PRAXIS CONRIBUTOR GUIDELINES

Contributions are welcome from researchers, practitioners, policymakers, regulators, analysts, graduate students, research teams, research-practice partnerships, and others with relevant expertise or evidence to share.

Interdisciplinary, cross-sector, and collaborative contributions are encouraged.

Contributors do not need to be members of the Utility Policy & Management Community.

Every contribution should be grounded in credible research, data, analysis, or evidence and make a clear connection to utility policy or practice.

Strong contributions should help answer three questions:

What does the research tell us?

What does credible research, evidence, or analysis reveal about the issue?

Why does it matter?

Why are the findings important for utility policy, management, regulation, governance, professional practice, or the communities affected?

What does it mean for policy and practice?

What decisions, considerations, opportunities, or actions can the evidence help inform?

The goal is not simply to summarize research. Contributions should make its practical significance clear.

Contributions may translate, synthesize, interpret, apply, or build upon:

• Published or forthcoming research

• Working papers

• Ongoing research projects

• Dissertations or theses

• Applied research

• Evidence syntheses

• Research-practice collaborations

• Data analysis

• Other credible research or evidence

Research does not need to be newly published to be useful to policy or practice.

Does it need to be your own research?

No. Contributions do not need to be based on research conducted by the contributor.

Praxis welcomes thoughtful synthesis, translation, interpretation, and application of credible research and evidence produced by others, provided that the underlying sources are appropriately acknowledged and the contribution offers a meaningful research-to-practice perspective.

Contributors remain responsible for accurately representing the research or evidence on which their contribution is based.

Utility P&M Praxis welcomes work across utility and infrastructure sectors, including:

• Electricity

• Water and wastewater

• Natural gas

• Broadband and telecommunications

• Emerging energy systems

• Related utility and infrastructure services

Relevant topics may include:

• Utility governance

• Public management

• Regulation and regulatory innovation

• Affordability

• Equity and justice

• Organizational performance

• Customer engagement

• Community engagement

• Workforce development

• Infrastructure investment and finance

• Sustainability

• Resilience

• Innovation

• Artificial intelligence and data analytics

• Emerging technologies

• Public participation

• Rate design

• Institutional change

• Leadership

• Other issues relevant to utility policy and management

This list is illustrative rather than exhaustive. Contributions addressing other issues with a meaningful connection to utility policy, management, regulation, governance, or practice are welcome.

Use the Format That Best Serves the Research

Utility P&M Praxis is open format.

Research does not always communicate best through a traditional written article. Contributors are encouraged to choose the format that most effectively communicates the evidence, message, and practical significance of their work to the intended audience.

Contributions may be written, visual, data-driven, audiovisual, interactive, conversational, creative, arts-based, or take another form suited to the research and its purpose. Examples might include briefs, visual explainers, data stories, videos, recorded presentations, research conversations, interviews, illustrations, exhibitions, creative media, or other approaches that effectively connect research with policy and practice.

These examples are illustrative, not limiting. Contributors are encouraged to consider the format that best serves the work rather than adapting the work to a predetermined format.

The format is flexible. The research-to-practice purpose is not.

Regardless of format, every contribution should remain grounded in credible research or evidence and be accessible, focused, and relevant to utility policy or practice.

Contributors may propose a format when submitting. The editorial team may also work with contributors to identify an effective way to communicate the work.

Written Contributions

Written contributions should generally be concise and written for an informed professional audience rather than exclusively for academic specialists.

As a general guide, the main text of a written contribution will often fall within 1,500–2,500 words. This range applies to the contribution itself and excludes required submission information, references, contributor information, tables, figures, captions, and supplementary materials. This is not a strict limit; length should be appropriate to the contribution, audience, and purpose.

Authors should:

• Use clear and direct language

• Minimize disciplinary jargon

• Define specialized terms when necessary

• Use descriptive headings

• Explain statistical findings in substantive terms

• Emphasize meaning and practical implications

• Avoid lengthy literature reviews

• Include methodological detail only when needed to understand or evaluate the findings

Video, Audio, Visual, and Other Contributions

Non-text contributions should be designed for clarity, accessibility, and substantive value rather than production complexity.

There is no single required length or format. Contributors should use the amount of time or space necessary to communicate the research effectively and concisely.

Depending on the contribution, the editorial team may request supporting materials such as:

• • • A short written summary

    • Contributor information

    • References or source documentation

    • Captions or transcripts

    • Data or methodological notes

    • High-resolution or editable visual files

Accessibility should be considered from the beginning. Video and audio contributions may require captions or transcripts, and visual materials should be understandable and appropriately labeled.

Written contributions should generally be concise and written for an informed professional audience rather than exclusively for academic specialists.

As a general guide, written contributions will often fall within 1,500–2,500 words, excluding references, contributor information, tables, and figures. This is not a strict limit; length should be appropriate to the contribution and its purpose.

Authors should:

• Use clear and direct language

• Minimize unnecessary disciplinary jargon

• Define specialized terms when necessary

• Use descriptive headings

• Explain statistical or technical findings in substantive terms

• Emphasize meaning and practical implications

• Avoid lengthy literature reviews

• Include methodological detail only when needed to understand or evaluate the findings

Non-written contributions should be designed for clarity, accessibility, and substantive value rather than production complexity.

There is no single required length, structure, or format. Contributors should use the amount of time, space, or material necessary to communicate the research effectively and concisely.

Depending on the contribution, the editorial team may request supporting materials such as:

• A short written summary

• Contributor information

• References or source documentation

• Captions or transcripts

• Data or methodological notes

• High-resolution or editable visual files

• Other materials necessary to understand, review, or publish the contribution

Accessibility should be considered from the beginning. Video and audio contributions may require captions or transcripts, and visual or interactive materials should be appropriately labeled and understandable to their intended audience.

Before submitting, contributors should be able to identify the policy, management, regulatory, organizational, professional, or community issue their contribution addresses.

A strong submission should make clear:

The issue:
What problem, question, decision, or opportunity is being addressed?

The evidence:
What research, data, analysis, or other credible evidence informs the contribution?

The finding:
What does the evidence tell us?

The significance:
Why does the finding matter?

The implication:
What should policymakers, managers, regulators, practitioners, researchers, communities, or other stakeholders take from it?

Contributors should identify three to five key takeaways from their contribution.

Takeaways should communicate substantive findings, meaning, or implications rather than simply describe what the contribution contains.

Evidence Standards

Claims should be supported by appropriate research, data, analysis, or other credible evidence.

Contributors should clearly distinguish among:

• • • Empirical findings

    • Interpretation

    • Professional judgment

    • Policy or management recommendations

Recommendations should not extend beyond what the underlying evidence can reasonably support.

Important uncertainties, qualifications, and limitations should be acknowledged where relevant.

Methods

Praxis does not require the level of methodological detail expected in a traditional academic journal article.

However, readers should receive enough information to understand where the evidence comes from and to interpret the findings appropriately.

Where necessary, additional methodological information may be provided through notes, appendices, links, supporting files, or other supplementary materials.

References and Sources

Contributors should acknowledge the principal research and evidence on which their contribution is based.

References should be selective and appropriate to the format. The purpose is to make the evidence traceable, not to reproduce an extensive academic literature review.

For written contributions, APA style is preferred, although reference and citation formatting may be standardized during production.

When discussing or translating research produced by others, contributors should clearly identify and appropriately cite the original sources.

When a contribution is based primarily on a previously published study, that work should be clearly identified and cited.

Contributors are responsible for the accuracy of references, citations, links, data, quotations, and factual claims.

Utility P&M Praxis welcomes contributions based on research that has already been published elsewhere.

The Praxis contribution itself should be prepared specifically for this publication and should provide a distinct research-to-practice treatment rather than simply reproduce the original publication.

Contributors should not reproduce substantial copyrighted text, figures, tables, images, video, audio, or other protected material without the necessary rights or permission.

Contributors are responsible for complying with the copyright and licensing terms governing previously published material.

All individuals identified as authors or contributors should have made an appropriate contribution to the work and should approve the version submitted for publication.

Contributors may be asked to provide:

• • • Full name

    • Professional title or position

    • Institutional or organizational affiliation

    • Email address

    • ORCID, if available

    • Short professional biography

Institutional or organizational affiliations are provided for identification purposes and do not necessarily imply endorsement of the views expressed.

Contributors must disclose relevant funding sources and any financial, professional, organizational, personal, or other interests that could reasonably be perceived as relevant to the contribution.

Funding of the underlying research or activity should also be acknowledged where applicable.

The editorial team may request additional information when necessary to ensure appropriate transparency.

Utility P&M Praxis welcomes the responsible use of artificial intelligence when it supports the development of meaningful, evidence-based contributions.

AI tools may be used to assist with research, analysis, writing, visualization, communication, or other aspects of preparing a contribution. Their use should strengthen the contributor’s ability to communicate evidence and ideas rather than substitute for substantive intellectual engagement, judgment, or responsibility.

Contributors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and authorship of all submitted material. Each contribution should represent a genuine contribution by its identified authors or contributors, including meaningful human judgment, interpretation, synthesis, analysis, or creative input.

Generative AI tools may not be listed as authors or contributors.

Substantive use of generative AI—for example, in analysis, development of substantive content, data transformation, visualization, or creation of other publication materials—should be disclosed to the editorial team in a clear and proportionate manner. Routine assistance with spelling, grammar, formatting, or copyediting does not ordinarily require disclosure.

Contributors should critically review and independently verify AI-assisted outputs, including citations, factual claims, data, analysis, interpretations, and other substantive content.

The goal of disclosure is transparency and responsible use, not discouragement of appropriate AI-assisted work.

Contributors must have the right to submit all material included in their contribution.

Permission must be obtained when required for third-party photographs, illustrations, figures, tables, recordings, copyrighted text, datasets, or other protected materials.

Contributors should identify any material subject to third-party copyright or licensing restrictions when submitting.

Copyright and licensing information applicable to the final publication will be communicated during the publication process and displayed with the published contribution as appropriate.

All submissions undergo editorial review before publication.

Review considers:

• Relevance to utility policy and management

• Quality and appropriateness of the underlying evidence

• Accuracy

• Clarity and accessibility

• Strength of the research-to-practice connection

• Appropriateness of conclusions and recommendations

• Suitability of the proposed format

• Overall fit with the purpose of Utility P&M Praxis

Contributors may be invited to revise their submission before a publication decision is made.

Submission does not guarantee publication.

Unless explicitly stated for a particular contribution, publication in Utility P&M Praxis should not be interpreted as formal academic peer review.

Following acceptance, the Utility P&M Praxis editorial team may work with contributors to strengthen clarity, organization, accessibility, presentation, and consistency with the publication.

Depending on the format, this may include:

• Copyediting

• Formatting

• Visual design

• Captioning or transcription

• Preparation of supporting text

• Adaptation for web presentation

• Other production assistance appropriate to the contribution

Contributors will have an opportunity to review substantive editorial changes and approve the final version before publication.

Each accepted contribution will be published as an individual item within Utility P&M Praxis.

Published contributions may include:

• A sequential publication number

• Publication date

• Contributor information

• A permanent publication webpage

• Citation information

• ISSN information, once assigned

• A DOI, when DOI registration is available

• Downloadable or supporting materials, when appropriate

The exact publication presentation may vary depending on the format of the contribution.

otential contributors are welcome to contact the editorial team before preparing a full submission to discuss whether an idea is a good fit for Utility P&M Praxis.

Please email contact@utilitypm.org with the subject line:

Praxis Inquiry — [Corresponding Contributor Last Name] — [Proposed Title]

Please briefly include:

• The topic or question

• The underlying research or evidence

• Why it matters for utility policy or practice

• The intended audience

• The proposed format

The editorial team can provide preliminary feedback on fit and, when appropriate, discuss possible approaches to developing the contribution.

Questions about scope, suitability, format, or the submission process are welcome.

Email: contact@utilitypm.org