Preparing an Inquiry article for publication is a collaboration between authors, editors, and faculty mentors. The authors of Inquiry articles often begin with a report or essay describing their research experiences and results in a specific academic discipline, such as microbiology or studio art. Their audience is mentors, teachers, classmates, and colleagues, all of whom are familiar with the terms and concepts of the discipline. The published Inquiry, article, however, must speak to a much wider audience: to the educated general public and academic audiences worldwide.
Inquiry editors are members of that wider audience and can tell an author when a concept, process, or term is or is not clear. Often, they will propose revised sentences, a different subject organization, reordering of paragraphs鈥攁ll to help the author effectively develop and convey his/her subject. They also challenge the author to make his/her research interesting and relevant. The many drafts and revisions involved afford a learning experience for everyone.
Research briefs are published in both the fall and spring issues of Inquiry. Briefs are shorter accounts of research projects that require one-to-three rounds of revision based on feedback from a staff editor and the faculty mentor.
Research articles and commentaries are published in the spring issue of Inquiry. For these longer pieces of writing, more extensive writing and revising are required. Authors can expect to perform three-to-five rounds of revision from December through March. You may learn more about the different categories of manuscripts here.
Staff editors offer guidance throughout this process and ensure that student authors learn how to better communicate and express themselves. Before any piece of writing is published, authors and mentors must sign a Publication Agreement. (See below.)
EDITORIAL CALENDAR
厂别辫迟别尘产别谤鈥揘辞惫别尘产别谤: Staff editors gather SUBMISSIONS.
翱肠迟辞产别谤鈥揇别肠别尘产别谤: Submissions are selected for the fall and spring issues, and authors begin (or complete) the revision process. Mentors provide feedback and authors select photos/figures to accompany their research briefs.
Late November/early December: Staff editors proofread and format the fall issue for the Inquiry website. All contributors submit short personal bios and review the site prior to publication. Fall issue is published around December 1.
顿别肠别尘产别谤鈥揊别产谤耻补谤测:&苍产蝉辫;Spring issue author/editor teams continue the revision process through several drafts with the goal of achieving a final draft by March 1. Mentors provide feedback and authors select photos/figures to accompany their articles.
March: An outside proofreader reviews final drafts. Authors write short personal bios and abstracts. Staff editors design the website.
Early April: A test site goes up for all involved to review. A week later, the spring issue of Inquiry is published.
PUBLICATION AGREEMENT
Although editors play a large role in the development of an article, authors and their mentors are responsible for the accuracy and completeness of the final content. The authors and their mentors must sign a PUBLICATION AGREEMENT before the issue goes online. An author signature verifies that the work submitted is the author鈥檚 own, and that the author has read and agrees with the points about responsibility for publication in professional journals, the uses of published work for 麻豆社 publicity purposes, and the right of Inquiry staff to edit all submissions. For some commentaries, the signature of the faculty mentor or principal teacher may not be required.
