Below are a some tips and guidelines adapted from MSUE News: Writer’s Guide
(2014 Michigan State University Extension)
Structure
- Article submission includes the following components:
- Simple, descriptive headline
- Informative deck (subhead) that states the topic or purpose of article
- Strong lead or introduction that outlines the main idea of the article
- Contains an organized, logical sequence of body paragraphs
- Ends with a clear conclusion
Content
- Relates to your current IPM research/education/outreach
- Is written with a specific audience in mind (i.e., general, agricultural, urban, etc.)
- Is educational in nature and does at least one of the following:
- States and explains an accepted finding
- Explains an empirical suggestion or finding
- Explores a theoretical suggestion or finding
- Examines all sides of an argument or controversy
- Demonstrates the educational relevance of an up-coming IPM event/resource/publication/etc.
- Describes other options/alternatives after making a recommendation
- Uses valid, credible information in an unbiased manner
- Makes use of audience-centered keywords
- Is written in plain language (avoids over-use of jargon, especially academic)
Sources
- Uses reputable sources. No commercial advertisements will be accepted
- Incorporates hyperlinks to relevant or related IPM sources
Consistency
- Article components (headline, deck, keywords) are consistent with the message of the main topic and body content
Final checks
- Run spell checker
- Check for insensitive or questionable language
- Check for incomplete thoughts
- Read aloud to check sentence structure, ease of reading
- Tracked changes accepted/declined
- Include a photo whenever appropriate
- All articles must be proofread/peer reviewed by two additional people before submission
NCIPMC Connection Purpose
The purpose of the North Central Integrated Pest Management Center Connection newsletter is to provide a mechanism for the region and our partners to easily share IPM-related information that may include programs/center updates, funding, training and employment opportunities, educational resources, crop and pest updates and press releases.
NCIPMC Connection Newsletter Policies
- Contributors must complete a registration process prior to submission of the first article.
- Contributors may reside outside the North Central region, but information published should be relevant to IPM and the North Central region.
- Contributors may recommend specific management tools as part of an IPM strategy, but marketing or advertising of a specific tool or company is not permitted.
- Contributor’s name, affiliation and email address will be posted with all submissions.