如何写有关科学的文章

• 入门
• 给它结构
• 不是“愚弄”，而是“清理”
• 提升雾
• Selling science
• A picture is worth a thousand words
• Finishing touches

提示Marina Jouberton how to switch from writing for science to writing about it — and reach a much wider audience.

As a scientist, you'll have mastered technical language and the impersonal style of scientific journals. But most people find science-speak indigestible and boring — it is guaranteed to turn non-specialist readers off.

Yet scientists are increasingly asked to reach wide audiences, so making science understood and appreciated is a sought-after skill. Writing for the public brings many rewards: it gives a higher profile that impresses funders, garners public support and attracts top-quality collaborations.

But gripping a popular audience is no mean feat and requires an entirely different approach to wowing fellow scientists. This guide gives you some of the dos and don'ts.

入门

大多数科学家之所以进入流行写作，是因为他们喜欢它，尽管其他人可能希望获得回报或被他们的资助者告知“与公众互动”。

It's easiest to start writing about your own research — so long as you can step far enough back from it.

要首次出版，请尝试内部大学或企业杂志。研究委员会发布杂志，例如South African Council for Scientific and Industrial Research's科学学院，，，，科学院和社会也是如此。

一些杂志，例如澳大利亚科学，，，，make it their aim to publish a large number of articles by researchers. And some web outlets publish blogs by scientists; or you canstart your own。

无论您是出版物，反之亦然，put some work in. Think carefully about the topics a publication covers and the target audience. What 'style' does it use-relaxed or more formal language?

媒体经常很高兴获得您的故事，尤其是在适合其格式和兴趣的情况下。将作品固定在特定事件中，例如世界水日或国际生物多样性日，也可以增加其出版机会。

It's important to read popular science. You'll learn how others structure their stories, and immersing yourself in the language will show you what is and isn't appropriate. Reading will also familiarise you with outlets in your country (and beyond) that might welcome your stories.

Pick the right publication and get in touch with the editor — by phone or email. And find out about deadlines — how long in advance do you need to submit something for a monthly magazine versus a weekly or a daily?

给它结构

How you structure your article will depend on its type-这是关于科学进步的新闻故事，还是您正在尝试深入报道？还是您的意见是评论文章？每种类型都有明确的约定。

例如，新闻报道以简短而尖锐的描述开始。新闻是一份科学论文，将结论放在首位。功能吸引了读者，以更具创意，丰富多彩的散文设置场景。

在所有情况下，将您的研究或科学发展变成带有叙述的故事。开篇段落必须吸引读者继续阅读 - 如果从一开始很难理解，读者会立即放弃。

The body contains the details and facts. These should follow a clear thread, making it obvious to the reader why one paragraph leads to the next in a logical sequence. When writing features, find a way of turning the facts into a narrative and weave some excitement and adventure into the storyline.

功能或评论文章的闭幕式应总结故事的本质或指向未来的发展。您可能会让读者思考思考，也可能是行动的呼吁。在放开他们之前，给他们一些要考虑的东西。

不是“愚弄”，而是“清理”

仔细考虑谁可能会读您的作品。您如何将其与他们的个人经历联系起来？他们对这个主题有什么了解，为什么他们应该对您的故事感兴趣？

这个虚构的读者至关重要。不要考虑其他科学家。您不是在写信给他们留下深刻的印象（这是带回家的点科学家斯蒂芬·库里（Stephen Curry）的博客文章).

Put yourself in your readers' shoes and let go of all your knowledge and experience. Cover the basics, but don't be condescending — there is a fine line between alienating people and empowering them. People will grasp complex ideas, as long as you use words they know.

The tyranny of jargon is the single biggest barrier separating science from everyday life. I recently interviewed someone researching school feeding schemes. I asked for a 'plain English' summary of his research, and his reply included: "Optimum nutrition is the physiological basis for effective education". A much better way of putting it is: "You can't teach a hungry child"; or even "if you eat well, you learn well".

Firmly eliminate the jargon, acronyms, short cuts and formalities that you use when writing for scientists. What is common knowledge to them will be alien to most readers. Describe abstract ideas and complex numbers in everyday terms and relate them to everyday experiences.

您的读者可以与之相关的类比和隐喻可能会有所帮助。例如，大多数人将能够描绘流星冲击火山口“十个足球场的大小”。

将句子简短，并尽可能坚持主动的声音。使用报价，案例研究和现实生活中的例子来增加兴趣。

通过练习来撰写有关日常语言的科学。对我来说，将术语侵袭的“科学说话”转换为普通语言就像狗缠着狗的皮毛。一开始很困难，甚至很痛苦。但是耐心和毅力摆脱了所有的结（术语，首字母缩写，长句子和被动的声音）。

提升雾

我发现Gunning Fog指数有助于测量清晰度。它计算出读者需要通过一篇阅读轻松理解您的文本的多年来。

If the text has a fog index of 12, your reader would need 12 years of education. Most scientific writing scores 40 or more.

You lower the fog index by making sentences shorter, writing in the active voice, and axing long words. Try thisfog index calculator。

Selling science

大多数人对您如何找到东西并不感兴趣。他们想知道您的发现对他们意味着什么。您必须回答“那什么？”问题。专注于研究对人们的日常生活意味着什么，或如何影响社会。

Where your research has the wow factor or is cutting-edge, make it obvious. And remember, people respond to things that are close to them — so use any local or regional hooks.

Don't tell your reader everything you know; instead pinpoint the essence of your story in one sharp sentence, then test it on a few people before writing.

如果您在评论文章中发表自己的意见，则不必是中立或客观的。猜测一点甚至是可以接受的。如果您热情，兴奋或担心，那就这样说。您也可以使用幽默。

尽管人们对日常研究过程不太感兴趣，但他们对您的人方面感兴趣 - 您必须克服哪些障碍？你感觉怎么样？描绘一个“真实的人”会打破障碍，使读者更接近科学。传达您的兴奋和自豪感，但不要炒作，永远不要说谎。

In这件forThe Guardian,英国曼彻斯特大学粒子物理学教授布莱恩·考克斯（Brian Cox）利用他在欧洲核研究组织工作的个人经验来解释大型强子对撞机的科学。

A picture is worth a thousand words

图片可以将眼球粘贴到页面上，因此，如果可以的话，将图像和标题与您的故事一起提交 - 这可能会在发布或拒绝之间有所不同（并且可以防止图片编辑器选择完全不合适的图片编辑器）。但是，如果不能，请不要被推迟。出版物将找到随附的图像。

As you write, think creatively about images and captions. Science offers beautiful and unusual images that can help readers visualise what you are writing about. Spend time on catchy and informative captions — they are indispensable entry points into your story.

Finishing touches

一旦你写你的文章,把你的图像放大inary reader into a real one. Ask a non-scientist friend to read the piece and to point out parts they don't understand. You will soon begin to find the level you need to be writing at. And if you spot a yawn or they lose interest half-way, remember that nobody is obliged to read your story. If it is technical, dull and boring, not even your friends will!

而且，除非您的故事被阅读，否则它没有意义，无法实现任何目的。读者 - 无论您是否遇到他们 - 永远都是国王。

Marina Joubert is a science communicator from Pretoria, South Africa.