Progres is a non-profit online journal that promotes analytical writing and reflection about the past, present, and future of Turkmen society.
Progres is working to build a community of analytical thinkers, creative writers, researchers, artists, and activists who are passionate about progressive societal development in Turkmenistan.
Our vision is to take Turkmenistan forward through new constructive ideas, thoughtful discussions, critical thinking, creative works and active civic engagement.
We aim to inform and influence public opinion and policymaking in Turkmenistan by creating high-quality and engaging educational content that provides a fresh and innovative look at societal challenges and solutions.
What is Progress?
Progress. We do not dwell on the past but reflect on it and prepare for the future that will benefit both individuals and Turkmen society as a whole. We move forward.
Our values:
Innovation. We believe that a synthesis of modern knowledge and progressive traditions can help address a host of societal problems.
Diversity. We work with Turkmen nationals and diaspora who care about their country and who communicate many languages. We gain our strength from diversity.
Respect. When we disagree, we agree to disagree with respect as we are working toward our shared goal of progress.
Participation. We believe that constructive discussions and responsible actions build a path toward progress.
Community. We follow a Turkmen tradition of being a respectful and caring neighbor. We highly value the input and engagement of Progres’ community, both online and offline.
Who are Progress readers?
Our readers are people who are curious about and engaged with the present and future of Turkmenistan. They represent different ethnic, gender, religious and age groups, and of various political views and socioeconomic status.
Do you have ideas for educating and engaging with the public in Turkmenistan? Then work with us!
Why should you write for Progress? Please considering submitting your work and blogs to Progres.
By submitting your work to us you will be sharing your expertise and ideas with our readers both in Turkmenistan and outside of the country. You will also join a network of Turkmen analysts and intellectuals passionate about societal progress of their country. We will help you get additional exposure by sharing your work on our website, social media platforms, and a monthly newsletter. You are also encouraged to share your post within your professional and personal network and promote it on your social media channels.
Who can write for Progress?
We welcome unsolicited submissions from Turkmen nationals and those interested in Turkmenistan. There is no deadline for submissions and we will be reviewing them on a rolling basis. We welcome diversity of views and seek work that persuades through evidence, logic, and analysis.
Anybody pitching ideas to Progress should be familiar with our work. Please read the website and our social media to learn more about what we publish.
It is best if you pitch us your idea and get our initial feedback before writing the whole post. Send us your summary, which is no more than 250 words and clearly answers the below questions. If your pitch relates to our priority areas, we will work with you to ensure it is in a style and format that best suits our audience.
- What would you like to write about?
- Why is this topic/issue being important for Turkmen readers?
- How can it promote informed discussion in Turkmenistan?
- Why are you a good fit to write this? What academic, professional, or personal experience will you draw on?
Editorial process
Once your pitch has been approved, and you submit us your draft article we will provide you with feedback and may ask to do multiple rounds of revisions. The Editorial Team reserves the right to edit your article, including grammar, spelling, formatting, headings and titles. We do this by thinking critically and constructively. Once we publish your piece of writing, it becomes the property of Progress. We reserve the right to re-publish, re-use and re-share on our or other platforms where we showcase our work. All articles and works created with the help from Progress should state specifically that it was developed for the project if an author choses to post and share it anywhere else.
What makes a successful submission?
We accept submissions in Turkmen, Russian and English languages. When deciding which articles to accept and share on our website and social media platforms, we strongly value the following principles:
- Relevant to our values, topics and target audience.
- Clear and easy to understand. An average Turkmen with a secondary school education can read, follow and understand your writing and arguments.
- Analytical – you use logic instead of emotions when addressing a topic/issue. You do not simply list facts or describe events, but rather analyze them in detail.
- Objective viewpoint – you do not take sides, present biased opinion or skew information to fit your argument. Instead, you present and analyze things how they are in reality and how they could/should be to promote progress in Turkmenistan.
- Constructive – you don’t simply criticize events or social conditions in the Turkmen society but you suggest steps and solutions to improve them.
Types of content accepted
- We prefer original content that has not been published elsewhere. We can also consider re-publishing your article that has been published by other if the editorial team finds it relevant to our readers.
- Your submission can be any of the following types:
- Analytical blog stories
- ‘How to’ articles
- Opinion pieces
- Summary of research findings
- Translations of relevant publications and books
- Infographics
- Photo essay
- Video
- Audio
- Podcast
- Artwork, cartoons and caricatures
- Interviews with recognizable names and less-well-known individuals that have interesting ideas and compelling stories to share
- Topics of submission must focus on the following areas. Posts outside of these topics will be considered after an evaluation.
- People
- Places
- Opinions
- Business
- History
- Arts & Culture
- Innovation
- Development
- Regional News
- To get an idea if your pitch can be a good fit, check out the posts on our website as examples of relevant/successful submissions.
Format, structure and length
- Length: 500-800 words
- Target audience: Turkmen nationals living inside and outside of Turkmenistan
- Language of submission: Turkmen, Russian, English
- Space: 1.5 lines
- Font: Arial 11
When writing use short paragraphs, subheadings, and/or bullet points to break up your article. Headings and subheadings should be bold. Please do not use section numbers. Please do not forget to check your spelling and grammar before submitting.
You may include figures, tables and images in your posts if they are relevant and help illustrate your point. When using images, number them consecutively, include headings, caption and citation referring to the original source. Images should be 1200 x 800 pixels or at least 800 x 600 / 640 x 480 pixels in JPG format.
Citation
If you use someone else’s work – ideas, arguments, statistics or publication, please give them the deserved credit and cite the original source. If the source is available online simply hyperlink the original source in the text. If you are citing print materials such as books, journals or newspaper articles, then mention the author and a date when it was published. Please make sure you use reliable and credible sources.
If you are referring to a technical or very specific terminology, please add an explanation in parenthesis () right after you’ve introduced the term, or use footnotes at the end of the text with numbers for each new concept. You can also use footnotes when highlighting additional sources of information and providing additional explanation or details that are not important to mention in the main text.
Submission guidelines
- Email to turkmen.progres@gmail.сom with a subject line: Analytical Blog Series: “Title of your paper”.
- Include your full name and email address. You can use your original name or a pen name.
- Attach your summary in word document, which answers the above-mentioned questions.
- You can include your contact details and/or social media profiles for readers to get in touch or follow you.
- If your work was previously published anywhere, please provide the source where it appeared originally.
What comes next?
You have just sent us your submission! Thank you! If your submission is accepted for publication, we will notify you via e-mail within 2 weeks. Please note that, due to the high volume of emails we receive, we cannot respond to and provide feedback on all submissions. If you do not hear back from us within a month, you should assume that your piece wasn’t the right fit for Progress at this time. We publish new posts bi-weekly. Once your final draft is approved, please check our website and social media channels regularly to see your submission live and respond to comments. It is not required to respond to all comments but it is a good practice to address readers’ comments and engage them with the topic that you are passionate about.
