Style Guide Information for Authors
WHO can submit a paper? Everyone presenting at an ASA meeting is encouraged to write and submit a Lay Language Paper (LLP). This includes posters and oral presentations.
WHAT is a Lay Language Paper? LLPs are short summaries of presentations. They are designed for anyone with an interest in acoustics, particularly those in media roles. LLPs are not peer reviewed.
WHERE are papers posted? LLPs are first posted online at the ASA Press Room under the “Read the Research” tab. It will be moved to a meeting specific page at the time of the following meeting.
WHEN should I submit one? Please submit after registering and before attending the meeting where you will be presenting the paper topic. This is because LLPs will be posted prior to the meeting to help create media interest.
WHY should I write one? By writing LLPs, authors create written records of their meeting presentations that can be quickly disseminated by the ASA. These LLPs often act as an introduction your work, which leads interested readers to your journal publications.
HOW do I write one? Please refer to the style guide below to learn how to write and submit your LLP.
NEED to update a post? After your LLP has been posted, send edits to kjones@acousticalsociety.org.
ASA Lay Language Paper Style Guide1
- The Lay Language Paper (LLP) should be short and to the point. The goal is to post ‘bite-size’ pieces that readers can digest in a few minutes (>100 words, ideally 300-500 words). Start with a “hook,” a sentence that catches the reader’s attention and interest
- Keep language simple, our readers will not be familiar with most technical, jargony terms. This De-Jargonizer program can give you insights into how common the words you are using are in everyday media.
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- Readers will know words like “energy” or “wave,” and how to read plots and (simple) equations. LLPs should be accessible and fun, without compromising scientific accuracy.
- Try to limit acronyms as much as possible unless they are standard in the field. When using the acronym for the first time, make sure to spell it out. For acronyms the researchers created during their study, it’s best to just write out the words each time.
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- Don’t overload the paper with too many scientific concepts; simplify the story when necessary, while still staying faithful to the original research being presented.
- Make sure the post tells a good story! There should be transitions between each concept, and every paper should have a beginning, middle, and end.
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- A good story has a beginning (setting up a problem that needs to be solved), a middle (how we solved the problem) and an end (we’ve solved the problem; what lessons have we learned? What general insights have we gained?’). It may also be helpful to think about the typical story in a scientific paper, with a beginning (introduction), middle (methods), and end (conclusion).
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- The LLP should start with the main point / thesis and then explain it — don’t save the punchline for the end or readers might never get there!
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- The general structure of your paper should follow the inverted pyramid of journalism structure in Figure 1 below. That is, the main question the paper answers and the general answer to that question should come relatively quickly. You’ll notice that is the exact opposite of a typical research paper.
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Figure 1 Svetlana Tkachenko, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Modified
- Include a few figures. Figures should make the results easier to understand. Avoid tables unless they add something that cannot be accomplished with figures.
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- Figures should always support and clarify the writing and be directly mentioned in the text.
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- Formal citations should be avoided. Additional information can be made available as a footnote or as an in-text hyperlink.

Fish & Shrimp & Seals, Oh My! Soundscapes of Hawaiian monk seal habitats are dominated by biophony
Atom Tones – A periodic table of audible elements
A moth’s ear inspires directional passive acoustic structures
The FAA allows Americans to be exposed to unsafe levels of aircraft noise
Ultrasonics to monitor liquid metal melt pool dynamics for improving metal 3D printing
The successful application of acoustic lighting in restaurants
The inner ear as a musical instrument
Hearing voices in the high frequencies: What your cell phone isn’t telling you
The clapping circle “squeak,” finally explained
Can a spider “sing”? If so, who might be listening?
Fish & Shrimp & Seals, Oh My!
Hollow vs. Foam-filled racket: Feel-good vibrations
Saving Lives During Disasters by Using Drones
Acoustic black holes in airfoils
Lay Language Paper Submission Checklist
Before submitting your Lay Language Paper (LLP), please make sure you have completed everything on this checklist. You can download the style guide & checklist here.

A one sentence, self-explanatory title, which in most cases, should not be the same as your abstract title.

At least one figure to support or clarify your writing

The opening and closing sentences (and subtitle if relevant) are supported by the rest of the story

Transitions exist between paragraphs and between concepts, ensuring that the flow is smooth

The grammar and spelling are correct

Same verb tense is used throughout (or at least the same tense is used throughout a given paragraph)

Jargon is minimized as much as possible and all technical terms, abbreviations, acronyms, etc. are defined when first used

Minimal abbreviations (i.e. use “for example,” not “i.e.”/“e.g.”)

Limit passive voice (when possible, say “the researchers show that” instead of “it is shown that”)

Additional information is given as footnotes or as in-text hyperlinks to the reference.

All figures/images are attributed appropriately in the caption text: “Image courtesy of [SOURCE]” or “Image adapted from [AUTHOR’S] original paper.”

All hyperlinks are in-text (i.e. “Information is available on the Acoustics Wikipedia Page” NOT “Information is available at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acoustics")
[1] Based on the Softbites Style Guide and PERbites Article Guidelines