EKB Sci-Comm 2 Print

1
Jeffrey Robens, PhD

Editorial Development Manager
Communicating Science to the Public
In collaboration with the Egyptian Knowledge Bank
This content is not to be shared or distributed without the expressed consent of Springer Nature © Springer Nature Limited 2021
2
Be an effective science communicator

You will increase public awareness
and your research impact
Improving readability for the public
Writing your science story
Platforms for communicating with the public
3
Improving readability
Writing for a non-specialist
4
Writing for the public
One of the most common writing mistakes for academics
Never assume your readers know what you do
You need to provide right information that

is appropriate for your readers
Especially important for non-specialists!
5
Let’s try an example from photonics…
6
Let’s try an example from photonics…

Muraviev et al. Nature Photonics. 2018; 12: 209–214.
Abstract
“Mid-infrared spectroscopy offers supreme sensitivity for the
detection of trace gases, solids and liquids based on tell-tale
vibrational bands specific to this spectral region. Here, we
present a new platform for mid-infrared dual-comb Fourier-
transform spectroscopy based on a pair of ultra-broadband
subharmonic optical parametric oscillators pumped by two
phase-locked thulium-fibre combs…”
7
And now the news story…
https://phys.org/news/2018-03-laser-technique-chemical-warfare-atmosphere.html
The Department of Homeland Security could benefit from a reliable,

real-time instrument that could scan the atmosphere for toxic agents in
order to alert communities to a biological or chemical attack. UCF optics
and photonics Professor Konstantin Vodopyanov is developing just such
a technology to accomplish that.
He has found a new way to use infrared lasers to detect even trace
amounts of chemicals in the air. Every chemical is made up of individual
molecules that vibrate at their own unique frequency. Vodopyanov has
found a way to use lasers to detect these vibrations…
8
Avoiding jargon
An essential part of clear

science communication
Makes you
look arrogant!
Johann Jaritz / CC BY-SA 3.0
9
Words that researchers & the public see differently
What you say What they think you mean What you should have said
‘error’ Mistake 'difference from the exact true
number’
‘positive trend’ Good trend ‘upward trend’
‘scheme’ Devious plot ‘systematic plan’
‘control’ Authority ‘unaltered comparison’
‘significant’ Meaningful ‘statistically supported’
‘abstract’ Vague or intangible ‘summary’
‘positive feedback’ Good response ‘reinforcing cycle’
10
Online tool to detect jargon

http://scienceandpublic.com/
11
Nature Photonics abstract

Easy to Hard to
understand understand
12
News story
Easy to Hard to
13
Use analogies and concrete examples
The public finds science difficult!
Explain scientific concepts in everyday terms
“Increased substrate rigidity

promotes cell spreading.”
Flickr user CollegeDegrees360 / CC BY-SA 2.0
14
Is it easier to climb a
wall made of rock or a
wall made of jelly?
Cells agree!
They can climb (spread)
easier on stiff surfaces
than soft surfaces
Maria Ly / CC BY-SA 2.0
15
Sizes and weights can be confusing
Use things that people can understand
https://www.bluebulbprojects.com/measureofthings/
16

https://www.bluebulbprojects.com/measureofthings/
How much is 104,500 kg?
17
Activity 3
Turn to page 8 of your Participant Guide
18
Activity 3
Using the text excerpt below, how would you write this in a way
that would be easily understood by the public? Keep your
readers in mind...what is important and interesting to them?
“Pediatric brain tumors are highly associated with epileptic seizures.
However, their epileptogenic mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we
show that the oncogenic BRAF somatic mutation p.Val600Glu (V600E) in
developing neurons underlies intrinsic epileptogenicity in
ganglioglioma, one of the leading causes of intractable epilepsy.”
19
Activity 3
Easy to Hard to De-jargonizer

“Pediatric brain tumors are highly associated with epileptic seizures. However, their
epileptogenic mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we show that the oncogenic BRAF
somatic mutation p.Val600Glu (V600E) in developing neurons underlies intrinsic
epileptogenicity in ganglioglioma, one of the leading causes of intractable epilepsy.”
Potential answer
Although it is known that pediatric brain tumors are associated with epileptic
seizures, what causes these seizures is still unclear. We show that a mutation that
leads to one form of brain cancer, ganglioglioma, is also responsible for the
epilepsy associated with that cancer.
20
Developing science stories

Engage your reader
21
Importance of a narrative
People like stories

Storytelling accomplishes three
important issues
• Improves logical flow, easier to
understand
• Emphasizes the importance of the
research
• Helps the reader to connect with
the topic
This content is not to be shared or distributed without the expressed consent of Springer Nature © Springer Nature Limited 2021 Ch. Maderthoner / CC0
22
4 important parts of a narrative
Setting Plot
Characters Moral
23
Setting Plot
Characters Moral
24

Jones & Crow. Palgrave Communications. 2017; 3: 53.
1. Setting
Know your readers Current knowledge and

and their beliefs assumptions
Scientific facts, statistics,

Know the evidence
polls, legal regulations
25
My Message Box
Pharmaceutical industry (sick people)

• Drug toxicity testing is essential during drug development, but there are few
good in vitro models to test toxicity in hepatocytes (liver cells) early in the
drug development pipeline.
• Hepatocytes, once removed from the liver quickly loose their functionality
that is necessary to test toxicity.
• Current models culture hepatocytes with a collagen top layer to maintain
functionality, but this impedes the drug diffusion of and bioavailability for
testing.
• Being able to more quickly • Drug toxicity is one of the major

assess drug toxicity in the drug causes of liver damage after
development pipeline will allow drugs are released in the market
pharmaceutical companies to and the #1 reason drugs are
identify safer pharmacological pulled from the market.
therapeutics early in In vitro solutions for • This not only results in millions
development. of dollars of loss revenue for the
• This will not only better protect drug toxicity testing pharmaceutical company, but
public health, but save the also dramatic impact on public
company from potential health and public perception of
financial and perception the company (including law
problems after drug suits).
marketization.
We are using a novel bioengineering approach to develop a bioreactor that will

allow us to stabilize functional hepatocytes in vitro for longer periods of time
without the need of a collagen top layer, and therefore improve drug bioavailability.
26
Example from my Message Box
1. Setting
Pharmaceutical companies want to

Know your readers
improve public health while being
and their beliefs profitable
Drug toxicity is one of the main reasons

that drugs don’t make it to the market
Know the evidence or pulled after reaching the market,
which leads to massive revenue loss
27
Setting Plot
Characters Moral
28

2. Characters
Villain Who/what is causing harm?
Victim Who/what is being harmed?
Hero Who/what can help the victim?
29
2. Characters
Villain Drug toxicity
Pharmaceutical companies
Victim
& sick people
Hero Bioreactors (scientists)
30
Setting Plot
Characters Moral
31

3. Plot
What issue are the

Set up the problem
victims facing?
How are victims being

Discuss victims in
harmed by the villain?
time and space
What is the evidence?
32
3. Plot
Pharmaceutical companies spend

Set up the problem millions of euros to develop drugs to
improve public health
Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) causes

Discuss victims in
serious complications among the sick
time and space with X millions of euros lost every year
33
Setting Plot
Characters Moral
34

4. Moral
Who or what can solve the

State the solution
problem (by the hero)?
What should the readers

Takeaway message
remember? Call-to-action
35
4. Moral
Development of new bioreactors can

State the solution help predict DILI early in drug
development
Adopting these new strategies can

Takeaway message help pharmaceutical companies save
money and improve public health
36
Apply to our science story structure

Section 1
1. Setting and 2. Characters
Setting the scene
Section 2
Results supporting the ‘hero’
Introduce the study
Quote from the author Humanize the research to make appealing
Section 3
3. Plot
Background info
Quote from researcher Humanize the research to make appealing
Section 4
4. Moral
Future applications
37

Section 1 When you are sick, you hope that the medicine
available at your local pharmacy will not only help your
Setting the scene
condition, but certainly shouldn’t make it worse.
Pharmaceutical companies are working tirelessly to
Section 2
provide you with these safe and effective drugs.
Introduce the study However, ensuring the safety of these drugs is not easy.
InReaders’ beliefs (introducing
fact, drug-induced liver injury (DILI)the victims)
is one of the
Quote from the author main causes of drug attrition or withdrawal, which
leads to massive revenue loss and serious injury to the
Section 3 sick who need the medicine most. A new study may
finally provide a solution by developing a new device to
Background info
help companies more efficiently identify and develop
safe medicines in a high-throughput manner.
Quote from researcher
1. The Setting and 2. The Characters
Section 4
Future applications
38

Setting the scene
Section 2 Evidence (introducing the villain)
In fact, drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is one of the
Background info
Section 4
Future applications
39

Setting the scene
Section 2
Introducing the hero
Background info
Section 4
Future applications
40

Setting the scene
Section 2
Background info
Section 4
Future applications
41

Section 1
Setting the scene
Published this week in Nature Technology, Robens and
Section 2 colleagues from Nature Research University developed
Introduce the study a new device to sustain the function of liver cells in the
lab for longer periods of time…
Quote from the author
Section 3
Background info
Section 4
Future applications
42

Section 1
Setting the scene Humanize the research
Section 2 “This new device, which went through multiple
Introduce the study rounds of trial and error, should help
pharmaceutical companies identify safer drugs
Quote from the author more quickly and easily,” says Dr. Jeffrey Robens of
Nature Research, one of the leaders of the project.
Section 3 “Drug development already takes too long, so any
Background info ways to shorten it and make medicine available for
the public sooner will be great for public health.”
Section 4
Future applications
43

Section 1 3. The Plot
Setting the scene Pharmaceutical companies spend millions every year to develop
medicines to improve public health. Sadly, this road from drug
Section 2 discovery to marketization is long and fraught with hazards. At any
point, a drug may be found to be ineffective or unsafe and need to
Introduce the study be abandoned. This is easier said than done, however. Testing for
toxicity during drug development is very challenging, especially for
Quote from the author the liver where there are few effective models available.
Because of this challenge, sometimes, drugs may make it through
the pipeline and only be found to be unsafe after being released to
Section 3 Giving context for the problem
the public. In fact, drug-induced liver injury (DILI) affects over
Background info 40,000 people in the United States every year and is the leading
cause of acute liver failure. Not surprisingly then, DILI accounts for
Quote from researcher almost 20% of all drug withdrawals from the market. This means
that long and expensive road the pharmaceutical company took to
develop that new medicine ended in a tragic traffic accident.
Section 4
Future applications
44

The
toxicity during drugimpact
developmentonisthe
very victims
challenging, especially for
Section 3 the pipeline and only be found to be unsafe after being released to
Section 4
Future applications
45

toxicity during drug development is very challenging, especially for
Section 3 the pipeline and only be found to be unsafe after being released to
Section 4
Future applications
46

Section 1
Setting the scene
Humanize the research
Section 2
“The impact of drug-induced liver injury on
Introduce the study society is huge, both from a public health and
financial perspective,” says Dr. Harry Shirley, a
Professor of Toxicology at the University of
Section 3 Springer Nature. “The new device developed
by Robens and colleagues looks to be a
Background info promising way to screen for liver toxicity early
in the drug pipeline, although more testing
and scalability still needs to be done.”
Section 4 Gives an unbiased expert opinion
Future applications
47

Section 1
Setting the scene
Section 2
Introduce the study
4. The Moral
More research still needs to be done to
Section 3 validate this exciting approach for high-
throughput screening of drug toxicity.
Background info
However, new strategies like this will put
Quote from researcher companies on a safer road in producing new
drugs more quickly. Doing so will ensure that
Section 4 we all can be more confident in taking
medicines from our local pharmacy.
Future applications
48

When you are sick, you hope that the medicine available at your local pharmacy will not only help your condition, but certainly shouldn’t make it
worse. Pharmaceutical companies are working tirelessly to provide you with these safe and effective drugs. However, ensuring the safety of
Section 1
these drugs is not easy. In fact, drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is one of the main causes of drug attrition or withdrawal, which leads to massive
Setting
revenue loss and serious injury thewho
to the sick scene
need the medicine most. A new study may finally provide a solution by developing a new device
to help companies more efficiently identify and develop safe medicines in a high-throughput manner.
SectionRobens
Published this week in Nature Technology, 2 and colleagues from the University of Nature Research developed a new device to sustain the
function of liver cells in the lab for longer periods of time…
Introduce the study
“This new device, which went through multiple rounds of trial and error, should help pharmaceutical companies identify safer drugs more
quickly and easily,” says Dr. Jeffrey Robens of Nature Research, one of the leaders of the project. “Drug development already takes too long, so
any ways to shorten it and make medicine avia bile for the public sooner will be great for public health.”
Pharmaceutical companies spend millions every year to develop medicines to improve public health. Sadly, this road from drug discovery to
marketization is long and fraught with hazards. At any point, a drug may be found to be ineffective or unsafe and need to be abandoned. This is
easier said than done, however. Testing for toxicity during drug development is very challenging, especially for the liver where there are few
effective models available. Section 3
Background
Because of this challenge, sometimes, info
drugs may make it through the pipeline and only be found to be unsafe after being released to the public.
De-Jargonizer
In fact, drug-induced liver injury (DILI) affects over 40,000 people in the United States every year and is the leading cause of acute liver failure.
Not surprisingly then, DILI accounts for almost 20% of all drug withdrawals from the market. This means that long and expensive road the
pharmaceutical company took to develop that new medicine ended in a tragic traffic accident.
“The impact of drug-induced liver injury on society is huge, both from a public health and financial perspective,” says Dr. Harry Shirley, a
Professor of ToxicologyQuote fromofresearcher
at the University Springer Nature. “The new device developed by Robens and colleagues looks to be a promising way
to screen for liver toxicity early in the drug pipeline, although more testing and scalability still needs to be done.”
More research still needs to be done to validate
Section 4 this exciting approach for high-throughput screening of drug toxicity. However, new strategies
like this will put companies on a safer road in producing new drugs more quickly. Doing so will ensure that we all can be more confident in taking
Future applications
medicines from our local pharmacy.
49
Developing science stories

Headlines
50
Tip 1: Be clear as readers

have little context
This content is not to be shared or distributed without the expressed consent of Springer Nature © Springer NatureFlickr
Limited
user2021
CollegeDegrees360 / CC BY-SA 2.0
51
Tips on writing a good headline
Be clear as readers have little context
Not Synthetic biology tackles antivenom
Better
https://www.nature.com/news/synthetic-biology-tackles-global-antivenom-shortage-1.19755
52
Tip 2: First 1 or 2 words

is prime real estate
This content is not to be shared or distributed without the expressed consent of Springer Nature Pedro Szekely / CC BY-SA 2.0
© Springer Nature Limited 2021
53
First 1 or 2 words is prime real estate
Not Potential success for personalized cancer vaccines
Better
https://www.nature.com/news/personalized-cancer-vaccines-show-glimmers-of-success-1.22249
54
Tip 3: Be specific, not vague
This content is not to be shared or distributed without the expressed consent of Springer Nature © Springer Nature Limited 2021Etienne Desclides atn / CC0
55
Be specific, not vague
Not Twisted light sends composer’s image over record distance
Better
https://www.nature.com/news/twisted-light-sends-mozart-image-over-record-distance-1.16328
Using iconic or familiar places, names, or companies can get your reader’s attention
56
Tip 4: Don’t tell

the whole story
This content is not to be shared or distributed without the expressed consent of Springer Nature © Springer Nature Limited 2021 Nicolas Fischer / CC BY 3.0
57
Don’t tell the whole story
Not Drug maker's progressive patent policy receives warm welcome
Better
https://www.nature.com/news/what-new-gsk-patent-policy-means-for-the-developing-world-1.19695
Just ensure the headline is accurate, self-contained, and intriguing
58
Tip 5: Celebrate
superlatives
59
Celebrate superlatives: biggest, best, first, etc.
Not Dexamethasone shown to save lives of COVID-19 patients
Better
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-01824-5
60
Communication Platforms
Reaching the public
61
Press releases
62
Institutional press office
Benefits
Work with Update

Promote on
journal’s institutional
social media
press office website
Maximize your visibility

63
Press release flow of information
4 2
3
64
EurekAlert! Platform for press releases
65
Writing press releases
Work with your press office
Explain why you think of Who are the key

public interest beneficiaries
Work with them

during preparation Validate final version
66
Be prepared to discuss your study
Communicate your research to the media
Press office will interview you regarding:

• Motivation for your study
• How it builds on previous research
• The most surprising or interesting results
• Possible societal implications
67
Institutional websites
68
http://ctlimlab.org/research_migration.html
69
Important considerations
Credible source for public In-depth controllable

about your research information
Limited engagement Restricted, specialized

(no liking or sharing) audience
More for academics rather
than the public
70
Blogs
71
Blogs
https://mindhacks.com/2018/02/25/a-graph-that-is-made-by-perceiving-it/
www.wordpress.org is an example of a site that

allows you to create your own blog
72
Blogs
73
Blogs
Important considerations
More informal than More engagement

institutional website (allows commenting)
In-depth, but more

Broader audience
conversational tone
74
Social media
75
Social media
Widmer et al. Academic Medicine. 2019; 94: 1546–1553.
Does promoting your articles on social media increase visibility?
• Randomly chose 68 articles from

Mayo Clinic Proceedings Promoted* Not promoted*
• Promoted 34 on social media Page views 1070 (563–2361) 1265 (148–570)
Downloads 1042 (497–2133) 142 (50–335)
• Tracked page views and
*Median (IQR); p < 0.001
downloads for 30 days
76
Social media
https://www.nature.com/collections/gbhiidjaha
77
LinkedIn
LinkedIn is my favorite platform to share information
2000+ views!
78
Tips for using social media

Identify yourself as credible source of information
79

Don’t just re-post, but summarize to demonstrate credibility
80

Use hashtags to improve discoverability
81

Put the ‘so-what’ statement first!
Why?
82

It will be the only thing

people see in their feed
unless they click ‘…see more’
83
When re-shared on Twitter

• When I post on LinkedIn, it is automatically shared on Twitter

• Ensures the important point is still shared
• Note: hashtags are lost (at the end of the LinkedIn post)
84
Include hashtags in the so-what statement
LinkedIn Twitter
85
LinkedIn vs. Facebook
On the hotly discussed topic of hydroxychloroquine, a Hydroxychloroquine doesn’t likely prevent symptomatic
recent paper in the New England Journal of Medicine infection after SARS-CoV-2 exposure in high-risk
suggests that taking this drug does not seem to help individuals.
prevent COVID-19 in high-risk individuals.
This randomized trial published in the New England
Please just trust your doctor to determine the Journal of Medicine found that COVID-19 incidence was
11.8% and 14.3% in the hydroxychloroquine or placebo
medicine that you should be receiving. They are
(hopefully!) informed on the latest medical groups, respectively.
developments and can ensure you are being properly An excellent editorial from Myron Cohen accompanies
treated for whatever condition you may have. this paper and highlights its limitations. Based on this,
Dr. Cohen suggests that the conclusions of this study
"are more provocative than definitive, suggesting that
the potential prevention benefits of hydroxychloroquine
remain to be determined."
86

Write for your audience
LinkedIn More educated audience
Facebook More general audience
Adapt your writing style accordingly
87
Be an effective science communicator

You will increase public awareness
and your research impact
Improving readability for the public
Writing your science story
Platforms for communicating with the public
88
Any questions?
Thank you for your time!
Dr. Jeffrey Robens

Editorial Development Manager
jeffrey.robens@nature.com

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1

Jeffrey Robens, PhD

Communicating Science to the Public

In collaboration with the Egyptian Knowledge Bank

Be an effective science communicator

Improving readability for the public

Writing your science story

Platforms for communicating with the public

Writing for the public

One of the most common writing mistakes for academics

Never assume your readers know what you do

You need to provide right information that

Especially important for non-specialists!

Let’s try an example from photonics…

Let’s try an example from photonics…

And now the news story…

The Department of Homeland Security could benefit from a reliable,

An essential part of clear

Words that researchers & the public see differently

Online tool to detect jargon

Nature Photonics abstract

Use analogies and concrete examples

The public finds science difficult!

Explain scientific concepts in everyday terms

“Increased substrate rigidity

Flickr user CollegeDegrees360 / CC BY-SA 2.0

Use analogies and concrete examples

Sizes and weights can be confusing

Use things that people can understand

Use analogies and concrete examples

How much is 104,500 kg?

Easy to Hard to De-jargonizer

Developing science stories

People like stories

4 important parts of a narrative

4 important parts of a narrative

4 important parts of a narrative

Know your readers Current knowledge and

Scientific facts, statistics,

Pharmaceutical industry (sick people)

• Being able to more quickly • Drug toxicity is one of the major

We are using a novel bioengineering approach to develop a bioreactor that will

Example from my Message Box

Pharmaceutical companies want to

Drug toxicity is one of the main reasons

4 important parts of a narrative

4 important parts of a narrative

Villain Who/what is causing harm?

Victim Who/what is being harmed?

Hero Who/what can help the victim?

Example from my Message Box

Villain Drug toxicity

Hero Bioreactors (scientists)

4 important parts of a narrative

4 important parts of a narrative

What issue are the

How are victims being

Example from my Message Box