In The Trenches: Style Guide

In the Trenches is a publication for practitioners and members, and articles should be written in a style that is engaging, informative, and accessible to a broad audience. ITT does not publish original research. Contributions are editorially reviewed, but not sent out for peer review.

Basic requirements

• Language: ITT uses a style that is engaging, informative, and accessible to Earth educators of all kinds. Specialized terms should be used sparingly, and defined when needed. Your audience includes college faculty whose fields are different than yours, K-12 teachers, undergraduate and graduate students, and others who are interested in Earth education.
• References: In-text citations and references should be included where necessary, but need not be extensive. Please follow APA formatting for in-text citations and references, including DOIs whenever available. 
• Links and resources: In-text links to external resources and references are allowed and should be employed thoughtfully. Use link text that tells the reader where they will go if they click on it, and limit the use of external links to the key points in the article (remember, clicking on a link takes a reader away from your article!). External resources may also be listed and linked at the end of the article.
• Images: Provide at least one eye-catching image that can lead and promote the article. Photographs that include people are a good choice, but may not always be appropriate. All images must have been created by you, in the public domain, or freely available through a Creative Commons license. Up to three additional images and/or videos can be included in the article. All images should be uploaded as high-resolution files (.jpg, .png, .mp4, .mov) and captions added in the description field when uploaded.
• Title and introduction: Titles should be brief and highlight the main point of the article. The title will appear along with the first 2-3 sentences in the list of articles, so both should provide a hook that compels readers to read more. 
• Authors: We allow up to four authors of articles. Authors are required to follow the NAGT Code of Ethics for Publications, Presentations, and Applications. Specifically,
  • Authors... are expected to advance high-quality work in a respectable, professional manner. All co-authors must be aware of their inclusion and have accepted that recognition. Listed co-authors will have made a bona fide contribution to the project, and the lead author should offer collaborators the opportunity for recognition as a co-author.
  • Authors of publications will display integrity in disseminating their teaching and research, including obtaining permission to reproduce copyrighted material or to use a new figure or table that derives substantially from a copyrighted source. 
• Article length: Articles should be no more than 2500 words, though they can be much shorter, particularly if they include videos or other interactive elements.
• Style: We use The Chicago Manual of Style, Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, and the Glossary of Geology as style guidelines. Use the metric system for measurements. Where English measurements are necessary, follow them with metric in parentheses.
• Files: Upload your article as a Word document. Images and videos should be uploaded as separate files. 
• Copyright: The lead author must complete a Transfer of Copyright form when the article is accepted for publication.

Publication process

Articles are published online as they are accepted and edited, and thus the amount of time from initial submission to publication can be quite short. To facilitate rapid publication, please submit your article with all of the basic requirements. The complete process is as follows:

• Submit your article using the submission form
• The editor will read your submission, determine if it is acceptable for In the Trenches, and notify you of their decision.
• If accepted, your article will be edited for clarity, technical style, and reader appeal. Articles may be reviewed by outside experts if necessary. Articles that undergo significant editing will be returned to authors for review and/or clarification of any questions or concerns.
• Prior to online publication, the lead author must complete a Transfer of Copyright form.