Communicating Your Research Effectively

1. Why Communicate?

Communication is not an afterthought—it is integral to any research or innovation process. When research findings can influence policies, local communities, or broader scientific progress, sharing your insights clearly and persuasively becomes both an ethical responsibility and a catalyst for real-world impact.

  • Ethical Responsibility: When data inform people’s health or livelihoods, it’s crucial to ensure facts are conveyed accurately and accessibly.
  • Innovation & Collaboration: Shared ideas can spark new studies, funding, partnerships, and cross-disciplinary learning.
  • Trust & Engagement: Interactive, transparent communication encourages dialogue, builds credibility, and fosters curiosity.
Reflection Exercise: “Why Communicate?”

Think of a time you or someone you know struggled to convey research findings to a non-expert (family member, community leader, policymaker).

  • What specific barriers did you face (jargon, complexity, time constraints)?
  • If you had to do it again, what would you change?


Watch the recording from this session from 10 March 2025 and read the recommended reading from Google Drive.

2. Five Steps for Meaningful Interactions

Here is a simple workflow you can adapt to any communication scenario:

  1. Start: Identify Your Core Message – What is the main point? Why should anyone care?
  2. Identify Your Audience – Consider their background, motivations, and what they stand to gain.
  3. Plan (What → How → Why) – Outline your key points using a logical order:
    • What: Provide immediate context.
    • How: Describe methodology or steps.
    • Why: Highlight practical impact or emotional resonance.
  4. Execute: Communicate with clarity – Use stories, visuals, and clear structure.
  5. Measure & Adapt – Solicit feedback to refine your approach next time.

3. Tricks to Trick the Brain

Humans respond strongly to stories, visuals, and emotion. Use these elements to ensure your message resonates and sticks:

  • Pattern Recognition: Organize info into a logical story arc.
  • Emotion & Memory: Emotional engagement/human-centered story strengthens neural pathways related to long-term memory.
  • Cognitive Load: Simplifying concepts (e.g., via visuals) and organizing your presentation (the what → how → why sequence) reduces cognitive load, so your audience can focus on key messages.
  • Dual Coding Theory: When you align an image with your explanation, you create two memory traces instead of one - boosting comprehension and retention
  • Neural Coupling & Mirror Neurons: Genuine enthusiasm and clear gestures help synch audience and speaker. When you tell a story, both speaker and listener can have synchronized brain activity - particularly in areas linked to emotion and understanding

Tip: Start with a quick interactive moment—like “Raise your hand if you ate a banana this week!”—to prime the Reticular Activating System in the brain for alertness.

What > How > Why flow recommendation:

  • WHAT: This satisfies the brain’s need for immediate context and imprints a mental label
  • HOW: The step-by-step explanation gives the brain a causal thread – patterns will be easier to recall
  • WHY: This is where emotion meets motivation. It ties in the prefrontal cortex for decision-making and emotional drivers

Exercise: Engaging the Senses
  1. Pick a short topic (e.g., “The importance of clean water”).
  2. Write a 1-2 sentence intro that directly involves the audience (like asking a question or having them imagine a scenario).
  3. Note how this changes the energy of your opening.

4. Theory of Change & Diffusion

4.1 Theory of Change (ToC)

A Theory of Change (ToC) is a structured framework that explicitly lays out how and why you expect a certain intervention, project, or approach to lead to a desired outcome. One way to use ToC is to:

  1. Define: State assumptions (e.g., “If participants gain confidence (Attitude), they will apply more advanced data visualisations (Skills) in their future presentations (Behavior).”)
  2. Design: Decide on methods to test your hypothesis (pre-/post-surveys, interviews).
  3. Deploy: Run the intervention (a training, a communication campaign, etc.).
  4. Analyze & Interpret: Look at feedback and data on changes in knowledge or behavior.
  5. Adapt: Refine future actions based on what you discover.

4.2 Diffusion vs. Dissemination

Dissemination is a one-way approach (e.g., a formal report), while Diffusion is more organic, spreading via interpersonal networks with less control. If your aim is widespread adoption or conversation, planning for a more “viral” diffusion approach may be key.

Reflection Exercise: Mini Theory of Change

Choose a specific research finding (e.g., “Planting cover crops improves soil health”). Sketch a mini ToC:

  1. Define: The outcome you want (e.g., more farmers adopt cover crops).
  2. Design: How you’ll measure or observe changes (baseline vs. follow-up).
  3. Deploy: Outline your communication tactics (e.g., demonstration plots, flyers).
  4. Analyze: How will you confirm any shifts in attitude or practice?
  5. Adapt: If results are mixed, what might you change next time?

5. Writing for Different Audiences

5.1 Writing process

The LEGO Analogy: writing is like building a model—gather your “pieces” (methods, data, visuals), then arrange them until they form a coherent whole. Come up with your own workflow, might look very different compared to others and that's okay!

  • Outline & Sketch: Try drafting your methods, results, and potential figures first; then fill in introduction and discussion.
  • Use Tools: Consider referencing software (Zotero, Mendeley) or collaborative platforms (Google Docs) to streamline the process.
  • Iterative process: Just like with LEGO, you first need to come up with a plan, sort your pieces into groups, prepare a solid foundation (article structure), and then you might have to disassemble and re-assemble again and again.

5.2 Flow and sentence structures

Keep the "brain trickery" in mind for your reader - let's make it a nice experience for them to read your work. Rough draft is great - then let's go into more details and get rid of circumlocution.

SENTENCES

  • One thought per sentence!
  • Keep sentences concise (2 lines max or split)
  • Action words and main point at the front of the sentence

PARAGRAPHS

  • Start each paragraph with a “mini-intro” (topic sentence): highlight/put it into bold in your document
  • End with a “connector” to the next paragraph: highlight again
  • Each paragraph should revolve around one main point: read the two highlights: should sum up the para’s point

CIRCUMLOCUTION: the use of many words where fewer would be better. Save these tables from the Scientists Must Write book as a reminder and be ruthless with getting rid of unneccessary words.

Exercises after the Workshop (Writing)

500-word summary for a non-specialist audience

  • Choose a peer-reviewed article and translate it into ~500 words of approachable language.
  • Avoid jargon; aim for clarity and engagement.

250-word abstract (scientific style)

  • Write a concise summary of your own (or hypothetical) research.
  • Incorporate essential scientific elements (Background, Methods, Results, Conclusion).

Exercise: Simplifying Complex Sentences from Nature

Below are excerpts of long, complex sentences related to malaria research. Try rewriting them in simpler terms—first as a clear scientific statement, and then for a non-scientific or blog audience. When you’re done, compare your versions with the examples under each dropdown.

    Example 1

    Original / Circumlocution:
    “In the context of evaluating large-scale anti-malaria strategies implemented over the last decade, an intricate geospatial framework, constructed utilizing a multitude of heterogeneous data sources, was deployed to quantify shifting patterns of Plasmodium falciparum endemicity within the sub-Saharan region, thereby enabling a multifactorial analysis of intervention efficacy.”

    Show Possible Rewrites

    (B) Improved Scientific:
    “We developed a geospatial model using multiple data sources—routine surveillance records, household surveys, and climatic variables—to assess changes in Plasmodium falciparum prevalence across sub-Saharan Africa. This approach allowed us to quantify how interventions have influenced malaria transmission over the past decade.”

    (C) Blog-Friendly:
    “Researchers pulled together maps, surveys, and climate data to see how malaria infection rates changed across sub-Saharan Africa. Thanks to this modeling, they could figure out if bed nets, medicines, and other prevention tools really made a difference.”



    Example 2

    Original / Circumlocution:
    “It was observed, through the systematic collation and subsequent analysis of surveillance data, that substantial declines in parasite prevalence were correlated in a statistically significant manner with heightened coverage of interventions such as insecticide-treated nets, thereby suggesting a pivotal role of these measures in the large-scale reduction of disease incidence.”

    Show Possible Rewrites

    (B) Improved Scientific:
    “Our analysis shows a significant reduction in parasite prevalence that aligns with increased coverage of insecticide-treated nets. These findings underscore the critical role of nets in reducing malaria burden.”

    (C) Blog-Friendly:
    “When people started using more bed nets, malaria infection rates dropped. In other words, simple nets were a big reason why malaria cases went down.”



    Example 3

    Original / Circumlocution:
    “In light of the substantial effect sizes attributed to vector-control measures observed during our longitudinal assessment, one may postulate that ongoing reinforcement of funding allocations toward these preventative modalities stands to yield further epidemiological benefits.”

    Show Possible Rewrites

    (B) Improved Scientific:
    “Given the strong impact of vector-control measures in our study, continued investment in these preventive methods could further decrease malaria incidence.”

    (C) Blog-Friendly:
    “Because bed nets and other mosquito-fighting tools worked so well, it’s clear that keeping them funded can push malaria rates down even more.”



    Overall Blog Summary

    Do bed nets and anti-malarial medicines prevent a lot of malaria cases?
    A team of scientists used data from thousands of surveys and national control programs across Africa. They found that these measures prevented about 663 million malaria cases between 2000 and 2015—proving that simple tools like nets are powerful in saving lives.

6. Presenting for Different Audiences

6.1 Structure & Planning

  • Show your flow and logic to the audience: Even specialized audiences appreciate an outline. Clarify your talk’s main goal right from the start by starting with an outline. Prepare a recap/summary slide at the end.
  • Signposting: Inform the audience where you are in the talk (intro, methods, results), and offer short recaps.
  • Mindset Shift: “They want to catch my mistakes” → “I have something cool to share!”. Presenting in front of others can be scary but you can arm yourself with confidencence by: being clear with yourself what your talk's message is, being super prepared with a beautiful presentation and after practicing to make sure you can deliver it in time.

6.2 Tools & Design Tips

  • PowerPoint Tricks:
    • Gridlines & Guides to align text and images.
    • Layers & Locking shapes to keep layouts tidy.
    • Minimal but well-timed Animations—simple fades or reveals can be effective.
  • Visuals:
    • .PNG images with transparent backgrounds.
    • Subtle shadow effects to add depth without clutter.
    • Lucidchart, BioRender, Marq for diagrams, scientific art, and flyers.
Exercise during and after the Workshop (Presenting)
  • “Your Turn to Pitch”:
    • Create a single slide without text and present in under 3 minutes.
    • Focus on What → How → Why flow.
    • Gather feedback on visuals, clarity, and flow.
  • 5-Minute Talk for a General Scientist Audience:
    • Showcase the broad significance of your research to colleagues in other fields.
  • 3.5-Minute Collaboration Pitch:
    • Frame your project in a way that entices new collaborators or funders.

7. Conclusion & Next Steps

Communication is an ongoing journey of experimentation and refinement. By applying a thoughtful framework—starting with a clear purpose, structuring your message for the intended audience, and actively seeking feedback—you can continuously improve how you connect with others. And "non-sciency" storytelling and great visuals for a scientific audience works well too. There should be no hard lines between how one communicates to "scientists" vs "non-scientists"!

  • Plan your message with What → How → Why in mind.
  • Engage the brain’s natural response to stories, visuals, and emotional resonance.
  • Reflect & Iterate: Use exercises, audience feedback, and self-review to refine further.

Action Items
  • Talk to a stranger about your research this week! Notice which explanations or examples pique their interest.
  • Start on the workshop assignments: Full instructions here.
  • Gather feedback from peers, mentors, or laypeople; incorporate it into your next iteration.

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