What We Publish and Look for in Article Submissions
Is there a social, political, or economic issue you’ve noticed in your community that you’re passionate about and determined to shine a light on? Are you interested in writing for us, but a little unsure of where to start? Then this post is just for you.
Our journal accepts various different types of articles, and figuring out what type of article your manuscript is is an important step. From there, you know the main components that your article should have, and doing this will help down the line with getting your article approved and accepted by our editors.
The first article type is one most people know: Research. This type aids readers in understanding an issue through research and evidence. It provides a landscape for readers to grasp the what, why, who, how, and when of the issue. With a research article, the author should define or explain an issue, discuss the history of an issue, and synthesize current literature of this issue, pulling together and discussing scholarly work on the issue. The biggest part of this type is the research; that should be the biggest focus. Click here to visit our Types of Articles page, which includes examples of each type from previous published issues!
Another type of article is an Impact article. This type of article aids readers in understanding what is being done or what can be done about an issue, as well as who is affected. It usually examines theories and practices associated with the issue; this means examining theories and making concrete suggestions for applying those theories. This article discusses current problems, events, activities, or challenges associated with the issue. It also typically analyzes, compares, and evaluates politicians’ or important community figures’ stances and actions or policies on the issue.
The third article type we accept is a Perspectives article (which is my personal favorite). These aid readers in seeing how an issue specifically impacts a person and usually gives voice to important or ignored issues. In these articles, the author shares a personal story of how an issue has impacted either him/her/them or someone they know (in some of our articles, we’ve had authors interview family members impacted by the issue they’re discussing). These articles usually use a narrative structure to tell a story, and they’re used to be a reflection of the larger context in which this experience has occurred. While this type of article is different from a research article, a perspectives article usually still includes research to back up claims made and further emphasize the importance of addressing the issue.
Another type of article is a Common Ground article. This aids readers in seeing how an issue can be discussed collaboratively and how an issue can be seen from both sides. Individuals with different perspectives and beliefs empathize with one another, finding a path toward change for their issue. These articles have a minimum of two authors with the goal of finding and highlighting common ground between them. They usually also have a back and forth dialogue between authors.
In addition to research articles, Creative articles or pieces are also typically well known. These are completely original and aim to explain, define, or bring awareness to an issue. This isn’t limited to a written piece; we accept various creative works, including art (such as drawings, paintings, sculpture, photography, etc.), videos and film shorts, short stories, poetry, and scripts (for plays, movies, an episode for a television show, etc.).
Our last type of article we accept is sort of a group of three: Reviews, Recognitions, and Critiques. Reviews evaluate various forms of media (books, film, music, art, television shows, etc.) that tackle a key issue. Recognitions recognize an engaged individual, group, or organization doing effective work on an issue. They discuss the issue and how they’re working toward solving it. Finally, Critiques identify an individual, group, or organization impeding an issue. They dive into who they are and why they’re impeding this issue. For all three of these, we give special consideration for articles written about regional productions, publications, or events.
If you would like an in-depth description of each of these article types, click here to go to our section Types of Articles. In my next post, I’ll go in-depth about the submission rules and formatting specifications we look for (knowing and applying these can help your article get accepted!). Not only that, but I’ll discuss the benefits of writing about these issues, how writing can lead to change, and why you should write for the Engage for Change Journal.
What ideas do you have for an article? What type of articles appeal to you most and why? What type would you read, and what type would you write? Do you have any questions about these types of articles that this post didn’t answer? Comment below!
Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for the last post in this series!