Content ideas
- Articles: write in-depth articles about challenges, hot topics, research findings and latest applications in ergonomics and human factors.
- Blogs and tweets of industry leaders: if you’re particularly impressed with someone, summarise their thoughts and ideas.
- Book reviews: if you’ve just read a book that has helped you learn and understand, share it with others.
- Case studies: tell the story of how you’ve helped your customers solve their problems (see ‘The Human Connection for examples).
- Company news: share your company’s success story.
- Compare and contrast: compare and contrast topics to help readers learn about different options.
- Facts and figures: provide key statistics, facts, and short-form text about a topic that you find interesting and we’ll turn it into an infographic to help readers see the big picture.
- Guides: provide step-by-step, how-to information to help readers do something better.
- Industry news: monitor your sector and report on the news stories that may impact readers.
- Interviews: conduct a Q&A session with a colleague, for example, ask them: How did you get started in your career? What are you passionate about in your sector? What is the greatest challenge to human factors in your industry? Where have the most advances been made?
- Opinion: give us your thoughts on a topic that you feel strongly about. Encourage debate by putting two sides of the story.
- Personal stories: let us know how you came to your career in ergonomics. What’s your background? What was the turning point or the light bulb moment?
- Predictions: what do you think will be the next best thing since sliced bread?
- Product reviews: tell us about a product that has helped you do something better or more easily.
- Research stories: become a credible and respected source by giving an explanation of some research and its implications.
- Tools & techniques: tell us about the what, how and when of what works in your practice of human factors.
- Why content: explain how something came about or why things are the way they are (see an example)
General guidelines for articles
– Start by setting the scene to give readers some context. Describe an imaginary or real-life scene that provides a situation that your article addresses.
– Keep the tone conversational. Pitch your article as though you were asked by a respected colleague to explain your work over coffee. Your colleague is interested to hear your opinions, things you have struggled with, things that have surprised you and where you see the work going in the future.
– Your readers will be familiar with the discipline, but not necessarily with your area. Provide a background to your work, but avoid explaining basic concepts.
– Aim to give a general overview of your work. Avoid exhaustive lists or complicated explanations.
– Avoid including tables or figures in your article. Stick to prose as much as possible.
– Don’t include formal references but you can include a ‘further reading’ list, which will be included in a separate sidebar if there is room.
Word counts
– 600 words for a one-page contribution.
– 900 words for a two-page contribution.
Formatting
– Use any word processing programme such as Microsoft Word. Do not submit PDFs.
– Leave a single space after each full stop.
– Use only one paragraph return after each paragraph.
– Avoid using acronyms where possible. If you do wish to use them, spell them out in full the first time, for example “Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors (CIEHF)”.
– Put subheadings in bold, but avoid other types of formatting as this will be done by the publishers.
– Avoid using brackets as much as possible. Generally, anything in brackets can either be brought into the main sentence or deleted.
What to include
1. The title: concise and descriptive of the topic, but no more than 6 words.
2. The written contribution: as a Word document and with minimal formatting.
3. Images: high-quality relevant images, if you have them, sent as separate files, not embedded in the piece. If you have a diagram, include it in its original format, not as a jpg or pdf. If you cannot provide an image, the publishers will use a stock image that fits your topic.
4. References: up to 3 but only if they are highly relevant and will enhance the reader’s knowledge of the topic.
5. Biography: your name, organisation and a sentence or two about your main role or background.
6. Photo: a high-quality head and shoulders photo of yourself in jpg format.
How to submit a contribution
Simply fill in an online form using the link button below.
If you have any questions or wish to send an early draft for comment, please email the editor.