Content Eligibility Guidelines

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EurekAlert! is a science news-release distribution platform, operated by the nonprofit American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), as a resource for journalists, public information officers (PIOs) and the public to communicate and engage with scientific research. All news releases, multimedia releases, and media advisories submitted to EurekAlert! must describe information first made public within 90 days of content submission. In cases of cited publications with online and print publication dates, we can consider whichever date is more recent.

Content may be submitted with a news embargo only if the embargo is set by the journal publisher or the organizer of a scientific meeting and/or press event where the information will first be publicly released. Content may not carry an embargo if the information is publicly available at the time of submission or is not related to a publication, meeting, or press event.

Multimedia content submitted to EurekAlert! must meet the requirements for third-party distribution and publication. Multimedia from stock image sites are ineligible. Read more about eligible license types and our multimedia policies.

EurekAlert! reserves the right to reject, re-categorize, or request additional clarifications on content submissions, including embargo times and publication dates, based on the following eligibility guidelines. Read what types of news releases are ineligible for submission.

As a news release distribution platform, EurekAlert! and its staff does not produce or alter content submissions (except to meet site-wide formatting guidelines) or perform peer- or scientific review on information contained therein. Contributing organizations are solely responsible for the accuracy of their content submissions. EurekAlert! and AAAS are not responsible for the accuracy of content posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! website. Content eligibility guidelines may be updated without prior notice. Read the full EurekAlert! Terms & Conditions.

See our policy on AI-generated content at the bottom of this page.

PIO-members with an active content submission subscription may submit eligible news releases, multimedia releases, media advisories, feature stories, and article highlights. Press summaries are exclusive to organizations that host Press Packages in the reporter-only section on EurekAlert!.

News Releases

News releases are deemed eligible if they meet one or more of the following criteria:

Peer-Reviewed Publications

News releases that describe information that has undergone validation by peer review, including:

  • Research studies published in a peer-reviewed journal
  • Clinical trial results that have completed peer review
  • Editorials, commentaries, or analyses that have undergone peer review and are published in a peer-reviewed journal

Reports and Proceedings

News releases that describe information that has been produced by a credible, recognized organization, or through well-recognized scientific processes, but is not intended for peer-reviewed publication, including:

  • Research results presented at a recent or upcoming scientific meeting
  • Editorials, commentaries, or analyses, not subject to peer review but published in a peer-reviewed journal
  • Government or agency reports, white papers, or other research publications
  • Advancement or conclusion of a clinical trial phase with preliminary results
  • Scientifically validated survey or polling data and/or analysis
  • Scientifically validated image analysis, such as satellite or telescope imagery
  • New databases or resources intended to aid scientific research and made available publicly or to the scientific community

Business Announcements

News releases that describe information that is primarily transactional in nature, and/or is not intended for further validation by peer review, including:

  • Collaborations, mergers, or agreements between organizations
  • Start of a new clinical trial or calls for participation in a clinical trial or study
  • Regulatory approval, licensing, or patenting of new products or technology
  • Forecasts, trends, or reports of new economic or financial developments in industries or organizations
  • Developments or news from the scientific publishing industry, including new journals and editorial initiatives
  • Administrative or business announcements with societal or industry-wide impacts
  • Science-related public awareness or educational campaigns
  • Science-related and evidence-based policy announcements or recommendations
  • Official position statements issued by a scientific organization

Meeting Announcements

News releases that describe timely information about scientific meetings:

  • Logistical or programmatic information about an upcoming scientific meeting, conference, or seminar at which new information is being presented, and which is open to the media or public
  • Summary or highlights of a recently held scientific meeting, conference, or seminar which was open to the media or public

Grant and Award Announcements

News releases that describe information about grant funding and awards, including:

  • New or renewed grant funding, awards, or honors given to scientific organizations, projects, or individuals, including fellowships, and their societal or industry-wide impact
  • Calls for grant proposals, award nominations, or applications, and their societal or industry-wide significance

Book Announcements

News releases that describe the information about books and other publications:

  • Publication of a new science-related book, manual, or textbook

Multimedia Release

Formerly called Stand-alone Multimedia submissions, a multimedia release consists primarily of one or a collection of up to seven images, videos, and/or audio clips accompanied by an introduction and captions. Multimedia releases may be submitted without a conventional news release narrative but must offer enough information for EurekAlert! staff to judge whether they meet the eligibility criteria described above.

Media Advisory

Media advisories are made available only to journalist-members logged in to the EurekAlert! platform and must contain information that meets at least one of the following criteria:

  • Information about an upcoming physical or virtual press event, or the press-only components of a public event, such as a press conference, news briefing, teleconference, media tour, or media availability, where new scientific research is being released
  • Availability of one or more experts for press interview
  • Expert lists and Q&A transcripts

News releases are ineligible if they contain information that meet one or more of the following criteria:

  • Research results undergoing — but have not yet completed — peer review, including working papers and preprints
  • Editorials, commentaries, op-eds, letters to the editor, or perspectives that are based primarily on individual opinion, not published in a peer-reviewed journal, or not supported by new peer-reviewed research or a recent review of existing research
  • Speeches, open letters, and other materials not written in a media release format
  • In rare cases, at our sole discretion, news releases that may be perceived to promote biased findings, raise unanswered questions about potential conflicts of interest, and/or carry an advocacy agenda unfounded in scientific research, may be deemed inappropriate for the site

Feature Stories

Feature Stories cover "evergreen" science-related content. Feature Stories are publicly accessible through internal and external search engines and on the Features and Articles Portal (www.eurekalert.org/features). Feature Stories have a distinctive template from News Releases and are not displayed through News Release feeds or distributed via email alerts. Organizations that host dedicated news portals on EurekAlert! may opt to display their Feature Stories in addition to News Releases.

Examples of an eligible Feature Story include:

  • A profile of a scientist and their work
  • An overview of research produced by an organization, group, or individual
  • Updates or chronicles of future, ongoing, or past research projects
  • A Q&A or interview with a scientist
  • A story about a science-related initiative, educational program, or other activities
  • Other science-related information presented in a storytelling format

Article Highlights

Article Highlights describe peer-reviewed research studies published in a scholarly journal at any time. Article Highlights are publicly accessible through internal and external search engines and on the Features and Articles Portal (www.eurekalert.org/features). Article Highlights have a distinctive template from News Releases and are not displayed through News Release feeds or distributed via email alerts. Organizations that host dedicated news portals on EurekAlert! may opt to display their Article Highlights in addition to News Releases.

 

Organizations with a dedicated Press Package or News Portal on EurekAlert! may also submit press summaries.

Press Summaries

Press Summaries are brief synopses of peer-reviewed research studies that have been — or will be — published in a scholarly journal. Press Summaries are only available to journalist-members while accessing the respective journal Press Package or News Portal website on EurekAlert!. For more information about hosting a journal Press Package or News Portal on EurekAlert!, please e-mail business[AT]eurekalert[DOT]org.

EurekAlert! Policy Regarding Eligible Multimedia Licenses

 1. All multimedia (images, videos, and audio) submitted to EurekAlert! must be cleared for third-party use, and we do not accept multimedia sourced from paid or free stock image sites. For further details and a breakdown of accepted multimedia license types, please consult our #SciComm blog.

 2. Multimedia may be submitted on a standalone basis without an accompanying News Release to be added directly to our Multimedia Gallery. To submit standalone multimedia content, select the Multimedia Release category during submission. Multimedia Releases can include up to seven (7) images, videos and/or audio clips along with titles and a brief caption for each item.

EurekAlert! Policy Regarding Content Created Using Artificial Intelligence (AI)

AI-generated text, images and other multimedia are not eligible for submission and distribution on EurekAlert!. Exceptions may be granted in certain situations—e.g., for images and/or videos in research publications specifically about AI and/or machine learning. Such exceptions will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and should be disclosed at the time of submission. In all exceptions, documentation showing transferable rights to the AI-generated image/multimedia is required. EurekAlert! recognizes that this area is rapidly developing, and our position on AI-generated multimedia may change with the evolution of copyright law and industry standards on ethical and legal use.

Last updated: May 14, 2024