If you read Significance, you are definitely interested in stories about statistics and data science and fascinated by what data can tell us about the world we live in. So, how would you like to write one of those stories for the magazine?
If you are an early-career researcher, now is your chance. Our 2020 writing competition, jointly organized with the Young Statisticians Section of the Royal Statistical Society (RSS), is open for entries.
The competition is for two categories of people: students studying statistics or related subjects for a first degree, master’s, or PhD and graduates whose last qualification in statistics or related subjects (whether first degree, master’s, or PhD) was not more than five years ago.
To enter, send your best statistical writing in the form of a magazine article (1,500 to 2,500 words) on any subject you like. Successful submissions from past years were based on original analyses produced specifically for the competition. This does take work, but it often results in a unique and compelling article.
You might also write about work you have done as part of your studies or during your career. However, if these articles draw on previously published work, you must ensure the competition submission is sufficiently different in terms of style and structure. Remember, Significance is a magazine, not an academic journal.
You can also write about the work of others, but this must be in the form of a critique or wider overview of a subject area.
A list of published articles from previous years’ competitions can be found on the website.
The competition is open until 11:59 p.m. on May 29. Three finalists will be selected in June, with the winner announced in July. The winning article will be published in the October issue and online. Runners-up may also be published online or in print at the editor’s discretion.
Finalists will be invited to give presentations based on their articles at a special session of the Royal Statistical Society International Conference, to take place September 7–10 in Bournemouth, United Kingdom.
How to Enter
Email your submission as a Word or PDF file to significance@rss.org.uk. Make sure to include the competition entry form, along with submission details.
Promote the competition in your statistics department or workplace. Download the official poster.
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