Writer’s Guidelines

Army AL&T’s Writer’s Guidelines

Army AL&T’s writer’s guidelines, below, show briefly how to format an article for submission. Also, watch the Where to Start and Do’s and Don’ts videos by editor Jackie Hames for more details.

Download Resources Below:

Article Example

Article Template

Writer's Guidelines

Style Quick Reference

Short, Clever Title

The subhead for your article pulls in readers, in tandem with your short, clever title,
to provide a provocative, one-sentence description of your article's contents.

by Your Name

(maximum of three authors)

Use this template to help get your article started—just substitute your content for what’s written here. Our standard article format is a Word document in 12-point Times New Roman font with 1 inch margins, double-spaced. Keep paragraphs aligned to the left, but put an extra line of space between each. Our articles are usually between 1,000 and 1,600 words. This first section is your Introduction.

Subheaders

Each section should be marked with a short subhead, or title, relating to what you’re going to discuss. Can’t think of any right now? Add them after you’ve finished.

Citations Needed

To cite sources in your article, just write out the title of the reference and the author in the paragraph. If there’s a link to the cited material, provide that as well.

Create a Sidebar

If your topic is detailed or highly technical, you can create what’s called a sidebar. These are short, supplementary pieces that can describe a technical concept, provide a relevant anecdote, or add details that just don’t fit well in the main body of the article. Submit those as a separate word document in your article package, formatted the same way you would an article.

Story Structure

Your article will have a clear beginning, middle and end. The beginning grabs the reader and lays out the issue in simple terms. That transitions naturally to the middle, where the reader learns how the issue came about, relevant details about the issue, and how the issue was solved.

Images and Captions

Along with your article, submit photos, charts and other images that will help illustrate your article. Please make sure to include a brief caption for each, and a credit for the image. See example below.

TECH TAKES FLIGHT: Pvt. Kesley Darnell with 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division releases the Army’s first personal unmanned aerial system fielded to Soldiers at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, in May.
The new air vehicle, part of PEO Soldier’s Soldier Borne Sensor program, supports preplanned and on-the-fly reconnaissance missions of the future force. (U.S. Army photo by Patrick Ferraris, PEO Soldier)

Conclusion

Virtually every Army AL&T article ends with a definite conclusion, and it is labeled as such. Once you’ve written your conclusion, you’ll need to add two more things to the bottom of the article: the “for more information” paragraph and the author biographies. Use italic font to write both, and write the author names at the beginning of the biographies in all capital letters.

For more information….here, include a link to a website or an individual contact so that readers can get more information on the subject you’re discussing.

BIOGRAPHY Here, you’ll provide a short biography of each author, with the same name as in the byline. Remember that a maximum of three authors by receive a byline. Any additional contributors can be listed accordingly at the end of the article. Biographies should begin with rank or title, continue with education (highest degrees first), and any DAWIA certifications. And now you’re done!

Submitting Videos

Army AL&T’s video guidelines below, show you how to master the DIY video shoot for submission. Watch the All About Video by editor Ellen Summey for more details.