Author Guidelines
- Join the Ranks of Valued Authors at Ham Journal
- Why Write for Ham Journal?
- What We Expect from Our Authors
- Good Photography Guidelines
- Good Video Guidelines
- Good Photo Essay Guidelines
- Ethics and Content Standards
- Peer Review Process
- Author Levels
- Advertising-Free and Volunteer-Based
- Intellectual Property Rights
- Language Expansion
- In Summary
- AUTHOR APPLICATION FORM
Join the Ranks of Valued Authors at Ham Journal
Are you an amateur radio operator with a wealth of knowledge and unique insights to share? Do you want to participate in a venture that aims to continually raise the bar of amateur radio knowledge? Are you saddened by the current state of amateur radio journalism and publishing? Ham Journal, a serious and operator-driven online magazine, is calling for passionate individuals like you to contribute as authors. Our platform offers you the opportunity to reach a respected and curated audience, enhancing your profile within the amateur radio community while promoting your own website and projects.
Why Write for Ham Journal?
We seek amateur radio operators, of all levels of experience, to share their knowledge and lessons learned.
Respected Platform: As a public service initiative of Ham Community, Ham Journal is dedicated to high-quality content that resonates with technical and detail-oriented readers. Your work will be showcased alongside other esteemed contributions, helping you build credibility and influence.
Promotion Opportunities: We encourage authors to promote their own websites and projects through their articles. Our platform is designed to support and drive traffic to your personal or professional sites, ensuring that your contributions benefit you beyond our pages.
Diverse Content Acceptance: From in-depth research articles and verified evidence-based pieces to opinion articles, photo essays, and video embeds, we accept a variety of content types. This flexibility allows you to express your knowledge and creativity in multiple formats.
Peer Review and Elmer Guidance: We accept the submission of peer-reviewed articles, which will be evaluated by our experienced Ham Community Elmers. You can learn more about our Elmers and the review process here.
What We Expect from Our Authors
To maintain the high standards of Ham Journal, we have specific expectations for our contributors:
- Solid Research and Verified Evidence: Articles should be well-researched and backed by credible sources. We value accuracy and reliability, ensuring our readers receive the best information.
- Great Photographs: High-quality images enhance the appeal and readability of your articles. Whenever possible, include relevant and engaging photographs to complement your text.
- Clear Identification of Opinion: When expressing personal viewpoints, clearly differentiate them from factual content. This transparency helps maintain the integrity and trustworthiness of our publication.
- Photo Essays and Video Embeds: We welcome photo essays and embedded videos from reputable channels. Ensure that visual content is of high quality and enhances the overall message of your article.
- Registration and Verification: All authors must register and undergo a verification process. This step is crucial to maintaining a trustworthy and respected community of contributors.
- Traditional Guidelines: Adhere to traditional publication guidelines, including proper citation of sources, a coherent structure, and adherence to our editorial standards.
Good Photography Guidelines
- Use high-resolution images to ensure clarity and detail.
- Ensure proper lighting to avoid shadows and enhance visibility.
- Focus on the subject, avoiding distractions in the background.
- Provide image title, caption, ALT text, and description that explain the context of the images.
Good Video Guidelines
- Ensure good audio quality with minimal background noise.
- Use steady shots, avoiding shaky camera movements.
- Provide clear and concise narration or text overlays.
- Keep videos relevant and engaging, focusing on the main topic.
- We welcome and prioritize interviews, how-tos, and good gear reviews.
Good Photo Essay Guidelines
- Tell a story through your photos, providing a cohesive narrative.
- Prioritize photo essays of shacks, full installations, a complete field day, or other operating opportunities.
- Ensure that each image contributes to the overall narrative and context.
Ethics and Content Standards
At Ham Journal, we uphold the highest ethical standards. We reject all non-amateur related content, especially content that includes profanity, political, religious, or hate speech of any kind. We are also very keen on identifying content that includes generative AI and are strict on plagiarism. All submitted articles are thoroughly checked to ensure originality and relevance to amateur radio.
Peer Review Process
At Ham Journal, we encourage authors to submit their article ideas before beginning the writing process. This step ensures that the topic aligns with our editorial standards and the interests of our readership. By providing a brief overview of your proposed article, our editorial team can offer guidance and suggestions to help refine your concept. This collaborative approach not only enhances the quality of the final piece but also saves time and effort by ensuring your topic is a good fit for our publication from the outset.
The peer-reviewed process at Ham Journal involves submitting an article to our panel of expert Elmers, who evaluate the work for accuracy, originality, and relevance to the amateur radio community. These Elmers provide feedback and may suggest revisions to ensure the highest quality of content. This rigorous scrutiny not only enhances the credibility of the author by validating their research and findings but also strengthens the paper’s reliability and scholarly value, making it a trusted source of information within Ham Journal and the wider Ham Community.
Our peer-review process can take between two to six months from acceptance of the proposed paper to publication.
Author Levels
- Contributor: Authors with one to three published pieces. Their content will be highly scrutinized and corrected for both style and format. We approach this more as guidance than oversight, aiming to improve their skills rather than verify their abilities.
- Contributors are not allowed to post opinion pieces, photo essays, or video embeds.
- Author: Enjoys greater freedom of expression, shorter moderation times.
- Authors can post opinion pieces, photo essays, or video embeds.
- Elmer Revisor: Experienced Elmers – and subject matter experts – who review and provide feedback on peer-reviewed articles, in addition to producing their own content.
- Editor: Senior authors who have taken on the responsibility for final approval and publication of articles.
Advertising-Free and Volunteer-Based
Ham Journal is completely advertising-free, ensuring a distraction-free reading experience. Our authors are all volunteers who contribute without expectation of remuneration. This dedication highlights their passion and commitment to the amateur radio community.
Intellectual Property Rights
The content published on Ham Journal remains the intellectual property of the author. However, Ham Journal reserves the right to use the content only on other Ham Community sites. This policy ensures that your work is protected while allowing us to promote and share valuable information within our community.
Language Expansion
Currently, we only accept content in English, but we may soon expand to French and Spanish, as well as other languages.
In Summary
Becoming an author at Ham Journal is more than just sharing your knowledge—it’s about joining a community of like-minded enthusiasts dedicated to the growth and enrichment of amateur radio. Register today, start writing, and let your voice be heard on a respected platform that values quality, integrity, and the promotion of its contributors.
We look forward to your submissions and to the unique perspectives you will bring to Ham Journal. Let’s work together to create a vibrant, informative, and engaging resource for the entire amateur radio community.
Join us at Ham Journal—where your expertise finds a voice and your projects find an audience.