Aims and scope
The chief aims of BSS News are to communicate with the membership, to keep members informed and to act as a vehicle for members’ contributions on all things botanical. By this means members can keep in touch with each other. There is also a further aim of providing interest, entertainment and stimulation for BSS members. Contributions from non-members are welcomed.
The content of BSS News is as kaleidoscopic as possible around the botanical theme and the editors are keen for as much variety as possible. All ideas for contributions are welcome.
Guidelines for contributors
Deadlines
The early submission of articles would be appreciated. Last dates for receipt of copy are:
15th January for the Spring issue
15th July for the Autumn issue
Text
BSS News is professionally designed and laid out for us, so contributors need not worry about complying with a strict format. The two most important things are readability and scientific accuracy.
Submit your article or news item in a Word file. Use any plain, readable font. Italicise all scientific names and provide common names where available.
Include a title and your name. Many of our contributors have PhDs, but we prefer to style ourselves without titles to encourage authors without such qualifications to submit.
Embed low-resolution versions of any pictures in the word document in the locations where you would like them to appear.
Text figures and photographs
BSS News is published in full colour, so we encourage authors to use photographs wherever appropriate. Illustrations for the text can be colour photographs, line drawings, maps or graphs.
High resolution jpeg files must be submitted with the final draft of your article. Each photo or figure must have a caption and a statement as to its source and copyright. If you are using photos or artwork that are not your own, you must obtain the permission of the owner to use the material. Sources of material in the public domain or licensed under creative commons must be given.
Cover pictures
When writing or illustrating an article, please consider submitting the best photo or artwork for reproduction on the cover. Pictures must be in portrait orientation. Non-authors are also encouraged to submit suitable pictures.
Submission
Email your word file as an attachment to the Editor at BSS-newsletter@botsoc.scot
Also send any photographs as an attachment in jpeg format. This is the preferred option but, if your files are larger than 2 Mb, use wetransfer.com or a similar service and send a link to BSS-newsletter@botsoc.scot
