General Guidelines

Should you wish to write an article for Science File, here are some general considerations to bear in mind.

To write an article for Science File you have to register as a member.

Science File, as its name suggests, is a website for science. Therefore, when thinking about the theme of your article, please remember that anything not relating to mainstream science will not be accepted for publication. This includes religion and philosophy, unless directly relevant to an article about science. It also includes pseudoscience, of which some examples might be astrology, crystal healing, UFOs, Mayan calendars, Martian pyramids or other new-age nonsense. We will also not accept articles based on conspiracy theories.

Similarly, Science File will not accept submissions from members who have their own pet hypotheses about the Universe. Examples might be "Why Einstein Was Wrong", "Light Travels In ZigZags" or "Quantum Psychology Proves The Big Bang Didn't Happen". If you think you have a revolutionary new hypothesis which will overturn established science, the proper place for it is in a recognised peer-reviewed scientific journal, not here. If it is not established science, it is not suitable for publication at Science File.

To sum up, articles which advocate or promote anything which is not mainstream science will not be considered for publication. This is simply to keep the focus of the site on science at all times, and to maintain high editorial standards.

Similarly, articles which are considered too esoteric, or which would otherwise not appeal to a general audience, will not be accepted for publication. Do remember that Science File is a public website: we want visitors to enjoy reading the site content and to want to return to the site. Therefore, the content of your article and your writing style should always be aimed at a general audience. This does not mean that you cannot write about technical or advanced subjects: it merely means that you should write in a way which is easy to understand. With science, as you doubtlessly appreciate, communication is everything.

All articles submitted to Science File go through a process of editorial review before being accepted or rejected for publication. The decision of whether to accept or reject your article is at the discretion of Science File, and is final.

Science File reserves the right to edit articles for content, grammar, spelling and punctuation.

The inclusion of any copyrighted material in an article without the author's permission is expressly forbidden. Any such material will be removed. If you are unsure about the copyright position of any material you wish to submit, please contact Science File for advice.

All articles must be the original work of the author in full and not obtained from other sources. The copying and pasting of material from another website is expressly forbidden, unless it is a short passage being quoted.  Should you wish to quote a short passage of text from another article, a full attribution must be given in your article. Any unattributed quotes will be removed, and if that results in the article not making sense, the article itself will be removed.

All articles accepted for publication become the copyright of Science File, and your submission of an article signifies your acceptance of this. Science File undertakes never to use your article for any other purpose without obtaining your permission. Science File will not post the article anywhere else on the internet, nor make it otherwise available outside the Science File site, nor quote it in full or in part, without your permission. Science File also undertakes to try to prevent other internet users from using, or plagiarising, your article without your permission. In the event that you discover such an occurrence, please inform Science File.

Science File reserves the right to remove an article from the website without a reason being given.