1. If you are engaged in your own research, you do not necessarily have to write about it: entrants may write about any recent scientific discovery or research.
2. Researchers may wish to write in human terms about their method, rather than pure science, to convey the frustrations and rewards of scientific experimentation.
3. If you do describe your own research, it does not matter if it is complete or not - ideas in progress can be just as fascinating to the reader. (We don't demand your specific results: we have no intention of scooping your eventual paper in a scientific journal).
4. Entrants not engaged in original research are expected to demonstrate journalistic skills at a higher standard.
5. Professional journalists must identify themselves as such.
