BECOME A BLOG CONTRIBUTOR
Thank you for your interest in becoming a Contributor to the GW Roosevelt Reader, our blog, written by progressive students, that aims to provide innovative policy analysis on the important issues of the day. The Editorial Staff appreciate your interest.
For Examples of well-structured blog posts, view past posts from our Energy and the Environment Director, a Mid-Atlantic Regional Policy Expo Award Winner, and our previous Chapter President.
REVIEW AND POSTING PROCESS
- Any interested authors should email Editor-in-Chief, Jack Noland. Please indicate your area of interest and stage in the writing process.
- Authors will be placed on our blog calendar. You will receive an email outlining your deadline and schedule to receive feedback.
- Editorial Staff will make suggested changes and edits using the suggestion feature in Google Docs
- Authors should respond to edits within 24 hours to prevent posting delays. There are typically two rounds of edits.
- We will not publish a post without the author’s consent. If you have any issues with an edit, it is within your right to withdraw the submission.
CONTENT- Any policy issue topic is acceptable, though local and/or D.C. issues are preferable. Effort should be made by the writer to tie the post topic to policy proposals that can be implemented at the local level, including a discussion of concrete next step proposals.
- Contributors are also encouraged to write opinions on current events or breaking news, as long as such posts are well-researched.
- Topic titles should be engaging (ex. Why D.C. Housing Policy Isn’t as Equitable As You Think)
- Innovative introductions are preferable. Potential options include historical references, quotes, rhetorical questions, the importance of the topic, framing of wider philosophical debates, recent events, etc.
- When talking about a solution to a problem, try and back it up with a situation where a similar solution has worked, perhaps in a different city or country.
- Writers should keep paragraphs short: 2-5 sentences each.
- Word range: 300-600 words; longer posts are acceptable, though they may be greatly edited down by the Editor-in-Chief.
STYLE- Write in your own voice. If you’re funny, be funny. If an issue is very close to your personal life, say so; at the same time, approach a blog post as if potential policymakers, community leaders, and professors are reading.
- Writers should refrain from personal attacks and negative hostile language against any individual or group, including public officials. Criticism should assume they are rational actors and instead critique and outweigh their policy ideas.
- Passive voice should be kept to a minimum; use active phrases. “We found” is better than “it is possible that…”
- Writers should feel free to attach one photo or graphic, where appropriate. The source should be cited in the image caption with the source URL hyperlinked. (ex. Source: AP)
CITATIONS- Citations should capture the original source. For example, if a news article refers to a study conducted by an academic institution or think tank, the original study should be cited, not the news article.
- Professional academic, government, and media sources are strongly preferred; personal blogs and Wikipedia should be used as references for the author only.
- The writer should cite sources within the text of the post via hyperlinking (ex. Recent studies have noted that infant mortality is strongly linked to racial disparities.)
Please don't hesitate to contact us if you have questions or suggestions on how to improve this process!
For Examples of well-structured blog posts, view past posts from our Energy and the Environment Director, a Mid-Atlantic Regional Policy Expo Award Winner, and our previous Chapter President.
REVIEW AND POSTING PROCESS
- Any interested authors should email Editor-in-Chief, Jack Noland. Please indicate your area of interest and stage in the writing process.
- Authors will be placed on our blog calendar. You will receive an email outlining your deadline and schedule to receive feedback.
- Editorial Staff will make suggested changes and edits using the suggestion feature in Google Docs
- Authors should respond to edits within 24 hours to prevent posting delays. There are typically two rounds of edits.
- We will not publish a post without the author’s consent. If you have any issues with an edit, it is within your right to withdraw the submission.
CONTENT- Any policy issue topic is acceptable, though local and/or D.C. issues are preferable. Effort should be made by the writer to tie the post topic to policy proposals that can be implemented at the local level, including a discussion of concrete next step proposals.
- Contributors are also encouraged to write opinions on current events or breaking news, as long as such posts are well-researched.
- Topic titles should be engaging (ex. Why D.C. Housing Policy Isn’t as Equitable As You Think)
- Innovative introductions are preferable. Potential options include historical references, quotes, rhetorical questions, the importance of the topic, framing of wider philosophical debates, recent events, etc.
- When talking about a solution to a problem, try and back it up with a situation where a similar solution has worked, perhaps in a different city or country.
- Writers should keep paragraphs short: 2-5 sentences each.
- Word range: 300-600 words; longer posts are acceptable, though they may be greatly edited down by the Editor-in-Chief.
STYLE- Write in your own voice. If you’re funny, be funny. If an issue is very close to your personal life, say so; at the same time, approach a blog post as if potential policymakers, community leaders, and professors are reading.
- Writers should refrain from personal attacks and negative hostile language against any individual or group, including public officials. Criticism should assume they are rational actors and instead critique and outweigh their policy ideas.
- Passive voice should be kept to a minimum; use active phrases. “We found” is better than “it is possible that…”
- Writers should feel free to attach one photo or graphic, where appropriate. The source should be cited in the image caption with the source URL hyperlinked. (ex. Source: AP)
CITATIONS- Citations should capture the original source. For example, if a news article refers to a study conducted by an academic institution or think tank, the original study should be cited, not the news article.
- Professional academic, government, and media sources are strongly preferred; personal blogs and Wikipedia should be used as references for the author only.
- The writer should cite sources within the text of the post via hyperlinking (ex. Recent studies have noted that infant mortality is strongly linked to racial disparities.)
Please don't hesitate to contact us if you have questions or suggestions on how to improve this process!
