Have an interest in the Asia-Pacific region? Have a research topic close to your heart? Want to share your research and ideas with others? We’d love to hear from you and so would our readers.
The Asia Pacific Memo Idea
Put simply, the Asia Pacific Memo strives to communicate academic research about the contemporary Asia Pacific to a broader audience beyond the Academy. We do this through succinct memos that strive to communicate a key idea that is backed up by research.
Alternately, we also do the occasional video memo. Through short but informative interviews with researchers, policy makers and authors, we communicate some of the latest research trends and introduce recent book publications for the region. If you feel you might have a promising topic for a 5-7 minute video interview or profile, please contact us as well.
Why Write a Memo?
Well the most important reason is because you feel compelled to do so. But why send it to us? Asia Pacific Memo is growing rapidly. Memos are delivered weekly to over 2000 subscribers across a spectrum of backgrounds and disciplines. Our website and Facebook page attracts thousands of visitors per month and our Tweets also enjoy a large following. Publication of an Asia Pacific Memo can be a useful additional avenue to communicate and disseminate your research findings.
The Perfect Memo
OK, perhaps the perfect memo doesn’t exist. But the ideal Memo is written to be accessible to a reader of any mainstream newspaper. However, a Memo differs from a newspaper article because it develops one academic concept rooted in research in very short form (300 to 350 words), while linking to current events when appropriate.
The Memo makes a strong case for an observation/conclusion. That means that phrases such as “my research explains…” are not appropriate. Instead, the Memo should offer the explanation or an element of the explanation referred to here.
In this aspect, a Memo is quite different from a typical article abstract that is more likely to include phrases like “I analyze…”.
Here are some of our favourites: Memo #2, Memo #49 and Memo #58.
The Nitty-Gritty
Write a 300 to 350 word Memo using lively, jargon-free language and clear writing. We will not consider memos that do not adhere to this word limit (give or take a few).
A Memo should explore an academic concept relating to the Asia Pacific. Where possible, integrate current events into your Memo. Your submission should effectively convey a single key point, backed up by concise arguments and evidence. The key point is that your memo must analytically engage with the topic. It should not be a current events piece.
While we will work with you to meet the length limits and increase accessibility, it is the author’s responsibility to have proofread the memo prior to submission for grammar, spelling, syntax, and style. We reserve the right to decline to publish submissions that do not fit with our guidelines.
Our editing process
We have developed an editing process to ensure that published Memos are academic in nature and accessible to our readers. Your Memo will be reviewed by our editorial panel and you will receive comments on your Memo. Often, a few rounds of editing are required.
The articles published in Asia Pacific Memo do not necessarily express the views or opinions of the Institute of Asian Research of the University of British Columbia or any of its representatives. Any opinions or views expressed in an article that is published in Asia Pacific Memo are the personal opinions or views of the author of that article.
Along with your Memo, you must include:
- A headline
- A second headline (less than 110 characters) for our Facebook, Twitter, and Academia.edu accounts
- A 1-sentence biography, and link to your website (if available)
- Maximum of 7 links to related articles/videos/photographic essays/scholarly journals/books, etc. (at minimum, 60% of these links should be academic in nature)
- Emailed consent about the “Permission to Publish” document (see below)
The Permission to Publish document
- Read and agree to the terms in our Permission to Publish document.
- Email asiapacificmemo [at] gmail.com with “I have read and understood the terms in the Permission to Publish document for my Publication titled ______”
- Key points of the document: 1) you provide UBC permission to publish and republish your Publication (see 1.1). 2) you, the author, retains copyright and can also republish the Publication (see 2.4). 3) that the Publication is original (see 3.2)
Optional inclusions:
- An email address (we publish this along with your Memo, so readers can have the option to contact you.)
- Any related images you would like to publish along with the Memo
- An image of yourself to accompany the memo
Submit your Memo
When you feel you’re ready, send your memo submission to asiapacificmemo [at] gmail.com and you will receive a confirmation within a few days.