Sig Presentation Guidelines


Minnesota Futurists Writer and Presenter Guidelines

Minnesota Futurists Guidelines For Submitting Articles To Future Trends And Leading Discussions At A SIG Meeting

The Minnesota Futurist Organization is constantly looking for articles to be submitted for publication in Future Trends as well as presentations for our Saturday morning SIGS.

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

The purpose of the Minnesota futurists is to be a forum for the discussion of alternative futures. 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, business, resources, and economics, to religion, the arts, values, health and peace. A variety of topics and viewpoints will be considered as fits the mission and charter of the Minnesota Futurists and of the World Future Society.

Submissions must be about the future and, 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. The Future of actions being taken to alleviate these problems is appropriate. 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) personal opinion pieces that take the form of infomercials or that advocate a particular future (E) no reports of fiction, except for scenarios presenting fictionalized people in future situations.

SIG presenters need to lead and encourage discussion. Presenters also need to maintain focus on the subject under discussion. We also encourage receiving book reviews and reviews of scientific and professional conferences of significant interest to areas of future studies for publication in future trends

Particular attention will be paid to insuring the submission is centered on futures content, consistent with a scholarly approach and current practices of and future studies.

The editors reserve the right to accept or reject material based upon content for all articles. Further, Editors reserve the right to make minor changes

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://mnfuturist2011.pbworks.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.

 

Submitted by Brian K Toren 8 August 2016

 

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