Minnesota Futurists Writer and Presenter Guidelines

 Also see Communication Guidelines

The Minnesota Futurists seeks and welcomes articles to be published on our Wiki site as well as presentations for focus and to lead the discussions at our Saturday morning Special Interest Groups (SIGs).

 

To maintain professional excellence, submissions must meet the following criteria:

Virtually everything that will affect our future or will be affected by the changes the

future will bring can be addressed. Past articles have focused on topics ranging from

technology, world business and market trends to culture, religion, the arts, values, health and

peace.

 

The submission should have something new and significant to say about the future, not

merely repeat what has already been said before. For example, an article noting that

increasing air pollution may damage human health is something everyone has already

heard. Writers and presenters should remember that the publication focuses on the future,

anywhere from 5 to 50 years from now.

 

Articles that should be avoided include: (A) overly technical articles that would be of

little interest to the general reader; (B) conversely, articles with vague generalities and

philosophical homilies, insufficiently related to a scientific approach to future studies. (C)

partisan political opinion pieces on current government issues; (D) no reports of fiction,

except for scenarios presenting fictionalized people in future situations.

 

SIG presenters are invited to encourage and emphasize Alternative Futures.

 

We also encourage book reviews and reviews of scientific and professional conferences

of significant interest to areas of future studies.

 

Particular attention will be paid to insuring solid futures content, consistent with the

science and practices of futurology and futurics Formal practices include:

• Trend Extrapolation
•  Cross Impact analysis
•  SEPTs
•  SWOTS
•  Normative (Goal forecasting) based on needs/wants
•  Delphi Method
•  Cause and Effect Modeling
•  Unforeseen Consequences
•  Scenarios, e.g., What If Scenarios
•  Issues/Possibilities/Impacts Outline
•  Wild Cards
•  and many others

 

The editors reserve the right to accept or reject material based upon content. A variety of

topics and viewpoints will be considered, as fits the mission and charter of the Minnesota

Futurists, Inc. and of the World Future Society.

 

Presentations are often supported by handouts. Examples and templates are available.

 

An abbreviated example follows.

 

Speakers are encouraged to facilitate discussion around the topic as opposed to a strictly

lecture style. SIG hosts will be on hand to serve as Timekeepers and aides to support

speakers.

 

A typical SIG will have 10 to 20 attendees. 

 

We can make copies of handouts for attendees. It is our practice to make presentation

materials available on our Wikisite at http://minnesotafuturists.pbwiki.com for the quarter

in which they are presented. After that time, materials are available to paid members

only.

 

Feedback Guidelines 

Asking for, giving and learning from feedback are clearly healthy activities. But remember some fundamental tenets of feedback:  

     1.  Positive feedback may be provided in the form of vague and general statements. 

     2.   Negative feedback has to be specific and detailed, in order to avoid being disempowering, and to enable stakeholders to make related improvements. 

     3.   Ask, before giving it, whether the feedback recipient(s) is(are) ready to receive it.

 

Contributed by Ulrich Bonne, 5 April 2009

 

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