Information for Authors

Thank you for your interest in contributing to the Ocean Voices blog! Here are a few guidelines and some important information for you as an author.


What can I write about?
Your blogpost should broadly fall under one of the following categories:

Talking Science

You want to present your first results to the world in an informal, understandable way? You found amazing, mind-boggling work of others, or you want to discuss recent scientific events (volcano outbreaks, earthquakes, floods, changing policies, scientific break-throughs)? Then this is the category for you!

Meet and Greet

In this category we want to show-off the people behind science. It doesn’t matter if it is interviews with technicians, professors or students, presenting inspirational historical scientists, or modern-day science heroes; This one is all about people.

The view of a scientist

This category is meant to provide a platform for sharing opinions and experiences from the perspective of a young marine scientist. So, you can basically choose whatever topic you want to write about: Have you recently arrived to Kiel and want to share you first experiences at GEOMAR or living in Germany? Do you want to share your struggles or funny stories, or clarify misconceptions people have about your life as a scientist? These are just some ideas to get you started. Feel free to be creative and contact us if you feel unsure if your topic is suitable.


How should I write?
We do not have any formal requirements for length or style. Just keep in mind what and how much you would want to read yourself.

Some tips:         

  • Start with why! Before you start writing, think of a key message or purpose of your blog post. What do you want your readers to take out of the post? Why do you think they should know about your topic?
  • Show yourself! Personal stories work really well in blogs so don’t be afraid to show your own personality and style. Sign your blog posts with your name and a profile photo, and even add a contact e-mail address if you want people to get in touch.
  • Write clearly! Avoid or explain topic-specific jargon or terminology. The posts should be understandable to people with a general scientific training that may not be experts in your field.

How can I join in?
When you have an idea for a topic, you can contact us, under oceanvoices(at)geomar.de. Please provide us with some information about you (name/contact email) and your blog post idea, an approximate date, you think you can have it finished and what category you think it belongs to. One of us will come back to you with additional information and will guide you through the rest of the process. This includes answering your questions and giving feedback, if you want. The final entry should be a word document, including pictures and captions for them, if you like. Please make sure you have the consent of the creator of, and people visible in the images (see data protection below) or mentioned by name in your blogpost.


What about data protection?

If you are submitting photos or other media, please ensure that these agree with German Data Protection laws. Similarly, if you want to post figures from publications (either your own or others), please ensure that you adhere to the copyright for reproducing each image and that these are correctly cited.

We will need you to get a form signed by every person visible in your pictures, in order to have their written consent. Additionally, you will need to sign a form that you are responsible for the content of your own blogpost. Please do not be discouraged by these legal requirements. They are as much for your information and protection as they are for ours.


Any questions?

Send us an e-mail at oceanvoices(at)geomar.de and we will get back to you a.s.a.p. We are looking forward to receiving your posts!

Cheers,

Your Ocean Voices Team