Instructions for Blog Authors

Jump to: Review Process | Author Info | Blog Content | Blog Template

This page contains instructions for blog post contributors to use in the drafting process. Read below to learn about the blog editorial review timeline, how to share your author information for your blog, how to access and create a copy of the blog template, and guidelines for the content of your blog post. For more information about the scope of the ASCN blog, please read the About the Blog page.

Blog Review Process and Timeline

When interest or an invitation for a blog post has been expressed, the editors (either ASCN Hub or the WG5 DEI in STEMM blog series Editorial Board) will set a draft deadline. You can then make a copy of the ASCN Blog Template where you will draft your post. Your responsibility as an author will be to meet the deadline set by the editorial board or work with the editorial board to adjust the deadline.

When you are ready to submit your document to the editorial board, please send an email to cricpe-ascn@wmich.edu with the subject title "ASCN Blog" to notify the editors that you are ready for their review.

Prepare to receive feedback from two reviewers who will prepare the blog for ASCN readership. The editors will review your blog post and give feedback as comments and suggestions in the Google Document. Please allow two weeks for the editorial board to review your draft. Once the editors have provided feedback, the editor(s) will then set a deadline for you to make final edits. Once you have completed a final draft and returned it to the editor, the editor will review the document and work with ASCN website support staff to add the blog post to the site. You will be notified when the blog is posted to the site.

Once published, ASCN will advertise via ASCN social media, newsletter, and website. Once ASCN has posted the blog, pleaseadvertise to your colleagues, professional societies, etc., and let us know when and where you do so.

Author Information

  • Provide a list of all authors and affiliations
  • Write author contributions note
    • For example, decide whether to include text about how each author contributed to the blog "All authors contributed equally to this article. The names are arranged in alphabetical order."
  • Update SERC Profile on the ASCN website to link the blog to your ASCN profile
    • Login to your account on the ASCN site
    • On the left-hand side of the page under your name, there is a grey box titled "Your profile page". Click on the button to "Create a Bio" in that box to share your institutional/organizational affiliation, title, and interests. Click on "Add a Photo" to upload a photo of yourself. This information and photo will be used as part of your author information on the blog post page when it is published on the ASCN site.  See Image 1 for reference. 

Blog Content Guidelines

Blog Template

Please draft all blogs using the ASCN Blog Template. Click the link to make a copy of the template and share the link to your blog draft with us at cricpe-ascn@wmich.edu.

Tags 

There are three types of tags for ASCN blogs: Institutional Change topic, Program components, and Target Audience(s). Select all that apply in each area and add them to the tags list in the blog template.

Title

  • Titles should be less than 15 words and name any major topics and areas discussed in the text.

Blog Body

  • As a general recommendation, your post should be at least 500 words long and no more than 1300 words.
  • Links to other sites in the text
    • For any items you would like linked in the text, hyperlink them in the body of the text where you would like the link to be placed 

Images

  • Image use is highly encouraged! All images need to be open source, CreativeCommons, or you need to obtain permission to use the image. 
  • Provide a caption for any images used in the blog, 
  • Provide the image source if it is not your own. 
  • Provide alternative text for photos

Suggested Citation

  • Provide a suggested citation so readers can cite it. 
  • A URL will be added by our editorial team. 
  • Suggested Citation Format: Author Last Name, First Initial. (Month Day, Year). Title. [Blog post]. Retrieved from [URL to be added by editorial team]
  • Suggested Citation Example:
    • Suggested Citation: Henderson, C. (March 9, 2017). What is systemic change? [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://ascnhighered.org/ASCN/posts/sytemic_change.html.

References

  • References should be formatted using APA style. 
  • Hyperlink any URLs in the blog draft.

Resource Lists 

  • Some authors are interested in sharing a list of websites and videos for blog readers. If you would like to do so please provide the title of the website and the resource and hyperlink the text in your draft. Linking the text in this manner makes the text accessible to those using screen readers and makes the text meaningful to readers who are interested in the resources you have shared.