Wanted: Contributions to The
Citizen Scientist
The Citizen Scientist aims to be
the best possible source of information, news and projects
for amateur scientists. We are looking for contributors to
help us reach this goal.
Our staff is part time and tiny, so we are
unable to engage in lengthy correspondence about your submissions.
But we will do our best to publish your best.
Please scan what follows. Maybe you can help
us advance the cause of citizen science!
Do you have an idea but are not sure if it
will fit in The Citizen Scientist? Before writing
us about your idea, check the categories of articles below.
Also, be sure to check past articles on the web site. Letters
to the editor for "Backscatter" can be submitted
without a query. For other topics, send
a brief letter outlining your idea. If your topic is interesting,
we'll get back to you.
Please understand that we cannot enter into
lengthy correspondence, for there is very little time to assemble
each issue.
Do you have a comment about an article or
column in The Citizen Scientist? Have you learned
about some event, happening, discovery, accomplishment or
recognition that involves citizen scientists? Then send a
note to "Backscatter."
Be sure to place "Backscatter" in your subject and
include your first and last name. We do not publish flames
and anonymous letters. Submissions will be subject to light
editing for spelling and grammar.
The Citizen Scientist wants to publish
news stories about amateur scientists and their achievements.
We also want to publish news articles about science that have
an amateur connection. Any science magazine can publish a
story about the latest satellite launch or rare species of
bird or butterfly. We want to publish stories about how citizen
scientists can validate the latest satellite or observe a
rare bird or butterfly.
If you know of good news possibilities, please
send the details in an e-mail to the editor.
If you write well, send us a news article that we will consider
publishing over your byline.
Are you an amateur photographer? Have you
made a sharp photograph of a noctilucent cloud, unusual animal,
rare mushroom, the aurora, a rocket launch, interesting atmospheric
event, chemical reaction or anything else that will interest
citizen scientists? Then consider a contribution to "Gallery."
We prefer JPEGs with a resolution of 640 x 480 pixels, but
we can work with higher resolution. Be sure to include your
first and last name, details about the photograph and where
and how it was made. If the subject is an animal, plant or
fungus, be sure to include the Latin name if possible.
We are looking for well written feature stories
about personal discoveries, amateur and citizen science activities,
science field trips, and historical amateur scientists. Photographs
or illustrations are essential. Be sure to include your first
and last name with your contribution. Anything you borrow
from others must be clearly explained. Include references
to specific items that you borrowed from the work of others
or that will allow our readers to find additional information.
Have you designed and built a scientific
apparatus or instrument? Have you developed a scientific method,
process or algorithm? Have you devised a clever way to study
wildlife? Have you developed an efficient method for analyzing
a time series of data? All these are suitable project topics
for The Citizen Scientist. We are especially looking
for well written and illustrated articles that will allow
our readers to duplicate what you have done. This means that
details and sources of supplies and materials must be provided.
Project articles require careful organization. A good way
to organize your article is to first collect the illustrations
you plan to use and place them in order. Then write your article
in the same sequence that your illustrations will appear.
We are looking for brief reports from birders
and amateur naturalists, geologists, meteorologists and astronomers
about anything that will interest fellow amateur scientists.
Have you discovered a better way to photograph a dark snake
against a dark background? Do you have special tricks for
identifying songbirds by only their song? Have you developed
a simple way for determining the altitude of a circling hawk?
Please send the details in a brief report. Likewise, we are
looking for lab tips on anything of interest to amateur scientists.
This includes culturing bacteria, building electronic circuits,
fabricating glassware, calibrating instruments and all the
other activities pursued by serious amateur scientists.
We will copy edit your submissions for grammar,
spelling and style. But we don't have the staff or the time
to rewrite your material. So please be sure to send us your
best. Articles must be well organized. Web readers prefer
short article to long ones. They also want articles that tell,
show or teach something new, meaningful, interesting or humorous.
Articles can be sent in Word, WordPerfect
or plain text. Please do not send articles as PDF or publication
files, as it is too difficult to disassembled these and reassemble
them into our HTML format.
It is important for our reputation and yours
that your article clearly acknowledge any sources that you
used. We will not knowingly publish plagiarized articles.
If you use a quote from a book or web site, include the source
before or after the quote.
For more information, click here
to read our author guidelines.
Photographs, drawings and illustrations are
always important. We prefer that you make these yourself.
If you want to copy or adapt material you find elsewhere,
it is essential that you properly acknowledge the source.
If the source is copyrighted, then you will need to request
permission. Be sure to include the original source in the
article or caption.
Illustrations must have simple file names,
preferably the numerical order in which they appear in the
article followed by a keyword (your last name and the subject
of the article). Acceptable figure file names are 1_Smith
and 2_Polaris.
The article must clearly show where each
figure goes. Just skip a few lines and insert the figure number.
We'll do the rest.
The Citizen Scientist aims to be
the best possible source of information, news and projects
for amateur scientists. Thanks to those of you who help us
meet this goal.
Forrest M. Mims III
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