Eos Submission Guidelines

Eos is the science news magazine published by AGU.

Scientists write for Eos to share the importance of their research with the wider public. This audience wants to read engaging behind-the-scenes descriptions of how research gets done, insights into the scientific questions and why they matter, and opinions on how scientific culture should progress so that the community can best address the challenges of a changing world.

Eos publishes:

insightful descriptions of research and opinions by scientists, in addition to
news and feature reporting by professional science journalists.

Submission Guide FAQ

Why should I write for Eos?

Scientists who write for Eos reach a global public audience eager to understand the world around us. You’ll get experience working with editors who are expert science communicators to compose an article that engagingly explains your work for the public and puts into context why your discovery or solutions research is important for society.

Eos and our contributors regularly receive recognition, including awards for editorial excellence, best feature writing, and the inaugural award for writing on diversity and inclusion topics from Association Media & Publishing; the distinguished science journalism award from the American Meteorological Society; and the Hermes Creative and AIGA50 awards for design.

Who reads Eos?

Eos’s audience is the broader public. Around half of our readers are nonscientists, and 15% identify as working in science policy.

I’m a journalist. What does Eos publish, and where can I send a pitch?

Science journalists may pitch news articles (500-800 words) or features (2000 words) on recently published Earth and space science research, geoscience events, or larger trends in the geoscience community. Send pitches to eos@agu.org.

I’m a scientist. What does Eos publish, and how can I propose an article?

Scientists may submit proposals through this form for the types of articles listed below. Treat the proposal like an outline. We need enough information to understand the topic you’ll broach and the larger points you’ll make, but we don’t need detailed descriptions of each point. Use the search function at the top of this page to see whether Eos has published on your topic; if so, please tell us why your article will be different from or build on that topic.

Eos editors and Science Advisers review your proposal for the following:

Interest and relevance for Eos’s broad audience. This includes: Are you able to write nontechnical articles for the public, or are you willing to learn? Is your topic too niche, and perhaps more appropriate for a scientist-to-scientist publication?
Scientific accuracy and soundness. This includes: Are the results you plan to discuss peer-reviewed as required? Are you giving your conclusions proper context for the public, including mentioning existing peer-reviewed work by others that led to contrary or otherwise related results?

Please read our rules before submitting for your best chance of acceptance.

Types of articles Eos publishes:

Science Update: An article about your own research. Any results or scientific conclusions included must have already been peer-reviewed and published. This article will offer readers a behind-the-scenes look into the process of your research, the challenges encountered, and how your team addressed them, concluding with the questions that remain and how you plan to approach answering them. Your passion and excitement about the research and the importance of the conclusions you hope to reach are welcome additions to these articles.
- Science Updates, if accepted, are 1,500 words. Examples of the kinds of article we’ll help you produce if we accept your article proposal:
- You may also propose articles about the outcome of meetings, conferences, and workshops. This article will include substantial insight into and context of discussions and results presented, and place the topic into its broader context. This article will not include procedural accounts or specifics about how a workshop operated. Examples of the kinds of article we’ll help you produce if we accept your article proposal:
Opinion: A persuasive article that identifies a problem within the Earth and space science community (culturally or scientifically) and offers solutions for the reader. If you are addressing a widely known issue (e.g., diversity; COVID; climate change) your proposal should explain why your article will be different or add to Eos’s previously published work on the topic.
- Opinions, if accepted, are 1,500 words. Examples of the kinds of article we’ll help you produce if we accept your article proposal:
Feature article: An overview of a defined topic that describes several research projects to place the topic in a broad context. This article gives readers a sense of the history, challenges, and opportunities related to the topic discussed. When possible, the article should weave together science and policy issues related to the topic and acknowledge alternate findings.
- Features, if accepted, are 2,000 words. Examples of the kinds of article we’ll help you produce if we accept your article proposal:

What rules should I know before I submit an article proposal?

Eos is not a journal and does not publish data or original research results that have not been published in a peer-reviewed journal, nor does it publish overly technical language or jargon.
Eos does not accept pitches or proposals for articles that have already been published or submitted elsewhere, including articles published on preprint servers.
You should not write a manuscript before you submit a proposal. If you have, nevertheless, already written a manuscript, you may include it per the directions in the proposal form, but it will not increase the chances of acceptance. You must still complete the proposal in enough detail for us to evaluate on its own. Furthermore, you may be asked to substantially rewrite the manuscript so it satisfies feedback about your proposal as well as our writing standards.
Proposals can include a maximum of 5 authors, including the submitter. No exceptions. Project teams or institutions cannot be authors. If the underlying research involves a large team, the team should choose 1 or 2 authors to represent them and compose the article. The team can be noted and linked to in an Acknowledgements section.
Articles from accepted proposals must follow our guidelines for writing for the public. Read our author guidelines (PDF) here. Eos reserves the right not to publish manuscripts that do not follow this guidance.
Eos does not publish obituaries. If you’re seeking to publish about a recently deceased Earth or space science colleague, please submit to Perspectives of Earth and Space Scientists, an open access collection of articles, essays, commentaries, memorials, debates, and insights.

What happens once I submit my proposal?

Your proposal will be reviewed by Eos’s editorial staff and Science Advisers, and you should receive a response within 4 weeks.

If my proposal is accepted, what happens next?

If your proposal is accepted, Eos will send reviewer comments and writing guidance to the corresponding author, which the authors should use to complete the manuscript within 6 weeks.
Your manuscript will enter the publishing queue, which includes substantive and line editing by Eos. This process will take approximately 8 weeks given the numerous submissions Eos receives.
Your manuscript will be reviewed by Eos’s Science Advisers for success in following our guidelines and producing an engaging and educational manuscript.
Eos reserves the right to decline to publish completed manuscripts that do not adhere to our guidelines. Author input will be considered on headlines and teasers, but final decisions are the responsibility of Eos.
Time from proposal to publication is between 14 and 18 weeks, depending largely on the time the author spends writing the manuscript and the editing required once complete.

Do you have any good advice for scientists who’ve never written for the public before?

We sure do. If Eos accepts your proposal, a science editor will work with you to develop your manuscript. Eos editors are expert science communicators and will ensure that your article is engaging and widely read. Ideally, we hope our scientist-authors see the experience of publishing in Eos as an opportunity to build their science communication skills.

Here are two videos featuring basic guidance along with some examples—these are free mini-classes on writing clear, engaging articles. Keep reading below the videos for a few important rules for Eos articles.

Language: Eos requires a writing style that is accessible to a broad audience. Avoid using specialized terminology and jargon.

References: Eos prefers hyperlinks to articles and reports. Additional minimal in-line citations to research are allowed with accompanying full references listed at the end of an article. Eos is not a journal, and therefore it is not necessary to document meticulously all sources.

Images: You’ll be asked to provide an eye-catching photograph to lead the story. Figures, collages, and maps should not be used as main images. You may include additional images, illustrations, infographics, or maps for embedding in the article. If the image is not in the public domain or available with a Creative Commons license, Eos needs written permission from the copyright holder of the image to publish it.

Figures: Figures must be high-resolution, relatively simple (including only information covered by the manuscript), and visually interesting. We may insist that our graphics team redesign the figure. We may also decline to publish figures if they do not meet Eos’s standards.

Authorship: We allow a maximum of 5 authors per article. Authors listed in the byline must be only those who actually write the manuscript. Project team names cannot be listed as authors. Other individuals or organizations who, e.g., contributed to underlying research or who provided feedback for an Eos article, may be recognized in the main article or an Acknowledgments section.

Copyright: Authors must sign Eos’s copyright license agreement, selecting Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0, Creative Commons BY 3.0, Public Domain, or Crown.

Basic Style: Eos style is based on the Chicago Manual of Style and Words Into Type. Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Webster’s Third New International Dictionary (and its Addendum), and the Glossary of Geology are used for hyphenation and spelling. Eos uses an open punctuation style, that is, only as much punctuation as necessary for clarity. Units of measure must be metric; SI units are strongly encouraged.

Will my article be featured in Eos’s print magazine?

Eos is a digital-first publication; online articles are the version of record. The Eos print magazine, a benefit for AGU members, is curated from articles published on the website. Only a fraction of the articles published on the website are included in the magazine. If your article is selected for inclusion, it may be altered for style and length, and we may contact you for assistance with additional illustrations.

How do I send in an idea for Eos to cover?

We love tips on interesting Earth and space science research to cover. Please click over to this form and select “Make a suggestion for something Eos reporters should cover.” Due to the number of emails Eos receives, we will not reply unless we have a question about your submission.

What if I have questions not covered here?

You can contact our team at eos@agu.org for other questions, concerns, or errors in Eos, including queries about advertising in Eos print, digital, or in our Eos Buzz newsletter.