can create dependency and weaken recipient sovereignty when donor interests take precedence over local needs. This paper asks under what conditions political foreign aid produces positive outcomes and when it instead reinforces dependency or institutional weakness.
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Rethinking Foreign Aid: Comparing Western Assistance and Emerging Development Finance Models
This paper compares two categories of foreign aid using OECD reporting and AidData’s record of Chinese lending, examining economic growth, association, infrastructure development and the militarisation of aid, with China and Türkiye representing the non-Western cases.
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Psychology & Neuroscience
Music’s Positive Neurological Effect on the Brain While Going Through a Heartbreak
This paper synthesises multiple studies related to the neurological effects of romantic heartbreak. The author argues that music may help to regulate the reward system, attachment system and social rejection system after the dissolution of a relationship.
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How Does Childhood Neglect Influence Neural Development, and Can This Explain the Impact of Childhood Neglect on Adult Romantic Relationships?
Difficulties in adult romantic relationships often trace back to early childhood experiences. This paper argues that childhood neglect is associated with long-term changes in neural systems involved in attachment, reward and threat processing which may explain difficulties in adult romantic relationships.
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