As scholars, we train rigorously in our fields, and learn to communicate with each other, but not the people most impacted by our work. How can we learn to do better? The world and the Church need us.
I’m an academic, but I spend more time writing for lay audiences than scholarly ones. I’ve done my share of academic writing, from undergraduate essays, to grant proposals, science articles, and poster presentations. I even teach students how to do this.
As a science communicator, I’ve realized that there is a need for scholars to communicate better to lay audiences. We train rigorously in our fields and learn to communicate our findings to each other, but not the people most impacted by them. We need to do better. If we believe our research and work are important and of value to audiences beyond the walls of our institutions, we must find ways to share it.
In some disciplines, like science, the stakes are high if we don’t do our part in public engagement. From climate change to vaccines, misinformation and fear are rampant. We need trustworthy translators, experts who can meet people where they are and who can fill in the gap between academia and the general public.
In this piece, I offer five tips to help academics who seek to grow in communicating to lay audiences.
1. Start a Blog. One of the easiest ways to get better at communicating to lay audiences is by practicing, and what better way to do that than by starting your own blog? Especially if you are new to writing, and don’t have the confidence to pitch your writing to more established platforms. Or perhaps, your pitches have been turned down. Don’t get discouraged by that. This is new to you, and anything new can take time to master.
Even if you start a blog, and no one ever reads it (I can assure you that this won’t happen, believe me, at the very least your friends or family will support you in this endeavor), remember that you are getting much-needed practice. Also, starting your own blog is a great way to build a writing portfolio. It can help open the door for more writing and public-facing communication opportunities. It can help you connect with others who share your interests and passions. And, it can help prepare you to write a book for broader audiences, or even get a job outside of academia if you so desire.
And don’t worry, you don’t have to be a tech guru to start a blog, and you don’t have to build your own website from scratch. Several online platforms allow you to create a simple blog-style website using templates for free, and even curate readership through newsletters and email sign-up (i.e. Substack). Do your own research to find out which platform is best for you.
For those who absolutely despise writing, and would rather grow in communicating to lay audiences in other ways, consider starting a social media account to practice public speaking there. You can make videos where you explain a recent scientific paper, unpack complex theories, review a book, or talk about anything in your field really that interests you. Or, consider giving a talk or leading a topical bible study at your church. These are great ways to advance public understanding of your discipline, while also growing as a communicator.
2. Adjust Your Reading Level. If you decide to start a blog to practice writing for lay audiences, you will need to make sure the reading level of your writing is appropriate. As scholars, we learn to write using technical language. We learn to communicate with those in our fields, and those in the academy. It can be hard to scale back on our technical jargon, because it can feel like we are watering things down. Perhaps we are afraid that we might miscommunicate something, or of the risk that our audience may misunderstand what we are trying to say. It can also be hard to evaluate ourselves when our reading level is very different from the audience we are trying to reach. How can we know if our writing will reach its intended audience?
Thankfully, there are free tools that can help assess the reading level of your writing, and serve as a personal editor, giving you tips on how to meet the needs of your audience. The Hemingway App is one of my favorite free and easy tools to use. You can copy and paste your text into the app, and it will immediately assess the reading level, and give you tips to bring that level down. I generally strive to help writers get their pieces to a reading level of Grade 9 (as in 9th grade). However, it is important to know that the average person in the US has a reading level of Grade 7. As you write, consider who you are writing for, and be considerate of their needs. As with any tool, the Hemingway App has its own limitations. I wouldn’t recommend following all of its advice, but use it as a guide to help you grow.
3. Teach Intro-Level Courses. I’ve heard many academics express more interest in teaching upper-level courses and courses for students majoring in their field, rather than lower-level courses for non-majors. Maybe I’m one of the odd ones, but I’ve always enjoyed teaching intro biology and working with non-majors the most. Perhaps it’s because of my passion for science communication. I see non-majors as an opportunity. My science class may very well be the last science class they ever take. I feel the burden of responsibility to teach them about how biology impacts their everyday lives, and I feel compelled to share the beauty and wonder of it all with them, in the hopes that maybe I’ll spark something in them too.
Truthfully, I can understand the preference to teach majors rather than non-majors. One reason is that majors tend to be more invested in the content than non-majors. Majors are usually taking your class because they genuinely want to learn the discipline of study. Non-majors are likely taking your class to fulfill a requirement that they may or may not be interested in. But I would like to advocate on behalf of our non-majors and our intro-level courses. They are important both for the students we are teaching and for ourselves as educators and growing communicators.
If we want to grow in communicating with lay audiences, we need opportunities to interact with them. What better way than to work with non-majors who are not experts, and oftentimes hesitant learners? It can be a great opportunity to practice explaining complex things to them and seeing what’s most effective. You can even ask them for feedback directly on student evaluations. Teaching intro-level classes and working with non-majors not only helps us grow as communicators,. iIt can give us a heart to reach those outside of academia. Learning to do this well can impart knowledge that yields dividends in unexpected ways.
4. Use Metaphors and Analogies. When it comes to breaking down technical information to audiences, metaphors, and analogies are your best friends. Metaphors and analogies will always have limitations, but that shouldn’t stop us from using them. If a metaphor helps someone better understand something that they wouldn’t understand without it, this is a win. Lay people will likely never understand the full complexity of what experts do when it comes to a topic, but that is never really the point. The point is to help them grasp it a little better.
Importantly, just because metaphors and analogies are useful, doesn’t mean that all are helpful. Some are more helpful than others, and some are just plain unhelpful. Consider the often overused analogy about mitochondria being “the powerhouse of the cell.” In this case, it isn’t the use of metaphor that is the problem, it is the choice of metaphor. We must be strategic with the metaphors we choose and analogies we use. They should be rooted in relevance with our intended audience. The word “powerhouse” is dated, and thus further disconnects us from our audience and them from us.
5. Start with the Bottom Line. Lastly, in a science communication class I teach, I share a communication toolkit from the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). This toolkit uses a diagram adapted from Nancy Baron’s Escape from the Ivory Tower, that models what science communication should look like to fellow scientists vs. what it should look like to lay audiences. It is a simple diagram that gets a very important point across: however you communicate in your field of study, you generally should do the exact opposite when communicating with lay audiences.
In a research talk to scientists, I might begin by giving a technical yet relevant background to help them understand my work. While everyone in my audience may be a scientist, scientists are a diverse group. We study different things, often using different tools and models. We are not experts in everything, mostly only on the very specific protein or pathway we are studying. Yet we are critical thinkers and can follow complex research talks not related to our own work, if provided enough background that is delivered well. After giving sufficient, but not exhaustive background in a research talk, I would then typically proceed to discuss my data, and end with the bottom line, what it all means, and broader impacts.
With lay audiences, we cannot afford to do all that. We will lose them the moment we start. Instead, we have to invert our model. We have to start with the bottom line. What does it all mean? Why does what we are working on matter? Who or what will be most impacted by our findings? Why should they care?
Concluding Thoughts
While these communication tips are not distinctly rooted in a Christian perspective, our motivation to use them should be. As Christians, the Gospel calls us to be communicators and to care deeply for those who need access to information. We are called to share the Gospel, which admittedly, isn’t always easy. It carries its own sets of challenges and barriers to its intended audience. We are called to be messengers of the Good News to a world that desperately needs it. Why shouldn’t we extend this calling to share our God-given passions and scholarly pursuits with those outside the academy who could benefit from that knowledge too?
In the spirit of Romans 10:14, how can we expect others to understand unless they hear? How can they hear except with a messenger? There is a particular need for scholars of faith to be messengers to lay audiences. The World but especially the Church needs us. We need scholars in the body of Christ to speak truth and knowledge with grace and conviction. By doing this, we can promote the flourishing of all, those in and outside of the Church. Sharing our knowledge and expertise glorifies God, and is an extension of love to others. May God give us a heart for those outside the academy, equip us and grant us opportunities to reach them.
Resources:
Hemingway App: https://hemingwayapp.com/
AAAS Science Communication Toolkit: https://www.aaas.org/resources/communication-toolkit
About the author:
Ciara Reyes-Ton is a biologist, science writer and editor who is passionate about science communication to faith communities. She has a Ph.D. in Cell & Molecular Biology from the University of Michigan, and a B.S. in Biology from Valparaiso University. She has served as Managing Editor for the American Scientific Affiliation's God & Nature Magazine, and previously taught Biology at Belmont University and Nashville State Community College. She is currently the Digital Content Editor for BioLogos and an Adjunct Professor at Lipscomb University. Outside science, she enjoys singing as part of her band Mount Carmell and drinking coffee. She recently released a new single "To Become Human," a song that explores the biology and theology of what it means to be human. She is also the author of "Look Closely," a science and faith devotional that explores the life of Christ by bringing scripture in conversation with science, from water walking lizards to dividing cells and resurrecting corals.