Writing Guidelines

The Review Board is open to articles by ISACA members on current developments and topics in the fields of IT audit, data analytics, IT Risk, IT Governance and (cyber)security. An article can be ‘scientifically’ or non-scientifically written. The following Writing Guidelines apply to both types of articles.

Article structure

An article can be structured as follows;

Scientific article structure

• Short and concise title
• Possibly: short introduction to be placed above the article (no literature references)
• Introduction
• Method
• Results
• Discussion
• Conclusion
• Author(s) data
• Sources and references

Structure of non-scientific article

• Short and concise title
• Possibly: brief introduction to be placed under the title (no literature references)
• Introduction
• Main text
• Conclusion
• Author(s) details
• Sources and references (if applicable/relevant)

Title

Draw the reader into your article. Choose a short and concise title that clearly shows what your article is about. Don’t be evocative, but to the point.

The introduction

In the first paragraph, make it as clear as possible what your article is about. Are you answering a question from the profession? Do you have an opinion on a development in the field? Do you share knowledge or expertise? Answer (if possible) the five Ws (What, Where, Why, When, (for) Who) and the H(oe). Make a clear choice of topic. If there is a lot to report, write a series of articles on subtopics. Always think about who you are writing the article for and what you are aiming for. What should people be able to do with your article?
Make people curious. For instance, ask a question or express an opinion.

Pay attention

The tone and content of your work can be scientific, but does not have to be. Keep in mind, though, that a ‘scientific’ article will be judged based on common guidelines for such articles.

Please note

You are not allowed to sell or advertise your work. The Review Board may reject an article for this reason.

Headings

Use headings in the text that guide the reader through your text.

Main text

Describe things that are recognisable to an ISACA professional.
Make it clear why the content is relevant to ISACA members.
Clearly describe the scope of the article.
Make clear what the reader can do with the information in the article (and exactly what he or she should not do with it). Give practical examples and describe best practices.
Make sure not to write too much about personal issues, unless you are sure any reader will identify with them.
Write compactly, but not staccato or stenographic. Don’t dwell on things for too long, don’t double explain anything, don’t take a long run-up. Don’t write too evocatively, be to the point. ‘Kill your darlings’: sometimes a sentence or piece can be very beautiful, but still not make it into the final version because of readability.

Length

An article has no minimum or maximum length. Match the length of the piece to the content. Read the piece thoroughly before submission and delete where necessary.

Language

Submit the article in Dutch or English. The costs of any translation (e.g. to submit the article in two languages) are to be borne by the author(s).

Details author(s)

Please include these details with the work:

• Top of article (after title and subtitle and intro): ‘By’ followed by the first and last names of all authors.
• At bottom of article: Repeat names of all authors, with full name or initials and title and workplace. In the case of multiple authors, use the bullet point: –
• In Dutch-language articles: use ir, ing., mr., dr. drs. or optionally BSc, MSc and PhD.
• For English-language articles: Use BSc, MSc and PhD and the like.
• One e-mail address per article, which is listed under the last author.
• Also include the ISACA title (CISA, CISM etcetera) with each author.
• Evt: LinkedIn profile author(s)

Sources

List sources in a source list at the end of the work. Include as much information as possible about the source (such as the name of the work, author, publisher, year of publication, country of publication, etcetera).

Be clear

Assume as little familiarity as possible. A reader would rather read something he understands than something he has to decipher or cannot follow. Make sure arguments are correct and explain exactly what you mean. Don’t skip thinking steps. Use signal words to make connections clear (so, before, earlier, for example). Ensure ‘causal links’, use words like ‘because of this’, ‘thereby’, ‘namely’, etcetera. Don’t give too much information in one sentence or paragraph. ‘Cut’ your message into pieces.

Simplify

Use short sentences, without too many subordinate clauses. Replace difficult words with simpler ones whenever possible. For the reader, this does not diminish your knowledge, it is about the content: what the reader learns from it.
Delete adjectives that do not matter. Use as few (auxiliary) verbs in a sentence as possible.

For example:

‘The article shows that if no action is taken, the chances of success can be considered out of the question.’

Shorter:

‘The article shows that without measures, there is little chance of success.’

Active language

Write in the present tense, rather than the past tense. Past tense is again preferred to past perfect.
Use as few diminutives as possible (also, don’t write a little bit, but ‘a little bit’) or stop words (think of the words: ‘also’ or ‘even’).

Do not copy

Do not copy other people’s texts. Describe knowledge or a development in your own words. If you want to refer to an opinion or advice from someone else, state this, e.g.: ‘…’, writes the Personal Data Authority/name source’, etc.

Make your article SEO (Search Engine Optimization) friendly

Use a few keywords that readers often search for on the internet. Make sure the focus keyword and related terms are reflected in your title and headlines. This will help search engines scan your content and indicate what is important.

Font and font size

Submit your article in a Word file. Use:

• Font text: Aptos or Calibri
• Title font size: 16 pt
• Font size headline: 14 pt
• Font size text: 11 pt

Check spelling!

Before submitting your work, remove spelling errors from the text. Use the correct abbreviations. Check whether an abbreviation is capitalised or not. Most people do not spell flawlessly, so do not hesitate to have someone else proofread the text.