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Forefront is a Medium publication that will bring together those in the science, technology, engineering, mathematics and health communities that are interested in informing the general public about science and technology (S&T) policy. The focus is primarily on “science and technology informing policy” though some areas of “policy for science and technology,” such as STEM education are also welcome.

We’re particularly interested in bringing younger and unique voices together while at the same time maintaining an evidence-based publication. In addition, we want to provide an opportunity for same day publication for issues that are of immediate interest to policymakers. A third goal is to provide a home for some of the “one-time” only publications that the S&T community already puts on Medium so there is a centralized location for this material.

We picked Medium as a platform because authors retain ownership of their work, and work published elsewhere can be republished on Medium. Publishing on Medium’s platform is free, anyone can read several articles a month at no cost, and articles can be accessed from Twitter with no reading limit. If Forefront does not select an article for its publication, authors can still publish on the Medium platform. Over 170 million people read articles on Medium providing an opportunity for a more public audience than typical publications.

Types of Submissions

1. Analyses

Traditional policy analyses that evaluate benefits and drawbacks of various policy options and make recommendations to a specific policymaker audience. Includes NSPN Science Policy Writing Competition submissions.

Examples: Policy briefs, Policy memos

2. Opinions

Fact-based commentary on current issues in science and technology policy.

Examples: Op-eds, Blog posts

3. Fact Sheets

General information related to a policy topic that does not make recommendations that may or may not be targeted to a specific policymaker audience.

Examples: Fact Sheets, 1-Pagers, Science Notes

Review Process

Forefront will not have traditional peer review, but we will practice oversight over the articles to ensure these guidelines and best practices are met. When potential Forefront authors submit an article or multi-media publication, authors will designate one of several predetermined tags (e.g., energy, environment, health).

Two volunteer associate editors with expertise in that “tag” will review the proposed article and will work with the author on any issues of concern relative to the guidelines and best practices if necessary. Once approved by the associate editors, then the Forefront editors will conduct a final review prior to publication approval.

Articles are reviewed based on the following criteria:

1. Does this article fit the scope of Forefront — a space where the science and technology policy community can express their ideas about how to enhance society — now and into the future?
2. Are there major grammatical issues within the article that, generally speaking, the author should revise before publishing?
3. Is the content fact-based and responsibly written? Consider adding hyperlinked citations throughout the article.
4. Should the author make formatting adjustments before publishing (e.g., adding featured image, adding subheadings, etc.)?
5. Does the article follow Medium’s guidelines for appropriate content?
6. Are the ‘tags’ appropriate?
7. Is the author credible to be sharing this perspective? Do they have a bio on their Medium page?

Submission Form

Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis. After you submit, you will be contact by the Forefront editors to confirm your submission and update you of progress.

In order to submit, you will need to have a Medium account to become a writer (see more information here). When you’ve written your piece, you can access the link to the draft by clicking the three dots in the top right corner of the page and selecting “Share draft link”.

Submit using the following form. Contact Rachel Owen at rowen@scitechforefront.org with troubleshooting questions.

Check out our recent webinar that goes step-by-step through submitting a policy brief for the NSPN SciPol Writing Competition.

Standards

Forefront will follow Medium’s guidelines for appropriate content. These include no threats of violence and incitement, hateful content, harassment, or promotion of controversial, suspect, or extreme content. In addition, we ask authors to follow Medium’s list of best practices for journalism. These include differentiating facts from conjecture as well as high accuracy standards such as fact-checking, reference citations, and author correction of errors.