A one-day online training course for Research Fellows to learn how to write effectively about their research for non-specialist audiences.
This course is designed for Research Fellows to be able to effectively capture the attention of non-specialist audiences across a variety of contexts by writing about their research. For example in lay summaries for non-specialist or interdisciplinary panels, policy briefings, social media, magazine articles, and in the drafting of press releases. The course covers the fundamentals of communicating technical information accurately to non-specialist readers, the essential structure of short summary articles, the tools to engage readers with longer-form writing, and how to adapt written content for online audiences. Participants prepare a short article about their research for the course, which is then used in development exercises during the workshop. Highlights of the course include individual feedback from tutors who work in science writing, and developing a short article specifically about your research.
The course will be delivered online; providing a combination of “asynchronous” content followed by a live training workshop enabling interactive and group exercises. Participants will receive direct feedback from expert trainers delivering the same skills development outcomes as our face-to-face workshops. Pre-training questionnaires will ensure content is tailored to your needs.
Benefits for participants
- Training in key principles of communicating with non-specialists
- Actionable feedback and advice on writing press releases, news articles, features, and online articles
- Tips on conveying concepts clearly without compromising accuracy
- Guidance on writing for social media
- Constructive coaching and feedback
- Opportunity to meet like-minded scientists
About the tutors
This course is designed for scientists by SciConnect and led by principal trainers Dr Claire Ainsworth and Dr Jon Copley, along with additional guest trainers with backgrounds in science writing and editing for national newspapers and popular science magazines.
Dr Claire Ainsworth is a freelance science journalist and trainer, who formerly worked as a reporter and editor at New Scientist and Nature. Dr Jon Copley is a scientist who has interacted extensively with the media about his research, and previously worked as a Reporter and Assistant News Editor at New Scientist. Jon and Claire co-founded SciConnect in 2006 and have equipped more than 12,000 scientists with the skills to engage and inspire wider audiences with their work.
Contact
For all enquiries, please email courses@royalsociety.org.
