Information Outlook Author Guidelines

Information Outlook and Its Audience

Information Outlook is the monthly professional magazine of the Special Libraries Association. It is written primarily by and for information professionals. The editorial objective is to provide timely coverage of information management issues relevant to special librarians in a global environment. Information Outlook interprets the news and covers trends and issues impacting information professionals

Editorial Calendar

Check the Information Outlook Editorial Calendar of themes to get ideas for submissions.

Contributions and Queries

Preparing Feature Articles

• Submissions for feature articles should be 1,500-3,000 words long or 8-12 typewritten, double-spaced pages. Articles will only be accepted in electronic form, either on computer disk or by Internet, with an additional hard copy sent to the editor for reference.

• Each page should be numbered and have one-inch margins on all sides. The author's name, address, telephone and fax number, and e-mail address (if applicable) should appear on the cover page of the article. Authors are also asked to provide biographical information at the end of the article, including name, current position, and e-mail address (if applicable). Other biographical information may be included if relevant to the article and is subject to editing.

Body of Article:
Information Outlook feature articles should focus on timely issues regarding information management such as: administration, organization, and operation; technology; international developments; and trends in the field. Feature articles need to have a broad appeal to all readers. Articles written primarily to market a particular product or service are not suitable for publication in Information Outlook.

• Titles should be brief-three to six words-and include an active verb. Subheads are also useful as they guide the reader through the article and should be included at least once every two pages. Subheads should be no longer than 35 characters. Do not use more than one degree of subheads in an article.

• Provide a byline which gives the author's complete name as it should appear in print.

• Information should be provided in an interesting, narrative style, beginning with a lead sentence or paragraph that defines exactly what you plan to talk about and compels your audience to read the article.

• Information that is relevant to the article, yet self-contained, can be included in sidebars which will appear with the article. Other illustrations may be accepted pending discussion with the editor.

• Avoid the passive voice by using active verbs whenever possible.

• Avoid specialized jargon and define any jargon you must use. The use of acronyms is discouraged. Do not create new acronyms and spell out any already existing acronyms on their first usage, no matter how self explanatory the acronym may seem.

• Be comprehensive. Anticipate questions that may arise in the readers' mind and provide information to answer these questions.

• Find the right tone. Convey your ideas by showing the readers examples of how your ideas worked for you and how these ideas can be applied in their organizations.

• Write a conclusion that not only sums up the article, but moves beyond it to a forecast, challenge, or plan of action.

• Do not include footnotes. All references should be included in the main body of the text.

Before Submitting Your Feature Article:

• reviewed the article at least twice. I have looked for and deleted unnecessary words and phrases, changed passive voice to active, and made sure that each paragraph logically follows the one before it.

• asked a friend or colleague to read my article, then rewrote any sections that needed further clarification.

• checked every name, fact, date, figure, Internet address, URL, etc. against my original source material. (Accuracy of these facts is the responsibility of the author, not the editor. To give your article credibility, please check and re-check these facts at every stage of production.)

• provided 8-12 double spaced pages, not including sidebars. The sidebars included do not exceed two double spaced pages in length.

• provided an article that does not promote a product, service, or company.

• provided an article that follows the style rules outlined at the end of this document.

Submitting Your Article:

Editor, Information Outlook
Special Libraries Association
1700 Eighteenth St., NW
Washington, DC 20009-2514

E-mail: susan-b@sla.org
Fax: 1-202-265-9317

Evaluation of Manuscript:

Copyright Agreement

Editing

Proofs

Other Contributions

• Member, unit, international, or student news may be forwarded to the editor at any time for inclusion in the news section. Publication is subject to appropriateness. Please provide detailed information. Printing date is subject to space availability.

• News of upcoming events may be included in our calendar. Please send detailed information including the host and name of the event, information about the event, dates, and complete contact information.

• If you have an opinion piece you feel needs to be shared with your colleagues, your article may be suitable for our "That's Debatable" opinion column. All opinion pieces need to be queried with the editor before submission. Information Outlook welcomes controversial but not inflammatory pieces.

• Finally, Information Outlook welcomes letters to the editor. To be included, all letters must be signed. The editor reserves the right to edit the letter for length.

SLA Style Rules:

• When referring to an association, business, or corporation, please provide the full name, followed by its acronym in parenthesis (if necessary) and include the city and state/country where it is headquartered on first reference. For example: "Special Libraries Association (SLA), Washington, DC."

• Capitalize only full names of associations, chapters, divisions, caucuses, etc. Lowercase any references to these names if they appear outside of the full title. For example: Special Libraries Association; the association.

• Capitalize titles when they precede a person's name, but lowercase the title when it follows a name. For example: Executive Director David R. Bender; David R. Bender, executive director.

• Use a person's full name and job title in the first reference. In subsequent references, use only the person's last name. Titles such as Ms., Mrs., Mr., and Dr. are not appropriate with this style.

• Spell out numbers one through nine. Use numerals for numbers 10 and above. Use numerals for addresses and dates. Spell out numbers that begin a sentence.

For More Information:

Editor, Information Outlook
Special Libraries Association
1700 Eighteenth St., NW
Washington, DC 20009-2514

Phone: 1-202-234-4700, x644
Fax: 1-202-265-9317
E-mail: susan-b@sla.org

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