Synopses & Reviews
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:
· Develop a "strategy of synergy" that makes research communication efficient and effective
· Give compelling talks
· Build a professional Web site
· Create quality posters, photos, animations, videos, e-newsletters, blogs, podcasts, and Webinars
· Write popular articles and books
· Persuade donors, administrators and other key funding decision-makers
· Produce news releases that attract media coverage
· Give clear media interviews
· Serve as a public educator in schools and science centers
Visit www.explainingresearch.com to learn more about the book and additional resources.
Review
"Meredith delivers an avalanche of guidance on every facet of explaining research, from giving compelling Powerpoint presentations to advising museum exhibits, shooting videos, writing press releases, and talking with the media and with policymakers. Explaining Resarch includes some astonishing and useful minutiae: When writing for print or the Web, one should revise sentences that contain too many short letters such as a, c and n, because its easier to read text that combines short letters with tall ones. Readers are reminded to go to the bathroom before participating in Web conferences, and to wear tall socks for television interviews, lest their calves peek out below their pant legs." -- American Scientist
"Research Explainer Meredith provides more than an expression of opinion regarding the urgent need to reach the public and bridge the gap in science. He provides data and information on the trends that will be quite surprising to most scientists in his "Introduction: Explaining Your Research Is a Professional Necessity." The remainder of the book is a well thought out How-to guideline for scientists who wish to create a communication strategy that is effective in today's world. [Meredith] creates a compelling case to motivate scientists into action and he provides an authoritative guide to show how it can be done. Any scientist in today's culture of media should have 'Explaining Research' on hand."--The Physiologist
"...a huge range of tools and techniques are presented and successfully explained, with additional material available online through Meredith's blog and website. The book is consistently positive and encouraging, convincing the reader the step up and engage with the public, balancing aspirational suggestions with cautionary tales. Meredith wears his extensive experience lightly and his engaging style and up-to-date material are sure to make this book extremely popular as the need to tailor research communication to new audiences grows."--Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry
"During his 40-year career, veteran US science communicator Dennis Meredith has written thousands of press releases and magazine articles while serving a string of leading American universities. In Explaining Research: How to Reach Key Audiences to Advance Your Work Meredith distils this experience into a fabulous guide for scientists seeking to communicate the fruits of their labours. Meredith offers stacks of advice on everything from creating a great website and crafting a well-written press release to preparing online videos and writing a blog. It is inspiring stuff, yet rooted in reality for example, Meredith provides useful PowerPoint tips (F5 starts a presentation; the space bar shifts to the next slide) and offers a list of "thrifty" words that can substitute for long ones ("do" not "perform", "end" not "terminate" and so on)."-- Physics World
"An excellent guidebook, full of practical tips and advice and, just as important, key things to avoid and illustration of how not to do it, so that readers can, as the subheading says, 'reach key audiences to advance their research'." --Chemistry World
"A highly readable compendium of techniques to get your message out from a PR pro. No matter how good you are at gaining "mind-share", you will learn something new from this book."
-- Brian Snow, NSA IAD Technical Director, 1996-2002
"It is so important for scientists and engineers to communicate their work to the public no matter what field they are in. Explaining Research provides great advice to those new to the experience, and there's opportunity for the more experienced among us to learn, too." -- Peter Agre, M.D., Nobel Laureate
"This book is what every scientist needs - a communication coach who gives you the tools to succeed while simultaneously urging you forward and cheering you on." -- Bruce Lewenstein, Professor of Science Communication, Cornell University
"Explaining Research is a must-have, must-read not only for its primary target audience, scientists, researchers, and engineers, but also, given the new media landscape, for just about anyone eager to enhance his/her science communication skills." -- Ben Patrusky, Executive Director, Council for the Advancement of Science Writing
Listed in Science Book News
"The author shares a wealth of experience and common sense in this wide-ranging guide to communicating scientific research. Any researcher who samples this book's 27 clearly titled chapters will be better equipped to decide what is worth doing and how to get it done."
-- Elizabeth Bass, The Quarterly Review of Biology
Review
andldquo;Shipman has produced a much-needed resource for communications officers. Although intended for science communications, many of the strategies he describes, and much of the advice he imparts, would be valuable to any communications professional. Itandrsquo;s an engaging, accessibly written work that could easily become a standard reference guide in the field, as well as a teaching tool for students in communications studies. I would, without hesitation, recommend that any communications professional read this book.andrdquo;
Review
andquot;Matt Shipman has long been a thought leader among PIOs, and now we have a book that demonstrates why. Being a PIO can be a tough job, as it often means pleasing a number of masters at once. Shipman deftly guides readers through the minefields, unafraid to recommend the more difficult path if itand#39;s more ethical and likely to be effective. His specific advice on subjects from crisis communications to social media, and everything in between, makes this a book I hope all PIOs and public relations students will read.andquot;
Review
andldquo;Shipmanandrsquo;s Handbook for Science Public Information Officers is so smart and so insightful about communicating science that it would be a useful guide for anyone who cares about illuminating research and improving science literacy. Itandrsquo;s also so good at exploring the challenges and opportunities from a public information standpoint that it should be essential reading for anyone in the business.andrdquo;
Synopsis
In todayand#8217;s changing media landscape, institutions such as universities, state and federal agencies, laboratories, nonprofit organizations, and research societies increasingly employ science public information officers to get the word out about the scientific research they are conducting or sponsoring. These PIOs now outnumber traditional science journalists and are increasingly responsible for communicating science to wider audiences. In this book, reporter-turned-PIO W. Matthew Shipman offers guidance to both new and experienced PIOs about how to make good decisions and serve as effective liaisons between their institutions and the public. Throughout, he focuses on applying general principles of effective communication to the specific challenges of explaining complex science to nonexpert audiences, coaching scientists to interact with the media, and navigating the particular types of communications crises that arise out of scientific research.
Synopsis
Whether sharing a spectacular shot from a deep-space probe, announcing a development in genetic engineering, or crafting an easy-to-reference list of cancer risk factors, science public information officers, or PIOs, serve as scientific liaisons, connecting academic, nonprofit, government, and other research organizations with the public. And as traditional media outlets cut back on their science coverage, PIOs are becoming a vital source for science news.
W. Matthew Shipmanandrsquo;s Handbook for Science Public Information Officers covers all aspects of communication strategy and tactics for members of this growing specialty. It includes how to pitch a story, how to train researchers to navigate interviews, how to use social media effectively, and how to respond to a crisis. The handbook offers a wealth of practical advice while teaching science PIOs how to think critically about what they do and how they do it, so that they will be prepared to take advantage of any situation, rather than being overwhelmed by it.
For all science communicatorsandmdash;whether theyandrsquo;re starting their careers, crossing over from journalism or the research community, or professional communicators looking to hone their PIO skillsandmdash;Shipmanandrsquo;s Handbook for Science Public Information Officers will become their go-to reference.
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
Foreword
Introduction: Explaining Your Research is a Professional Necessity
Section I: Learning a New Communications Paradigm
Chapter 1: Understand Your Audiences
Chapter 2: Plan Your Research Communication Strategy
Section II: Effectively Reaching Your Peers
Chapter 3: Give Compelling Talks
Chapter 4: Develop Informative Visuals
Chapter 5: Create Effective Poster Presentations
Chapter 6: Write Clear Research Explanations
Chapter 7: Build a Quality Web Site
Section III: Engaging Lay Audiences
Chapter 8: Forge Your Research Communications Strategy
Chapter 9: The Essential News Release
Chapter 10: Craft Releases That Tell Your Research Story
Chapter 11: Target Releases to Key Audiences
Chapter 12: Produce Effective Research Photography
Chapter 13: Produce Informative Research Videos
Chapter 14: Organize Dynamic Multimedia Presentations
Chapter 15: Create E-Newsletters, Wikis, Blogs, Podcasts, Social Networks, and Webinars
Chapter 16: Write Popular Articles, Op-Eds, and Essays
Chapter 17: Author Popular Books
Chapter 18: Become a Public Educator
Chapter 19: Persuade Administrators, Donors, and Legislators
Section IV: Explaining Your Research Through the Media
Chapter 20: Parse Publicity's Pros and Cons
Chapter 21: Understand Journalists
Chapter 22: Meet Journalists' Needs
Chapter 23: Prepare for Media Interviews
Chapter 24: Make the Interview Work For You
Chapter 25: Protect Yourself from Communication Traps
Chapter 26: Manage Media Communications at Scientific Meetings
Chapter 27: Should You Be a Public Scientist?
Foreword
Introduction: Explaining Your Research is a Professional Necessity
Section I: Learning a New Communications Paradigm
1. Understand Your Audiences
2. Plan Your Research Communication Strategy
Section II: Effectively Reaching Your Peers
3. Give Compelling Talks
4. Develop Informative Visuals
5. Create Effective Poster Presentations
6. Write Clear Research Explanations
7. Build a Quality Web Site
Section III: Engaging Lay Audiences
8. Forge Your Research Communications Strategy
9. The Essential News Release
10. Craft Releases That Tell Your Research Story
11. Target Releases to Key Audiences
12. Produce Effective Research Photography
13. Produce Informative Research Videos
14. Organize Dynamic Multimedia Presentations
15. Create E-Newsletters, Wikis, Blogs, Podcasts, Social Networks, and Webinars
16. Write Popular Articles, Op-Eds, and Essays
17. Author Popular Books
18. Become a Public Educator
19. Persuade Administrators, Donors, and Legislators
Section IV: Explaining Your Research Through the Media
20. Parse Publicity's Pros and Cons
21. Understand Journalists
22. Meet Journalists' Needs
23. Prepare for Media Interviews
24. Make the Interview Work For You
25. Protect Yourself from Communication Traps
26. Manage Media Communications at Scientific Meetings
27. Should You Be a Public Scientist?