Rolfes SDG Magazine

Language & Accessibility

All submissions must be in English. Write for an educated non-specialist - someone who cares about sustainability but may not know your specific topic deeply.

• Avoid unexplained jargon and academic acronyms
• Explain concepts the first time they appear
• Short paragraphs preferred (3-5 sentences maximum)
• Active voice wherever possible
• Subheadings required for pieces over 1,500 words

Evidence & Citation Standards

Every factual claim must be supportable. We do not require academic citation format, but sources must be available for editorial verification.

• Use hyperlinks for all online sources inline
• Cite data sources with year and organisation
• Distinguish between facts and your analysis clearly
• Primary sources always preferred over secondary
• Peer-reviewed evidence ranked highest in research pieces

Originality & Exclusivity

We publish original work that has not been published elsewhere in substantially the same form. Adapted academic work is welcome with disclosure.

• First rights only - no simultaneous submissions
• Adapted work: disclose original source and version differences
• AI-assisted writing: permitted as tool; human authorship required
• No plagiarism in any form - all work is checked
• You retain copyright; RSA receives publication rights

Format & File Requirements

Submissions that arrive correctly formatted move through the editorial process faster. Please follow these specifications before submitting.

• File format: .docx or .pdf (no Google Docs links)
• Images: minimum 300 dpi, .jpg or .png, separate files
• Author bio: 80-120 words, third person, with photo
• Abstract: 100-150 words summarising argument and SDG link
• Word count stated in submission email subject line

Diversity & Representation

The magazine actively seeks contributions from underrepresented regions, particularly Africa, Southeast Asia, Pacific Islands, and Latin America. This is not a preference - it is a structural commitment.

• Global South voices prioritised in editorial selection
• Contributions may centre non-Western epistemologies
• Language support available - contact editors before submitting
• Do not speak for communities you are not part of
• Include your own positionality statement where relevant

Editorial Review Process

Every submission receives editorial attention. We provide feedback on declined pieces. We do not accept work that cannot be improved through honest dialogue.

• Acknowledgement within 5 business days of receipt
• Initial decision communicated within 4 weeks
• Accepted pieces enter copy editing (2-3 rounds)
• Final author approval before publication
• All declined pieces receive 1 paragraph of feedback

Justice as Foundation

Analysis that asks: who benefits, who bears the costs, and what structures produce those outcomes? Contributions centring equity, historical responsibility, and systemic inequality.

Frontline Realities

Stories, reports, and analysis grounded in the lived experience of communities on the frontlines of SDG challenges - not observed from outside but told from within.

Youth as Present Agents

Work that documents, analyses, or celebrates what young people are doing right now - not aspirations for what youth could do, but evidence of what they are doing.

Systems Thinking

Contributions that trace connections between SDGs, revealing how progress or failure on one goal shapes outcomes on others. The interdependence principle in action.

Knowledge Plurality

Pieces that centre Indigenous, traditional, and community knowledge alongside scientific evidence - not as supplementary material but as primary sources of insight.

From Analysis to Action

Work that moves beyond diagnosis to recommendation - identifying specific policy changes, programme designs, or advocacy strategies that address the problem being analysed.