Communicating Your Research to Non-specialists workshop - led by experts

Module 1: The importance of communicating science to non-specialists

  • Introduces the importance of communicating science with non-specialists
  • Discusses why scientists are often reluctant to discuss their research publicly and how this miscommunication can lead to misconceptions by the public regarding scientific research
  • Discusses the responsibilities that scientists have to the public regarding their research
  • Introduces case studies of how public misconception of scientific research can have dramatic effects on society
  • Emphasises how public communication can actually benefit researchers directly in terms of their reputation, citations, and funding

Module 2: Communicating your research with non-specialists

  • Introduces how to communicate complex scientific ideas to people who do not have subject expertise on the topic
  • Discusses which types of studies are usually of interest to general readers, and what non-specialists are expecting to learn regarding the study
  • Reviews how to structure science stories compared with science articles
  • Highlights which aspects of your research would meet non-specialists' expectations

Module 3: Effective writing strategies

  • Focuses on how to discuss complex scientific ideas in a clear and simple manner
  • Discusses the importance of logical flow and structure, and ways to improve the readability
  • Reviews ways to keep readers’ attention by using more subjective terminology, personal anecdotes, and concrete examples
  • Highlights the importance of a narrative when communicating complex ideas to readers, and guides the attendees through building a science story

Module 4: Platforms for communicating science to non-specialists

  • Discusses how researchers should work with their press office to ensure that they clearly understand the significance and interest of their research
  • Reviews some of the common mistakes that are made while preparing press releases, and the impact of those mistakes
  • Reviews platforms that researchers can explore themselves to communicate with the public directly