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Conveying Science to Lay Audiences

Susan Donaldson, Water Quality SpecialistClaudene Wharton, State Communications Specialist

Why are you writing for a lay audience?

You have information you want to share You have something you want the lay

audience to do Obviously people should care about your

work Grant requires it (some submittals

require a lay summary) Boss requires it

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Why should anyone read what you write?

What does your fact sheet need to do?

Attract the intended readers’ attention Hold the audience’s attention Make them feel respected and

understood Help them understand the messages Motivate them to take action (when

appropriate)

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What’s a fact sheet?

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Wikipedia definition A fact sheet, factsheet or (in some industries)

one-sheet is a presentation of data in a format which emphasizes key points concisely. The layout is simple and often standardized, e.g. using a table, bullet points and/or headings, and is usually on a single printed page.

Fact sheets often contain product information, technical data, lists, statistics, answers to common questions (e.g. FAQs), educational material, or how-to, "do-it-yourself" advice. They are sometimes a summary of a longer document.

UNCE definition

Fact Sheets (FS) are concise, peer-reviewed publications with a targeted or narrow focus.

Generally the equivalent of one to four 8 ½ X 11 pages or fewer.

Fact sheets may be up to six pages in length when additional tables or graphics are added.

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The rules of writing for a lay audience

Know your audience and write/design with the audience in mind

Engage the reader Write clearly Appearance matters Proof carefully Try it out with several audience members

First step: Who’s the audience?

Write for your audience. Make sure you know who your audience

is – don't guess or assume. Use language your audience knows and

feels comfortable with.

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What you need to know Who is my audience? ◦ Age group◦ Cultural diversity◦ Education and literacy levels◦ Interests◦ Expectations

Where do I find this info?

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/32000.html

http://www.sba.gov/content/demographics http://www.brookings.edu/research/topics

/demographics Ask about previous characterizations Talk to members of the audience

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What you need to know

What does my audience already know about the subject?

What does my audience care about? What does my audience need to know? What do I want the audience to do?

Work back from there. What questions will my audience have?

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Engage your audience

What are their needs, beliefs or values, interests and level of knowledge about the topic?

What’s the best way to reach them? Print, audio, video, social media, etc.?

Think about how you will distribute the materials

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Engage the reader

Make sure they know the purpose and usefulness of the material

Remember – you know a lot about the subject, but they may know little or nothing

Just because you’re interested doesn’t mean the reader is – you have to capture their interest

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Determine key concepts to convey Focus on what is useful to your audience

Write clearly

Most readers will only skim and skip around. Make the most important information stand out.

Use common, everyday words.

Avoid jargon and acronyms

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More writing and design tips Frame messages in a positive way Keep sentences short Use the active voice (the subject in the

sentence performs the action expressed by the verb)

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Active or passive?

A new system of drug control laws was set up.

These results indicate a number of things. Research points to heart disease as the

leading cause of death in the United States.

Gender training was conducted in six villages, thus affecting social relationships.

Mistakes were made.

More writing and design tips Use common, everyday words Be direct, specific and concrete Make the design easy-to-read Organize in a logical way with headings,

sections, etc.

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Alternative words

Use, not utilize About, not regarding Skill, not proficiency Need, not necessitate If, not in the event of Start, not commence

http://www.plainlanguage.gov/howto/wordsuggestions/simplewords.cfm

Before

Utilize a shovel or other garden instrument for weed removal on invaded properties.

After

Use a shovel to dig up the weed.

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Before

There is no escaping the fact that it is considered very important to note that a number of various available applicable studies ipso facto have generally identified the fact that additional appropriate nocturnal employment could usually keep juvenile adolescents off thoroughfares during the night hours, including but not limited to the time prior to midnight on weeknights and/or 2 a.m. on weekends.

Rewrite this:

After

Studies have found that more night jobs would keep youths off the streets.

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Before (EPA)

This program promotes efficient water use in homes and businesses throughout the country by offering a simple way to make purchasing decisions that conserve water without sacrificing quality or product performance.

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After (EPA)

This program helps homeowners and businesses buy products that use less water without sacrificing quality or performance.

Creating effective materials

Both text and design must be good Make sure you’re designing and writing

for the specific audience Yes, it’s art! And subject to disagreement.

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Layout: appearance matters

Attract the reader’s attention Use visuals to cue memory Graphics are better than tables; tables are

better than lengthy text Allow plenty of white space The layout should guide the reader from

section to section

Design a draft

Give the most important information first Tell them what to do (if the focus is on

action) Explain why the action or information is

important to them Repeat the action

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Design a draft

Stick to one idea at a time Don’t skip back and forth Avoid lengthy lists – use bullets or

subheads to break things up

Design a draft

Use short sentences and simple words Tell a story Don’t preach Use illustrations or photos that relate

directly to the information in the fact sheet and reinforce key messages

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Use visuals to enhance meaning

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More on visuals

Include only one message per visual or it may confuse audience

Label visuals with captions Visual should emphasize or explain the

text Show actions you want audience to take –

focus on the positive action rather than what not to do

Which would you rather read?

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Technical stuff

Use 12 pt font as a guideline – older readers need larger print

Headings should be at least 2 pts larger than main font

Serif fonts are easier to read for printed materials

Check the readability index – what grade level are you trying to achieve?

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What’s a readability index?

MS Word uses Flesch-Kincaid scores Tend to underestimate actual reading

grade level Means that words and sentences are

roughly the same average length as those in textbooks for kids in that grade

What’s Flesch reading ease?

Scale from 0 to 100 Higher scores are easier to read Department of Defense uses this

Score Notes

90.0 –100.0 Easily understood by an average 11-year-old student (Grade 5)

60.0 – 70.0 Easily understood by 13- to 15-year-old students (Grades 8-9)

0.0 – 30.0 Best understood by university graduates

90-100 : Very Easy 80-89 : Easy 70-79 : Fairly Easy 60-69 : Standard 50-59 : Fairly Difficult 30-49 : Difficult 0-29 : Very Confusing

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How reliable are readability formulas? Assumes longer words are harder words;

counts letters or syllables Assumes longer sentences are harder

sentences; counts number of words per sentence

Formatting can cause errors Ignores the reader’s input – experience,

literacy skills, knowledge It’s more important that the reader knows

the words you are using

Which is easier to understand and do? Write down your

first name. Now put down your

middle initial and your last name.

Fill in your age on the next line.

Enter your gross annual income.

Add all your assets in real estate, stocks and bonds.

Figure your tax from the table.

Same readability score!

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Readability scores can’t tell you if the fact sheet is clear and effective

Might look like it’s going to be hard to read

Might be too hard to follow or understand

Might not attract and hold reader’s interest

Purpose/usefulness might be unclear Might be culturally unsuitable

Proof carefully

Check spelling, grammar and punctuation We use AP Style Guide and UNR style

guide Be consistent Look for line breaks that don’t belong, or

lost text Use page numbers to aid the reader Have someone else read it

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Try it out

Have members of the target audience read it

Do they understand it? Do they interpret the information the

way you want? Do they know what to do next? What would they change?

Edit and edit some more

No matter how much you edit, there may still be errors!

Have someone new look at it.

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Writing press releases

Who, what, where, when, why, how

What’s in it for me?

Quotes Background or

larger picture

Writing press releases Facts and figures that are impactful Simple, clear, active language, logically

organized Tell a story Include a call to action Proof it!

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So now you have a press release…

Coordinate with PR people early Blitz all the media at once Plan ahead Use social media and other venues Identify the target market to determine the

venues Team up with other agencies Keep your message consistent Be creative and think like your target market Cross promote media efforts

How to approach the media

Newspapers: life editors, city editors, calendar editors, environmental reporters

Ask about deadlines and meet them Ask how they want it and provide it that

way – may be direct digital submission Don’t oversell it – you’ll lose credibility Do strongly sell major events/issues

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Keeping the media happy

Don’t turn down an interview request after sending out a press release

Go the extra mile – get them a photo or graphic if requested

Help by suggesting others to interview Treat them like professionals, not

adversaries

Preparing for a TV interview

Solid-colored shirts, not white Look at reporter or camera as directed Use short, clear sentences Use the name of your organization, not

“we” Prepare 3 main points and deliver them Give reporter a copy of the press release

and your contact info Ask if they need anything else

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Preparing for phone interviews

Have all the information you might need on your desk in front of you

Put calls on hold and mute cell phones Shut your office door Write down 3 main points, and make

them Make sure the reporter has a copy of the

press release Ask if they need anything else

General interview tips

Tell the truth Be patient and friendly Be consistent Smile whenever appropriate Don’t be defensive and never lose your

temper Don’t use jargon If you don’t know, say so

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General interview tips

Never speculate – stick to the facts. Percentages and comparisons are best.

Have 3 key points in mind before the interview and come back to them

Never say “no comment” Don’t guess. It’s ok to say “I don’t know”

or “I’Il have to get back to you.” Be brief if you want to be quoted; be

lengthy if you don’t

General interview tips

Answer the question and transition to your key points. Repeat them at the end.

You’re in control – you’re the one with the information!

Don’t feel rushed to answer. They can edit.

Be gentle when correcting the reporter –put it back on yourself (“let me explain this a different way.”)