Writing for Your Science

A few tips for researchers when working with science writers

Why Should Researchers Care About

Science Writing?

Benefits/Consequences

Funding, Funding, FUNDING! Articles and Citations lead to funding Grant boards & Private donors

NSF Large scale – tax payers

Recognition & Collaboration in your own field Help you understand it better! Competing in the Information Age The Sharing of Information Across Scientific Boundaries National Mindset For the Love of Science!

“Reading my friend Lawrence Krauss’ new book.”

Science Writing is Here to Stay

Scientist – Science Writer – “Public” Raw science into good prose requires

communication

Keep in Mind

Science Writing is a new and changing field Imperfect, variable, beautiful and useful The Land of Science

Bridge the gap; bring it to you “Science Writer” has a lot of

meanings Journalist, Writer, Scientist

But, very, very important…

My Own Research

Calla Cofield BS Physics/Astrophysics, Intern APS, Intern

SLAC Seen Research turn into Writing from the

bottom up

Objectives

Make my job easier Make things easier on both parties See science properly represented

Get scientists involved in the process of presenting their work to the “public”

See more science represented

Its ALL About Your Audience

Direct and Indirect

Direct Audiences: Journals

Immediate Colleages Nature, Science, PRL rank/highlight based on

readability and accessibility Research Papers:

Summaries/Press Releases Science Jouranlists Scientists outside your immediate field

Direct Audiences: PIO’s and Internal Writers

Public Information Officers Talk to them!! Don’t undermine a press release. PhysOrg, Slashdot, Science Daily, ect.

Why you should love your PIO: Work with you; get your approval; promote your work. If you don’t explain it, someone else will. Many PIOs are not scientists.

Internal Pubs & Communications Depts SLAC Today! Symmetry! Symmetry Breaking! Talk to them!

Direct Audiences: Journalists

Know it before you talk about it. Know your science; have prepared an

explanation, elevator talk, simplification. What you want to say and don’t want to say. “On the record” “Off the record” “On Background” Watch out for specific language.

Journalists are not required to check an article with you before it is published.

Some Tough Truths

Physics has an uphill climb. Sometimes there’s simply nothing to write

about. Prepare to be censored. Prepare to have the focus changed.

A Few General Tips About Explaining Your

Science.

Take them with a grain of salt.

Simplify and Explain: Two Different Words An Electron is…

Wikipedia: The electron is a fundamental subatomic particle that carries a negative electric charge. It is a spin ½ lepton that participates in electromagnetic interactions, and its mass is approximately 1 / 1836 of that of the proton. Together with atomic nuclei, which consist of protons and neutrons, electrons make up atoms. The electron(s) interaction with electron(s) of adjacent nuclei is the main cause of chemical bonding.

Electrons are one of the building blocks of all matter. They are necessary to create everything from air to gold to your own body.

“Dalitz plot analyses involving D decays to final states containing an eta, a Kaon and a pion".

“The Dalitz plot analyses I was referring to are studies of three-body decays from D mesons which are often dominated by resonant processes.”

A Few Tips…

Prepare an Elevator Talk A talk you can give to ANYONE in 30-60 seconds

describing what you do and what purpose it serves. No notes. No illustrations.

Hallway Talk 2-4 minutes.

Office Talk 10 minutes.

Guest Lecture 15-20 minutes plus materials.

A Few Tips: More Specific

What you did What your paper is reporting Unique; New; Different; Theory; Experiment; Simulation

What does this be used for? New…technology? Theory? Understanding? I don’t know.

Perspective Zoom out. Zoom out farther. MUST make it applicable.

Physics’ Uphill Battle

Indirect Audiences

Scientists. Writing about science allows for the

advancement of science.

Symmetry MagazineFrom Eye To Sight:A particle physics technology is revolutionizing the study of how we see.

“To biologists, using this many electrodes to record from live animals was inconceivable–they didn't see how it was technically possible,” Litke says. “But to me, we were doing this daily at CERN!”

Indirect Audiences: Science Enthusiasts

They’re out there! Love them! Cherish them! The information age allows scientists and

science lovers to have a very intimate relationship.

Indirect Audiences: General Public

Yahoo News, CNN, BBC, FOXNews NOVA, Wired Science Energy Crisis, Evolution, Medical, Funding These things all involve scientists!

Larger Lesson

Science writing is not just about explaining and simplifying science for entertainment or general curiosity.

It is about how science is portrayed to the public.

It is about communication, which advances science.

Its going to happen whether you want it to or not, but it can’t happen without you.