Explaining Research: How to Reach Key Audiences to Advance Your Work

by Dennis Meredith

Overview

Explaining Research is the first comprehensive communications guidebook for scientists, engineers, and physicians. Drawing on knowledge gleaned from a forty-year career in research communications, Dennis Meredith maps out how scientists can utilize sophisticated tools and techniques to disseminate their discoveries to important audiences. He explains how to use websites, blogs, videos, webinars, old-fashioned lectures, news releases, and lay-level articles to reach key audiences, emphasizing along the way that a strong understanding of the audience in question will allow a more effective communication tailored to a unique background and set of needs. In addition to drawing on the experience of the author, the book also includes excerpts from interviews with 45 of the country's leading science communications experts, including academics, authors, journalists, and public information officers.

As the "information age" places new demands on scientists, Explaining Research will be a valuable resource not only for current professional scientists, but also for students who are the voice of the science community's next generation.

This authoritative guide shows how to:

BL Develop a "strategy of synergy" that makes research communication efficient and effective BL Give compelling talks BL Build a professional Web site BL Create quality posters, photos, animations, videos, e-newsletters, blogs, podcasts, and Webinars BL Write popular articles and books BL Persuade donors, administrators and other key funding decision-makers BL Produce news releases that attract media coverage BL Give clear media interviews BL Serve as a public educator in schools and science centers

Visit www.explainingresearch.com to learn more about the book and additional resources.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780199732050
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	02/25/2010
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	376
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.50(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Dennis Meredith's career as a science communicator has included service at some of the country's leading research universities, including MIT, Caltech, Cornell, Duke and the University of Wisconsin. He has worked with science journalists at all the nation's major newspapers, magazines, and radio and TV networks and has written thousands of news releases and magazine articles on science and engineering over his career.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Explaining Your Research Is a Professional Necessity 1

Part I Learning a New Communications Paradigm

1 Understand Your Audiences 17

2 Plan Your Research Communication Strategy 30

Part II Effectively Reaching Your Peers

3 Give Compelling Talks 39

4 Develop Informative Visuals 60

5 Create Effective Poster Presentations 68

6 Write Clear Research Explanations 71

7 Build a Quality Web Site 80

Part III Engaging Lay Audiences

8 Forge Your Research Communications Strategy 99

9 The Essential News Release 108

10 Craft Releases That Tell Your Research Story 116

11 Target Releases to Key Audiences 134

12 Produce Effective Research Photography 143

13 Produce Informative Research Videos 156

14 Organize Dynamic Multimedia Presentations 169

15 Create E-Newsletters, Wikis, Blogs, Podcasts, Social Networks, and Webinars 172

16 Write Popular Articles, Op-Eds, and Essays 194

17 Author Popular Books 213

18 Become a Public Educator 223

19 Persuade Administrators, Donors, and Legislators 231

Part IV Explaining Your Research through the Media

20 Parse Publicity's Pros and Cons 249

21 Understand Journalists 255

22 Meet Journalists' Needs 267

23 Prepare for Media Interviews 274

24 Make the Interview Work for You 286

25 Protect Yourself from Communication Traps 308

26 Manage Media Relations at Scientific Meetings 327

27 Should You Be a Public Scientist? 335

Index 341

Editorial Reviews

"If I was a scientist, I'd want this on my desk at once. And it's got some smart perspectives for journalists like me as well." — Deborah Blum, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and Director of the MIT Knight Science Journalism Program

"Explaining Research is clear, engaging, well written, and thorough. Dennis Meredith does a masterful job of meeting scientists where they are by touching on what interests them, what inspires them, and what they need to know to take their scientific story beyond the ivory tower. While there are many books out there that will help scientists communicate, this book goes beyond these by providing nuts-and-bolts advice on everything from how to create presentations to how to converse with colleagues, legislators, potentials funders, and the media." — Jeff Grabmeier, Senior Director for Research Communications, The Ohio State University

From the Publisher