Contributor's Guide
Welcome to the Flash Digest Contributor's Guide!
This guide will provide an overview of your responsibilities as a Contributor of a Flash Digest Report. Flash Digest articles comprise of 3-5 short, objective overviews of recent developments in law and technology. Each overview should be around 350 words in length. Each one should also provide links to primary sources and, where appropriate, additional commentary for readers who want to dig deeper.
Unlike a Digest Report, Contributors, rather than Subject Matter Coordinators (SMCs), are tasked with researching and choosing what topics to write about. You will also receive an assigning email from the Content Editor, rather than a SMC. It is imperative that you check under the “Contents” tab of the semester’s Digest schedule to make sure you are not writing on a topic that has already been assigned as a Digest Report. You will be responsible for writing the substantive content of the article while the Article Editor will help you ensure the article is publication-ready.
primary::Writing Process in a Nutshell
Unless otherwise noted, all of the following communications are designed to (and should) occur via email.
Step 1: Getting Started
You, the Digest Contributor, along with the Report Editor, will be assigned a report during the week you indicated availability (in the sign-up survey). Unless the Content Editor specified otherwise, you will have three days to finish a draft.
If you are unable to complete an assignment, please notify the Content Editor immediately. If your availability changes during the year, notify the Digest Executive Editor ().
Step 2: Receiving and Confirming Receipt of Your Assignment
The Content Editor will send you and the Report Editor an assigning email with: 1. Name of your Report Editor 1. Due date of draft 1. Description of your responsibilities 1. Instructions regarding choosing topics 1. Attachments of primary source(s) (if applicable)
If the email is missing any information OR you have questions: immediately contact the Content Editor. If the Content Editor does not respond, feel free to contact the Digest Content Editor () or the Digest Executive Editor (), who are also available to answer questions.
danger::Your ResponsibilitiesAfter receiving your assignment from the Content Editor, immediately “reply all” to the email and- Confirm to the Content Editor and Article Editor that you have received and can complete the assignment. Alert the Content Editor and Article Editor to any problems that may delay your submission.
If you simply cannot write the article within the required time, please let the Content Editor know as soon as possible so she can find another Contributor.
Step 3: Drafting the Report
The purpose of Digest reports is to provide a brief and objective overview of the topics covered.
Upon receipt of your assignment, you should: 1. Come up with topics-
Look to legal blogs and other sources to find 3-5 recent developments in law and technology.
Review the spreadsheet under the "Content" tab of Digest schedule to ensure that the topics you are considering do not conflict with any already-assigned topic.
Before writing, email the Content Editor with your chosen topics for approval. If you are having trouble finding topics, do not hesitate to enlist the Report Editor and Content Editor for help. You should also feel free to ask any additional questions about the assignment at this time.
Write the draft of the report
Suggest the following-
Social media tag lines (140 characters)
An attribution line describing yourself and your interests (e.g. John Harvard is a 1L student at Harvard Law School. He is interested in privacy and cybersecurity.)
Drafting the Report
default::Pro TipVisit Digest at http://jolt.law.harvard.edu/digest/ to view published Flash Digest reports.
As a Contributor, you are responsible for the technical and substantive accuracy of the report. Refer to the Citation, Style, and Substance Guide for: 1. What to look for in a case or legislation 1. How to format citations 1. Style guidelines
Please be very careful not to overstate or misrepresent the source. Digest Reports are often on the first page of Google inquiries for cutting-edge cases -- getting it wrong has consequences. If you are unsure how to summarize a particular point, please ask for help. If all else fails, consider paraphrasing or quoting the source.
Length - the article should comprise of 3-5 blurbs, with each blurb being around 350 words in length. The blurbs should not be more than 2-3 paragraphs. The purpose of the article is to provide an brief overview of the most important aspects of the subject. Readers interested in fine detail can visit the primary sources or additional commentary that we link in the article.
Article Structure & Organization
Please ensure that each submission adheres to the general organizational format described below.
Article Title ("Flash Digest - Week of __ ")
Contributor's name and Report Editor's name, in the standard Digest format
Blurb 1
Title of blurb
Short summary of the principal holdings, important legislative provisions, or reasons why the event being described is important (one or two sentences) - include links to any primary sources and commentary
Brief overview of the relevant facts
Significance (scope of impact, possible consequences)
Blurb 2 (repeat Step 3 above)
Blurb 3 (repeat Step 3 above)
Step 4: Forwarding the Report
Email your article to all of the following:
Report Editor
Assigning Content Editor
Digest Content Editor ()
Digest Executive Editor ()
The email should contain:
Email Subject Line: [JOLT Digest] (Assignment Name) Article Draft
Attach the following to the email
Report, in .doc format
The body of your email should include the following
Date article was assigned
Date article was due(for recordkeeping)
Any questions/concerns that arose during writing (e.g., you were unsure about what the opinion held, etc.). Highlight sections of your Report that you believe require closer review and attention from your Report Editor.
Optional: if you would like to be tagged by JOLT over social media, please include your Facebook or Twitter handle.
After the Article is Posted
Both you and the Editor will receive an email containing a permanent link to the entry. After you receive this link, please:
Double-check the article to make sure you & the author are properly attributed in the “written by” and “edited by” bylines.
Double-check that all links work.
Ensure that no typos or other errors were introduced during the editing process.
Thank you!
The JOLT Digest team thanks you for the time you will be putting into creating Digest content. We hope you enjoy the content creation process and working with the subject matter of your assignments. Please feel free to email the Digest Masthead if you have any concerns or suggestions on improving the process!
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