Would you like to write for the blog? Post are usually a <1000 word developer perspective on any of our 6 culture-focused themes: Career Direction, Connection and Belonging, Researcher Integrity, Engaged Communication, Constructive Conversations or Innovative Ideas.

Or please get in touch with the Editor, Dr Kay Guccione, to discuss a piece from any additional angle or insight you find meaningful.

Style guide:

Please send a word document containing: (1) a title, (2) a one line bio, (3) the text of your post, and (4) a copyright free photo*.

Blogs are direct and informal communications that appeal and are accessible to a wide audience. Blog articles should be light on theory and academic language, focusing on practices, findings or outcomes and the implications for researchers, and those who develop them.

Although we still expect your piece to present a coherent story, argument, or case study, writing for the Auditorium blog is less formal than traditional academic writing, and we want to make space for individual authors voices, opinions and styles to connect with our readers. 

Once a draft is received we will work with you to provide editorial support to shape, format, post and promote the article.

We commit to making the blog site accessible to all readers in line with the 2019 accessibility requirements for public sector bodies.

Authors can ensure their post is well read by:

• Staying under 1000 words
• Embedding references (or further reading) as hyperlinks in the text, rather than listing academic references
• Getting to the point. Putting the main message right up front, not at the end.
• Choosing a title which tells the reader what they will get, i.e. the main point or argument of the post
• Writing in short paragraphs
• Not assuming readers are familiar with the vocabulary of your discipline. Avoid specialist language, jargon and acronyms
• Linking to previous posts on the Auditorium blog where relevant, this will also help you find your unique niche and avoid duplication
• Promoting the article once live, within their own professional and/or social media networks
• Please note we use the terms Postgraduate Researcher or PGR (not PhD Student) and Research Staff (not post-doc or Early Career Researcher) as standard. We use ‘doctorate’, not ‘PhD’.

The Auditorium blog is public, and is Creative Commons licensed, so others may share and use the posts intact, but they must attribute the work to the original blog link and author.

* Please suggest one or more images to accompany your post. Take a photo or screenshot, or choose from a copyright free repository. Images should only be used where the author owns the copyright, or where the image is copyright free or licensed for Creative Commons use. See here for sources:

• https://pixabay.com
• https://unsplash.com
• https://broadlygenderphotos.vice.com (gender inclusive photo set) https://affecttheverb.com/collection/ (disabled, Black, Indigenous people, People of Color in work and home lives)
• https://obesitycanada.ca/resources/image-bank/ (positive portrayals of individuals with obesity)
• https://ageingbetter.resourcespace.com/pages/home.php (positive portrayals of older people)