Guide for Authors

The Skeptical Inquirer encourages the scientific outlook, science and scientific inquiry, critical thinking, and the use of reason and the methods of science in examining important issues. While we are known for our critical examinations of claims of paranormal, fringe science, and pseudoscientific phenomena, we have broadened our scope to include scientific or investigative examinations of a wide variety of public issues. Issues of broad public importance are of potential interest as long as they involve science and reason. Our subtitle, “The Magazine for Science and Reason,” accurately conveys our focus and outlook.

Well-written articles, reviews, and columns from leaders in science, biomedicine, psychology, the social sciences, philosophy, education, and technology are sought. Contributions by investigative journalists and science writers are also wanted.

The Skeptical Inquirer’s readership includes scholars and researchers in many fields and general readers of diverse backgrounds. Potential SI authors should write clearly, interestingly, and simply, avoid unnecessary technical terms, and maintain a factual, professional, and restrained tone. All submissions are judged on interest, clarity, significance, relevance, authority, and topicality.

CATEGORIES AND GENERAL

Categories of contributions include: Articles, Book Reviews, News and Comment, Comment & Opinion, Forum, Follow-Up, and Letters to the Editor. We have begun giving increased priority to shorter, timely pieces on topical issues of broad public interest and importance.

Articles and General Information

Articles may be evaluative, investigative, or explanatory. They may examine specific claims or broader questions. Well-focused discussions on scientific, educational, or social issues of wide, common interest are welcome.

We especially seek articles that provide new information from recent scientific studies or bring fresh perspective to familiar subjects. Well-balanced articles that report on and evaluate controversial scientific claims and issues within science or on topics where there is a large gap between scientific understanding and public understanding are especially sought. We also seek articles that help people find natural explanations of unusual personal experiences or that portray the vigor and excitement of a particular scientific topic and help readers distinguish between scientific and pseudoscientific approaches.

The Skeptical Inquirer must be a source of authoritative, responsible scientific information and perspective. The Editor will usually send manuscripts dealing with technical or controversial matters to reviewers. The authors, however, are responsible for the accuracy of fact and perspective. It is good practice to have knowledgeable colleagues review drafts before submission. Reports of original research, especially highly technical experimental or statistical studies, are best submitted to a formal scientific journal, although a nontechnical summary may be submitted to the Skeptical Inquirer.

Space is at a premium. Many accepted articles await publication space, and many submitted articles cannot be published. Articles are typically 1,800 to 3,200 words (about 8 to 12 double-spaced printed out pages in a standard 12 pt. font). Longer manuscripts will be returned. Articles should be organized around one central point or theme and be succinct.

Articles should have a title page. It should begin with a succinct, inviting title followed by a concise, twenty- to thirty-word statement of the article’s main point or theme. This abstract (or “deck”) will be published in display type on the first page of the printed article and is often used as a summary on the Contents page. Include a suggested author bio note of one to three sentences that gives relevant affiliations and credentials and an e-mail or mailing address for reader correspondence (if you do not want your contact information included in the author note, please say so). The title page must also give the name of the author(s), full addresses, and the authors’ office and home telephone numbers, fax numbers, and e-mail addresses, and a word count. The manuscript should be accompanied by a brief cover letter stating that the article has not been submitted elsewhere and providing any other essential background for the Editor.

All other editorial submissions (book reviews, columns, and news submissions) should also include a suggested author bio note and your full contact information including mailing address.

Book Reviews

We publish reviews of new or recently published books. You may query the editor first to ensure interest and to avoid duplication. Most book reviews are about 600 to 1,000 words. Include publication data at the top of the review in this order: Title. Author. Publisher, City. Year. ISBN. Number of pages. Hardcover or softcover, price. Include a suggested reviewer bio note at the end.

News and Comment

News articles from 250 to 1,000 words are welcome. They should involve timely events and issues and be written in interpretative journalistic style. Use third person. The news sections of Nature, Science, New Scientist, and Science News are excellent models. Balance, fairness, and perspective are important. In reporting on controversies, seek and include comment and perspective from the various opposing parties.

Comment & Opinion

These are invited commentaries by noted experts about urgent, topical issues of broad public importance. Length is about 1,200 words. Most are invited, but queries from well-known authorities and authors are welcome.

Forum

The Forum column consists of brief, lively, well-written columns of generally no more than 1,000 words. Space allows only one or two per issue.

Research Reviews

Research reviews are occasional evaluative reports providing perspective on a newly published journal article of significance. They are written by authorities in the field. Generally about 1,200 words.

Follow-Up

The Follow-Up column is for response from persons whose work or claims have been criticized in previous articles. The original authors may respond in the same or a later issue.

Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor are for views on matters raised in previous issues. Letters should be no more than 225 words. Due to the volume of letters received, they cannot be acknowledged, and not all can be published. Those selected may be edited for space and clarity. Authors criticized in the letters column may be given the opportunity to respond in the same issue. Submit letters to the editor by e-mail to letters@csicop.org.

FORMAT REQUIREMENTS

Text

Manuscripts submitted by mail should be printed out double-spaced, including notes and references, on 8-1/2” × 11” white copy paper with at least one-inch margins on all sides. In electronic manuscripts as well as paper versions, indent first line of all paragraphs and do not add an extra line space between paragraphs.

Number all pages in sequence, including those for references, figures, and captions. For mailed Articles, submit an original and two photocopies (for reviewers); for other categories, an original and one photocopy.

Almost all final material is now required in electronic form. If you mail your manuscript, include the full text including article cover page on a CD, DVD, or floppy disk, or be prepared to send upon acceptance. Alternatively, manuscripts that are invited or expected (query the editor for interest) may be e-mailed as an attachment to the editor (or to an assistant editor if so requested). Photos and artwork should be in electronic form as well.

References and Notes

References must be formatted according to the author-date system of documentation as found in The Chicago Manual of Style (15th ed., especially Secs. 16.4 and 16.90-120). Sources are cited in the text, usually in parentheses, by author’s last name and year of publication (with no comma between). Examples: (Smith and Jones 2008). Or (Smith and Jones 2008, 37) to add the page number. (Sanders et al. 2008) for more than three authors. Multiple: (Watkins 2008, 2007; Foley and Masterson 2004; Hsu 2006) These text citations are amplified at the end of manuscript in a list of References (alphabetized by last name of first author), which give full bibliographic information in the style shown below. Second and subsequent authors names are in natural (not inverted) order. Pay particular attention to the details of punctuation. No ampersands. No parentheses around the year of publication. No punctuation after journal names. Colon and space between volume (issue number) and page numbers. Give full names of journals (not abbreviations). In titles of printed works, capitalize only first word, first word after a subtitle, and proper nouns. For works without authors, start with title, not “anonymous.” Check recent issues for other examples. Manuscripts with references in other styles will be returned for revision.

Sample book entry:

Smith, John, Jane Jones, and J.T. Thompson. 2008. A Skeptical Book. New York: Jones Press.

Sample journal article entries:

Smith, John, Jane Jones, and J.T. Thompson. 2008. A skeptical article. The Journal of Studies in Science and Skepticism 5 (1): 7-12.

Carlson, J.T., W. Shimizu, and E. Tyler. 2008. New England Journal of Medicine 356 (14): 933-944.

Institutional Author, Web Site:

Institute of Medicine. 2004. Immunization Safety Review: Vaccines and Autism. May 17. Available at www.iom.edu/CMS/3793/4705/20115.aspx.

Use numerical endnotes (not footnotes), labeled “Notes,” for explaining or amplifying discussions in the text. Notes should be minimized. If these Notes contain citations, the citations should be in author-date style.

Illustrations

Figures and graphs should be submitted electronically in high resolution (at least 300 dpi) as JPEG files. Assign each illustration with a Figure number and supply captions on a separate page. Suggestions for other illustrations are also welcome.

SUBMITTAL INSTRUCTIONS

Unless otherwise requested, all manuscripts should be sent to:

For all contributions, we need the text in electronic form, either as an e-mail attachment (Word document preferred) or on a CD, DVD, or floppy disk (for mailed manuscripts).

If you don’t include a CD or disk with your mailed manuscript, you will be asked to send an electronic version upon tentative acceptance. In that case, you may be asked to send it to managing editor Ben Radford (bradford@centerforinquiry.net) or to one of our assistant editors (Donna Budniewski or Julia Lavarnway) at our editorial production office in Amherst, N.Y. Their address: Skeptical Inquirer, P.O. Box 703, Amherst, NY 14226, U.S.A.

Do not use the Amherst address for initial submittal of manuscripts.

Proofs

Once the manuscript of an article, review, or column has been tentatively scheduled, edited, copyedited, and typeset, our Amherst editorial production office will send proofs to the author, usually by e-mail. Corrections should generally be returned within 72 hours.

Copyright

Unless otherwise agreed, copyright will be transferred to CSI upon publication.

Authors will be sent several complimentary copies of the published issue.

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