- Consider the purpose—and the "reader outcomes"—of your article. Articulate your purpose in any article proposal you submit to Leader editors. In terms of outcomes, what do you intend the reader to take away that might be useful in his or her practice or professional life?
- Know your audience. This is the cardinal rule. Imagine the ideal reader and address your language to a general, educated reader. Our readers represent one discipline with two professions and a diversity of settings and backgrounds. Assume that most of members, although knowledgeable in their own specialty, are not experts in your subject, but would be eager to learn more about it, perhaps with an eye to making use of the information in their own professional lives. Consequently, gauge your tone as well as the level at which you present your subject with requisite sensitivity. Give readers the information they need without talking down to them (or too far up either) and define all terms that might possibly be unfamiliar to them. Avoid jargon. Anticipate your readers' questions and answer them.
- Length of articles. Full-length features run up to 2,500 words including sidebars and four selected references (additional references can be posted online), and shorter features run approximately 1,500 words. Guest editorials run from 500–650 words, and we target the length of most news articles between 500 and 1,200 words, depending on the topic's importance.
- Content. This, of course, varies widely depending on your specific goals. Have a precise focus and direct all content to the explication of the literary goal you have articulated. Use specific examples. Articles can include sidebars of various kinds of information: references, charts, resources, even short interviews. Think of sidebars as the journalistic equivalent of footnotes—they should enhance the subject matter but, at the same time, be peripheral to the main thesis, and should be kept to a minimum number. Sidebars may have an author different from the main author(s). (Note that major news and feature articles also will appear in the online version of The ASHA Leader. Print space limitations may require that some of the sidebars appear only in the online publication.)
- Style. The ASHA Leader is positioned at the intersection of research and practice. It is not an academic journal, but rather is a professional newspaper/magazine that ASHA members look to for interesting and informative educational articles. Write in the active voice and keep in-text citations to a minimum. In general, avoid an overly formal style. At the other extreme, avoid being too conversational—the audience is made up of professional colleagues, not personal friends. Use precise language. Do not waste words. For news articles, it is helpful to keep to the standard "inverted pyramid" presentation—the most important facts first with each succeeding paragraph adding additional, but increasingly less significant information. As the ideal reader yourself, is your article what you would want to read? Is it conveying the information you need in the fewest, clearest words?
- Peer review process. When feature articles are submitted (following approval of an article proposal), the article will be reviewed by the editorial team, by practices staff with content expertise, and by a member of the National Center for Evidence-Based Practice. Queries will be collected and clarified, and sent to authors for review and response by the assigned editor.
- References. Use APA style, and designate four primary references for print. More will be published in print if space allows; otherwise, additional references will be posted on The ASHA Leader Online.
- Use of quotations and previously published data, including those in the form of figures and other graphics. Quotations need to be verified. If you quote individuals, it is a good idea to have them review their language. Literary quotations, including those from Web sites, should be double-checked for accuracy and the source noted. If you reproduce a figure or chart from a published source, you must obtain permission from the publisher unless you personally own the copyright.
- Mechanical requirements. Send your article as an e-mail Word attachment. Use Times New Roman, 12 point type. Use single line spacing, with a single space after each sentence. Refer to The ASHA Leader Style Guide [PDF] for style questions and additional mechanical preparation guidelines. When you are requested to submit changes toward the end of the editorial process, use the "track-changes" feature in Word, or underline the changes so that they are evident. Digital photos need to be in JPG format with a resolution of at least 300 dots per inch for a 4x6 image (1200 x 1800 on some camera menus). Photos from the Internet, which are low-resolution at 150 dots per inch, cannot be used. Print photos should be sent directly to your editorial contact through regular mail or FedEx. See the Leader photo requirements for more information.
- Author biosketch and copyright forms. A color head shot and a 2-4 sentence biosketch should be submitted with the article. In a separate paragraph from the biosketch, authors are asked to disclose conflict of interest or financial interest in the topic. Authors will be asked to sign a standard copyright assignment form [PDF] upon acceptance of their work. In addition to possible publication in The ASHA Leader Online your article may appear elsewhere on the ASHA Web site. The article may also become part of a future CE product or technical assistance packet. Occasionally, the Association will agree to publication of the article in non-ASHA, non-commercial venues.
- Number of authors. Please limit the number of co-authors of an article to no more than four. Authors listed in the byline should make appropriate contributions to authoring the article, consent to the byline order, and agree to the submission of the article in its current form. The primary author is responsible for ensuring that the list of authors include all and only those persons who have played significant roles in writing the article.
- Illustrative photos. If authors have photos they feel would work well to illustrate articles, the staff of The ASHA Leader will be happy to consider their use. Each person visible in the photos needs to sign an ASHA photo release [PDF] that will be sent to authors. The release may be duplicated. Releases can be mailed or faxed to your editorial contact.
- Do some out-of-the-box thinking. New technologies have changed how content can be expanded and shared. Consider, for example: Would a Web forum be a useful spin-off from the article? Could I do an online chat with members? Is there an expanded reference list for the Web version of the article, or are there data (e.g., language samples, video) that could enhance the Web version?
- Good advice: Always retain a hard copy—as well as the electronic copy—of your work until it is actually in print.
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