Platypus, the official blog of the Committee for the Anthropology of Science, Technology, and Computing and one of the leading anthropology blogs, invites applications for the positions of Contributing Editor and Multimodal Contributing Editor. We seek motivated scholars who work at the intersection of anthropology and STS, broadly understood.
Platypus promotes dialogue on theories, tools, and social interactions that explore questions at the intersection of anthropology and science and technology studies. Through the blog, we aim to build a thriving discourse among a community of scholars concerned about the implications of science, technologized products, and worldviews for human beings and other forms of life. Our approach is interdisciplinary and inclusive.
If you’re interested in writing and curating blog posts, and/or are a multimedia/multimodal ethnographer, artist, or practitioner who makes or curates films, photography, comics, music, audiovisual pieces, poetry, or other experimental forms of ethnographic content, we’d love to have you on board.
Details
- One-year renewable term, beginning January 1, 2026.
- Working with a great team of volunteers from around the world committed to accessibility and inclusivity.
- While the topical and geographic area is open, we are especially eager for applications from contributors whose research interests engage with STS in the Global South and those who work with marginalized communities.
- We also welcome critical scholarship that engages with issues of inequality, racism, ableism, classism, sexism, homo/transphobia, and other forms of systemic discrimination and marginalization as it intersects with questions of science and technology.
- Candidates from outside North America and international scholars are encouraged to apply.
- Support for authors needing additional help with English editing is available.
- Please note that as CASTAC is an entirely volunteer-run organization, we are unable to offer compensation for these positions.
Qualifications
- A professional and/or academic interest in STS and anthropology.
- Competence with digital media.
- Strong communication and organizational skills.
- Capacity to work independently and meet deadlines
Responsibilities – Contributing Editor (CE)
- Curate 4-5 posts per year from guest authors.
- Occasionally author blog posts.
- Supervise the editorial and production process.
- Complete general and accessibility training modules.
- Follow internal publication protocols in a timely manner.
- Maintain a high standard of accessibility in blog content.
Responsibilities – Multimodal Contributing Editor (MCE)
- MCEs will create or curate a minimum of two multimedia/modal blog posts that engage with the anthropology of science and technology and/or STS (examples include this visual storyboard, this series of audio ethnographies, this exploration of biotechnology through a tarot deck, this illustrated narrative piece, and this comic).
- Complete general and accessibility training modules.
- Follow internal publication protocols in a timely manner.
- Maintain a high standard of accessibility in blog content.
- We will also accept applications from two-person teams who wish to work together in this position.
Application
The following application materials should be sent to editor@castac.org by December 5, 2025:
- CV
- One-page cover letter that outlines the applicant’s interests in relation to the blog’s mission and any related previous experience. For CE applicants, please list four potential authors that you would like to be in contact with and/or four topics that you would like to work on posts for. For MCE applicants, please briefly outline two potential projects.
Candidates will be notified no later than December 12, 2025.
For further information about the blog and the position, please visit our website or reach out to editor@castac.org.
Thanks,
Kim Fernandes
Managing Editor, Platypus
More about Platypus
The Platypus blog had over 62k visitors last year with a readership from 175 different countries. The blog publishes 50-70 posts a year, including pieces available in additional languages such as Burmese, Bulgarian, German, Hindi, Khmer, Kiswahili, Korean, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian, Serbian, Spanish, Swedish, Mandarin, and Urdu. This is made possible by an excellent cohort of Contributing Editors who remain committed to geographic and linguistic diversity. In the last couple years the blog has started its Multimedia Contributing Editors program to expand the scope of multimodal content. We’ve published several new formats including hypertext ethnographies, zines, comics, a board game, and photo/illustration essays.