Op-Eds Toolkit

Op-Eds as Public Scholarship

An op-ed is a short informational piece written by a guest writer not officially on staff at a publication. “Op-ed” means “Opposite-the-Editorial Page” or “Opinion Editorial.” Generally, op-eds present opportunities for academics to share their research as it relates to current news events and issues. Writing op-eds gives Humanities scholars a chance to: 1) connect with communities through an accessible genre; 2) practise storytelling as advocacy and research dissemination; and 3) shape our public academic profiles. Writing an op-ed can be an exercise in answering the “So What?” question about our work.

This op-eds toolkit was developed to complement the "Writing Op-Eds" workshop with Scott White and Dr. Michelle Stack as part of our Public Scholarship Series. The full video of that workshop can be found on the Op-Ed Resources page.

In this toolkit, you will find:

  • Examples of op-eds written by humanities scholars

  • Op-ed writing resources

          • Guiding questions and considerations for writing an op-ed

          • Further reading on op-eds and writing for the public

  • Where to submit op-eds in Canada and beyond

  • Toolkit contributors and acknowledgements

"Whoever tells the story

writes history."