Studio Blog
From Lead Copy Curator Richard Lally: The Importance of In-Text Citations
Posted by Jennifer M | August 18, 2009 | Comments (2)
As many of you know, Demand Studios recently has invested additional resources to improve the quality of your articles. Our efforts have produced new, more efficient product features, higher standards for writers and copy editors, and an increased emphasis on sourcing and fact-checking.
In continuing our focus on quality, we want to reemphasize the importance of in-text citations. These citations expedite fact-checking and review times and enhance the quality and credibility of your articles. Including detailed in-text citations (such as “According to the American Diabetes Association ... ”) tells your readers that you are a seasoned professional who extensively researches subjects before composing content. Citations create trust between you and your audience. And, as a bonus, they raise your ratings and article limits while reducing your rewrite requests.
Specificity is the key to citing sources. When making claims about your subject, don’t resort to the shoddy journalistic practice of writing, “Experts claim,” “Many people say,” or “According to a study.” Leave those vague, empty passages to the amateurs. Instead, identify the experts by their first and last names and note their credentials. Detail which organization or individual conducted the study, supply the date when it was conducted or published, and name the publication in which the study or article appeared. Apply the standards of a professional journalist to all sources.
We already value the work you create, and we're setting these quality standards to help you attain our common goal of producing superior content that will enhance your reputation as well as ours.
Best,
Richard Lally
Hello Writers,
As many of you may know, Demand Studios currently accepts suggested titles, upon editorial approval, in the “How to” format. You can suggest titles from the Suggest New Assignments page.
Once approved, these assignments are paid a $5 flat fee and allow writers to create articles according to their areas of expertise and interest. For example, if you are an expert in legal field and are looking for additional legal titles, you could suggest a title such as How to Create a Living Trust and write the article using your research and knowledge.
We encourage you to submit title suggestions and want to provide you with updated guidelines for doing so. Keep in mind that we do not accept titles that are duplicates of existing titles in our system, and all titles must be approved by our editorial team.
Please see the guidelines here: http://media.demandstudios.com/Documents/462e46bf-c9b5-4ec7-9f36-b2f9c196ea24.pdf
These will be featured in the Resource Center.
Happy writing!
