REACT Magazine Article Submission

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We send out calls for articles all year round and we try to communicate them through various channels, including e-mail newsletters, social media posts, posters and word of mouth. 

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To propose an article you just need to send a short description of what you would like to cover (~150 words) along with any supporting information such as: article type e.g. interview, research article, quiz, and possible images or graphics which could be printed alongside your article.

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Please either use our form to submit your proposals or send them at react.mag.team@gmail.com

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Article content should be related to the issue theme or your own research at Newcastle University. If you think you have an interesting article to write, but it falls into neither of these categories, please still submit a proposal and we may commission it for the blog.

 

REACT Magazine Commissioned Articles

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Once your article has been commissioned for publication you will have approximately 3-4 weeks to complete and submit your copy to the editors.

We have some general guidelines regarding word counts:

 

• 1-page features: 450-500 words

• 2-page features: 900-1000 words

 

The length of article you are commissioned to write is based on our page limit and the ‘fit’ with other articles submitted for the issue. We are sorry that we are unable to commission everyone to write longer features.

 

Features: The magazine mostly consists of feature articles, which are one-off pieces commissioned specifically for the issue. Some examples include:

• Research articles: In-depth articles based on your own personal research, or other research taking place within or outside of Newcastle University

• Interviews: With interesting figures in the fields of science and science communication. We would love to include at least one interview in each issue

• Design-led stories: Where graphic elements predominantly form the body of a larger article, which will most often be spread over two or more pages

 

Regulars: The magazine also contains a number of other regular article types:

• News: Current science news stories and reviews and previews of science events and other happenings   

• Reviews: Books and anything else we can find with a scientific slant. Books by Newcastle based authors would be particularly fitting.

• Biographies: Profiles of important and topical figures in science, especially those which tie in to a magazine theme or particularly timely event

• Discussions: It’s sometimes nice to get different perspectives on a topic and we would welcome proposals for writers who would like to contribute to a ‘discussion’ topic

 

General Writing Advice

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Thanks to the team at BlueSci for letting us use their writing guidelines as an inspiration for this section. Much more information and tips can be found at http://www.bluesci.org/?page_id=65

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Some of the main points to keep in mind when writing your articles:

• Carefully consider your target audience, their level of expertise, literacy and motivation for reading your article. Magazine articles can be approached in very different ways to your academic writing.

• Make sure your writing is lively and engaging. Test it out on your friends and family – if it holds the attention of different, non-specialist audiences then you are on to a winner!

• Writing within your field of expertise may feel more comfortable, but don’t be scared to experiment. Writing about a familiar topic can tempt you to overcomplicate things, whilst something new can be a great test of your writing style.

• Technical language should be used sparingly and only where really necessary. Too much jargon can be a big turn-off for the non-expert.  

• Be clear and robust in your writing style: avoid passive voice, colloquialisms, abbreviations, repetition and vague statements. Be simple and direct, explain yourself clearly and make every effort to avoid cliché.

 

Please also read the legal and intellectual property information here. 

 

Useful Links

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• Newcastle University Writing Development Centre

http://www.ncl.ac.uk/students/wdc/

Geared more towards academic writing, but with some good general advice about style and structure

• Association of British Science Writers

http://www.absw.org.uk/

An association for professional science writers. You can find some really interesting tips and guides in their reading room section

• The Guardian Secrets of Science Writing

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/series/secrets-science-writing

A relatively frequently updated collection of science stories and writing tips