Lead Article: Lineup & Guide

AIC News editor Lisa Goldberg will contact Specialty Group, Network, or Committee chairs several months prior to publication to discuss the topic of the lead article.

• You must submit a month and a half (6 weeks) preceding the time of publication. For example, you must submit an article for a Winter issue of AIC News by December 1.
• Starting January 2024, we publish quarterly issues around the 15th of each month listed in the chart below.
• See the Lead Article Guide below for process, guidelines, and tips on planning and writing your article.

Lead Article Schedule

Groups with Lead Articles

Lead Article Guidelines

Introduction

Thank you for volunteering to contribute to the AIC News! Lead articles are meant to inform the AIC membership about a topic of interest to the entire membership or they can highlight a current discussion, problem, or subject that is specific to the specialty group, network, or committee sponsoring the article. We rotate among the groups to ensure many perspectives are heard and all groups have the opportunity to share their work, ideas, challenges, and successes. You can offer members insight into your experience through this unique venue. Groups, networks, and committees each have one article every 3 years, and chairs can select the issue they desire within that time frame. AIC News is considered a historical record of the organization, so your work will be available to members as a resource and reference.

Tips on Planning your Article

• Talk about the concept with the editor in advance to help shape the outline and consider the audience. Reviewing past lead articles may spark some ideas. (Find recent issues at https://members.culturalheritage.org/documents/library)

• The tone should be more formal than an update column but it’s not on the level of a journal article. 

• Consider that members should be familiar with the topic and you are helping increase their awareness or understanding of an issue or subject.

• Instead of copying text from the website, refer to a page and/or where people can find the information. It helps readers if you include links to external resources (i.e., conference website, government publication).

• The cover page/banner image may connect in theme to one of the two lead articles. If you have ideas for this image, please share with the editor. We select images that are simple and can be displayed successfully in the horizontal, as it is covered by the logo and text. If you do not have ideas for this banner image, the editorial team will find one that fits the theme/topic of one of the lead articles. 

• Note that because this is an online publication, the writing style emphasizes brevity and clarity. Use headers and bullet points to make information easier to access.  

Technical Guidelines

The topic is usually chosen in consultation with the AIC News editor, so that they know what to expect and can provide input if necessary. Sometimes, the group chair or designated author(s) have a phone conversation with the editor before a topic is firmly decided. This conversation can be helpful if the chair/group has several ideas or is searching for a topic/theme that makes sense for the article.

Previously published article formats have varied widely from reports on surveys, to consideration of treatment options or materials choice, a series of short case studies, a review of a historical element in the field, or treatment choices. These articles are not meant to summarize meetings, conferences, or workshops, or to report on topics that are readily found within the AIC online community or blog posts. 

The structure for the article can take many forms:

• It can be written by multiple authors.

• It can be authored by a single person.

• The group can cede oversight of the article to a corresponding  author(s) or may choose to be involved in the review process.

• The article can include associated tables, charts, images, text boxes, or additional reading lists (1-5 figures or images and 1-2 tables).

• Images are encouraged to illustrate your article, even if they are not figures. All images must be provided as separate files in high resolution (250dpi) in .jpg, .tif, or .pdf format, with a caption that includes appropriate attribution. 

• Use of endnotes is discouraged; the format of including a list of supplemental reading or information is preferred. Note that sometimes reference style is used, because the topic lends itself to this style.  

• All references must be formatted in JAIC style. 

• Include the URL for all e-references and websites (it will be embedded in the copy editing stage)

• Submit the article as a Word document.

The word count limit for these articles is 600-2000; brevity and clarity are a goal with such a small word count margin, and some of the correspondence with the editor and copy editors occurs in an effort to help shave words from the end product. Note that boxes, tables, images (and their captions), figures, and other additions do not count towards the total word count limit. 

The deadline for submitting articles is a two-week window to allow time for authors and editors to work together to achieve an article that fits the newsletter format and audience. 

Editorial Process

• The editor will reach out.

• The author(s) submit the article to the editor.

• The editor and author(s) will work together to create a final document, usually through email communications. 

• The copy editor will review for style and flag author queries.

• The editor will contact the author(s) about any changes. 

• At this point the editorial team at large takes over; the article is edited for newsletter style and reviewed by staff. The editor may contact the author if there are suggested changes that affect meaning. 

• The Editorial team lays out the article with other content, and staff reviews the layout version one more time

• The newsletter issue is published. 

• The citation for your article can be written in this format: Schwarz, Cynthia. 2022. “Conservator Wellness, a New Focus for the New Year.” AIC News 47 (1): 1, 4-6.