Founded in 2021, Jolt is a student-led, open-access magazine that provides accessible science journalism to the Haverford community. Jolt reports on recent scientific advancements, research, and discoveries around the world and within the college.

Goals and Values

At Jolt, we strive to be an open space that welcomes Bi-Co community members of diverse identities, backgrounds, and interests. To accomplish this, we aim to do the following:

• To strengthen student engagement in science journalism and share the work of scientists at Haverford
• To celebrate the work of and give voice to scientists from underrepresented backgrounds with regard to race, ethnicity, ability, religion, sexuality, and gender identity
• To counter misinformation and recognize that scientists have a responsibility to confront the historical misuse of scientific research to oppress marginalized groups
• To foster a socially aware and inclusive environment at Haverford by discussing relevant issues that impact STEM fields and its members
• To encourage collaboration and build connections across various disciplines at Haverford
• To dispel notions of incomprehensibility surrounding STEM by writing in a style accessible to all audiences

Editorial Standards

What Jolt Publishes

Jolt publishes student and faculty writing about STEM fields, including new discoveries, interesting topics, and updates within the Haverford community.

We also have a printed issue that is published every semester.

Editorial Process

Writers sign up for articles on their own schedules. For each article, writers work with two editors: a general editor, who provides guidance on language and composition, and a subject editor, who checks sources and provides field-specific guidance. Section editors and editors in chief review articles prior to publication.

Get Involved

Fact-Checking

Jolt considers the ongoing spread of misinformation a serious threat to the public, especially as we are a digital, student-led magazine. All articles are reviewed by subject editors whose responsibilities include, but are not limited to, ensuring that sources are trustworthy and that articles correctly represent cited sources. If you notice an error or have suggestions to improve our fact-checking process, please contact us.

Academic Integrity

Jolt is committed to maintaining fair scholarship in science journalism. As a student organization, Jolt maintains academic integrity in accordance with the Haverford College Honor Code. According to Section 3.04, “A student commits an act of plagiarism as defined by the Faculty Handbook by representing ‘another person’s ideas or scholarship’ as that student’s own work.” All writers are assigned to editors who will help identify plagiarism issues prior to publication, and anyone can reach out to a member of the editorial staff with questions about what constitutes plagiarism.