Basic Science Writing

Timothy James M. Dimacali

tj.dimacali@gmail.com
 Lecture Overview

q How to Read a Scientific Paper

q How to Conduct Interviews
q How to Simplify Complex Ideas
q How to Write an Engaging Story
 What is Science Writing?
—  It is communicating scientific concepts effectively
to a target audience

—  Depending on the audience, it can be a news

article, a feature story, a comic strip, a technical
report, etc.—It could be anything!

—  The common denominator is that science writing is

“writing about science”

—  All science writing is evidence-based

 Do you have to be a
scientist?
—  No!
—  You’re not the topic expert; you’re not expected to
know everything

—  As a writer/journalist, your job is to understand

what you and your audience don’t know so that you
can write about it

—  Your job is to ask questions and find answers

 Writing for a
General Audience
—  Writing for a general audience is a good exercise to
help you understand the science

—  If you understand the science, it’s easier to explain

to other people

—  If you don’t understand the science, ask questions

and do your research
 How to Read
a Scientific Paper
 How to Read
a Scientific Paper

—  Authors
—  Abstract
—  Body
—  Discussion
—  Others (Figures, references, acknowledgements,
methods, etc.)
 How to Read
a Scientific Paper
Authors
—  Who are the authors?
—  Where are they from? (nationality, university, etc.)
—  What are their possible motivations?
 How to Read
a Scientific Paper
Abstract
—  What is the significance of the paper?
—  Why is this study important?
—  What is the summary of the research and its
findings?
 How to Read
a Scientific Paper
Body
—  What is new in this study?
—  What other studies have been undertaken on the
same topic?

—  What specific research was undertaken?

—  What are the details of the findings?
 How to Read
a Scientific Paper
Discussion
—  What are the authors’ thoughts on the study and its
findings?

—  What are the authors’ proposed next steps?

 How to Read
a Scientific Paper
Others
—  Figures – Often, the paper’s main points are
visualized and summarized in the captions

—  References – These help guide you on what is

previously known or understood about the topic

—  Acknowledgements – Sometimes contains the

researchers’ inspirations/motivations, independent
reviewers, and funding sources

—  Methods – Details of the actual experiments

What if you don’t have
access to the paper?
 What if you don’t have
access to the paper?
—  Reach out to the authors – Email the authors and
ask for a copy of the paper. Also try to request an
interview, but be sure to read the paper first before
asking questions!

—  Dig online – Look up the title of the paper on

Google Scholar and check if there’s a downloadable
copy. Or ask/look for a preprint version (NOTE! This
may be different from the final paper)

—  Interview a topic expert – find a scientist in the

same field and interview them, but make sure to
clarify that they were not directly involved in the
study
How to Conduct Interviews
 Before the Interview
—  Research both the subject and the interviewee—
Hone your BS detector!

—  Approach the interview as an outsider who doesn’t

understand what’s happening

—  Formulate basic questions based on your initial

assessment of the story or situation
 Before the Interview
—  Craft good questions!
—  Don’t ask “closed” questions (answerable by just
yes or no). This shuts down dialogue quickly.

—  Ask “open” questions: What? How? Why? Give the

interviewee space explain their side. This makes for
a richer interview.

—  Keep questions neutral. Give your interviewee space

to relax and open up about themselves.
 During the interview
—  Don’t be adversarial. Be open and welcoming to
your interviewee. Give them the chance to speak for
themselves.

—  Pay attention! Don’t just treat your questions like a

checklist.

—  Notice when your interviewee loosens or tightens

up, when they relax and when they’re
uncomfortable.

—  Adjust your follow-up questions to how your

interviewee responds to your initial questions.
 During the interview
—  Don’t insert yourself into the conversation! This
isn’t about you.

—  When wrapping up, paraphrase and repeat your

notes to the interviewee, to make sure you
understood their points

—  Always end with the question: “Is there anything

that I missed?”
 After the interview
—  Review your notes and see what points would be of
interest to your audience.

—  Rethink and reevaluate your initial hypotheses as

needed. Don’t be afraid to change your lede or
initial thesis statement if the facts don’t support it.

—  Get in touch with the interviewee if there’s anything

you still don’t understand.

—  Don’t burn bridges. Keep calm and professional.

How to Simplify
Complex Ideas
Focusing on the Essentials:
What Railway Maps Can Teach Us
Focusing on the Essentials:
What Railway Maps Can Teach Us
Focusing on the Essentials:
What Railway Maps Can Teach Us
 Focusing on the Essentials:
What Railway Maps Can Teach Us
—  Identify the most essential information that your
audience needs to know

—  Lay out the essential information in a neat and

orderly way that makes sense to your audience

—  Keep things as simple as possible

 What is a
Scientific Analogy?
—  A comparison between two things, for the purpose
of explanation or clarification

—  Good analogies are simple, easy to remember, and

based on familiar concepts

—  The elements must be clear, and the limitations

must be explained
 Water Pipe Analogy
for Electric Circuits

—  Voltage = water pressure

—  Current = water flow
—  Resistance = water obstacle
—  Batteries = water pump
Water Pipe Analogy
for Electric Circuits
Water Pipe Analogy
for Electric Circuits
 Water Pipe Analogy
for Electric Circuits
SIMILARITIES DIFFERENCES
•  The concept of “flow” •  Pipes are not wires, and vice
versa

•  The relationship between

variables •  The physical properties of water
vs. electricity

•  The need for a closed loop to

maintain the cycle •  The conversion from one form of
energy into another
Apartment Building Analogy
For Electron Arrangement
—  Atom = apartment building
—  Electrons = people
—  Energy levels = floors
—  Sublevels = apartments
—  Orbitals = rooms
Apartment Building Analogy
For Electron Arrangement
Apartment Building Analogy
For Electron Arrangement
Apartment Building Analogy
For Electron Arrangement
Apartment Building Analogy
For Electron Arrangement
SIMILARITIES DIFFERENCES
The need to fill up a room/shell The patterns behind “filling up”
before filling up another one rooms/shells

The relationship between energy Electrons aren’t people, and vice

and higher floors/levels versa

Floor and room configurations are

arbitrary; shell and orbital
configurations aren’t
 Tips for Finding
Appropriate Analogies
—  Who is your target audience?
—  What kinds of things and situations are they likely
to have already experienced?

—  What are the main points you want to convey?

—  What are the limitations of the analogy?
—  Is the analogy simple to understand?
 How to Write
an Engaging Story
Science News Writing
Feature Story Writing
What do News and Features
have in common?
—  They are both structured to tell an engaging story
—  They are meant to inform people based on existing
scientific evidence

—  They are written with the reader in mind

 HOW PEOPLE READ
People usually read left to right, top to bottom.
 PYRAMID WRITING
STRUCTURE
Write so that your reader picks up information in sequential order.

Source: http://www.kerryr.net/webwriting/structure_content.htm
 GETTING YOUR FOOT
IN THE DOOR

—  The headline is your first (and oftentimes last)

chance to hook your audience

—  The basic principles of writing style are also

applicable here

—  Headline and photo should complement each other

EXAMPLE 1 (revised)
EXAMPLE 1 (original)
EXAMPLE 2
EXAMPLE 3
EXAMPLE 4
 BAD EXAMPLES
of headline-photo combos
Strong headline,
weak visual
Strong visual,
weak headline
 SUMMARY
—  Scientific Papers – Who are the researchers? What
is the ‘big idea’? How is it relevant to your
audience?

—  Interviews – Give your interviewee a chance to be

themselves. Really listen to what they have to say.

—  Scientific Analogies – What is an everyday thing

that helps explain this new concept? What are the
limitations of the analogy?

—  Engaging Stories – Who is your target audience?

What are their interests?
 Tips for Writing
(Not just for contests!)
—  Don’t write to impress. Write to communicate!
—  Always consider your main audience before writing
anything. Put yourself in their shoes!

—  Write in the way that will be best understood by

your main audience
THANK YOU!
 EXERCISE

—  Write a story (news or feature) on the following

scientific study:

https://bit.ly/NSPC2021ScienceWritingExercise

—  Make your story interesting and relevant to a

general audience of young Filipinos.

—  Research as much as you want on the Internet BUT

fact-check and properly cite/quote your sources.

—  Good luck!