SciShortform Seeking New Volunteers
This year, SciShortform will launch two new series of posts about the craft of science writing, and we’re looking for two new volunteers to take point on them.
Specifically, we’re looking for:
- someone to do a series of “Editor Interviews” featuring people who frequently edit shortform pieces about science
- a volunteer who can put together a series of technique breakdowns (with specific examples from published pieces)
At present, we do not have funding for compensating content creators, so these roles are intended for people who are just getting their feet wet in science writing.
Time commitment is flexible, but we’d estimate about 10–15 hours per month for each of these roles. The titles of these series are both tentative (Please feel free to propose better ideas!) Both series will adopt either a monthly or every-other-month schedule, depending on what’s feasible for the volunteers.
Volunteers in these roles will have the option to work with other SciShortform volunteers who have more experience interviewing sources in sort of an “apprenticeship” model. They will also be able to ask the whole SciShortform volunteer cohort for help brainstorming, if need be.
The tasks for volunteers in these roles will include:
For the lead volunteer on the “Editor Interview” series:
- Brainstorming editors to interview
- Working with SciShortform project coordinator Diana Crow to come up with a publication schedule
- Writing questions & Interviewing editors over phone or Skype (If desired, veteran SciShortform folks can help with the interviews, especially early on.)
- Transcribing and formatting the interviews (We’ll most likely use a Q&A format, but the lead volunteer can decide if they’d like to use a different format…Also, yes, you can use free transcription services like Otter.)
- Writing headlines & finding images for the series’ Medium posts
For the lead volunteer on the “Technique Breakdown” series:
- Reading through past SciShortform round-ups
- Brainstorming techniques to highlight (the techniques could include common structural elements like “inverted pyramid” or different types of ledes, or elements that are more specific to science writing, such applying profile techniques to individual animals…And, yes, Veteran SciShortform folks will be available to help with this.)
- Working with SciShortform project coordinator Diana Crow to come up with a publication schedule
- Develop a format for the “Technique Breakdown” series
- Compile examples for each of the techniques
- Obtain (probably email) quotes from SciShortform contributors or other informed science writers about why the techniques work
- Assembling the examples & quotes into Medium posts
- Writing headlines & finding images for the series’ Medium posts
If interested in either role, please contact SciShortform project coordinator Diana Crow at diana@dianacrowscience.com with the word “SciShortform” somewhere in the subject line.
