ISTE Abstracts is a new series of books intended primarily for the general public.

With an average length of 50 pages, making for a short reading time, each book aims to answer a scientific or technological question whose foundations are explained in terms understandable by all. This new series is an opportunity to approach different subjects, to respond to the problems posed by science in the 21st century, and thus to inform the general public about sensitive or controversial scientific issues.

This collection will only be available in digital format and there are plans to translate the abstracts into English.

 

The editorial schema, common to all titles, is as follows:

    Title

The title of the book should be related to the themes of SCIENCES. It could also be accompanied by a question in the subtitle. This would make it possible to specify from the cover “what the reader will learn”. This could lead to several ISTE Abstracts being written on the same subject, with some SCIENCES books being particularly broad (e.g. Oceans, Galaxies, Virology, etc). On a practical level, a group of chapters could be the subject of an ISTE Abstract.

    Part one: what is being discussed?
    Around 5 pages

  • Explain the subject and the reason for the question asked (what it is important);
  • Provide an historical perspective;
  • Contemplate the future: why there is a growing need to have a good understanding of the subject, why its importance is set to grow and what will be the biggest challenges. Conclusions should not be held back for the end of the book.

    Part two: the fundamental knowledge and concepts required to understand the subject
Around 15 pages

The principle of this part is to present the basic concepts that will allow the reader to fully understand the answer to the question the book poses (i.e. physical, technological, biological foundations, etc). This part could be supported with 2-4 pages of graphic illustrations designed for the book.

    Part three: explanation of the subject and the answer to the question posed
    Around 20 pages

This is the heart of the book. It explains the subject and answers the question posed in the book’s subtitle. The construction of this chapter obviously depends on the subject being discussed, but at the end of this chapter, it is imperative to:

  • have a  “hands-on” understanding of the subject (i.e. to understand the principles and functions, not necessarily being able to redo the entire scientific process yourself in detail;
  • have an answer to the question asked by recognising the fundamental principles (chapter 2) and by having a sufficient level of explanation, in order to understand the answer to the question posed;
  • maintain a critical mind, i.e. to conclude by pointing out and explaining possible controversies.

This last item can again be the subject of a graphic illustration in comic book form for example (questions – answers). This simplifies perception, without the content being too simplistic.

    Part four: more information

Bibliography of the subject covered by the book. The intention to point both to references whose required scientific level of understanding is modest (of the “what do I know?” type) and books which require more advanced understanding should not be omitted (e.g. in SCIENCES).

    Glossary and index

Manuscript proposal form

Layout guidelines (around 2,000 characters per page, white space included)