Academy in ‘Communicating Your Research to Non-specialists’
This workshop can be delivered face-to-face or virtually.
Researchers need to communicate their research to a broad audience, such as the public, the press, and funding organizations – but communicating complex specialized findings can be challenging. Support your researchers with the Nature Research Academies workshop in ‘Communicating Your Research to Non-specialists’.
- 1-day workshops, available to institutions globally
- Presented by an expert trainer from Nature Research, with content and workbooks reviewed by a team of Nature Research editors
- For up to 250 researchers at all levels, from mixed disciplines or tailored to one of four disciplines: life sciences, physical sciences, clinical research, or social sciences
“This type of workshop is exactly what scientists need to be able to communicate.”
“Very useful course with an amazing lecturer who keeps your attention from the first minute.”
A comprehensive academy agenda
- 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
- Emphasizes 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 those 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 example
- Highlights the importance of a narrative when communicating complex ideas to readers and guide 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
- Reviews platforms that researchers can explore themselves to communicate with the public directly
