Bloggers for Peer-Reviewed Research Reporting is pleased to announce its contest for designing the icon that will represent the organization and its mission on academic blogs world-wide.
Contest participants will design a universal icon that everyone can use on their blog posts whenever the post is a serious commentary about a paper published in a peer-reviewed journal, and not just a link to a press release or media commentary.
Eventually these posts will be collected on BPR3.org, so anyone can find the most thoughtful blog posts on the internet, discussing serious research, not just media hype.
The contest will run from Friday, August 24 to Monday, September 10. The top three submissions will be selected by BPR3, then the final icon will be chosen by readers’ vote.
Contest Guidelines
- Icon must be a standard .GIF or .JPG image
- Entries must be submitted in three sizes: 120(w) X 90(h), 80 X 50, and 16 X 16 (each size icon may be different, but should maintain a common theme)
- All entries must be exactly the height specified, but the two largest-sized icons may be narrower, but no wider than specified (e.g. a 110 X 90 icon would be acceptable for the largest size, but a 120 X 85 icon would not). The smallest icon must be exactly 16 X 16.
In addition, successful entries will be
- Easy to use
- Recognizable
- Representative of the aims of the BPR3 organization (see “What the icon will signify” below)
- Low-bandwidth
- Compatible with many different site designs
- Attractive
- Copyright-free [e.g. use no copyrighted images]
What the icon will signify
- The BPR3 icon will represent, most importantly, a blog post that thoughtfully discusses peer-reviewed research.
- All research should be formally cited according to the requirements of the discipline within which it falls, and linked when possible.
- The post should make it clear when it is discussing research or ideas that are not peer reviewed.
- The poster should have carefully read all research cited.
- The icon should link back to the BPR3.org site in the manner we specify (this will depend on the method we choose for aggregating posts).
Submission Guidelines
- Submit entries by posting links to the icons (or a blog post containing the icons) on the Contest Thread at http://researchblogging.org/news/?p=18
- Only entries with valid email addresses will be considered (email addresses will not be published)
- You may also email your submission to Dave Munger (remove dashes!)
- Winning entrants must be willing to turn over all copyright to bpr3.org and / or place the copyright in the public domain as specified by bpr3.org
- Note: preserve all files / layers / fonts you used to make the submission. You’ll need to provide those materials if your submission is chosen.
Prizes
In addition to the admiration and respect of the entire academic blogosphere, the winning entrant will earn
- A free subscription to Seed Magazine, a ScienceBlogs coffee mug, and a copy of Natalie Angier’s The Canon (courtesy of Seed Media Group)
- A subscription to the journal Nature (courtesy of the Nature Publishing Group)
- A PLoS coffee mug and PLoS ONE T-shirt (courtesy of Public Library of Science [they'd offer a subscription but there's already no subscription fee for all PLoS journals])
- A 1GB USB data key and a travel mug courtesy of BioMed Central.
- A subscription to the CAB Abstracts bibliographic database courtesy of CABI.
BPR3 is currently working with other publishers about the possibility of additional prizes, so stay tuned!
About BPR3
Bloggers for Peer-Reviewed Research Reporting strives to identify serious academic blog posts about peer-reviewed research by developing an icon and an aggregation site where others can look to find the best academic blogging on the Net.
Note: Bloggers and media organizations are free to reproduce this announcement in its entirety. We look forward to seeing your submissions!
