What is the Purpose of the WIDEpaper Series?

The WIDEpaper series is an online publishing effort meant to incubate research publications on writing in digital environments. The Writing in Digital Environments research center will publish or co-publish short (article-length or less) pieces that represent significant new ideas, methods, or systems related to digital writing theories, processes, products, or technologies.We envision the edboard and authors of papers in the series as a knowledge community exchanging ideas among one another, with the field, and with interested readers worldwide. As far as deliverables from the review process, since the purpose or use of the review process is to help authors prepare a manuscript for publication, we see two possible deliverables. The first is the WIDEpaper to be published on WIDE's website and the second is a draft of a longer manuscript for another venue.

Who Owns the Copyrights on WIDEpapers?

Submitting authors will retain copyrights for published WIDEpapers. We will be encouraging authors to publish under a Creative Commons License that requires attribution but encourages distribution and, if the author chooses, reuse of the material for future publications. We expect that WIDEpapers will come from work in progress and that they will contain seeds of ideas worthy of being shared so that they may take root in any number of possible publication venues.

What Kinds of Topics Are Suitable for the WIDEpaper Series?

• Theory pieces or literature reviews
• Methodology comparisons or syntheses
• Reports of findings or preliminary findings for ongoing projects
• Implications of theory or research findings on public policy
• Description or functional specifications for software or systems

How Does the Editorial Process for the WIDEpaper Series Work?

Authors can submit a piece for review via the WIDE website in the WIDEpapers section. After an initial screening by the series editors to determine if the piece is suitable for the series, the piece moves to a review period of no more than three weeks. Members of the series editorial board review, post comments, and make a recommendation on publication. If the piece is deemed worthy of publication by the editorial board, it becomes a publicly-accessible WIDEpaper. If the piece requires additional revisions before publication or is deemed unworthy of publication, the author is notified and given a summary of reviewer comments to assist with the revision process. Published WIDEpapers can be viewed, downloaded and commented upon on the WIDE website.

How Do I Submit a Paper to the WIDEpaper Series?

Go to http://www.wide.msu.edu/WIDEpapers. Fill out the submission form, choose a Creative Commons License, and upload your paper according to the instructions.