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We are looking for writers to contribute to the Spring 2025 issue of the AAALGrads Newsletter. We are open to receiving a wide range of proposals and intend to showcase an array of topics and scholarly areas that our graduate student community is currently engaged with. Please consider submitting a proposal for any of the formats listed below. If selected, your work will be published in mid-March.

 

Possible Submission Formats

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We extend our call to include Feature Articles, Resource Reviews (e.g., books and technological tools), Creative Corner pieces (e.g., poetry, art, and video), short “how to” or “what I wish someone had told me” blurbs for the Professional Development Corner, and opinion pieces on topics affecting the AAALGrads community. Please refer to the provided examples for each submission format, but note that submissions are not limited to the presented examples. Additional examples can be found in past issues of the newsletter.

 

• Feature Article. A feature article should be 750-1,500 words. It should address and critically develop a question or idea relevant to the AAALGrads community. Feature articles can report on empirical research, take a theoretical perspective, or share completed projects and administrative or service work.

• Professional Development Corner. Blurbs for the Professional Development Corner are 500-1,000-word “how to” or “what I wish someone had told me” reports by advanced graduate students. The format can take several shapes, such as, but not limited to: a short narrative of a successful strategy, a “do’s and don’ts” list, or a flowchart. The goal of this newsletter section is to give graduate students adequate support and guidance as they navigate their graduate careers. In that vein, please maintain a professional tone and positive outlook. DO NOT refer to institutions, departments, or individual people by name.

• Resource Review. A resource review should be about 500-1,000 words. It should critique material (e.g., books, textbooks, technological tools, or a website) that might be helpful to graduate students. You are expected to have read and/or used the material before you write your review. For your proposal, please include a brief summary of the resource and your opinion of its helpfulness for graduate students.

• Creative Corner. The Creative Corner is a section designed to showcase the creativity and diverse experiences of graduate students in our field. In addition to short essays, submissions in this section may include poetry, visual art/photography, and/or a high-quality video related to graduate student life. In your proposal, please be sure to describe the submission format (e.g., 25 MB .mp4 video). Reflections on personal experiences are encouraged. Taking a small step to acknowledge the current changes at the AAAL 2024 conference, we are pleased to announce that the Creative Corner now accepts submissions in languages other than English. If you choose to submit your work in a language other than English, please indicate the language used for the final submission and provide a brief explanation in English. Text-based creative submissions (poetry/essays) may be up to 1000 words. All submissions may be accompanied by a description of no more than 500 words.                   

• Trending Topics Forum. This forum gives you the opportunity to share your opinion on current issues, events, or topics affecting the AAALGrads community. Opinion pieces allow you to take a stance on a topic, share personal experiences, or issue a call to action. In your proposal, please be sure to describe the relevance of this issue to members of our community. Submissions to the Trending Topics Forum should be 500-1,000 words.

 

 

Guidelines for Proposals, Submission, and Timeline

Your proposal should...

• be approximately 300 words

• provide your name, department and institution, degree, and area of study

• identify the type of submission (feature article, Professional Development Corner, resource review, Creative Corner, or Trending Topics Forum)

• include an overview/description of your submission

• confirm your ability to commit to the timeline (provided below)

 

 

 

Proposals will be collected through this Google Form and are due by Monday, January 20, 2025 (anywhere on Earth). You can submit a proposal if you are a current grad student or recent graduate. You do not have to be a current AAAL member.

 

Please review the timeline listed below to ensure that, should your proposal be selected for inclusion in the issue, you don't foresee any major issues following it.

 

 

Tentative Timeline  

(Please note that this timeline may be subject to change)

 

Monday, January 20, 2025

Proposal due (in your time zone)

 

Monday, January 27, 2025

Authors notified of acceptance

 

Monday, February 3, 2025

First draft of manuscript due

 

Friday, February 7, 2025

Editors provide feedback to authors on first drafts

 

Friday, February 14, 2025

Revised drafts due

 

Friday, February 21, 2025

Editors provide additional feedback if necessary

 

Friday, February 28, 2025

Final drafts of manuscripts due. Authors provide

short biography and headshot

 

Monday, March 3, 2025

Editors return final draft with proofs

 

Wednesday, March 5, 2025

Authors respond to proofs

 

For questions or inquiries, please reach out to the newsletter co-editors at aaalgrads@gmail.com