Article submission guidelines

Share ideas and engage in intelligent debate on topical issues relevant to the RSA’s aims.

Content guidelines

We welcome your contributions and comments and we encourage you to debate freely with others on the site.

We just have a few simple guidelines that we ask you to abide by:

• We encourage comment on a range of topics and from diverse contributors, but we will only include items relevant to the aims of the RSA (see About the RSA).
• Articles published on the Comment section of the website will be posted first on Circle, the RSA's community platform.
• We are keen to publish pieces that share new ideas for potential projects: using RSA Comment to assess broader interest and as a potential staircase to further development.

• For the benefit of all users, we aim to keep comment as lively and accessible as possible. So, please keep articles short (typically pieces range from 800 to 1,000 words). The best articles are those that have a central argument and are written in accessible and jargon-free language. We do not use footnotes but do like to ground claims in evidence - so please embed links where relevant.

• We welcome intelligent and challenging debate, but avoid any pieces that involve personal attacks, are libellous, or offensive. Please respect other people’s views and beliefs and consider your impact on others when making your contribution.

• Any content you submit to us must be your own original work and must not infringe the copyright (or other relevant rights) of others. We do not carry pieces that are already published elsewhere but are happy to agree to republication after on a case-by-case basis.

• This is a platform for people to interact with each other, to share ideas and to make links across the RSA’s content platforms. We welcome pieces that refer to recent RSA Journal, events, podcasts or programme content; it is not for marketing or narrow self-promotion. We will reject posts that we believe constitute advertising or spam.

Editing

All articles published on the website will be edited. This will include basic house style and while we aim to keep editing as light touch as possible, sometimes we will include suggestions about making wider RSA links and/or structure. We will edit for sense, grammar, length and for the purposes of search engine optimisation to ensure both your work and the work of the RSA is as discoverable as possible. Our editors will also write (and may rewrite) headlines.

Circle-first approach

Fellows are encouraged to post their comment articles first on Circle. From the pieces shared on Circle, our editors will select articles for publication on the Comment section of the website.

Interaction

We encourage discussion among authors and visitors to this platform, so we would ask authors to share their posts with their networks, keep an eye on their posts, engage with readers and, where possible, respond to the comments and conversations prompted by their articles.

Sharing

Please feel free to share the articles and video on this site via the ‘share/save’ icons.

Useful contacts

To make an enquiry related to submissions/moderation, or to give feedback/make suggestions for ways we can improve RSA Comment, email RSA Comment

News items

If you are working on something that you’d like to announce to the Fellowship, but do not feel that the above options are quite right, then you have the option to submit a short 'news bulletin' for the RSA website.

Keep it short and sweet, ideally under 300 words. You can always hyperlink to more information. It should be written in the third person and directly reference you and your relationship to the project/event you're promoting.

Please send your news piece to networks@rsa.org.uk, with a clear subject line: RSA News Item Submission.