Submit an Article

The International Foundation Research and Publications Department is looking for authors to write articles on the newest and most relevant employee benefits topics. We are looking for U.S. and Canadian articles on health care, pensions, retirement and general benefits topics. If you would like to write an article, please see the following guidelines and suggested topics.

Please direct inquiries and outlines of proposed articles to:

[email protected]

(262) 786-6710

General Information

The guidelines are intended to make the writing process easier and more enjoyable for you. Please do not hesitate to call the Foundation editorial staff at any time. We’re looking forward to working with you.

Articles covering new or developing topics are particularly appropriate. We welcome queries or outlines of proposed articles. The editors will respond promptly.

We assume all material submitted is the original work of the listed authors and has not been accepted for publication elsewhere. In the event of any potential conflict, it is the author’s responsibility to notify the editor prior to publication. We will ask you to sign a copyright transfer agreement.

In addition to the print magazine, we are accepting articles to be featured as Magazine Extras on our Word on Benefits® blog. An archive of these blog posts is available here.

Follow the article submission guidelines below.

 

Writing the Article

The recommended length for an article is 1,600 to 2,400 words. Articles should be educational and present a balanced view on the topic. Pieces promoting a specific product, service or company will not be accepted. Please avoid jargon.

Organize the article carefully. Provide headings and subheadings that are succinct and that include words useful for information retrieval.

You will be notified whether your article has been accepted within approximately two weeks.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

The use of public generative artificial intelligence (AI), such as Chat GPT and other large language models, and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process is restricted to improving the readability and styling of the work. The technology must be used with human oversight, judgment and control, and authors must carefully review and edit the result. Authors are solely responsible for the accuracy and quality of their work. Authors are required to submit a copyright agreement to the International Foundation and, therefore, are responsible for ensuring that the work is original and does not infringe on third-party rights.

The use of public generative AI or AI-assisted tools to create or alter images, figures, tables and artwork in submitted articles is prohibited. This includes enhancing, obscuring, moving, removing, or introducing a specific feature within an image or figure. 

How To Submit

Send your article via email to [email protected].

Content

Send us your complete manuscript in its final version, including any tables, graphs/charts, etc., as separate files. See Graphs, Charts and Tables section for exact specifications.

References

It is the author’s responsibility to obtain any necessary permission for the use of lengthy quotations or other material (charts, surveys, etc.) originally prepared by others. Where necessary, authors should cite sources for their articles through succinct endnotes or references.

Legal Case Citations

Check legal citations for accuracy. They will be included in the text as they are submitted.

Copyrighted Material and Acknowledgments

If you use copyrighted material from another publication, secure permission for reprint. Submit this with your manuscript.


Graphs, Charts and Tables

If you use tables or graphs, construct them so they are completely understandable on their own. Tables and figures should be referenced correctly in the text.

Specifications

  • Simple text tables: Tabular material can simply be part of your text document.
  • Pie charts/bar charts: Please send charts and graphs as a separate file.
    • Best option: Separate high-resolution vector-based EPS created in Adobe® Illustrator®.
    • Next best: Original Excel or PowerPoint documents. Do not make any conversions or embed them in Microsoft Word; please send the original .xls or .ppt files.
    • Almost never usable: Charts taken from the web, anything at 72 dpi or 96 dpi, Word charts, TIFFs and JPGs.
  • Fonts: Please set type used in charts and graphs in Helvetica Neue Medium.
  • Colors: Please use the following colors in your charts to coordinate with Benefits Magazine and Plans & Trusts color palette.
    • Trumatch 10-a4 (CMYK 0/10/70/24)
    • Trumatch 17-a7 (CMYK 34/0/77/42)
    • Trumatch 4-b7 (CMYK 9/85/85/42)
    • PMS 295C (CMYK 100/57/0/40)
    • PMS 404C (CMYK 0/0/0/40)


Author Note and Photo

Write a brief biographical note of no more than 75 words, including present position title, responsibilities, job location,  email address or other contact information.

Include a color photo of the author(s) if possible. (Whether scanned from hard copy or shot with a digital camera, please send photos with a resolution of 300 dpi or 600 dpi. If using a digital camera to shoot a new photo, choose a plain, flat, light or dark background that contrasts with facial tone and clothing. Avoid harsh lighting, which causes dark shadows. Avoid floral patterns or outdoor settings for backgrounds.)

Author Copies and PDFs

The International Foundation typically grants author requests for permissioned article PDFs, which authors may share on social media and post on their websites. Authors may also request up to five printed copies of the publication in which their material appears. All requests should be emailed to [email protected].