Communicating research for re saksss safari park 26 june 2012
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Transcript of Communicating research for re saksss safari park 26 june 2012
Communicating scientific researchTechnical reports, policy briefs and
making presentations
Anne Marie NyamuConsultant Science Editor/Writer
26 June 2012
Outline• Communication: Brief overview
• Writing technical reports
• Summarising reports
• Policy briefs
• Oral presentation
• Designing a PowerPoint presentation
• Things to remember
Communication: Brief overview
Why communicate?
• Good research/assessments/evaluations…
– alone are insufficient to have impact; findings must be communicated to the right people
– merit good communication
• Goal = impact
Communicating science
Scientific communication is:
• Accurate
• Targeted at a specific audience
• Clear
• Brief
• Logical
Four questions to consider
• Who do you want to reach?
• Why do you want to reach them?
• How do you reach them?
• What are your main messages?
Writing style tips• Targeted to specific audience
• Clarity: convey exact meaning
• Conciseness: fewest possible words
• Continuity: logical, complete story
• Objectivity: be factual/honest
Writing technical reports
Technical reports
• No absolute rules
• Flexibility to suit readers
• Short as possible without losing essence
• Objectives identify what is covered
• Most important person is the reader
Good technical reports
• Precise, informative title
• Well organised layout and format
• Style: accurate, fluent and concise
• Figures and tables well presented and clearly labelled
Format of technical report
• Title page
• Acknowledgements
• Summary
• Table of contents
• Introduction/terms of reference/scope
• Procedure
Format of technical report (2)
• Findings• Conclusions• Recommendations• References/bibliography• Appendices
Summarising reports
Summarising reports
“Sorry for this long letter, I had no time to write a short one.”
Blaise Pascal, 1623-1662
•Why summarise a report?•How do you summarise a report? (elevator pitch; used with investors)
Three sentences
Summarise your story in three sentences:• Problem• Solution• Results
Three sentences: Example• Problem
– Farmers in Zimbabwe find it difficult to sell goats, so they are not interested in raising them
• Solution– The project has introduced an auction system
that gives farmers a good price for their animals
• Results– As a result, farmers in 10 villages are now
investing in goat raising
Three sentences: Example• Problem
– Schools in District X lack basic facilities such as classrooms, desks and textbooks
• Solution– The project is encouraging parents and local
people to get involved in managing the schools
• Results– In five schools, parent associations are now
helping build classrooms and raising money to buy textbooks
Policy briefs
Policy briefs
What is a policy brief?
• Succinct presentation of a problem, its context and recommendations
• Goal: to prompt change
Policy briefs
Two types:
• Advocacy – argues for a particular course of action
• Objective – balanced information for policy maker to decide on course of action
Structure of a policy brief
• Title• Authors• Summary• Recommendations• Background
• Body• Evidence• Examples (boxes)• Tables and graphics• Conclusions• References• Supporting
information• Acknowledgements
Characteristics of a policy brief (1)• Focused on achieving purpose
– Language, design, argument, evidence…• Professional
– Not academic– Focus: what research findings mean, not how
research was done• Based on evidence
– Rational argument– Show consequences of recommended action
Characteristics of a policy brief (2)
• Limited– Focus on a particular problem or issue
• Succinct– Short and sweet– 2 pages (700 words) to 8 pages (3000 words max)
• Easy to understand– Clear, simple language– No jargon
Outline for policy brief
• What is the aim of the policy brief?• Which issue will best capture audience attention?• What background information does audience
need?• Which data are most important to include for
audience?• What are the policy options? (if appropriate to
aim)• What recommendations will you make?
Oral presentation
Oral presentation• Types: PowerPoint slides, posters,
giving interviews, answering questions, panel discussions
• Four steps:– Plan– Prepare – Practise – Present
Making a presentation
• Audience
• Plan and rehearse
• Stress important point
• Speak clearly
• Enthusiasm
• Avoid distracting actions
• Prepare for “the unplanned”
Delivering the message• Include major points of presentation
– Introduce the point
– Explain and support
– Transition quickly and smoothly to next point
• Give examples
• Provide all sides of the issue
• Don’t waste time
• Summarise
Designing a PowerPoint presentation
Preparing PowerPoint slides
• Simple
• Limit bullets, text and animations
• High quality graphics
• Avoid PowerPoint templates
• Appropriate charts
• Colour
Typeface• Solid block (sans serif)
• Larger font size for titles than text (36 points, 20 points, 28 points)
• Upper and lower-case letters
• Use colour, bold, or italics for emphasis
Layout• Generous margins• Text and image: 75% of space• Start at the top-left corner • Most important information at the top• Flush-left text• Consistent format
Avoid heavy content
• 6 words per line
• 6 lines per slide
• 36 words per slide
Example slides
ADAPTED FROM: WWW.PRESENTATIONZEN.BLOGS.COM
Gender equality in Kenya
According to the recent reports from the Kenyan Ministry of Labor, 72% of part-time workers in Kenya are women. This is the highest rate reported to date. The number of part-time workers has been increasing for many years. For many women, full-time employment is not available or their family obligations make it impossible for them to keep full-time hours. Below are some comments on the issue:“The Kenyan office environment is not yet conducive to promoting full gender equality”Senior LecturerNairobi University
Most part-time workers are women
Men
Women
ADAPTED FROM: WWW.PRESENTATIONZEN.BLOGS.COM
Objectives
• Identify and test production technologies for increased fish productivity
• Increase knowledge and skills base of small-scale fish farmers
Task
• Working in country groups, choose a topic
• Design a cover slide and two content slides
• Be ready to present to the group
15 minutes
Things to remember
Importance of communication
To have impact, your work must be communicated to the right people
Critical steps to remember
Before you communicate:• Clarify your message• Target your audience• Strategise your approach• Practise speaking• Disseminate widely
Anyone can learn effective communication. The more you do it, the better you get.
References
• For summarising reports and policy briefs www.mamud.com
• Klaus von Grebmer, Suresh Babu, Valerie Rhoe and Michael Rubinstein. Communicating food policy research: A guidebook. IFPRI (International Food Policy Research Institute)