Frequently Asked Questions About The Conversation

Here are some of the most common questions researchers have about writing for The Conversation.

• What qualifications do I need to submit an article?

  You must have a Ph.D. and be currently employed as a researcher or academic with FIU. Ph.D. students under supervision by an academic or PI are also candidates for publication.

• At what stage of my research should I be submitting an article?

  FIU academics looking to partner with The Conversation should reach out soon after their academic paper has been accepted for publication. That being said, you should also reach out to write an article if your research has immediate relevancy, such as being on the news or being related to a current event.

• Can I co-author an article?

  Researchers looking to publish in The Conversation can absolutely co-author articles with their colleagues both within FIU and at other universities.

• How often are articles accepted for publication?

  On average, about 30% of the pitches received are published as articles. The Conversation publishes about 35-50 articles per week, chosen from about 150 pitches.

• How long should my article be?

  Articles published in The Conversation are typically 800-1000 words long.

• What happens after I submit a pitch?

  Within 5 business days of your submission, you should receive an email from The Conversation’s staff either accepting or rejecting your pitch. If accepted, one of their editors will reach out to help you frame your story and decide a timeline for the article’s publication. If rejected, you will receive feedback as to why your pitch was rejected, to help with either resubmission or future pitches.

  If you have not heard back from The Conversation and it has been more than five business days, reach out to Madeline Baró at mbaro@fiu.edu or Angela Nicoletti at anicolet@fiu.edu for further assistance.

• What other kinds of articles are published in The Conversation?

  In addition to their standard articles, The Conversation has a few different formats that can be a great introduction for a new scholar, a good option for a scholar with limited time or an opportunity to try something new with one’s academic writing.

  Research Briefs

  Research Briefs are short takes on interesting research and academic work. These stories focus on new research as well as research that is about to be published. They run under 600 words and follow a simplified format that emphasizes what the scholars found, how they found it and why it matters.

  Significant Figures

  Significant Figures are stories driven by a single interesting statistic or numeric figure that’s currently newsworthy and relevant to the lives of readers. The significant figure should be the driving force of the story. Interesting or surprising figures from new research, data or reports often make for excellent stories. They are generally short, ranging from 500 to 600 words.

  Significant Terms

  Significant Terms articles define something that is in the news or relevant to life in the U.S. in a simple and engaging way. The top section defines the term and the next section explains why it matters. An optional third section may explore growth or other related numbers.

  Curious Kids

  Curious Kids are bite-sized stories that answer questions submitted by real kids from around the world in a simple and engaging way. Here are a few examples:

  Why do I need anything other than Google to answer a question?

  When dogs bark are they using words to communicate?

  Why do burps make noise?

  These stories are generally short at 600 to 800 words and written in a lively way to help make them accessible to younger readers. The shorter, the better!

  Scientists at Work

  Scientists at Work articles are first-person narratives about how research is done. They focus less on a specific scientific finding and more on the process and experience of investigating a scientific question. One goal is to share with readers the excitement, joy and passion the author feels around his or her work. Good candidates for this series would take a reader behind the scenes to an amazing fieldwork location or an inaccessible lab and provide day-in-the-life-type details about how the researcher spends his or her time. Cool photos to illustrate are a bonus.