For Authors
If you would like to write a TechWatch report, please ensure the information you provide is concise and relevant.
There are two main ways to offer to write a report: tender for a topic that is currently being sourced (open call), or send a speculative submission. In both cases, an expression of interest is required. 
You can offer to write a report by tendering for a topic that is currently being sourced or by sending a speculative submission
In addition, the editorial team will be looking for a proven track record in the topic described in the expression of interest. This does not necessarily have to mean academic qualifications, but depending on the topic of the report, academic qualifications could be very important.
If you have not written for TechWatch before we will need a sample of writing, either published or unpublished.
Expression of interest
- Name of author(s)
- Description of author's qualifications/expertise in the proposed subject area
- Name of organisation (university, company, consultant etc.)
- Expression of interest: description of the issue to be addressed in the report, including the area of technology and any relevant standards, why the issue is important, what the implications are for HE/FE, and outlining the new or original material that will be included in the report (between 500 and 600 words)
- Indicative list of key texts relevant to the report
- Provisional title that indicates approach you will take
Expressions of interest should be sent to techwatch [at] intelligentcontent.co.uk. If you are responding to an open call, the please put 'open call' followed by the name of the topic (from the website) in the e-mail subject line. For speculative submissions, please put 'speculative submission' followed by the proposed title of the report in the e-mail subject line.
Commissioning cycle
When an expression of interest is received, it will be reviewed by the editorial team and may be sent out for comment amongst the TechWatch community, where this is considered appropriate. Assuming positive feedback from this stage, the expression of interest will be drafted into a commissioning brief.
When both author and editor have agreed on the brief, a contract will be issued to the author. When it has been signed and returned, the topic will be in commission. A copy of the brief will be published on the website so visitors will have the opportunity to read about forthcoming reports.
Publication and payment schedules
Reports will be expected to be delivered within three months of commissioning and will be subject to peer review. Following feedback from the review, authors must therefore be prepared to engage in the re-writing process. This should not be too onerous as TechWatch provides a very supportive editorial environment for re-writing due to the need to attain consistency with the TechWatch style. Once the editorial team is satisfied the report conforms to the agreed brief and is suitable for publication, the report will be signed off and the author's payment will be authorised. Details of fees and other terms and conditions are at the bottom of this page.
Report format and audience
A standard TechWatch horizon scanning report is between 6,000 and 8,000 words (not including references), although longer reports will be considered on a case by case basis.
The reports are aimed at an international audience who are interested in how developments in ICT are likely to impact on the core business of HE/FE in the next 5-10 years, and what should be done about them. Non-specialist readers ought to be able to gain from the reports a good feel for the essentials and capabilities of the technologies, their implications, any issues around them, and where they might be heading. In addition, parts of the reports might push beyond the levels of expertise of such readers. Readers who have more in-depth expertise ought to find the reports to be useful reference resources. Reports should include:
| Report Contents |
| The Technology |
A description of the technology in general terms:
- What it does
- How it is used
- Links to other technologies where appropriate
|
| The Technology and Standards Watch Issue |
A succinct statement of why the technology should be considered at this time and the scope of the report |
| Products |
A technical overview of the products or methods or standards which currently comprise the technology |
| Developments |
An analysis of current and likely developments in the technology and in products which will be available to HE and FE |
| Assessment |
A reasoned assessment of
- likely applications
- likely benefits
- risks to development and application
- timescales for development
|
| Report Format |
| Title and author |
|
| Executive Summary |
A succinct presentation of the main findings of the report of no more than one page |
| Keywords |
Up to 6 keywords |
| Introduction |
Statement of the TechWatch issue and the reason for a horizon scanning report, including a description of the scope of the report. The introduction should also provide a narrative-style explanation of how the structure of the report supports the exploration of the issue. |
| Main body |
Divided into numbered sections and sub-sections. Authors should distinguish between sources that are part of the evidence base and sources that are provided as examples or for further information. In the text, evidential sources should use the Harvard system (author surname and year of publication) and link to a full bibliographic reference at the end of the report, whilst examples or sources of further information should be included as footnotes. |
| Glossary |
Include all acronyms used and technical terms. Glossary items may be used in other parts of the JISC website so they should be written in a generic way with cross-publication in mind. |
| References |
A fully referenced list of the evidence base used in the construction of the report. |
| Author details |
A short summary (around 50 words) of the author's credentials. |
Terms and conditions
Reports should be between 6,000 and 8,000 words although longer reports will be considered on a case by case basis. In addition, references and a glossary of terms and acronyms will also be required. JISC reserves the right to publish items from the report's glossary and references sections in other areas of the TechWatch website. With this in mind, report glossaries should be written in a generic way with cross-publication in mind.
Reports will be required within 3-months of commissioning and will be subject to editorial review. The fee to authors will be £1,800, and will be paid when the report is accepted for publication by the TechWatch Editor. JISC will have non-exclusive copyright of accepted reports.
Reports should not be an identifiable part of another JISC funded project.
Reports should be of publishable quality with all tables, diagrams and text delivered in digital format suitable for transfer to a website (e.g. Word, pdf, ODF documents). The layout of reports should follow the report template.
Reports should be written in a style which is suitable for a national and international audience with a wide range of backgrounds. They should be written in clear, plain English which avoids unnecessary jargon and acronyms.
Reports should contain material of substance which is not merely a compilation of available materials. The contents should be of scientific and/or technical merit, and should be timely.
Reports should not contain unwarranted assertions. Any assertions about technology developments or impacts should be based on evidence, independent analyses or sound reasoning.