Taking science to farmersA brief reminderCatriona Nicholls / September 2011

Are you communicating effectively?

The keys to effective science communication:

Understand your client — what makes them tick?Use words that work — keep it clear, simple and activeMake it relevant —show them why your message matters

Easy reading makes damn hard writing.Ernest Hemmingway

No matter what the subject, keep it simple — make it relevant.

Connect with your audience

• Am I targeting a single audience or multiple audiences?• What is the educational and experiential background of my audience (what do they already know or understand)?• Where are they located and what is their cultural background?• What are the key triggers to action for my audience?• What does my audience want/expect from me?

Ask yourself:

Getting to know your audience

Try to see things from their point of view:– What are their needs and priorities?– What are their worries and concerns?– How do they perceive you?– How do they perceive the information you offer?

RememberAs researchers, farmers trust you have done the research and

your results are valid — just get to the point!

Three buttons for audience engagement

What will switch your audience on to your message:

The theory: The practice:Logos… Facts and logicPathos… Emotion and feelingEthos… Your credibility

What matters most to dairy farmers…?

What message do you want your audience to hear?

– What facts do they need to know?• Milk yield, pasture production, impact on bottom line

– What arguments do they need to hear?• Ease of adoption, high success rate, cost -effective

– What emotions do they need to feel?• Confidence, success, positive impact on animals and land

– What do they need to feel about you?• Confidence, respect, empathy and understanding

Your message needs to be a painkiller (solution to an existing problem) or a vitamin (feel good factor)…which is more important to your audience?

Delivering the message — easy as ABC

• AccuracyYour words communicate the right meaningYou tell the truth

• BrevityYour words get to the pointYour sentences are short

• ClarityYour words leave no room for confusion or doubt

Delivering the message — easy as A

• AccuracyUse jargon selectivelyIf in doubt, check your word use (use a dictionary to ensure

the meaning of your chosen word is what you intended)Take care with punctuation

Delivering the message — easy as B

• BrevityResearch shows that clear writing has an average sentence

length of 15–20 wordsAvoid compound sentences with more than two linked clauses

(ideas)Avoid excessive repetition (say once in a sentence — three times

in a story)Avoid long words if a shorter one will do

Delivering the message — easy as C

• ClarityUse simple words, which are widely used by your audience,

whenever possibleConsult the A–Z of alternative words —

www.plainenglish.co.uk/files/alternative.pdfRead you work out loud to check your flow

Plain English approachPlain English is good clear writing that communicates as simply and effectively as possible.Department on Education, Science and Training — Australian Government

Plain English is:• Faster to write• Faster to read• The most efficient and effective way to be read and understood• A cornerstone to effective communicationPlain English isn’t:• Over-simplified or dumbed down• About banning words• Obsessed with grammar• About changing your message• Easy

A quick note about scientific jargon

Before using jargon make sure:• Your audience will understand it• You understand it!• There isn’t another word or phrase that is equally

as accurate, but more widely used

Metaphors — handy tool for explaining science

Metaphors are:• A way to describe something as if it was something else• Particularly useful when an idea is complex or you

need to grab attention

An example: “Making a virus-resistant cover is like taking your child for a vaccination against measles…..”Adapted from Kevin Smith, Dairy Futures CRC and the University of Melbourne, 2011

Above all else — what’s in it for me?

If you remember nothing else…remember to:• Delivery your message in a way that ensure your

audience sees a benefit.

Acknowledgements:

Sharon MascallMaking senseM: 0414 439 347E: sharon@makingsense.com.auW: www.makingsense.com.au