Writing an Innovation Abstracts

NISOD’s flagship teaching and learning publication, Innovation Abstracts, is written by practitioners, for practitioners, in community colleges, colleges and universities around the world. Issues are mailed weekly during the academic year to more than 100,000 readers via U.S. Postal Service and electronically to considerably more at NISOD-member colleges electing to access current and past issues via the members-only section of the NISOD website (www.nisod.org).

In any year, a full academic year’s collection of Abstracts features a wide array of topics. Fortunately, we have discovered that each issue of Innovation Abstracts has something for everyone. Although individual issues are written from the perspective of a specific discipline or program, authors often include some flavor of the versatility of the strategies they describe.

Past issues of Innovation Abstracts are a potential author’s best examples of format, language (avoiding jargon), and specifics of style and tone. However, some additional information may be helpful and is included here.

Innovation Abstracts are:

• Basic introductions to an innovation (a definition or description with practical suggestions for use);
• Descriptions of an innovative model program or project (a description of the program, identification of key elements in the model, and suggestions of variations on the model);
• Practical suggestions for managing use of an innovation (intended as a vehicle by which long-term users share  techniques for transition from old practice to innovation with new users);
• Innovative variations on existing programs or concepts (a description of the variation; an explanation of how others can implement this improvement);
• Research-based analyses of innovations and their effectiveness in improving instruction (a discussion of the problem researched, the methodology and results);
• Issue-focus papers (usually speculative; factors affecting the teaching/learning process which are not innovations, per se: e.g., strategies for encouraging use of an innovation).
• Each abstract should include a description of the innovation and a discussion of practical applications and/or implications. Additional guidelines include:
• Audience—Abstracts are written for staff developers, faculty, counselors, administrators, and special groups. This Abstracts, for example, is intended for any faculty member, staff developer, researcher, or administrator who might wish to submit a manuscript.
• Length—Drafts should be no more than ten typed, double-spaced pages. We request that articles be submitted as e-mail attachment or on disk with hard copy.
• Style—Ideas should be expressed in a clear, jargon-free manner. Include definitions of special terms.
• Applicability—Innovations should have potential for application in a number of areas and, preferably, be implemented easily and inexpensively.
• Publication—Authors are identified by name, academic title/position, and discipline/program area. A “for further information” byline invites readers to contact the author. Provide college name, physical address, city, state, and zip code. The author’s e-mail address, if available, should be included for easy access.

Submit articles and/or ideas for Innovation Abstracts to:

Suanne D. Roueche, Editor
NISOD Publications
The University of Texas at Austin
1 University Station D5600
Austin, TX 78712-0378

Or e-mail your submission to:
abstracts@nisod.org