Extension Curricula Series (ECS)

• Review the publication types to ensure you’ve selected the right series.
• Discuss your idea with the appropriate UI Extension Priority Extension Theme (PET) to get input on factors such as need, priority, scope and best formats.
• Human research protections — If your curriculum contains evaluation procedures and instruments that involve human subjects, obtain documentation indicating U of I Institutional Review Board approval (see Human Research Protections website for more information).

• Complete the Publication Proposal.
• Corresponding author uploads the proposal to Manuscript FastTrack. Select “proposal, curriculum” as the document type.
• The subeditor covering the topic area will evaluate the proposal and advise the corresponding author via FastTrack about whether to proceed with writing the manuscript or rethink the idea.
• The director of Extension Publishing can help authors clarify format, scope, budget (especially critical for grant-funded projects), timeline and distribution channels.

• Secure copyright permission for any copyrighted materials before submitting to FastTrack.
• Authors can use the copyright request form (docx) as a template to secure permissions.
• Submission can be a single lesson plan or an entire curriculum.
• Refer to the UI Extension Curriculum Guide for the required elements.

• Extension Publishing can help authors locate curriculum development specialists to consult.
• Curriculum development specialist reviews the curriculum and completes the curriculum specialist review form.
• Revise curriculum as needed.

• Phase 1. You, the author(s), conduct two, separate trial runs of the entire curriculum, fill out the phase 1 curriculum pilot testing form for authors and revise your curriculum as needed.
• Phase 2. Ask two educators with no prior exposure to the curriculum to pilot test it, fill out the phase 2 curriculum pilot testing form for educators afterward and return it to you. Revise your curriculum as needed.

The corresponding author submits the project to Manuscript FastTrack and selects “curriculum” as the document type.

Your submission must include the following:

• Curriculum manuscript
• Curriculum development specialist review form
• Pilot testing forms (authors’ and those from at least two educators who are not authors)
• Documentation of U of I Institutional Review Board approval, if necessary, for research involving human subjects.

Manuscript Submission Guidelines:

• Submit your manuscript to Manuscript FastTrack as a new submission (not to the ID# associated with your proposal).
• Enter author and title just as they appeared in your proposal submission, if they haven't changed.
• Upload your manuscript as a minimally formatted Word file (double-spaced and undesigned).
• Embed all tables and figures within the file.
• Do not use punctuation in filenames.
• Provide a caption for each figure and a title and caption for each table.
• Remove all author names from the document.

• The subeditor covering the topic area sends the manuscript to two or three qualified individuals for peer review, examines completed reviews and decides whether the manuscript should be accepted for publication as is, with revisions or not at all.

• Log in to Manuscript FastTrack and click on “My submissions.”
• Under the “Actions” heading, click “Show review.”
• Consider the feedback and suggested changes from each reviewer. Either incorporate changes (using the Track Changes feature in Word) or respond as to why you feel suggested changes are not appropriate. (Submit a separate Word document containing the unacceptable reviewer suggestions and your reasons as a courtesy to the subeditor and editor.)
• Resubmit the revised manuscript by logging in to FastTrack, clicking on the submission ID number, and, under the Actions column, click “Submit Revised Document.” This will open another window where you can upload the revised manuscript.
• If you wish, you may “Decline to resubmit,” in which case, the project is closed.
• The subeditor reviews the revised document and compares it with the recommendations of the peer reviewers. The subeditor makes the decision to accept or deny the revised manuscript and may ask for further discussion with you or require an additional review. You will be notified by FastTrack email of their decision.
• Once the subeditor accepts the revised manuscript, you may submit the final files.

Collect final files into one folder and compress them into a zip file. Attach the compressed file to your manuscript submission. (Use "add attachment" at the bottom of the "submission summary" box.) See also the author guide for your product type.

Text

• Supply manuscripts as minimally formatted files double-spaced in Microsoft Word. Do not apply color, embed figures or tables, add borders or rules, etc.
• Cite each table and figure in the manuscript. Provide a detailed caption for each figure and a title for each table. Number all figures sequentially and number tables sequentially as well but separate from the figures.
• Identify all authors by name, descriptive title and affiliation (e.g., Justin Clements, Extension specialist, University of Idaho Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Nematology, Moscow).
• If you include a Further Reading section, identify your bibliographic style.
• Supply tables each in a separate Word or Excel file. Keep formatting simple. Except in unusual circumstances, do not include vertical rules, colors or other embellishments.

Artwork

• For each piece of artwork, provide the name of the artist or copyright holder.
• Graphs and charts
• Submit graphs and charts, each in its own file, in Excel if possible, to allow manipulation of the file (for example, to make all the figures in a publication match one another in typography, rule width, etc.).
• Otherwise, provide graphs and charts in PDF or EPS.
• Line art (illustrations)
• Supply the original artwork if created on paper. If the artwork was created digitally, supply the original file type in which the graphic was created.
• If the original application file is unavailable, submit a high-resolution TIFF or vector EPS file.
• Submit alt text for tables, figures and artwork in a separate Word document titled “Alt Text.” Alt Text is a brief, written description of an image to aid readers who have a visual impairment and/or have a sensory processing and/or learning disability. View Alt Text Tips under General Resources.

Digital and print photos

• Supply original print images or high-resolution digital photos in TIFF, JPEG or EPS.
• Supply images as individual files — Not within the Word document.
• Pay attention to image resolution. We require a minimum of 250 dpi at the desired dimensions for use in printed publications (assume 3 by 5 inches unless the art is expected to run larger, as on the cover). (Files bigger than 1 MB are usually okay.)
• Submit alt text for tables, figures and artwork in a separate Word document titled “Alt Text.” Alt Text is a brief, written description of an image to aid readers who have a visual impairment and/or have a sensory processing and/or learning disability. View Alt Text Tips under General Resources.

Permissions

• Supply written permission to use any copyrighted material.
• No permission is required to quote from works produced by the U.S. government, but permission normally is required to quote from works by state agencies, including other land-grant universities.
• Provide any specific wording required in the credit line.

Final Submission Checklist

Word document of text file

• Limited formatting and free of graphic design elements
• Double-spaced
• No tables or other illustrations embedded

Table files

• Excel file preferred (alternative option: EPS file)Labeled “Table 1,” “Table 2,” etc.

Figure files

• In original application file or as a high-resolution TIFF or EPS file
• Labeled “Figure 1,” “Figure 2,” etc.

Table and figure captions

• As a Word document file separate from the manuscript Word document
• Label each caption so it’s clear which table or figure it goes to (“Figure 1,” “Table 1,” etc.)

Permissions paperwork

• Include any copyright permissions (letter, email, etc.)

Alt Text file

• Submit as one Word document, each entry referenced by its corresponding Table or Figure number.

• Extension Publishing has multiple designers on staff for document layout and design.
• If you have an expedited timeline, Extension Publishing can hire a freelance designer using funds you provide.
• We will send a final design proof to the corresponding author for final review. It is up to the corresponding author to share with other authors on the project.

• Once we receive approval from the corresponding author, we post the publication.
• The Extension Publishing online catalog provides access to titles. Printed publications are sold by UI Extension Publishing. The University of Idaho Library makes our titles available online through its Digital Initiatives.

• It is our policy to request a content review of active publications every four years to ensure the content is still accurate and current.
• If we do not receive a response, we will remove the publication from our online catalog as we can’t ensure the accuracy of the content.
• An archival copy of the publication will remain available through the U of I Library.