How-tos ScienTIST advocacy Toolkit

The Union of Concerned Scientists' toolkit outlines how to use letters to the editor (LTEs) as a tool for advocacy. It emphasizes responding to existing articles, sharing personal expertise, and naming specific targets to ensure the message reaches legislators and corporations. The guide recommends keeping letters under 150 words, focusing on one or two points, and including a clear call to action supported by data.

• Letters to the editor are described as an effective method for reaching large audiences and influencing members of Congress, who monitor local media to "take the pulse" of their constituents' priorities.
• An effective LTE should follow a specific structure: it should begin by refuting a claim from a recent article, use data to advocate for a position, and conclude with a specific call to action.
• To increase the likelihood of a letter being read by the intended decision-maker, the author should use the full name of the legislator, policymaker, or corporation they wish to influence.
• The guide recommends strict adherence to length and timing constraints, suggesting letters be 150 words or fewer and submitted within two to three days of the original article's publication.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2018). How-tos ScienTIST advocacy Toolkit. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2018/05/ucs-SNTK-LTE-5-18.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. How-tos ScienTIST advocacy Toolkit. 2018. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2018/05/ucs-SNTK-LTE-5-18.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=How-tos ScienTIST advocacy Toolkit |date=May 2018 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2018/05/ucs-SNTK-LTE-5-18.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2018howtos, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{How-tos ScienTIST advocacy Toolkit}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2018}, month = may, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2018/05/ucs-SNTK-LTE-5-18.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }