Ready to do public scholarship? Here are two ways you can start.
Write for The Conversation
Want to write about your research? Consider pitching a story to The Conversation.
Many of our leading public scholars have published in this nonprofit, independent news organization that publishes articles written by academic experts for the general public.
Through a Creative Commons license, The Conversation’s articles are frequently republished by various international and national media outlets like the Associated Press, Yahoo! News, CNN, and Scientific American, as well as smaller outlets like local newspapers across the U.S.
According to The Conversation, 86% of authors reported some kind of post-publication impact on their career, including being contacted by media for interviews, an increase in scholarly citations, and being able to use story metrics for funding or grant applications.
- Scholars or researchers affiliated with a college, university, or research institution
- PhD students (independently or with a faculty advisor)
Authors are allowed to write only on subjects in which they have proven expertise. They must sign a disclosure statement outlining any relevant funding or affiliations.
Register as an author now using your wustl.edu email address.
- Timely, evidence-based analysis of issues making the news
- Articles explaining new research and its significance for a non-expert audience
- Timeless, plain English “explainers” of complex issues
Note: The Conversation does not publish opinion or advocacy pieces.
We are available to help you:
- Brainstorm story ideas and formats
- Write and hone a pitch (which we can submit on your behalf)
- Navigate the writing and editing process
Recent work
How a drag queen and mascot have become TikTok megastars in Mexico with over 2 million followers
Francisco Tijerina
AP Campus Insights
Want to do a video? Campus Insights is a high-impact option, and all that’s required of you is a ~15-minute interview.
Campus Insights provides newsrooms with access to short videos of academic experts who explain important and complex topics to the public.
A partnership between The Associated Press and leading academics from select universities, Campus Insights aims to:
- Increase the distribution of information from leading universities to a broad global audience
- Make knowledge from experts accessible to the public
- Improve society’s conversations around timely issues
Campus Insights explainer videos include a wide range of content, including topics that are currently in the news cycle and “evergreen” topics (meaning they remain relevant and useful for a long time). It’s important to note that the AP is interested in expert analysis of topics in the news, not opinion or commentary.
Videos can also be focused on academic research that does not have a news peg that would be of interest to a general audience.
Conflicts of Interest
When contributing to The Conversation or AP Campus Insights, we must disclose if your research has been funded by outside corporate interests or other relevant sources that may present a conflict of interest.