SCIENCE AND SOURCES

READ EVERYTHING

This means the whole paper and not just the press release. Universities, journals, corporations will always use spin and an abstract might not give you the whole picture.

IDENTIFY THE LIMITATIONS

Remember that there will always be a limitation to research or the researchers. Could the author have been influenced by known or unknown biases? You need to judge if there is anything that could change the way you tell the story.

DON’T AVOID MATHS

If you need to use figures or crunch some numbers, do it. It will allow you to ask the right questions and help you to keep cutting through the jargon.

ASK STUPID QUESTIONS

Don’t worry that an expert source will judge you for what seems like a silly or uninformed question. If you have the question, your audience likely will too. It is your job to cut through jargon.

KEEP IT REAL

You will likely need to report on a preliminary study of cures and treatments but don’t report them out of context. Did people drop out of a study? Why? How many were left at the end of the study? Were there any long-term side-effects?

USE LANGUAGE CAREFULLY

When you are cutting through jargon don’t revert to over-simplified language that might actually change the portrayal of the science. Be careful how you use anecdotes or comparisons.