Science and Technology Writing

Exelsis Deo A. Deloy

Science and Technology Writing
EXELSIS DEO A. DELOY
What Is Science Journalism?
Science journalism summarizes, simplifies, and distributes news from
within the scientific fields; Read on to learn more about it.
Science journalism involves reporters producing informed news
reports and articles on scientific findings and events. Science reporters
are often required to simplify complex concepts so the general public
can better understand what is happening in the world around them.
These reporters source news by consulting with researchers and
scientists, reading reports and studies, and following the latest scientific
trends, projects, and experiments being worked upon. This field of
journalism is described as “informative and often entertaining summaries
of relevant findings, (which are gained by) consulting with expert
scientists and researchers and conveying the information in ways that a
non-specialist audience can understand.”
Source: What Is Science Journalism? A Detailed Guide.
https://becomeawritertoday.com/what-is-science-journalism/
Who are science journalists?
Science journalists report news and other information about science to the general
public. This involves writing informative and often entertaining summaries of relevant
findings, consulting with expert scientists and researchers and conveying the information
in ways that a non-specialist audience can understand. The writer must be able to simplify
complex ideas and jargon without losing accuracy.

Source: Jones, K. (2019. What Is Science Journalism? Grand Canyon

University.
From https://www.gcu.edu/blog/engineering-technology/what-
science-journalism
What Are the Necessary Skills?
Science Know-How
Competency in the relevant topics is essential in all steps of the science writing
process. As science writers must possess at a strong education that will be relevant in
understanding, interpreting and communicating scientific ideas.
Writing
Any journalist needs a strong background in writing.
Interpersonal Communication
Science journalism frequently involves interviews with scientists and researchers, so
well-developed interpersonal communication skills are necessary for acquiring the
important information. In addition, experience with networking can help writers form
mutually beneficial professional relationships with the scientists they interact with.
Source: Jones, K. (2019. What Is Science Journalism? Grand Canyon University.
From https://www.gcu.edu/blog/engineering-technology/what-science-journalism
Writing about science & technology

Understand the jargon

Scientific names and technical terms (sometimes called jargon) are necessary for scientists. It
enables them to speak more accurately to one another about things they have in common.

It is possible - and sometimes it is informative - to include scientific terms in reports, as long as they
are explained immediately in words your audience can understand. For example:
Researchers in California say they have found a new way of testing unborn babies for spina bifida
- a deformity of the spine which can cause paralysis.

Source: Ingram, D. (2019). Writing about science & technology https://www.thenewsmanual.net/Manuals

 Writing about science & technology

Use concrete words where possible

People understand solid, concrete things which they can feel, smell, see, touch, taste
or hear. Because much of science is about ideas, where possible you should explain the
scientist's abstract ideas in concrete words your ordinary readers or listeners can understand.

Do not overload with figures

Do not overload your stories with large numbers or lots of figures. In many cases,
especially at the start of a story, you should round figures off to make them simpler to
understand. For example, 19,750 kilometres becomes "almost 20,000 kilometres". This is
especially important in radio, where listeners do not have time to grasp complicated numbers.

Source: Ingram, D. (2019). Writing about science & technology https://www.thenewsmanual.net/Manuals

Write brightly
Your audience will not like long boring explanations. This is especially true in radio,
where the listeners can quickly grow tired of concentrating on lots of facts and figures. So you
should develop a bright style of writing.
As we have already discussed, keep your words clear and simple. Do not use too many
scientific terms and explain them in simple words.
Keep your sentences short and simple. Try to limit the important ideas to one (or two at
the most) per sentence, as in the following example:

Source: Ingram, D. (2019). Writing about science & technology https://www.thenewsmanual.net/Manuals

Do not sensationalise
To sensationalise means to state something in such a strong and extreme way that it
has an effect on people's emotions. Bad journalists sensationalise stories because they are
more concerned with grabbing the attention of their readers or listeners than with telling the
news accurately. There might be some truth in what they write, but they exaggerate it to
grab attention.
Sensationalising science can often lead to harm by falsely provoking strong
emotions such as hope or fear in readers or listeners. This is especially dangerous in fields
such as medical research.

Sensational claims in other fields, even as remote as astronomy, can cause harm. People will
panic if you report that a giant meteor is heading towards earth but fail to point out that it will
arrive in a thousand years from now and miss us by a million miles.

Source: Ingram, D. (2019). Writing about science & technology https://www.thenewsmanual.net/Manuals

Give background details
Very few new scientific or technological developments happen by accident. Most are the result
of work over time. Discoveries may come suddenly, but they usually come because a scientist is
looking for something anyway.
Your job is to place all developments in context. Explain how we got to the situation today. In a
story about an AIDS drug, explain what scientists know about the disease and how many people it has
so far killed, especially in your country or region. In a story about a new pocket computer, explain a
little about the history of computers and how the new small version compares with existing computers.
When reporting the results of a study into water cleanliness, give some of the history of the project.

Source: Ingram, D. (2019). Writing about science & technology https://www.thenewsmanual.net/Manuals

TO SUMMARISE:
You must understand the basic principles of any scientific field before you can report in it;
you can get that understanding by:
 Having a basic scientific education
 Reading books and magazines about science and technology
 Taking an interest in scientific and technological developments
 Establishing good contacts with experts who can help you with information

Source: Ingram, D. (2019). Writing about science & technology https://www.thenewsmanual.net/Manuals

Science Feature Headlines: SVO Pattern Still with some distinctions from
Science news
Science Feature Headlines: SVO Pattern Still with some distinctions from
Science news
Composite Science Feature
Structure
Headline/Title: SVO with a science element
Main Article:
Paragraph 1: Lead
Paragraph 2: Support to the Lead
Paragraph 3: Main Direct Quotation
Paragraph 4: Detail 1
Paragraph 5: Detail 1 Direct Quotation
Paragraph 6: Detail 2
Paragraph 7: Detail 2 Direct Quotation

Sub-article 1 Paragraph 8: Detail 1

Paragraph 9: Detail 1 Direct Quotation
Paragraph 10: Detail 2
Paragraph 11: Detail 2 Direct Quotation
Paragraph 12: Detail 3
Paragraph 13: Detail 3 Direct Quotation Sub-article 2 Paragraph 15: Detail 1
Paragraph 14: Transitionary Paragraph Paragraph 16: Detail 1 Direct Quotation
Paragraph 17: Detail 2
Paragraph 18: Detail 2 Direct Quotation
Paragraph 19: Detail 3
Paragraph 20: Detail 3 Direct Quotation
Paragraph 21: Ending
Thank You!