Communicating science to the general public almost requires a second language. Where you’re used to long strings of Latin- and Greek-based scientific vocabulary, everyday readers prefer shorter words and sentences. They may be very interested in your research, but they need you to communicate with them in the language they use.
You may be inexperienced writing for general audiences. Here are ten practical tips to help you share your research with readers who crave to hear it, and to perhaps attract readers with less of an interest in science but a curiosity about your topic and the world.
1. Stop Writing Chronologically
This might be the hardest habit to break. Scientific papers follow a rigid structure:
- introduction (previous research)
- methods (how you did it)
- results (what you found)
- discussion (what it means)
This chronological approach mirrors how research unfolds, but a general audience wants to know how your research benefits them or, at the very least, an interesting fact about your research.
You may cringe at how the news reports on science (we do, too). But remember that news outlets and magazines know how to trigger readers’ interest and to build a story for general audiences: the headline and first paragraph attract attention and explain the most important information first. The details come later for readers who want to go deeper.
2. Avoid Jargon (or Define It Immediately)
Every field has its specialized vocabulary, but terms like “systemic autoimmune markers” or “aberrant splicing” create instant barriers.
For example, avoid this: “We observed significant upregulation of inflammatory cytokines.” Try this instead: “Certain proteins cause inflammation in the immune system under the right circumstances. We found that some of these proteins increased dramatically.”
Watch out especially for terms that sound plain but aren’t. “Real-world data” and “real-world evidence” are common in scientific writing, but they sound bizarre to non-scientists. “As opposed to what? Fake-world data?” they may ask.
What you mean is “data from actual patients in normal medical care” rather than “data from controlled clinical trials.” Be clear about what kind of real-world data or evidence you’re talking about and describe it.
Writing without most of your daily vocabulary will feel inefficient and verbose. Our example sentence in the second paragraph of this section starts with seven words and expands to 21. That’s why areas of research come with defined jargon.
However, when communicating with the general public, a little verbosity can go a long way in clarifying your message.
3. Explain Why It Matters as Soon as Possible
Readers want to know why they should care about your research. The best way to accomplish that is to explain how your research affects them.
You can explain the importance of your research either within the first two paragraphs or use it as a headline.
Again, study popular media headlines to better understand this. Although you don’t want to sound like clickbait, focussing on the human angle, the real-world impact, or the fascinating question can increase your readership.
This will also help you avoid chronological structure, because you’ll give general readers the context important to them for understanding your work.
To scientists, the context created by existing research and the missing question your study hopes to answer is paramount. But to readers? Their lives are the context.
4. Tell Stories, Not Just Facts
Even science is told in stories. How many Star Trek viewers could tell you that tetryon particles exist, but couldn’t tell what on earth they actually were? And what’s a positronic brain, anyway? Many viewers won’t know, but they’ll know that Data and Lore each have one.
Frame your research as a story with a beginning, middle, and end. You likely won’t open with a captain’s log entry, but you could start with a surprising discovery, a patient who inspired your work, or a mystery your field has been trying to solve for decades.
Stories create emotional engagement and make information memorable. They also make your work feel real rather than abstract.
Just remember: stay focused on the reader and their interests.
5. Put Those Psych 101 Test Skills to Use
You remember them: entire multiple-choice questions based on analogies. We’ll put an easy one here:
The unconscious is to Freud as the collective unconscious is to _____.
- Jung
- Skinner
- Pavlov
- Maslow
You’ve also likely seen these common analogies in everyday news, magazines, and blogs: comparing DNA to a blueprint, the immune system to an army, or neurons to electrical wiring. These connect scientific knowledge to the world a reader is likely already familiar with.
6. Embrace the Active Voice
The passive voice dominates academic writing, but it creates distance and confusion for general readers.
Passive: “It was found that the bacteria were resistant to multiple antibiotics.”
Active: “We discovered bacteria that resisted multiple antibiotics.”
Active voice is clearer, more engaging, and helps readers follow who did what.
Furthermore, placing yourself into the story in small quantities will remind the reader they’re interacting with another person. Don’t dominate your article, and some passive voice is acceptable. But strike a balance.
7. Use Shorter Paragraphs and Sentences
Long paragraphs and complex sentences exhaust readers. Aim for variety in sentence length, but when in doubt, shorter is better. Even consider returning to grade nine English: a short introductory paragraph followed by paragraphs where each one contributes one main point to the article. Finish with a concluding paragraph.
Avoid what we in the writing and marketing industries call “walls of text.” For online writing, if your paragraph is over three sentences, it’s probably too long. For newspaper and popular magazine writing, two sentences is about the maximum.
You don’t need to follow these rules like a soldier, but let them guide you. Following a structure of short paragraphs gives readers’ eyes and brains room to breathe.
8. Show With Examples
Abstract explanations go only so far. Concrete examples bring concepts to life.
Instead of explaining that climate change affects ecosystems, describe how warming waters pushed a specific fish species 200 km north, disrupting the fishing communities that depended on it.
Or, better yet, describe something very personal to the reader. Examples might include estimates of how much global warming is costing the average homeowner in electricity to cool down the house and additional water to keep that lawn green.
9. Anticipate Your Reader’s Questions
Put yourself in the shoes of someone who knows nothing about your field. What would confuse them? What would they wonder about? Address these questions before they arise. If you have a hard time changing your perspective, consider asking your preferred generative AI platform for some help.
One major question you must answer, though, is this: Why should the reader trust what you say? Don’t rest on your laurels. Explain in appropriate language and detail how you came to your conclusion, how some tools you use work, and/or how colleagues and other researchers in your field evaluate your work.
Do not go into great detail here. But phrases like “after scientific review” or “scientific consensus” can sound like you’re hiding information from readers.
10. Get Feedback From Non-Experts
Your colleague down the hall might not be the best judge of your public-facing writing. Find someone outside your field—a friend, family member, or neighbour—and ask them to read your draft.
Where do they get confused? Where do they lose interest? What questions do they have?
You are never required to make changes someone else suggests. But give them consideration.
The Summary: Share Your Information With Empathy
Some scientists worry that writing in plain language means losing precision or credibility. You’re not condescending when you write clearly. You’re being generous and inviting people into your world rather than keeping them outside the gates.
Writing for the public takes practice, but it’s one of the most valuable skills you can develop as a scientist. Public understanding drives support for research funding, informs policy decisions, and inspires the next generation of scientists.
Your research matters. Make sure people can understand why. Contact us via the form below for help with your general audience writing pieces.