SCIENCE WRITING

- is the latest form of Philippine Journalism.

Ø A science writer should be able to communicate clearly and effectively so that he can popularize and translate scientific
reports into stories.

Science News Writing Covers:

1.) Science News

2.) Science Editorial

3.) Science Feature

4.) Science Column Writing

Science News Reporting

Ø Is science writing by a scientist or by a non-scientist for mass consumption.

Ø His report is written for mass understanding.

Ø He writes his story in such a way that the science un-oriented reader may understand and appreciate it because it is written
in layman’s language.

Ø He writes his story in such a way that the science un-oriented reader may understand and appreciate it because it is written
in layman’s language.

Technical Writing vs. Non-technical Writing:

• the objective of technical writing is to emphasize hand information

• The main aim of journalistic writing is to inform, interpret, entertain, and to educate.

• Purpose of Technical Writing

- The main purpose of technical writing is to inform and persuade by providing facts and opinion based on facts that help
readers answer question, solve a problem, make a decision, or perform a task.

• Characteristics of Technical Writing:

It contains only factual information presented objectively.

All data could be verified and would not change unless new findings are made.

The writing depends on the author’s treatment of the subject and by the reader’s need to useful information.

Technical subject is specialized and usually mechanical or scientific.

• Specific Uses of Technical Writing Skills:

- Modern society is becoming highly technical

- Police and fire personnel write detailed incidents or investigation report that must be clear enough to serve as evidence
in court.

- Nurses and medical technicians keep daily records that are crucial to patients’ welfare particularly as bases for litigations

- Secretaries must write clear and precise memos, letters, minutes, and reports.

- Managers write memos, personal evaluation, requisitions, and instructions.

• Writing for Readers:

To define something – as to insurance costumer who wants to know what variable annuity means.

To explain something – as to a fellow teacher on how to write a news story.

To describe something – as to an architectural client who wants to know what a new addition to her home look s like.

To persuade someone – like to an adviser of a school paper to change page format.

* Do’s and Don’ts in Technical writing

Omit no key words

Avoid ambiguous phrases – in technical writing, a sentence should have one meaning only.

Avoid over-stuffing – a sentence that crams so many ideas, forces readers to struggle in order to get what is meant.

Avoid un-stacked modifiers – too many nouns stacked up as modifiers in front of another noun make for hard reading.

Rearrange word order – just as any paragraph has a key sentence, any sentence has a key word or phrase. For emphasis, place
the key word or phrase at the beginning or end of the sentence.

Use the active voice

Make sentences concise (brief) – a concise sentence is brief but informative. It gets right to the point w/o clutter.

Eliminate redundancy – avoid using phrase when a word will do.

Avoid needless repetition

Avoid “there” sentence openers – save words and improve your emphasis by avoiding “there is” and “there are” at the
beginning of the sentences.

11. Avoid certain “it” sentence openers – eliminate any ”It” that does not refer to somerthing specific.

12. Delete needless “to be” construction – forms of the verb “to be” (is, was, are) often add clutter w/o adding meaning.

13. Avoid excessive prepositions

14. Use “that and “which” sparingly

15. Fight noun addiction – excessive nouns make sentences awkward and wordy

16. Make negative positive – save words and get to the point by eliminating negative construction.

17. Clear out the clutter words

18. Delete needless preface – get to the point. Deliver to the point w/o a long wind-up.

19. Avoid triteness

20. Avoid over-statement

21. Avoid sweeping generalization

22. Use specific, concrete language.

Every Tuesday, the HEALTH & SCIENCE section helps readers make sense of the many products, claims and
studies that emerge daily. Through lively, sometimes humorous, but always rigorously researched stories, we try to
separate the truths from the half-truths to help people make smarter HEALTH & SCIENCE care choices for
themselves and their families.
We strip away the jargon to help readers understand the cutting-edge science and technology that affects their lives.
Our columnists and reporters tackle topics such as the search for extra-terrestrial intelligence, alternative energy,
rockets and dinosaurs. The clear, fun graphics of the weekly feature “Urban Jungle” are a great way for students to
understand the changing natural world at our doorsteps.
Whether we are exploring the effect of binge drinking on teen brains or explaining how touch screens actually work,
our approach is one that you’ll probably want to encourage in your students.
We practice some basic principles in reporting on HEALTH & SCIENCE:
We insist on getting information from the most reliable sources—the respected authorities in a particular field and
the most solid studies in peer-reviewed medical journals.
We’re fiercely independent of any commercial interest or advocacy group.
We respect our readers’ demand for good science, clear jargon-free language and well-labeled illustrations.
How could your students make use of the HEALTH & SCIENCE section? In the process of doing one of the
following, they will become more critical readers and thinkers. Suggested tasks include:
-Report on stories that affect their lives directly, such as stories on concussions in youth sports, school lunches or the
epidemic of childhood obesity.
-Read the archives, the Checkup blog (http://voices.washingtonpost.com/checkup/) or participate in
washingtonpost.com online chats with the HEALTH & SCIENCE sources and reporters.
-Distinguish claims from facts, labeling both where they find them.
-Describe the sequence of a physical exercise or scientific procedure.
-Evaluate whether, based on a report, a product seems worth their money.
-Begin a HEALTH & SCIENCE column in their school newspaper. Use one of the HEALTH & SCIENCE columns as
a model. Students could share their personal stories about how an activity or practice has improved their lives in ways
large and small.
Online at http://nie.washingtonpost.com, teachers will find curriculum guides that cover many subject areas. Here
are a few that are HEALTH & SCIENCE related:
“Insects That Bug Us:” Beginning with research on insects such as bedbugs, stink bugs, beetles, borers and ants,
students may engage in scientific and journalistic writing and create field guides, wanted posters and display cases.
“Let’s Move:” The national initiative to combat childhood obesity is the catalyst for articles and activities in this
guide.
“The Sea—Rich and Strange:” Students will learn about sustainability, environmental impact and supply and demand
in lessons in subjects ranging from science to art to economics.
Highlights of Health and Science
AnyBODY. Figuring out what helps—and harms—your body.
Consumer Reports Insights. Advice from Consumer Reports on everything from HEALTH & SCIENCE clubs to
the most nutritious berries.
Field of Inquiry. Q and A’s with people in science.
The Green Lantern. An environmental column that is produced by the Web magazine www.slate.com.
Science News. Weekly shot of news and notes.
Science Scan. The latest books, Web sites, television specials and DVDs.
How and Why. Explaining new technology.
Insuring Your Health. Understanding your health insurance options.
Medical Mysteries. The stories of patients with puzzling symptoms and how they got resolved.
Quick Study. Weekly digest of new research on major HEALTH & SCIENCE topics.
Urban Jungle. Graphics that explain the changing natural world at our doorsteps.
Get Acquainted with Health and Science
GENERAL PROCEDURE
A basic mission of a newspaper is to inform the public. Every Tuesday, HEALTH & SCIENCE appears in The Post.
This section is dedicated to examining the many facets of life that comprise personal HEALTH & SCIENCE
These exercises are designed to acquaint students with the HEALTH & SCIENCE section. In preparation for Level 3,
cut or print out and mount the cover story picture(s) from the HEALTH & SCIENCE section. Pictures appearing with
the cover story article on the inside of the section can also be mounted or projected.
Use your professional judgment. The HEALTH & SCIENCE Section cover story can be reserved when topics are
developmentally appropriate to the students’ level of understanding.

1. The cost of health care and medicines remains an issue of concern for many families. Have students read the
following HEALTH & SCIENCE features: Quick Study, Insuring Your Health, The Health Scan, and Letters. Reinforce
the purpose and focus of each.
Have students categorize the information into
•Useful information for students;
•Useful information for parents;
•Useful information for grandparents.
Articles in HEALTH & SCIENCE are often shared with family and friends. Have students select one item to share
with a parent, neighbor or other adult in the community. Why does the student think this information will be of
interest?

2. Have students track the Science Scan, Science News, and Health Scan features over a the period of a month and
keep a journal of unfamiliar words. As often as possible, assist students in using context to define these words in
their own terms. Simple definitions of purely technical terminology should be given to students if (1) the context is of
no help and (2) the word is important to understanding the article. Also encourage students to identify words from
their journal that begin with a familiar prefix or end with a familiar suffix. By knowing the meaning of the prefix or
suffix and identifying the root word, are they able to come up with a definition?

3. Use an LCD or interactive white board to display the cover picture from HEALTH & SCIENCE. Ask students to
carefully study the picture and to create a cover story headline based on the picture(s). Students should be reminded
that this section focuses on HEALTH & SCIENCE and its impact on society. Consequently, their suggested headline
should be HEALTH & SCIENCE-related and justified by references to information gathered from the picture study.
After students come to a consensus on one or two “best” headlines, share the actual headline. How close was their
prediction? An exact word-for-word match is not the goal.
Rather, how closely does the class headline capture the feature article’s topic or issue as reflected in the photograph
selected to illustrate it? Does the photograph illustrate society’s perception of the topic or the author’s thesis?
After facilitating a reading and discussion of the HEALTH & SCIENCE cover story, ask students to propose a moral or
philosophical question that is related to and/or raised by the article. For example, a feature on advances in medical
technology most often used in maintaining the body functions of “brain dead” patients can raise the issue of
euthanasia. A story about the long-term effects of atomic radiation as studied through Hiroshima survivors can
generate a debate surrounding the quick end brought to World War II versus the prospect of longer, more costly,
more global conventional fighting.
Once the issue-question is defined, ask students to contribute facts and viewpoints to a “Pro and Con” list. Prior
knowledge as well as information from the cover story can be used to contribute to the lists. The two lists will act as
the basis upon which each student is to develop two brief statements (3-5 paragraphs each) responding to the issue-
question: one “Pro” and one “Con.”
As with the creation of the “Pro and Con” lists, information researched from other sources can be used to develop
these statements.
Extension: Students may be invited to organize into debate teams to present their statements. In such a
presentation, however, each team should be ready to challenge the viewpoints and information presented by the
opposing team as well as to defend their own position during rebuttal.

Academic Content Standards and Skills

Maryland
Reading/English Language Arts, Students will read, use, and identifythe characterisitics of functional documents.
Virginia
English, The student will comprehend what is read from a variety of sources. Evaluate and synthesize information
from to apply in oral presentations.
Washington, D.C.
Reading/English Language Arts, Grade 5, Language as Meaning Making, The student develops understanding and
produces written work that restates or summarizes information.
Fundamental Skill:
Reinforce Interacting
Sub-skill Reinforcement
Following directions, locating information, categorizing, evaluating, analyzing, drawing conclusions, developing
visual imagery
Health, the Individual and Society
GENERAL PROCEDURE
This section focuses on HEALTH & SCIENCE and its impact on society. Understanding how articles about HEALTH
& SCIENCE relate to their personal lives might be difficult for younger HEALTH & SCIENCE students. The exercises
that follow present ways to get students to consider how HEALTH & SCIENCE issues and concepts relate to their
lives.
Have students scan the HEALTH & SCIENCE section to prepare for the following exercises.

1. Organize the class into groups of four or five students. Ask each group to scan the headlines and pictures in the
HEALTH & SCIENCE section and choose three articles that the group feels will have the most to say to students of
their age.
To assist in this exercise, the following statement can be completed for each of the selected articles: We believe
__________________ will have a lot to say to us because __________________. In reading this article, we
hope to learn these two things:
1.____________________________________________
2.____________________________________________
Consider modeling how to complete the assignment before asking students to begin their group work. For example,
We believe “Popcorn Earns Praise From Nutritionists” will have a lot to say to us because we like to eat popcorn at the
movies. In reading this article, we hope to learn these two things:
1. What makes corn pop?
2. Why popcorn is good for us. After reading the article, have students complete these statements:
In reading this article, we learned these two facts:
1.
2.
We do/do not need to change our habits because

2. At one time, the full title of the HEALTH & SCIENCE section was: “A Weekly Journal of Medicine, Health, Science
and Society.”
Consider including the following exercise as a part of a class discussion that will define “society” and examine its
connection to public HEALTH & SCIENCE.
Draw two large, intersecting circles on the chalkboard. Write “society” above one circle and “HEALTH” above the
other.
HEALTH
SOCIETY
With which of the two terms does each of the following words have the strongest association?
medicine laws
doctors prescriptions
government experiments
drugstores families
protection disease
research Food & Drug Administration (FDA)
cities neighborhoods
Write each word in the appropriate circle. If the class agrees that the association is equally strong or if the class is
split on the association, place the word in the circles’ intersection.
Other vocabulary may be added to the words to be associated. However, more than arriving at “correct” answers, the
purpose of the exercise is to demonstrate the close relationship between health and the structure that protects the
health of people who have chosen to live together in groups.
After they have read the cover story in HEALTH & SCIENCE, ask students to explain the impact of HEALTH &
SCIENCE issues on the individual and what the individual might expect from the government and community. Is the
focus of the article an individual’s issue and personal decision or is it one that government might be expected to
supervise or legislate to protect citizens?
3. Use the current or a previous edition of the cover story in HEALTH & SCIENCE to illustrate how writers will often
add sidebars or boxed “sub-articles” to the feature story to explain a concept, procedure or fact related to the primary
article. For example, a previous HEALTH & SCIENCE article on the effects of radiation also contained a boxed article
on the same page explaining how radiation is measured. Another feature article on chemical warfare was
supplemented by a sub-article on what tear gas does to the body. As another example, the same HEALTH & SCIENCE
section carried a story titled “Official Adoptions Are Increasing Among Blacks.” An appropriate sub-article might
describe the standard steps necessary to adopt a child.
Have students read the cover story or a feature article in the current edition of HEALTH & SCIENCE. As they read,
they should be alert to topics related to the article about which they would like more specific information. Students
are to choose one of these sub-topics and develop a brief, related article. When submitted, the student-article
(complete with boxing) should be accompanied by the article it is intended to upplement.
Obviously, the composition of such a sub-article will require research beyond the reading of the HEALTH &
SCIENCE story.
Extension: Many of the cover stories also have illustrations to assist comprehension and to explain procedures.
Another week, students could be asked to create an illustration to accompany the cover story or an article within
HEALTH & SCIENCE.

Academic Content Standards and Skills

Maryland
Reading/English Language Arts, Students will identify and use text features to facilitate understanding of
informational texts.
Virginia
English, Grade 4, The student will read and demonstrate comprehension of nonfiction. Use organizers, such as type,
headings, and graphics to predict and categorize information.
Washington, D.C.
Science, Grade 4, Life Science, The student examines the FDA recommendations and other data to know that food
provides energy and materials for growth and repair of body parts.
Fundamental Skill:
Reinforce Interpreting
Sub-skill Reinforcement:
Locating information, categorizing, comparing and contrasting, drawing conclusions, decision making
Small Steps to Health
GENERAL PROCEDURE
Students will read articles that address fitness and articles focusing on nutrition. Understanding the essential
concepts about nutrition and diet, understanding the relationship of family health to individual health, maintaining
mental and emotional health, and knowing essential concepts and practices concerning injury prevention and safety
are all part of national health standards.

1. Over a series of weeks have students print out the AnyBODY column found in HEALTH & SCIENCE. They may
read the articles and become familiar with the content, but wait to do this exercise when they have several examples
from which to select.
Have students select one of the columns as a model for a column they would like to write. They are to follow the
format.
Students are to choose their own topic and write a column. Ask them to give it their own title.
You may have students practice their keyboarding skills to prepare the columns for publishing. Students may read
their columns to the class or post them on a HEALTH & SCIENCE Issues bulletin board.

2. Direct students’ attention to the articles in HEALTH & SCIENCE that focus on diet and nutrition. Guide students
in a reading of the articles, giving particular attention to personal implications for eating and/or exercise habits. Each
student should be asked to decide which of the articles speaks most strongly to him or her. Though some students
may not mind sharing and explaining their choice, this should not be required of all students.
Students are to write a letter to that person whom they feel would be in the best position to support them as they
change their eating habits or increase their physical activity to become more HEALTH & SCIENCEy. This might be
the cafeteria manager who makes up the school menu. The person might be the family member who buys the
groceries and/or cooks the meals. The letter might be addressed to the school’s physical education teacher. Based on
information gained from the HEALTH & SCIENCE article, the letter should:
•Explain the change that is wanted,
•Explain why the change would be good for the writer,
•List specific changes the receiver of the letter is being asked to do to help bring this change about.

3. Have students imagine that they have been chosen as one of the student representatives on the President’s
Council for Physical Fitness. In preparation for their service, they are to research HEALTH & SCIENCE articles
suggesting nutrition, fitness and general HEALTH & SCIENCE concerns of importance to adolescents. This would
include any indication of trends within this age group regarding increasing HEALTH & SCIENCE problems or,
perhaps, increasing tendencies toward better eating and fitness practices.
Though many formats are possible, the “brief” prepared for presentation to the Council might be organized into three
sections:
•“HEALTH & SCIENCE Issues Impacting on the Adolescent of the Twenty-first Century”
•“Trends in Adolescent HEALTH & SCIENCE,” and
•“Recommended Presidential (National) Response(s).”

Academic Content Standards and Skills

Maryland
Reading, Students will demonstrate their ability to read for information by examining, constructing and extending
meaning from articles, editorials, content texts and other expository materials related to the content areas.
Virginia
Government, The student will understand that thoughtful and effective participation in civic life is characterized by
keeping informed about current issues.
Washington, D.C.
History, Grade 3, Social Diversity and Social Change, The student summarizes local and community issues found in
current events (newspaper articles, periodicals, magazines and journals).
Fundamental Aim:
Reinforce Developing Positive Attitudes and Personal Interests
Sub-skill Reinforcement:
Locating information, identifying, analyzing, categorizing, decision making, drawing conclusions, evaluating

The term science writing refers to writing about a scientific subject matter, often in a non-technical manner for
an audience of non-scientists (a form of journalism or creative nonfiction). Also called popular science writing. For
more information, visit the website of the National Association of Science Writers. (Definition No. 1)

Science writing may also refer to writing that reports scientific observations and results in a manner governed by
specific conventions (a form of technical writing).

More commonly known as scientific writing. (Definition No. 2)

Examples and Observations

 "Because science writing is intended to be entertaining enough to capture the continued interest of potential
readers, its style is much less somber than the usual scientific writing [i.e., definition No. 2, above]. The use
of slang, puns, and other word plays on the English language are accepted and even encouraged. . . .

"Distinguishing between science writing and scientific writing is reasonable—they have

different purposes and a different audience. However, one would be ill-advised to use the term 'science
writing' or 'popular writing' in a disparaging way. Writing (or providing consultation for others who are
writing) popularized accounts based on scientific research should be an important part of every scientists'
outreach activities. The wider community is essential to adequate support for scientific endeavors."
(Janice R. Matthews and Robert W. Matthews, Successful Scientific Writing: A Step-by-Step Guide for the
Biological and Medical Sciences, 4th ed. Cambridge University Press, 2014)

 An Example of Science Writing: "Stripped for Parts": "Sustaining a dead body until its organs can be
harvested is a tricky process requiring the latest in medical technology. But it's also a distinct anachronism in
an era when medicine is becoming less and less invasive. Fixing blocked coronary arteries, which not long
ago required prying a patient's chest open with a saw and spreader, can now be accomplished with a tiny
stent delivered to the heart on a slender wire threaded up the leg. Exploratory surgery has given way to robot
cameras and high-resolution imaging. Already, we are eyeing the tantalizing summit of gene therapy, where
diseases are cured even before they do damage. Compared with such microscale cures, transplants—which
consist of salvaging entire organs from a heart-beating cadaver and sewing them into a different body—seem
 crudely mechanical, even medieval."
(Jennifer Kahn, "Stripped for Parts." Wired. March 2003. Reprinted in The Best American Science Writing
2004, edited by Dava Sobel. HarperCollins, 2004)

On Explaining Science

"The question is not "should" you explain a concept or process, but "how" can you do so in a way that is clear and so
readable that it is simply part of the story?

"Use explanatory strategies such as . . .

- Active-voice verbs
- Analogies and metaphors
- Backing into an explanation, that is, explaining before labeling
- Selecting critical features of a process and being willing to set aside the others, as too much explanatory detail will
hurt rather than help.

"People who study what makes an explanation successful have found that while giving examples is helpful,
giving nonexamples is even better.

"Nonexamples are examples of what something is not. Often, that kind of example will help clarify what the thing is.
If you were trying to explain groundwater, for instance, you might say that, while the term seems to suggest an actual
body of water, such as a lake or an underground river, that would be an inaccurate image. Groundwater is not a body
of water in the traditional sense; rather, as Katherine Rowan, communications professor, points out, it is water
moving slowly but relentlessly through cracks and crevices in the ground below us. . . .

"Be acutely aware of your readers' beliefs.

You might write that chance is the best explanation of a disease cluster; but this could be counterproductive if your
readers reject chance as an explanation for anything. If you are aware that readers' beliefs may collide with an
explanation you give, you may be able to write in a way that doesn't cause these readers to block their minds to the
science you explain."
(Sharon Dunwoody, "On Explaining Science." A Field Guide for Science Writers, 2nd ed., ed. by Deborah Blum, Mary
Knudson, and Robin Marantz Henig. Oxford University Press, 2006)

The Lighter Side of Science Writing

"In this paragraph I will state the main claim that the research makes, making appropriate use of 'scare quotes' to
ensure that it's clear that I have no opinion about this research whatsoever.

"In this paragraph I will briefly (because no paragraph should be more than one line) state which existing scientific
ideas this new research 'challenges.'

"If the research is about a potential cure, or a solution to a problem, this paragraph will describe how it will raise
hopes for a group of sufferers or victims.

"This paragraph elaborates on the claim, adding weasel-words like 'the scientists say' to shift responsibility for
establishing the likely truth or accuracy of the research findings on to absolutely anybody else but me, the journalist. .
. ." (Martin Robbins, "This Is a News Website Article About a Scientific Paper." The Guardian, September 27, 2010)
How to avoid common mistakes in science writing
In science writing, as in life, a good checklist can prevent embarrassing mistakes. Here is one that
will help you dodge some common pitfalls

1. Are you exaggerating?

The most exciting thing about science is that it can have great implications for the future. It is very easy to use these
implications as a hook to draw readers. Writers of press releases and promoters of their own work (even if they are
respected scientists) can often overstate their case to sell their ideas, which is why – when writing your own science
story – you should always be sceptical (see point 2).

Only a few science papers published in any year will actually lead to great advances or have wide-reaching
implications. Are you sure you are writing about such science? You don't want to write stories such as "Recreational
pot use harmful to young people's brains", only to be shot down.

2. Did you check with an independent expert?

Unless you are the expert in a field of research, you won't be in a position to judge whether the findings of a research
paper stand. Peer review is no guarantee that the study doesn’t still have flaws. Be sure to contact an authority in that
field and ask them to read the research paper. Ask them the hard questions. Force them to reveal limitations. Chances
are that the science is solid but those bold claims in the paper about what the science can achieve don't stand up to
the scrutiny of an independent expert (see point 1).

3. Have you edited your own writing?

As the old adage goes: writing is mostly rewriting. First drafts are hard, but your story is not ready until it has
undergone many, many edits.

If you can, take a good night's sleep after writing your first draft. When you wake up and read it again, you will find
many places where edits are needed. That is not something to be ashamed of. Instead, take that opportunity to ensure
it makes effortless reading. Fill gaps to maintain logical consistency. Cut out superfluous words. Get rid of
unnecessary detail.

4. Are you mixing metaphors or overusing them?

Ask any good writer and they will gladly admit to heeding the advice of George Orwell: use metaphors sparingly. If
you do use them, don't mix them.

Science writer Jacob Aaron got it right: "Analogies in science writing are like forklift trucks – when used correctly
they do a lot of heavy lifting, but if you don't know what you're doing you'll quickly drive them into a wall of laboured
metaphors and cause some major damage."

5. Are you lecturing your readers?

No one likes to be talked down to, not even students in a lecture hall. When writing, assume that your readers have no
knowledge beyond high school science, but always respect their intelligence. Nothing is more off-putting than
condescension.

6. Have you checked your facts?

No matter how good your story is, factual errors can kill it. Double-check and triple-check from original sources that
you have your facts right. Don't rely solely on Wikipedia. Don't trust the numbers even if they come from the mouth
of a respected scientist.
 7. Would your mum read it without putting it down?

In the process of writing a story, you will have spent a lot of time doing research and learned plenty of things about
the science. But don't try to fit them all into your story, because you will lose the most interesting parts in the detail.

Stay focused on what is most interesting in your 800-word article, and bring it out for the reader.

8. Have you got feedback from a friend?

Your mum may not be your best critic. So before you enter your story for a competition or send it to an editor, get a
friend or colleague to read it. Having spent many hours working on the same story can make obvious mistakes
invisible to the writer. A fresh pair of eyes will catch those.

Do …

• Check your facts

• Edit your own writing

• Get a friend to read your draft

Don't …

• Exaggerate

• Overuse or mix metaphors

• Talk down to the reader

Akshat Rathi is the science and data editor of The Conversation UK

The Wellcome Trust Science Writing Prize, in association with the Guardian and the Observer, is open for entries.
The closing date is 11 May 2014

Coming up in this series

How to …

• report from a science conference

• pitch your articles to editors

• set up a science podcast.

Do’s and Don’t for interviews

In a nutshell:
DO:
 Use open questions. Closed questions (that can be answered with a yes or no) have their place in an interview,
but open questions can invite more thoughtful answers.
 Be mindful of your body language. Keeping your arms uncrossed, smiling and good (but not continuous) eye
contact can help put your interviewee at ease.
 Break out of the norm. You don’t have to stay sat in a person’s office. You might get your best material whilst
queuing up with them to pick up their dry cleaning.
 Wrap up well. Ask at the end of the interview if there’s anything else they want to add.

DON’T:
 Be shy to ask for more. If you need more detail from an answer, just ask. “Can you tell me more about that?”,
“When you say ‘It was unexpected’, in which ways do you mean?”.
 Stop listening too soon. It’s often said that you can get the best material at the end of an interview, as your
interviewee relaxes. Keep listening, and even perhaps recording, so you don’t miss out on any unexpected gems.
 Skimp on the research. You don’t need to show off all you know, but you do need to have sufficient background
on your interviewee to be able to ask the right questions.
 Panic! Unless things go disastrously wrong, most interviewees will be happy to follow up any queries with you by
phone or email after an initial interview.

tips on how to write a news story from a research paper.

Most journalists want to break exclusives, but a lot of what scientist journalists write is based on the latest findings
published in academic journals. So here are some guidelines on how to write a great news story from a research
paper.
1. Find a good paper
Thousands of scientific papers are published each week. The majority will not make good news stories. Look for
work that is entertaining, fascinating, important or controversial. Ask yourself: will anyone care? Be brutal about this.
Move on if the answer is no.
2. Read it
You cannot cover a paper properly without reading it. The abstract will give the barest essentials. You need to read
the introduction for context, the discussion and conclusions for take-home messages. Check the methods. Was the
experiment well designed? Was it large enough to draw conclusions from? Find weaknesses and flaws. You will
probably need help to work out how fatal they are. Spend time on the results. Have the authors omitted key data?
Look at odds ratios, error bars, fitted curves and statistical significances. Are the results robust? Do they back up the
scientists’ conclusions? Remember: nematodes, fruit flies and mice are not humans, and what happens in a Petri
dish won’t necessarily happen in a person. Read the supplementary material too. You will find gems.
3. Vested interests
Check for conflicts of interest. These should be declared at the end of the paper, but make your own checks too.
Plenty of scientists have financial links with companies. The reader might want to know about them.
4. Get context
Science builds on science. Know the previous studies that matter so you can paint a fuller picture. If your story is
about chimps in Guinea using cleavers and anvils, you might mention the different tools that chimps in the Republic
of Congo use for termite fishing.
5. Interview the authors
Write from the paper alone and your news story will be dull. Interviews with authors will give you the colour to tell a
story. How did the face transplant patient react when they looked in the mirror? What possessed the authors to study
spiders on cocaine? How did it feel to unearth the remnants of an ancient hearth, knowing a Neanderthal sat in the
same spot 40,000 years ago?
Get them to explain their results and justify their conclusions. What do the results mean in plain English? What do
they not mean? Ask your questions in simple language to get answers you can quote. Run phrases you might use
past the authors, so they can warn you of howlers. Do not ask multi-part questions: you will not get full answers.
Remember that papers can take months to appear in journals, so find out how the work has moved on since the work
was submitted.
Think about whom you want to interview. First authors are generally the graduate students or postdocs who did all
the work. Last authors are often senior scientists. On a good day, a senior author will give you the clearest
explanation, the perfect quote, and the richest context. On a bad day, they will have no recollection of the paper their
name appears on.
6. Get other scientists’ opinions
Send the paper to a handful of experts to check. You will find people in the paper’s references, or on Google Scholar.
Chat about the paper on the phone. Some scientists will email you thick paragraphs of reaction. You might salvage a
sentence or two, but email makes for clunky quotes: people do not speak the way they write. Ask your expert if the
work looks sound or flakey. What does it add? What is the striking result? Will it be controversial? What fresh
questions does it raise? Comments from other scientists will always improve your story. They will also save you from
writing a story you wish you had never touched.
7. Find the top line
You’ve read the paper, interviewed the authors and discussed the work with other experts. Now you need to find the
top line. One option is what drew you to the paper in the first place. But there will be others. Go over your interviews.
What stood out as most fascinating, alarming, amusing, or important? Does it make for a stronger angle? Bear in
mind that the story you should tell your readers might not be the story the authors want you to tell your readers.
8. Remember who you are writing for
The reader may be clever and curious about the world. But do not assume they are scientists, or that they have time
to read boring, unimportant or incoherent stories. Make your story clear and informed. Science can be hard enough
without the technical terms, so use simple words. Do not patronise the reader. Respect them and be honest. Make
them glad they read you.
9. Be right
Don’t write a story that is wrong. This is harder than it sounds. Most scientific papers are wrong, thanks to poor study
designs, author biases, small sample sizes and other problems. So don’t make things worse by introducing errors of
your own. Check everything. Mistakes leave readers confused and misinformed. They will undermine your credibility
too. Call a shrew a rodent and your soricid story is ruined.
10. Write well
Reporters often pick the same papers to cover. Why should anyone read you? You must have something to add.
Make an effort to get the details that readers want to know. And learn how to write well. Find a clear path through the
story and build one paragraph after another in logical order. Stick to one idea for each paragraph. Read Strunk and
White until you can hear them tutting as your type. Even the shortest stories can be memorable in the hands of a
good writer.
In a nutshell:
Do
• Speak to the authors and get independent comment from scientists in the same field
• Get your facts straight
Don’t
• Patronise your readers
• Mistake fruit flies, mice or Petri dishes for people