Blog Guidelines
The TradeExperettes blog has three broad goals:
To showcase the knowledge and talent of female trade practitioners, academics, and researchers.
To draw attention to published work from our network.
To attract traffic to the TradeExperettes web page.
All posts should reflect the mission of the TradeExperettes and aim to provide topical analysis on policy issues of the day so that it can be easily disseminated to our primary audiences, whether it is policy makers, journalists, or other researchers.
Below are blog guidelines for the TradeExperettes blog. We encourage you to review these guidelines before submitting a blog. Please submit your blog posts, in MS word format, here.
Disclaimer
The views and opinions expressed on the TradeExperettes blog are solely those of the original authors and contributors. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of TradeExperettes, the TradeExperettes editorial team and/or any or all contributors to this site.
Permissions
TradeExperettes reserves the right to host and promote blog content that has been accepted for publication on our website. Contributing authors are free to repost/republish their material after contacting the blog editors; we ask that the TradeExperettes Blog be referenced in any reposts, and that the link to the original post be included.
Role of TE Editorial Team
TE Editorial Team will review all submissions at its earliest convenience and send feedback to the authors. The editorial process involves up to 3 rounds of edits. Authors are expected to review the text following the Editorial Teams’ feedback, respond to questions and comments, and show progress on each of those rounds. The Editorial Team reserves the right not to publish the submitted blog if it does not meet the quality needed for publication on the TE website.
Relevant tips for writing a blog
There is no specific formula for a successful blog post, but there are general rules for structuring a post to ensure that your message is clearly delivered. In the first paragraph of a blog the author should explain the key message that the blog is trying to convey. Then, in the following paragraphs some background should be provided, followed by the justification of the key point, and finally a conclusion that sums it all up.
Length
Blog posts have no set length, but keep in mind that longer posts tend to lose readers quickly. Think of blog posts as extended op-eds, which tend to be around 750-800 words. In general, a blog post of 800-1500 words is a good rule of thumb, though, of course, not a hard limit.
Format and Style
Please use hyperlinks for references in your post. Please be sure that when using hyperlinks that you only link relevant pieces of the text such as “report” “x%” “stated by” “recent article”, etc. Please do not hyperlink an entire sentence. For an example of hyperlinks in your posts, see this blog.
Title
Keep your title short and catchy. Give the reader a sense of your topic. Do not use acronyms.
Content
Be topical, and limit the use of jargon, where possible. Do not assume your audience knows your topic, so be sure to include appropriate links. When using acronyms, be sure to spell out the acronym the first time it is used, followed by parentheses, ie. Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP).
The best blog posts address topical policy issues, new initiatives, or highlights new research. If you are unsure whether your idea works as a blog post, contact the blog editors.
Subheadings
Use subheadings! It improves readability of your post, and makes it easier to find relevant information. First level subheadings should be bold face and left justified. Second level subheadings (which should be used rarely) should be bold face, italicized and left justified.
Block Quotes
Block quotes are helpful when you are referring to a comment a policy maker has made, for instance, or if you are discussing a specific provision in a trade agreement, or a law/regulation. It often is more helpful to the reader to see that information in the post as a block quote as opposed to a hyperlink. In particular, when the topic is very technical, this can add a lot of clarity. For an example of how to utilize block quotes, see this blog.
Photos & Video
If you would like to embed a photo or video in your post, please be sure to send a link or file when submitting your post. All media, especially photos, must be in high-resolution. Please ensure that media are appropriately credited with the original source, if required.
Tweets
If you would like to embed a tweet in your post, please follow Twitter guidelines for doing so, and do not use screenshots.
Figures and Tables
Below are some basic formatting guidelines for figures and tables. The goal of figures and tables is to help the audience understand the content of your blog post. All figures and tables must be referenced in-text, with a clear explanation of what it shows. Make figures and tables readable.
Keep in mind that the figure should speak for itself and emphasize key points that you argue/explain in the blog post.
Title: Make a statement of what the figure intends to show.
For example, the first title works better for a blog post than the second one:
“Figure x. Country a and b’s trade in goods has steadily increased, 1990-2019 (billions of USD).”
“Figure x. Global trade in goods by country a and b, 1990-2019 (billions of USD)”.
If there is more than one figure, insert numbering in the title, ie. “Figure 1. Title”. If not, “Figure” is not needed.
Legend: locate it in a visible spot (preferably on top). Differentiate variables in the legend by color/dashes/weight of line/bar.
Unit of variable: Add the unit of the variable on the x or y axis. For example, billions of US dollars, percent, number (count), etc. If the unit needs to be explained, add an axis title instead of adding the unit.
Font size: a consistent font size (10 pt.) is recommended in the figure. Font size for the note and source should be smaller than 10 pt. font.
Additional text box that appears at the bottom of figures and tables:
Add “Note” line for data/calculation/other information that needs to be addressed or explained.
Add “Source” line that details what data you are using and where the data have been collected from.
For tables, the number of digits after the decimal point should be consistent within the same column.