Doing scientific research involves looking into theories, experiments, and studies to see what works and how to apply that information in other areas. This article will talk about ways to present this information to others so they can understand it!
The term “scientific research” comes from the field of science, which has specific rules for using evidence to prove ideas. That is not the case with research done outside the domain of science- such as marketing or psychology.
When talking about marketing strategies or psychological concepts, there are no formal guidelines on whether an idea works or not. For this reason, people often refer to findings that are supported by research as “effective” while those that are not are called “unsuccessful.”
This article will discuss some tips and tricks for communicating scientifically validated knowledge beyond the realm of psychology or marketing.
Take notes while reading
After you have finished reading through the article, take some time to make sure that your notes are in order before proceeding any further. Make sure to organize all of your notes into an appropriate structure such as topic and bullet point or sub-topic and bullet point.
This will help you to refer back to your previous notes and understand the concepts better. When organizing your notes, try to use common sense and be clear; do not write in cursive or print very small.
Once everything is organized, start writing up this new piece of information by first reviewing the topic then developing a bullet point under it and finally incorporating the bullet point into your own note taking system.
Prepare a presentation using a template
There are several good resources available for anyone looking to present scientific research or knowledge. Many of these teach you how to effectively convey information through an oral, public speaking style talk or seminar.
Some focus more on science topics while others specialize in other fields like business or psychology. What they all have in common is some kind of structured way to speak about the topic.
These templates use analogy, question and answer, and grouping ideas together to create a flow of thought. They also include bullet points and notes that can be adapted to your own message and tone.
Free versions and paid professional quality ones can be found online and anywhere books are sold.
Practice presenting
So, how do you present scientific research? First things first, practice, practicing, practicing! As mentioned before, being able assemble and prepare your presentation correctly will help you seem more professional and knowledgeable.
Understand that not every audience member will have the same background as you’re speaking to, so be prepared for different questions at different levels.
When giving an oral presentation, some points are worth more than others depending on what kind of listener you find yourself with. Make sure to emphasize important points using strong arguments and examples.
Be familiar with the topic
As mentioned before, being familiar with the topic is the most important thing when talking about, well, talking about research. This means making sure you have read the material at least twice so that you understand it fully.
When presenting scientific research as a non-scientific audience, make sure to use appropriate vocabulary and tone. Make sure to include examples of these where applicable.
Be careful not to overstate or understate what the study says. Use the findings to inspire an action, but do not just repeat the conclusions.
This will likely backfire and be seen as fake or marketing talk. A good speaker should be able to summarize the main points while leaving out some details.
Provide context
All too often, people will read a research article and simply take the findings as fact without providing any additional context. For example, you may come across an article that claims eating foods rich in antioxidants can help prevent cancer.
However, before you make any decisions based on such a claim, you should know what kind of antioxidant they are talking about, how much of them you need, and if there is enough of them in most foods already.
Likewise, reading through studies can be tricky. There are several different ways to interpret their results, so it is important to understand what each one means. Some things to look out for include whether the study was done under controlled conditions or not, whether the participants were selected or volunteered, and whether there was bias involved (e.g. companies paying participant to use their product).
All of these factors can influence the results, and some even possible negative effects! When looking at research, check to see if these factors affect the results, and if anything seems odd, do not trust the information after that.
Provide evidence
It is important to make sure that your audience understands what you are talking about before you talk. Make sure that you have done your homework, and that you know what you are talking about!
When presenting scientific research, it is good to include either examples or bullets to help your listeners understand what you are saying. Using both of these components can be fun ways to present information!
Using examples makes your message more real and understandable
For example, if your message discussed how eating foods with vitamin D in them helps keep your bones healthy, then you could use some Vitamin D pills as an illustration.
By using illustrations and facts, your audience will get the idea faster and feel more connected to the topic. This will strengthen their knowledge of the subject!
Bullets are easy to grasp
A bullet point or sentence fragment is one phrase or term followed by a semicolon and a restyled version of that same word. For instance, instead of having just “parame- ters”, there should be “paramedical” terms.
This format allows your reader to quickly note the main point without reading the whole thing. Therefore, they can easily refer back to the bullet point for additional info.
Be confident
As we have seen, being able to present scientific research is an important tool for science journalists to use. Being familiar with how to do it makes your writing more credible and persuasive.
When presenting academic information or scientific studies, there are several basic rules that you must abide by. Following these will help ensure your audience does not question the reliability of what you are saying.
Understand the discipline – if possible, know some basics about the topic before diving in- this shows understanding of the field!
– if possible, know some basics about the topic before diving in- this shows understanding of the field! Use appropriate vocabulary – make sure your words match the context! Using slang terms may sound cool, but they can mean very different things to different people. Make sure your uses are clear and understood.
– make sure your words match the context! Using slang terms may sound cool, but they can Mean very different things to different people. Make sure your uses are clear and understood.
Ensure there are no errors
When presenting scientific research, you must make sure that everything is accurate! This includes using correct scientific terminology, writing in simple language, and making sure your numbers add up.
It also means ensuring that you do not misrepresent the findings of the study. For example, if the article mentions something like “X caused Y problem” then it should clearly state whether or not X was successful in treating Y.
If it does not, then this effect has been left out and thus people may falsely believe that X is ineffective for Y.
