Getting Started

Use Existing Resources

There are many ways to reach a broader audience. Section 4 of this Guide suggests 24 different communications activities you can try. However, we recommend you consider the one or two activities with which you feel most comfortable. Because your time is limited, we also urge you to take advantage of the resources at your university. The Department of Communications will arrange speaking opportunities, set up media interviews, and help you develop speaker support materials. Faculty and professional associations may also provide speaking opportunities and other assistance.

Make Your Stories Relevant to the Public

Public awareness surveys show that people want to know more about scientific research and how it affects their lives. They are curious about what your work tells them about their origins, behaviour, employment options, health, and many other aspects of their well being. What implications will research have for society in the future? How will your research make our lives more interesting or productive? How will it improve people's access to information, understanding, safety, comfort, travel or leisure? In other words, "What's in it for me?"

Conversely, the public is rarely interested in the technical aspects of research. For that reason, it makes sense to focus on the applications of your work, rather than the technical details, when speaking to a public audience or the media.

Applied research may lend itself more easily than theoretical research to this approach. Nonetheless, all researchers, whatever their field, should be able to express simple ideas about how science works and put research in a context the public understands. Theoretical scientists might also find it helpful to show how long-term research supports applied research.

Structure Your Story Around a Few Key Messages

Researchers who are also good communicators say the public and media respond best to presentations that embody a few key points, supported by colourful examples, facts, metaphors and analogies. Determine in advance what your central messages will be ... and deliver your words in down-to-earth language, free of scientific jargon.

The Value of Visuals

Whether you are speaking to an audience or to the media, photographs, slides, illustrations, video clips, models and charts will add tremendously to your message. Preparing visuals, however, is time-consuming. For that reason, consider asking the university communications department for assistance. As well, many researchers find it useful to take photographs of their research work at different stages. Dr. Elizabeth Cannon, a researcher profiled in this manual, maintains a current stock of slides, and can quickly assemble visuals if asked to give a public presentation or appear on television.

Improving Written and Spoken Communication

Many researchers are familiar with the techniques of effective writing - or what is sometimes called "plain English." However, help is available for those who want to improve their writing skills.

One of the best sources of information is "The Art of Readable Writing" by Rudolf Flesch. This book discusses the effective use of vocabulary, sentence structure, metaphors, analogies, examples, and other writing devices, as well as old-fashioned grammar, syntax and punctuation. It also explores spoken and visual communication and provides concrete principles for using pictures in ways that really get your message across.

PC-compatible programs such as Grammatik also incorporate readability formulas and can help you bridge from technical to popular writing. Among other benefits, these programs indicate the level of comprehension needed to read your written documents.

You May Be a Better Communicator Than You Think!

According to a prominent science writer who helped with this guide, university researchers are very good at talking to the media because of their teaching experience. Speaking to the public is much like teaching, says this journalist. You have to focus on basic issues and make your message clear and understandable.