How to write a blog post about your journal article

If your article has been accepted for publication, why not write a short article summary for the Global Souths Hub to further promote your research?

Below, we outline a step-by-step guidance for writing a blog post about your article. 

1. First, ask yourself why your article might be a good fit for a blog post. Not every article will be appropriate. Here are some key questions to think about: 
   • Do you think you could summarise your article in a way that would be understandable to someone outside your research area?
   • Does your research offer a new angle, approach, perspective or challenge current thinking? 

2. If yes, then set aside 10 mins to plan! 
   • Write down your key takeaways from the blog post 
   • Provide some context and background to your research. Why is the subject interesting? What do you bring to it that is new?
   • Explain your core findings, arguments or conclusion 
   • Write down your articles keywords

3. Before writing, think about how to engage with the Hub audience. 
   • The Global Souths Hub blog is aimed at non-specialists. Check out our editorial standards.
   • Use everyday conversational language as much as you can and please explain terms that may not be understandable to an audience outside of your specialised field.

4. Start writing your first draft.  
   • Start with the main outcomes / an inspiring or memorable first sentence (a fact, question, or an anecdote). 
   • For the next paragraphs, explain your observations or viewpoints with any vital background or supporting information.
   • Remember it is not an abstract, but a teaser to entice people to read your paper.  
   • Keep your post to between 800 to 1,500 words. 

5. Give the reader something extra and more personal. 
   • Provide an additional insight in your post, perhaps something that you would not include in the paper.
   • Predict and cover the “so what?” factor. How does your research fit into the bigger picture? What is the impact or wider implications that your paper has on the field, and on wider society?
   • Tell your story by providing some background on yourself, any anecdotes behind the research, or if you have been met with challenges and how you overcame them.

6. Craft a memorable opening sentence and a catchy title.  Make it visual. Images are also very important – try to include at least one or two simple images in your to illustrate the research with valid citations.

7. Ask a friend who is not in your field to read and comment on it. You can also use a readability site (e.g. The First Word)  to make sure it is accessible and understandable to a public audience. 

8. Submit your post with a short 100 word bio and headshot of yourself (high-resolution)  to our webcurator ([email protected]). Wait for a response. We usually reply within 2-3 working days with any suggested edits. 

9. Promote your blog post by sharing on your social channels. We will share your blog post via our Social Media channels (LinkedIn, and X feed).