Small Change

About

Welcome to Small Change - where it all adds up. It’s a portal for the tales we have to tell here at The University of Queensland, from virology experts debating zombies, to students sharing study tips. It’s a glimpse behind the scenes of UQ and we invite you to read on and learn more about the people who contribute to such a vibrant community.

If you’re interested in blogging for us, check the guidelines below and contact us for more information.

 

Small Change

What is a blog? 

A blog could written, videoed, recorded or a mixture of all three – as long as it’s published online. (The word "blog" is short for web-log).

A blog should be regularly updated with new blog “posts”, which are written (or recorded) in more of an informal and conversational tone than a news story.

With a blog post, you can speak directly to the reader. You can have an opinion. You can get a bit more creative. In theory, it’s a fun way to get the word out there.

Blogging for UQ simply requires a topic related to UQ. Your blog post could be about your latest research, campus adventures, new appointments, interesting events or student club activities. Is it about something else? Suggestions are always welcome.

Small Change blogger guidelines/ground rules

Consider your audience

  • The UQ blog will be distributed via social media and the UQ website. With more than 23,000 followers from across the world, the audience is diverse. We hope to engage students, academics, media, the higher education and research community and the general public with our posts. You’re writing for everybody.

Be concise

  • Blogs should be 800 words or less
  • Keep in mind that not all readers will understand some terms and you may need to explain further. Avoid jargon. Readers can be turned off by too much technical talk.
  • Read some examples on the blog to get a feel for what we publish.

Be interesting

  • Write in a way that is interesting and accessible to a wide group of people.
  • Be visual - provide data, graphs, videos, high-resolution pictures, etc.
  • Remember that what you’re studying and how you’re studying it might be commonplace to you, but interesting to others.

Be considerate

  • While your opinion is your own, blog submissions will be rejected if they include personal attacks, discrimination, misleading information, overtly political comment, information and photos acquired without permissions, or material that is commercial in nature.

Be accurate

  • As with any UQ publication, information published must be accurate and fair. Use examples, links to sources and background information where possible.

Be careful

  • Anything assessed as putting The University of Queensland’s reputation in jeopardy or at legal risk will be rejected.
  • Every post should relate to UQ or to a member of the UQ community.

Remember

  • Comments are disabled. Moderation of comments would require more time and resources than can be allocated to the blog.
  • UQ’s blog is not intended to replace the traditional media release. Nor does it restrict you from pitching to The Conversation or to UQ News.
  • OMC will edit for clarity rather than content, and you will be provided with a final version before it is published on the blog.
  • If your post is time-specific, please provide a draft at least a week ahead of time to allow editing and planning.

If in doubt

 

Contact us

(+61 7) 336 51120