501-918-3025
calsfoundation@cals.org
calsfoundation@cals.org
Write an Entry
If you are interested in writing for the CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas, first read our Author Guidelines, Guidelines for Significance, and Encyclopedia Style Guide.
***Please do not send an entry to the CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas without contacting us first. If you have questions about writing or the editorial process, email us for more information.
Below is our list of entries needing authors grouped by category. After you have found a topic that interests you, email us to offer to write the entry at editor (at) cals.org.
Nominate an Entry
The CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas needs authors to write on all aspects of the state’s heritage and culture. Authors will receive an honorarium for each accepted entry they write. We are collaborating with many individuals and organizations to create the most accurate and comprehensive reference ever produced on the state.
CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas authors need to have thorough knowledge of their subjects and be willing to research them using primary sources. All entries will go through a comprehensive review process and be fact checked for accuracy.
For information on the writing and editing process, see the Author Guidelines, our Encyclopedia Style Guide, and Guidelines for Significance.
Before nominating a topic, see our most recent list of entries needing authors (below). If your topic is not listed, send an e-mail to the editor at glancaster (at) cals.org.
Review Entries
The CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas is strongly committed to accuracy. We rely on volunteer reviewers to provide feedback on the entries.
To volunteer to review, or to get more information, contact our staff historian at mpolston (at) cals.org.
Suggest a Topic or Author
Our list of ENTRIES NEEDING AUTHORS (below0 for which we are seeking authors is by no means definitive, and we add to this list on a regular basis. We invite you to suggest topics to include in the Encyclopedia and to suggest authors (including yourself) to write the entries for these topics. Before you suggest a topic, we recommend you review our Guidelines for Significance.
Suggest Media (Photos, Audio, Video, Etc.)
Most of the media accompanying text entries comes from individuals, archives, and museums, both in Arkansas and out of state. You are welcome to suggest media to accompany a specific entry or offer to let the CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas copy your photos, audio, videos, maps, or historic documents. All media used on our site is properly attributed to its owner.
Our Media Submission Guidelines provide additional information on how to submit media. If you have any questions or would like to suggest or offer media, email our media editor at mkeckhaver (at) cals.org or call him at (501) 320-5756.
Become a Volunteer
The CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas needs volunteers in a number of areas. Please mark the areas in which you would like to volunteer and give us any information that might help in assigning duties: when available, need to work at home/can come into the CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas offices, areas of expertise, etc. Volunteers will be recognized in all versions of the CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas.
Fill out my online form.
Involve Students
Student participation in the CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas
The CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas would like to involve college and university students in the creation of the CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas. This is an unprecedented opportunity for upper-level undergraduate and graduate students to gain experience in publishing, research, and Arkansas history while contributing to one of the largest and most comprehensive academic projects our state has undertaken.
Students can participate in the CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas in five possible ways:
1. Adapting research papers into CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas entries.
Under faculty supervision, students may submit the subjects of their research as possible CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas entries. Supervising faculty must first submit students’ topics to the Editor for approval. If accepted as a potential author of that entry, the student will follow the same editorial procedures as all CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas authors, including editorial review, requests to rewrite, fact checking, and final approval of the text. Students will be credited as the authors of their work in all versions of the CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas.
Faculty members interested in having their students adapt research papers into CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas entries are encouraged to contact Guy Lancaster, Editor, as soon as possible since many topics have already been assigned: glancaster@cals.org / (501) 320-5753.
2. Independent studies in fact checking.
Independent studies in fact checking for the CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas will be supervised by the appropriate faculty member as part of standard coursework. Students will be asked to research and verify the accuracy of entries following project guidelines and will be credited for their work in all versions of the CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Independent studies in fact checking are unpaid. The number of students allowed to take the course is at the discretion of the faculty member.
Faculty interested in offering an independent study in fact checking should contact Guy Lancaster, Editor, as soon as possible since many topics have already been assigned: glancaster@cals.org / (501) 320-5753.
3. Independent studies in writing.
Independent studies in writing for the CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas will be supervised by the appropriate faculty member as part of standard coursework. Students will be asked to write entries on topics agreed upon by the Editor, faculty member, and student. Students’ entries will be subjected to the same editorial procedures as all other CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas entries, including editorial review, requests to rewrite, fact checking, and final approval of the text. Students will be credited as the authors of their work in all versions of the CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Independent studies in writing are unpaid. The number of students allowed to take the course is at the discretion of the faculty member.
Faculty interested in offering an independent study in writing should contact Guy Lancaster, Editor, as soon as possible since many topics have already been assigned: glancaster@cals.org / (501) 320-5753.
4. Internships with the CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas (two available per semester).
Interns will work closely with the CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas’s staff historian and senior editor on the editorial and organizational work of the project (eight hours/week). Among their duties will be historical research, writing and editing entries, and office work.
Internships are the most “hands on” way for students to be involved in the CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas, and interns will need to come into the CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas offices in Little Rock on a regular basis.
Click here to print the current internship application.
Click here to print a flyer to post.
5. Volunteering for the CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas apart from coursework.
The CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas has numerous opportunities for volunteers, including fact checking, writing, digitizing documents, office work, and publicity. Students are welcome to volunteer their time on their own, outside the academic setting. For office work and some other volunteer activities, they will need to come into the CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas offices in Little Rock. Fact checking, writing, and digitizing can be done off site. All volunteers will be listed and thanked in the CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas.
We hope you will agree that the CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas is not only a valuable resource for our state, but also a wonderful opportunity for college and university students in Arkansas to gain experience and contacts in their fields of study.
For more information, please contact:
Guy Lancaster, Editor
glancaster@cals.org
(501) 320-5753
