Science Communication Article Guidelines
Ensure you meet Youth STEM Matters’ Guidelines for publication to avoid delays in the peer-review and publication of your article.
Article Structure & Style
All articles typically include an introduction, main body and conclusion, and it is often helpful to divide your main body into sub-headings to help guide the reader. A well structured article is one which flows well, is organised in a logical order and which takes the reader on a ‘journey’ as they go through the article. Each of our 6 article formats have a unique structure & style…
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Feature articles are some of the longest pieces at Youth STEM Matters, as they analyse issues in great detail and provide balanced information on the topic at hand. They should leave readers to determine their own opinion on the topic as well as provide a new insight on the topic. These articles should have a strong structure, with an introduction, multiple encompassing sub-topics explored in the main body, and a conclusion. Feature articles require substantial research, and should avoid bias and repetition.
Examples of Feature Articles:
Are wind turbines an effective, sustainable, and ethical replacement of fossil fuels in the energy sector?
The greatest human invention that is simultaneously our downfall: plastic
A race to the deep or a race to space: should we spend more money on exploring our oceans, rather than space?
The unseen impact of COVID-19 on health inequalities in [a specific geographical region]
The intersection between STEM and human rights
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Case studies highlight people, events or organisations tackling local and global SDG-related issues through STEM. They should provide a balanced insight and focus both on the positives and the negatives, resulting in a detailed and balanced examination so readers can focus the impact of the solution or approach. Case studies should remain inclusive, diverse, and unbiased.
Examples of Case Study Articles:
How researcher Dr. Maria Touhy changed the world of pharmacology
A case study of an organisation using STEM to achieve some of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Case studies of an organisation need to look at the evidence-based impact of that organisation. They are not a promotion of the organisation, and authors with connections to an organisation are expected to make this clear and give a balanced and evidence-based account.
An analysis of a government initiative to combat healthcare inequalities between people of higher and lower socioeconomic backgrounds, which was overall unsuccessful, including the reasons it wasn't impactful, and how future initiatives can learn from its shortcomings
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Experience articles help others by sharing a reflection on a STEM or SDG-related experience in a way that adds new insight to an issue or topic. Experience articles are the most likely to have a personal approach, but should remain scientifically accurate and balanced. Experience articles are most likely to be written in first person and are generally shorter than other articles. Experience articles should be reflective (e.g. sharing key learnings, highlights or takeaways) and narrative so that the story of the experience flows well.
Examples of Experience Articles:
The Life of a NASA Intern
My Experience as an ISEF (International Science and Engineering Fair) Finalist
Your experience doing work experience, volunteering in STEM, doing a STEM competition, or attending an event
Sharing your learnings from developing a project which used STEM to achieve one or more of the UN Sustainable Development Goals
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Perspective articles can offer a unique opinion from the author’s viewpoint. They should briefly summarise the topic and provide background information to give the reader context, but focus primarily on providing the author’s opinionated insight. These should be persuasive yet well-researched, credible, logical, justified, and clear. Although the article should mention and discuss conflicting opinions, a Perspectives article should make your own opinion clear, and justify why you have taken that stance.
Examples of Perspective Articles:
The benefits of using NASA’s satellite technology to track the movements of marine mammals
Why we should no longer use pesticides
Why you believe a particular STEM-related technology is vital to tackling the climate emergency
Your ideas on how the education system could be improved to allow more children to access good STEM education
One of the UN Sustainable Development Goals which you feel is neglected, and how you believe we could achieve it through STEM
Why you think less girls are doing computer science at school, and ways that you believe we could change that
It is essential that Perspective articles are well evidenced using credible sources, and important to note that Youth STEM Matters will not provide a platform to articles which conflict with Youth STEM 2030's commitment to inclusivity and diversity.
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News articles help report on recent breakthroughs in STEM and how this will help advance the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. They should have a formal tone throughout and aim to encompass as wide an array of sources as possible to avoid bias, as well as remaining credible, providing something new, and avoid sensationalist reporting.
Examples of News Articles:
Data scientists have pioneered a new model that predicts predicts severe natural disasters - giving people time to evacuate, saving countless lives!
Psychologists have found that 76% of Europeans under the age of 25 suffer from climate anxiety - how can we help youth, and the planet?
A simple way to get started on a news article is by looking at recently published scientific papers - which ones pique your interest? What do you think about the study? How could you communicate the paper’s findings in a way which would be more accessible to young people?
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An interview piece consists of a written account of a discussion an author had with a person or organisation, which may have taken place via video call or in person. Interviews should consist of a short background on the person being interviewed and the interview questions and answers themselves, maintaining a structure which flows well. Interviewees should not be misquoted, but excess language (such as ‘ums’) should be excluded. Questions should be in bold and interviews should be diverse and inclusive.
Examples of Interview Articles:
Interviewing a science educator on their opinions and research on the impact of climate change on women
Interviewing clothing company Z on the ways in which they’re breaking the cycle of unethical, unsustainable fast fashion
You must ensure you have the interviewee’s consent for the interview, and that they understand that the interview will be shared publicly and published in Youth STEM Matters
If you’re under 16, you should ensure you have the permission of, and are accompanied by, your parent/guardian when interviewing people, whether via a video call or in person.
Referencing
References are a key part of creating a high quality and credible science communication article. Although the size of the reference list will vary between articles, the number and quality of references should be proportionate to the level and depth of research needed to evidence the content of the article. References should be from trusted, reliable sources and include peer-reviewed sources, and all articles should follow the Youth STEM Matters Referencing Guide.
Ethics & Authorship
Ethics are really important at Youth STEM Matters, and every article should adhere to our Ethics Policy. We ask all authors to read the Ethics Policy in full, but the key points to be aware of are:
Authorship: all authors should play an active role in producing their article and have given permission for it to be published in Youth STEM Matters
Research integrity: all authors should ensure that their work is, to the best of their knowledge, of good quality, honest, fair, respectful, and that they are accountable for its contents
Images: Incorporation of images must have the strict permission of the original artists or photographers
Unacceptable practices: Unacceptable practices include fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, manipulating authorship, self-plagiarism, and duplicate submissions
If any of these policies are not adhered to, Youth STEM Matters has the right to retract the work from the journal until further notice, however if only a small portion of an otherwise reliable piece of work did not adhere to these policies due to an honest mistake, the journal will issue an errata of the work.
Images
At Youth STEM Matters, we take our responsibility to ensure that photographers and artists are properly credited and that their work is reused according to copyright laws. All images published in Youth STEM Matters must either…
A) Be copyright-free images, such as those published under Creative Commons licenses or available on Pixabay, Pexels or Unsplash. Authors should still provide a citation (including the full access link) for these images so they can be found by others. OR
B) Original artwork, which can be created by the author, or our team of Artists at Youth STEM Matters. If you are requesting artwork created by the Youth STEM Matters Team, please add an image close to what you are looking for into your article, and add a note to describe further what you would like the image to include. OR
C) Where a copyright free or original image are not available, authors must be able to provide Youth STEM Matters with explicit written permission from the photographer or artist that we can reuse their work online AND in print.
Impactful Science Communication at Youth STEM Matters
When reviewing articles submitted to Youth STEM Matters, our team are looking for our 8 Features of Impactful Science Communication…
The Story: The story, or narrative, behind an article will lay out the structure and flow of that article and keep the reader engaged.
Accessibility, Inclusivity and Proximity to the Issue: The article should include a broad array of voices, centre those who are most impacted by the issue, and be accessible to a global target audience.
The Personal Approach: A personal approach to an article is highly context-dependent, but can be more engaging for the reader. All articles should be unique, and offer new insights.
Targeting the Audience: Articles should remain targeted to the audience they are attracting consistently.
Avoiding Jargon: Jargon are technical terms which young people from non-scientific backgrounds may struggle to understand. Jargon should be simplified, avoided, or explained.
Maintaining Structural Coherency: At Youth STEM Matters, there are 6 different article types with different structures, but all should be consistent, coherent, and flow well.
The Visual Impact: Visual aids are images or photographs that provide a reference point for the article and keep the reader engaged. It is crucial these are credited or copyright-free
Call to Action: An article should inspire readers to act on the issues that are being discussed, and ideally give clear steps other young people can take to tackle this issue and make an impact. Words + Action = Impact!
Submit Your Article
Submit by Sunday 31st March, 5pm BST