Magna Carta
Our communications philosophy in a (visual) nutshell
Our goal is to help you communicate your research to external audiences as concisely and clearly as possible. In a way that clarifies and convinces, even before audiences can formulate their questions and doubts. This graphic recording lays out many of the foundations of our philosophy. You are welcome to re-use the visual as long as you cite this website as the source.
Tip Sheet 72
“If no one understands the science, it doesn’t exist”: the importance of knowing your audience
You know the conundrum: if a tree falls in a forest without witnesses, does it make a sound? Science tells us that sound waves need no listener to exist, but scientific results are not so lucky: if no one considers your experiments important, they may as well not exist. This Tip Sheet discusses the need to know your target audience and to optimize your communication accordingly.
Tip Sheet 36
Empowering your scientific language by making it “visualizable”
Francis Crick observed, “There is no form of prose more difficult to understand and more tedious to read than the average scientific paper.” Most scientific research deals with ideas that we cannot easily visualize with our eyes or even with our “mind’s eye”. This Tip Sheet describes some ways to write “visually” to make your work clearer and more attractive.
Tip Sheet 102
Guide your listeners along the red thread, so they don’t hang by one
William Shakespeare wrote, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet”. Likewise, a scientific talk by any other name would fill most people with dread. This Tip Sheet describes some ways to create a more coherent story.
Mimicry, your ego, and your research story
When you present your own work, you want to sound like established scientists in your field, so you borrow elegant turns of phrase from their papers and conference talks. But this often leads you to dress up your unique story in someone else’s clothes, with unfortunate consequences. This Tip Sheet encourages you to focus on your real story, not some shiny packaging.