Contribute

Thank you for your interest in contributing to the Penn Climate Insights! We are excited to partner with members of the Penn community to build a rich, interdisciplinary collection of climate knowledge.

Overview

Penn Climate Insights welcomes contributions from the Penn community that help make trusted climate knowledge clearer, more accessible, and more interdisciplinary. We are looking for short, evidence‑based content entries that:

  • Explain climate topics in ways that are engaging, accurate, and easy to understand
  • Bridge climate science with fields such as health, business, policy, education, law, design, and the arts
  • Provide synthesis, analysis, and framing
  • Support learners, educators, and the broader public in understanding climate change as a daily reality

Contributions can take many forms, including text, visuals, audio, data, or multimedia. They should all be concise, thoughtful, and grounded in credible evidence.

Contributors must be Penn affiliates with active PennKey credentials to access the Contribution Form.

Below you’ll find answers to the most common questions about contributing.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Contributors must be University of Pennsylvania affiliates with active PennKey credentials. This includes:

  • Faculty and postdoctoral fellows
  • Staff, including researchers and science writers 
  • Currently enrolled undergraduate and graduate students

Note for students:

We strongly encourage student contributors to work with a mentor, instructor, or supervisor during the writing and editing process. Please identify this supporting individual in your submission form.

An Insight is a short, evidence‑based content entry that helps readers understand a climate‑related concept. Insights are meant to be well-researched but approachable, designed for non‑experts and for people with limited time.

A strong Insight has the following qualities:

  • Evidence‑based and rigorously cited
    It draws on credible research and expert knowledge, and includes clear, consistent citations, preferably in APA format. 
  • Concise and focused
    Insights should be short and to the point, no more than 3000 characters.
  • Unbiased and grounded in scholarship
    To the best of your ability, keep the piece unbiased and present information in a way that helps readers think critically and independently.
  • Accessible to non‑experts
    Avoid unnecessary jargon where possible or define it clearly. Write in a tone that is welcoming, clear, and suitable for a general audience, including students, educators outside your field, and curious public readers.
  • Useful and applicable
    The best Insights help readers understand why a topic matters, offering context, interpretation, or implications that make the information meaningful and actionable.

We accept a wide range of content formats, including:

Content types:

  • Text
  • Images
  • Maps
  • Data files
  • Manuscripts or archival documents
  • Presentations or slide decks
  • Audio
  • Video
  • Interactive tools or exercises
  • Multimedia compilations

 

File formats:

  • Documents: .doc, .docx, .pdf, .txt, .rtf
  • Presentations: .ppt, .pptx, .pdf
  • Images: .jpg, .jpeg, .png, .svg, .eps, .pdf
  • Audio: .mp3, .wav, .m4a
  • Data: .csv, .tsv, .xls, .xlsx, .xml
  • Video: .mp4, .mov

All submissions, regardless of format, must include a short written description following our content and length guidelines.

  • Written content: Up to 3,000 characters (excluding citations)
  • Audio and video: Up to 15 minutes
  • Other formats: Should be concise, focused, and easy to understand

Yes. All submissions must include citations, preferably in APA style. Full references do not count toward the 3,000‑character limit.

Yes. After submission, our team reviews content for accuracy, clarity, coherence, and alignment with project standards. You may be asked to revise your contribution before publication.

Learn more in our Review Process.

We believe in giving proper credit to contributors. All published content includes:

  • Your full name
  • Your Penn affiliation, if you have added this information to your Contributor Profile
  • The names of all contributors involved

For more details, visit our Attribution & Permission page. We strongly encourage you to populate your profile with information that would you like to make available publicly.

Need help or have questions?

Reach out to our team anytime. We’re here to support contributors throughout the process. 

Our Review Process
Contribution Form
Annotated Sample Contribution