ACM's quarterly professional journal, Hand to Hand, is written entirely by volunteer authors. ACM welcomes members and non-members to submit an article. Authors include museum practitioners from all levels, educators, researchers and people with expertise in variety of disciplines.

Each issue focuses on a particular theme. Prospective writers should send a query email to the Hand to Hand Editor on suggesting a relevant topic for an upcoming issue theme (see editorial calendar). Articles should be well suited to Hand to Hand's editorial objectives.

Please familiarize yourself with the journal before submitting a query. Read a sample issue on play for the range of tones and sample approaches, review the types of articles published and skim through the index of back issues to get an idea of what has recently been published.

In your query, provide enough detail about your article that we can get a sense of the topic area you're proposing to cover. For example, "I want to write about school group visits" doesn't tell us much, but "I want to write about eight tips on how to revolutionize school group visits and here they are..." does. Be sure to also include a brief history of your writing background.

Prior to approving your editorial contribution, the Hand to Hand editor will review with you the editorial schedule, general style and image guidelines.

If you have any questions before submitting a query or would like to discuss your ideas beforehand, please contact the Hand to Hand Editor, Mary Maher.

Editorial Objectives

As the official publication of ACM, the Hand to Hand journal has a responsibility to its readers (who for the most part also are members of the Association) to provide practical, educational, evidence-based and theoretical information that will result in a quality children's museum experience and improved standards of the field.

Reader Profile
The journal's readers include directors and staff of established and emerging children's museums, educators, staff of exhibit design firms and other companies and individuals interested in children's museums and informal education.

Author Considerations
In an effort to maintain an open forum of ideas, opinions expressed in Hand to Hand are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of ACM. Nevertheless, potential conflicts of interest, which may be personal, commercial, political, academic or financial, will be revealed to readers on the opening page of the article, at the discretion of the editor.

Authors affiliated with a company or who are consultants may write articles on topics that are pertinent to their or their company's area of expertise, but these articles must serve the theme of the issue and should not focus on the company's products or services. All obviously biased or promotional statements will be edited out of the article.

Types of Articles Published

Feature articles generally run approximately 2,500 words; however, significant variation is possible among formats.

Research articles
Usually begins with a summary or abstract, followed by a description of the research (including methodology), the results and concludes with the significance of the results and their application to the children's museum field. Frequently includes a research bibliography.

Case Studies
Qualitative, descriptive articles that focus on a particular practice, experience or otherwise relevant aspect of an issue theme as carried out in a specific institution, group of institutions or a particular setting. Article may include observations, interviews, evaluations and a constructive discussion of strengths and weaknesses.

Interviews
One-on-one or facilitated conversations among a small group, interviews, done in person or over the phone, are recorded, transcribed and later edited for print.

Operations and Management Discussions
Articles focused on business practices useful to the museum field, including budgets, attendance projections and income/expense comparisons that include discussion of trends, measurement tools and analysis techniques.

Point-Counterpoint Articles
Opinion pieces, typically short, in which two authors are assigned opposing points of view on controversial subjects.

Personal Essays
Compelling personal stories about meaningful professional experiences; use of humor is welcome but not required; must provide some take-away advice and benefits to readers.

Annotated Bibliographies
A thoughtfully selected reading list of the most significant publications on a particular subject with comments that explain the relevance of each one.