Communicating science – hot tips

Thekeystocommunica0ngeffec0vely

Noma&erwhatthesubject,keepitsimple–makeitrelevantü Understandyourtargetaudience–whatmakesthem=ck?

ü Usewordsthatwork–keepitclear,simpleandac=ve.

ü Makeitrelevant–showthemwhyyourmessagema&ers.

ü Usestoriestoshareyourmessage–real-lifeexampleshavemoreimpact

“Easyreadingmakesdamnhardwri1ng.”

ErnestHemingway

Connectwithyouraudience

Askyourself•  AmItarge=ngasingleaudienceormul=pleaudiences?

•  Whatistheeduca=onalandexperien=albackgroundofmyaudience(whatdotheyalreadyknowandunderstand)?

•  Whereismyaudiencelocatedandwhatistheirculturalbackground?

•  Whatarethetriggerstoac=onformyaudience?

•  Whatdoesmyaudiencewant/expectfromme?

Ge:ngtoknowyouraudience

Trytoseethingsfromyouraudience’spointofview•  Whataretheirneedsandpriori=es?

•  Whataretheirworriesandconcerns?

•  Howdotheyperceiveyou?•  Howdotheyperceivetheinforma=onyouoffer?

RememberAsaresearcher,farmerstrustyouhavedonetheresearch

andyourresultsarevalid—justgettothepoint.

Threebu=onstoengageyouraudience

Thetheory:Logos…Pathos…Ethos...

Theprac0ce:FactsandlogicEmo=onandfeelingYourcredibility

Whatwillswitchyouraudienceontoyourmessage?

Whatdoyouwantyouraudiencetohear?Whatfactsdotheywanttoknow?

•  impactonbo&omline,growthrates,fer=lityrates,pastureproduc=on

Whatargumentsdotheywanttohear?

•  easeofadop=on,highsuccessrate,cost-effec=ve

Whatemo0onsdotheywanttofeel?

•  confidence,success,posi=veimpactonanimalsandland

Whatdotheywanttofeelaboutyou?

•  confidence,respect,empathyandunderstanding

Yourmessageneedstobeapainkiller(solu1ontoanexis1ngproblem)oravitamin(feelgoodfactor)…whichismoreimportanttoyouraudience?

Deliveringthemessage–easyasABC

Accuracyü yourwordscommunicatetherightmeaning

ü youtellthetruth

Brevityü yourwordsgettothepointü yoursentencesareshort

Clarity•  yourwordsleavenoroomforconfusionordoubt.

Deliveringthemessage–easyasA

Accuracyü usejargonselec=velyü  ifindoubtcheckyourworduse(useadic=onarytoensurethemeaningofyourchosenwordiswhatyouintend)

ü takecarewithpunctua=on.

Usefulresource:

Truss,Lynne.(2004).Eats,shoots&leaves:thezerotoleranceapproachtopunctua1on.NewYork:GothamBooks

Deliveringthemessage–easyasB

Brevityü keepsentencelengthshort(Researchshowsthatclearwri=nghasanaveragesentencelengthof15–20words.)

ü avoidcompoundsentenceswithmorethantwolinkedclauses(ideas)

ü avoidexcessiverepe==on(useonceinasentence—three=mesinastory)

ü avoidlongwordsifashorteronewilldoü avoidmul=plewordsifonewilldo(e.g.use‘can’insteadof‘isableto’).

Deliveringthemessage–easyasC

Clarityü usesimplewords,whicharewidelyusedbyyouraudience,wheneverpossible(e.g.birthNOTparturi=on)

ü consulttheA–Zofalterna=vewords:www.plainenglish.co.uk/files/alterna=ve.pdf

ü Readyourworkoutloudtochecktheflow.

PlainEnglishapproachPlainEnglishis:•  fastertowrite•  fastertoread•  themostefficientandeffec=ve

waytobereadandunderstood.•  acornerstonetoeffec=ve

communica=on.

PlainEnglishisn’t:•  oversimplifiedordumbeddown•  aboutbanningwords•  obsessedwithgrammar•  aboutchangingyourmessage•  easytowrite.

“PlainEnglishisgoodclearwri1ngthatcommunicatesassimplyandeffec1velyaspossible.”

DepartmentonEduca=on,ScienceandTraining—AustralianGovernment

Aquicknoteaboutscien0ficjargon

Beforeusingscien=ficjargonensure:ü youraudiencewillunderstanditü youunderstanditü thereisn’tanotherwordorphrasethatisequallyasaccurate,butmorewidelyused.