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NGE >> About |
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(revised May 2011) Please keep in mind that the New Georgia Encyclopedia will be used as a basic reference for general readers with a wide range of interests and needs. Entries should therefore be easily accessible in terms of language and content and should provide substantial factual information. Writing Style In writing for general readers, please avoid unnecessarily complex and obscure words. Explain terms and concepts that cannot be considered common knowledge. Use the active voice as much as possible and be clear and concise. Also try to use shorter sentences and paragraphs than are frequently found in scholarly writing. Most paragraphs should contain no more than 6-7 sentences. It is important, of course, to vary the length and structure of sentences, but please be aware that complex sentences with long interpolated clauses may pose problems for readers. At the same time, we are most certainly not asking that you "dumb down" the material. Make your entry factual, substantive, and interesting, but also write it very clearly. Originality Entries for the NGE must be original, previously unpublished work. Care should be taken to avoid repeating or following too closely the content of other articles on the same topic, particularly Web materials. Preparing Entries There are as yet no definitive guidelines for writing for the Web. We realize that our instructions to contributors may change somewhat over time as our conception of the online encyclopedia evolves. Still, we have agreed upon several rules of thumb that we are asking you to follow: Summary Opener: It is extremely important that you begin your article with 1-3 sentences summarizing the significance of your subject. Our Web site is designed so that keyword searches will pull up not just the titles of articles but also the first few lines of text in those articles. Therefore, the salient, identifying information about the subject must be stated clearly at the outset. People browsing the Web need to understand why this person, place, event, etc. is included in the NGE. Example 1: "Brunswick is the major urban and economic center in the southeast corner of Georgia. Located on the coast, it is approximately seventy-five miles south of Savannah and sixty-five miles north of Jacksonville, Florida. It is home to the state's second deepwater port and is the gateway to Georgia's Golden Isles. . . ." Example 2: "The Battle of Chickamauga, one of the bloodiest engagements of the Civil War's Western Theater and the biggest battle ever fought in Georgia, took place September 18-20, 1863." Word of caution: Be certain that any superlatives you use can meet an objective standard of verification. Subheadings: When constructing longer articles (more than 500 words), use brief subheadings that will catch a browser's eye and serve to break the material into logical, manageable sections. Use no more than two levels of subheadings (primary and secondary), and be careful to differentiate the levels. Related Web Sites: Recommend existing Internet sites that you believe would provide further information for readers on the topic at hand. Give the basic URL for a site (http://www.gaarts.org) or, when appropriate, a specific page within a site (http://www.gadnr.org./dnr/parks). It is essential that you review each Web site to be sure that it is well conceived and well maintained and that it has considerable pertinence to your topic. Be selective in what you recommend. Suggested Reading/Listening/Viewing: At the end of the article, provide a "Suggested Reading" list comprising the most important and up-to-date print, video, or audio sources that readers might consult. We suggest 1-4 references for entries of fewer than 1,500 words and 4-8 references for longer entries. These should be the best and most informative works on the subject. For books, give the author's name, title of book, place of publication, publisher, and date of publication: Edward G. Cashin, The King's Ranger: Thomas Brown and the American Revolution on the Southern Frontier (Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1989). For journal articles, give the author's name, title of article, name of journal, volume and issue number, and date: Frank Lambert, "Father Against Son, and Son Against Father: The Habershams of Georgia and the American Revolution," Georgia Historical Quarterly 84 (spring 2000). Do not use footnotes. We follow the general rule of thumb for encyclopedias in not using explanatory or source-citation footnotes or endnotes. Your Name and Affiliation: Please tell us how you would like your name and institutional affiliation, if you have one, to appear on the site. If you do not have an affiliation, give the town or city where you reside. Images: We would like to include images for every article. Keep in mind that the images will be displayed in a viewer window one-fourth the size of the computer screen. Try to avoid photos that will not be entirely legible at this size—indistinct landscapes or aerial photos, for example, or busy, cluttered images. Each image must be a JPEG file (with a resolution of 72 ppi or higher). Send images as e-mail attachments to ngeproj@ugapress.uga.edu or on a CD to the attention of the Media Editor, New Georgia Encyclopedia, c/o Georgia Humanities Council, 50 Hurt Plaza S.E., Suite 595, Atlanta, GA 30303. If you are unable to send images via email or CD, send glossy prints, size 4x6 or larger, to the mailing address above. Captions and Credits: Provide caption copy and credit information for each of the illustrations you submit. The caption copy should consist of a brief title for the illustration and no more than 50-75 words. For the credit information, please give the precise wording required by the copyright holder. When there is no specified credit line, give us all information you have regarding the source, location, and copyright status of each image. If you are unable to obtain images yourself, we would appreciate your suggestions for where to locate appropriate images for your article. Multimedia Materials: An exciting dimension of this electronic encyclopedia is its multimedia features. We are particularly interested in suggestions you may have for video and audio clips appropriate to your subject. Types of Entries Biographies: In the title give the name of the subject followed by the years of his/her birth and death (in parentheses). In the opening paragraph summarize the person's main occupation(s) and achievements. In subsequent paragraphs present such information as place of birth, parents' names, educational background, and names of spouse(s) and children, but concentrate primarily on a discussion of the person's career and significance within and, in many cases, outside of Georgia. Trace the literary careers as well as the lives of writers, giving 1- to 2-sentence synopses of their book-length works. Cities: Discuss the city's size (actual and relative), location, landmarks, and importance within and perhaps beyond the state. Give an account of its political, economic, and social history—key leaders and events; businesses, industries, transportation links, and other factors in its growth; race and labor relations; etc. Also mention any pertinent demographic information and include noteworthy features that make the city distinctive (colleges, museums, corporate headquarters, etc.). Geographical Areas, Rivers, Landmarks: Describe the location and boundaries; major features; habitat, flora and fauna (when appropriate); geological and human history; role in the state's development; environmental significance and preservation; tourism; folklore and literature associated with the area, river, or landmark. Colleges and Universities: Recount the institution's history, through difficult as well as successful periods. Discuss its particular mission; academic strengths; prominent leaders, past and present; current enrollment; types of students it serves; etc. Events: Give the origin, nature, and history of the event; its location; important persons associated with it; the event's significance; and key dates in its development. Historical Periods or Movements: For movements that were national or international in scope, focus on the history as it played out in Georgia. At the same time, draw useful comparisons with other states and place Georgia's story in the context of the period or movement as a whole. Corporations, Agencies, Religious/Educational Organizations: Discuss the organization's purpose and mission; origins; governing structure, if applicable; and history, including its key leaders (past and present), major achievements, as well as controversies or difficulties in the course of its existence. Be sure to convey its significance on both state and national levels. For art museums, discuss the history, mission and focus, and major collections. Submission of Entries Please prepare your article in Microsoft Word, and submit the entry as an e-mail attachment addressed to ngeproj@ugapress.uga.edu. Please send us illustrations at the same time as the article, if possible. Each image must be a JPEG file (with a resolution of 72 ppi or higher), sent as an email attachment or saved on a CD. If a digital image is not available, glossy prints are also acceptable. |
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