The purpose of The Conversation is to provide research perspectives on current topics and thus contribute to an in-depth discussion on complex issues in society. Researchers who contribute with articles also get the chance to reach out internationally with their research.
The membership means that researchers at Stockholm University get support from skilful editors in the process from pitching an idea to publishing the article. The editors will also be able to come to Stockholm University to hold workshops about how to write popular science articles.
A global audience
The site’s articles reach millions of readers each month. The articles published on the site are freely accessible and may be republished according to the creative commons license, i.e. as long as the source is indicated and the text is not changed.
The Conversation also offers researchers at the member universities to appear on expert lists and provides feedback to participating researchers in the form of monthly reports with statistics on impact, number of readers and re-publications.
A non-profit organization
The Conversation started in Australia in 2011 and has since been published in various editions, including France, UK, USA, Canada, Africa and Indonesia. The organization is run without profit and is owned by member universities and research funders around the world.
Stockholm University is a paying member of the British edition of The Conversation UK, which is based in London. In Sweden, Karolinska Institutet and Lund University are also members.
Writing for The Conversation is free and authors are not paid for their contribution.
How are articles published in The Conversation?
The most common ways to publish articles in The Conversation are:
- The editors of The Conversation ask a researcher at a member university to write an article on a current topic.
- Researchers at member universities propose their own article ideas. This is done via a special form on The Conversation’s website. It is also possible to pitch directly to an editor who is responsible for a certain topic. Note, a short pitch is enough, it is not necessary to have the complete article at this stage. The pitch needs to be approved by an editor before the writing process begins.
- The editors send daily and monthly expert requests to the member universities’ press services and communications officers, who can find suitable writers.
What kind of content are they looking for?
Articles in The Conversation should appeal to a broad target group and are usually around 800 words. Examples of format:
- News article – analyses and comments on current events, trends or societal changes.
- Explainer on how things work.
- Research news – discuss new findings, or comment on other’s research.
- Timeless stories – tell an interesting story or answer an interesting question in your area of expertise.
- List format – “Ten reasons why...”
The author has control over the article, including the title and images used, and it will not be published until the author approves it. Other media are not permitted to edit the article when republishing it, but must use it in its entirety.
Participate in workshops
Once per semester, an editor from The Conversation in London visits Stockholm University to have a workshop for researchers on writing in The Conversation. During these workshops, researchers get a chance to practice finding the news potential in their research and writing for the public. Keep an eye on the staff calendar for the next opportunity.
Online courses
In addition to the workshops included in the membership, The Conversation offers short online courses for researchers at member universities. The courses cover things like how to pitch article idea and examples of article formats.
Researchers and doctoral students at Stockholm University can complete one or more courses at their own pace at any time and free of charge.
Register and explore the courses.
Links to get started
Contact the editors at The Conversation UK.
Pitch an article idea at The Conversation’s website.
Contact the Communications Office at Stockholm University for advice: redaktion@su.se
Read more at The Conversation UK.
Get inspired by other researchers at Stockholm University
Articles in The Conversation written by researchers at Stockholm University.