Writer's Guidelines for The Analyst

When submitting content to be considered for publication in The Analyst, please include the following information:

Title Page

The names, degrees, professional affiliations, addresses, and telephone numbers of each author must appear on a separate page with the title of the manuscript.

Manuscript

Send one copy of the article via e-mail. The manuscript should be typed and saved as a Word file. Footnotes should be typed and saved separately as text. Please, do not use the “footnote” feature. Tables should be saved as their native file.

Content

Length
The length of feature technical articles should be between 1,000 to 2,500 words. (Most word processing programs have a “word count” feature. For example, Microsoft Word has “word count” under the “tools” bar.)

Title and Subheads
Clearly identify the article’s topic in the title. Try to use approximately five words in the title. Use subheads, when needed, throughout the article.

Style
The Analyst uses the APA Style Manual as its style guide when editing the articles. Writers should use the APA. Articles will be edited and modified to follow the APA style. Other items to note:

• Write active, imperative sentences.
• Be thorough. A topic is never explained in too much detail for review purposes.

Technical Article Preparation

Abstract
An abstract is a summary, usually 150–200 words, that appears at the beginning of the article. The abstract should state the purpose of the article, basic procedures, main findings, and conclusions. List key words here.

Introduction
The introduction describes the purpose of the article, states the topic, and relates pertinent background information.

Body
The main body of the article contains a full description of the techniques, procedures, materials and methods used. Often a step-by-step approach is best, with photographs that show a technique in progress.

Conclusion
The conclusion is a summary of the article. This section contains major findings of related research, results of related study, or the advantages of the technique or procedure described.

References
All technical articles should be well-researched and well-documented. References must be cited in all articles. (Undocumented articles are accepted only if the technical process described is the author’s original work and information.)

Every source-book, magazine, pamphlet, person, website, etc., used for the article must be documented. Even if specific quotes from the sources are not used, the sources must be cited and compiled alphabetically at the end of the article under the heading “bibliography” or "references."

When direct quotes and passages are used, they should be cited in the text. All references should be parenthetical and should correspond with the bibliography or reference list at the end of the document. Please consult the APA Style Manual for further details.

Although The Analyst promotes nonproprietary articles, it recognizes that some techniques are product-specific. Therefore a list of products used and manufacturers’ names and addresses may be included as references. Please reference product names once and then use the generic term thereafter.

Supplemental Materials

The Analyst encourages the use of photographs or illustrations to reinforce the content of an article.

Photographs
The average number of photographs included for technical articles is 5-10. Digital photos should be saved as tiff or eps files.

Graphics, Charts and Tables
Save all graphics, charts and tables as separate, native files.

Photographs, graphics, charts and tables should be clearly identified. Number and identify these illustrations. Include a separate page that lists each photograph, graphic, chart, and table with its corresponding caption.

Copyright
Written permission to use photographs, illustrations or research belonging to another individualor company is required of the author(s). This includes proper reference to registered ortrademarked product names or companies. The author(s) must obtain the correct name andparticular copyright of any material, product, or manufacturer referenced. AWT and The Analyst are required, by law, to obtain a statement from the author(s) to ensure that all such permissionshave been obtained for the work presented in the manuscript.

Review Policy
To ensure that both solicited and unsolicited works receive prompt and fair consideration, The Analyst has adopted the following procedures:

1. After an article is received, the Technical Editor reviews the article for its appropriateness and gives his recommendations to staff.
2. The author(s) is then notified of the Technical Editor's recommendation, either to accept an article for publication, accept it with revisions, or reject it.
3. If an article has been accepted, the author will be notified of the publication date assoon as it is decided.
4. All articles are reviewed by AWT’s Technical Editor and Editor at the laser proof stage (this is the final proof before going to the printer for publication).

Contact Information

Please submit all articles to:

Editor, The Analyst
Mike Henley
mdhenleywater@gmail.com

For more information, please contact the editor at (301) 740-1421 or hzimmerman@awt.org.