Author Guidelines

All entries should focus on providing a clear and accessible description of the item. Authors should feel free to sequence the presentation of facts and descriptions to engage the reader, while taking care to include basic information in ways that preclude involved and and/or esoteric explanations. The goal is to broadly inform readers by providing basic information and explaining significance.

Categories for Entries

There are generally five categories of entries: biography, events, place, institutions and groups, and biota. As much as possible, entries should include the following: 

 Biography

Begin with what field of endeavor, talent, or skill made/makes the person important to Oregon. Then you can provide a brief outline of the person's life, with specific reference to significant relationships to Oregon's history and culture. What were the person's principal accomplishments? What were/are the person's significant relationships to events, places, institutions, and organizations in Oregon? What is the person's legacy, or what differences has the person made to Oregon?

Events

Describe the event and its time, location, and origin. What part in history did the event play? What led up to it? What organization(s) and individual(s) are associated with the event? Describe the aftermath of the event and its social, cultural, or political consequences. What is the event's legacy?

Place

Describe the location of the place and its significance to Oregon over time. To what and whom is it related? What economic, social, political, and spiritual importance did/does the place have for Oregon? Where appropriate, include reference to Oregon Geographic Names or other authority.

Institutions & Groups

Describe the background and development of the institution or group. What is the significance to Oregon history and culture, including economic, social, political, spiritual, or aesthetic connections? What significant individuals, events, and places were/are related to the institution or group? What is the relationship to other institutions, agencies, places, and communities? Describe the significance of the natural landscape, including reference to agriculture, transportation, weather, commerce, biota, and aesthetics.

Biota

Describe the flora/fauna and its relation to Oregon. What is its uniqueness to place? Describe its significance to the natural landscape, including references to agriculture, geography/geology, economics, weather, and aesthetics. What social impact does it have? How does it affect Oregon's food or fiber industries?

Guidelines for Writing

Audience

Authors should write for readers with a range of ages and experience. The Oregon Encyclopedia will be a reference for general readers, teachers, and students.

Originality

All essays and entries must be original and should not have been previously published.

Style

While authors will be encouraged to write in their own individual styles, they should write clearly and concisely and make sure that entries are focused and lacking in ambiguity. Although entries should reflect the authors' scholarly interpretations and professional judgment, they must be free of bias or personal opinion.

Controversial Topics

Where there is the potential for a topic to be controversial and there is not a significant corpus of scholarly work available, authors should handle the topic with fairness and respect.

Jargon

Authors should avoid using jargon and explain any local or specialized terminology.

Quoted Materials

Authors should feel free to quote the work of scholars and other experts (with a reference to a source) but should avoid long quotations and quotations of materials that require permission to reprint (such as poetry and lyrics).

Documentation

All entries must rely on existing scholarship, and authors must include documentation as parenthetical notes (author, date, page number), with a full citation to the work appearing in sources. The references will be used in the review process to assess entries and essays. Notes will be removed in published entries, with sources appearing at the end of each entry.

Suggested Readings

Authors of entries should submit two to four suggested readings and indicate (with an asterisk) which . Authors of essays should submit five to ten suggested readings.

Images

Authors are encouraged to submit suggestions for appropriate images (e.g., maps, photographs, artworks), film clips, and audio and video clips that could accompany their entries. Authors should submit captions and credits for all supplementary materials.

Keywords and Cross References

Authors are encouraged to identify possible keywords and cross references in their entries.

Submission

Entries must be submitted electronically using a current version of Word or Word Perfect.

Editorial Process

All entries will be subject to a process of external review, fact-checking, and copy-editing. Authors will have the opportunity to respond to reviewers' suggestions and to revise their entries. The editors reserve the right to revise the accepted manuscript for clarity, consistency, style, syntax, and punctuation.

 

Style Guide

Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition

Suggested Writing Guides

Elements of Style, by William Strunk and E.B. White, and The Columbia Guide to Online Style, by Janice Walker and Todd Taylor.