Lecture 5: Research Communication Mr. Daniel Powell (UNU Office of Communications) 2018 ProSPER.Net Young Researchers' School 6 March 2018

1. Telling Your Side of the Story:
Narrative in Research Communication
Daniel Powell
United Nations University, Office of Communications

2. Why do we do research?

3. We want to learn
We want to educate
We want to contribute to our field

4. We want to make an impact

5. How do we
measure
impact?
Photo: OakleyOriginals, CC-BY 2.0

6. Bibliometrics?
Photo: Fergus Murray, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

7. Bibliometrics?
aka Citations
Photo: Fergus Murray, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

8. Good citation metrics
= significant impact in a field

9. In other words, researchers with
many publication citations are
well-known among their peers.

10. Photo: © Anton Corbijn

11. Photo: © Anton Corbijn

12. Photo: © Anton Corbijn

13. Photo: Roel Wijnants, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

14. “I'm not famous.
I’m simply very
well-known to
certain people.”
Anton Corbijn, Photographer/Director
Photo: Roel Wijnants, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

15. What if your research is only
known by certain people?

16. What if your research is only
known by the wrong people?

17. Can you influence
the global debate
and drive change?

18. Anthropogenic
Climate Change
11,994 peer-reviewed
climate science
publications
The Science

19. Anthropogenic
Climate Change
11,994 peer-reviewed
climate science
publications
The Public

20. Can you
influence
policy &
solutions?

21. If you don’t
influence
the public?
Photo: Zainab Akande, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

22. How can research have
influence beyond peers?
Photo: Phil, CC BY-NC-ND-SA 2.0

23. Repackage Research
Photo: © Michelle Dupont

24. Presentation
Writing
Web
Social
Repackage Research
Photo: © Michelle Dupont

25. Presentation
Writing
Web
Social
Repackage Research
Photo: © Michelle Dupont

26. Narrative
Repackage Research
Photo: © Michelle Dupont

27. Storytelling
Repackage Research
Photo: © Michelle Dupont

28. “Plural of anecdote is not data”
Narrative & storytelling
have a bad reputation
in science
Photo: Koitzsch, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Text: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4183170/

29. “Persuasive instead of logical-scientific”
Photo: Koitzsch, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Narrative & storytelling
have a bad reputation
in science

30. Non-experts get majority of scientific
information from mass media —
where storytelling wins
Photo: Iain Watson, CC BY 2.0
Stories engage
and build
comprehension

31. “The challenge of
story in science is
that scientists often
don’t know what
story is.”

32. Or do they?
Introduction
Methodology
Results
and
Discussion
Photo: Kris Arnold, CC BY 2.0

33. “A series of events
that happen along
the way in the search
for a solution to a
problem”

34. And… BUT… Therefore…
Photo: Juergen Warschun, CC BY-NC 2.0

35. Data
Collection
Photo: TEDxCapeTown, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Public Science
Communication

36. Logical &
Scientific
Photo:Khánh Hmoong, CC BY-NC 2.0
Compelling &
Understandable

37. Your
Research
People’s
Lives

38. “All of us want stories.
We just weave different ones
from scientific information.”
David Dobbs, Journalist and Writer

39. Science has 2 primary storytellers

40. Science has 2 primary storytellers
Researchers
&
Journalists who report on that research

41. Growing consensus for a
conversation around research

42. Blurs boundaries between academia and
journalism
Publicly confronts contentious research
topics
Moves beyond the safety of our peers

47. Our package
Photo: © Michelle Dupont

48. Our web magazine

49. 2008 – Present
ourworld.unu.edu

50. Make complex ideas easier to understand
Focus on pressing global issues
Create partnerships with key media outlets
Syndicate content via Creative Commons
Share diverse types of content (videos, articles, photo essays)
Publish content in English and Japanese
Be positive and friendly
Inspire learning and change
Showcase and connect the work of UNU researchers
Be a credible, objective voicePresent solutions to global challenges

52. 2008
4 Themes
Climate Change • Energy • Biodiversity • Food Security

53. 2013
5 (UN) Themes
Science & Technology • Development & Society
Peace & Security • Humanitarian Affairs • Human Rights

54. 2018

55. What have we learned?

56. Character-driven
storytelling
is popular…

57. …and gets
picked up by
popular outlets

58. People like
stories they
can relate to

59. Your
Research
People’s
Lives

60. As a researcher
it is important
to provide
current & timely
commentary

61. Short articles
increase reach
and awareness
of publications
Co-benefits analysis on climate change and environmental effects of wind-power:
A case study from Xinjiang, China
Zhixiao Ma a,d
, Bing Xue a,*, Yong Geng a
, Wanxia Ren a
, Tsuyoshi Fujita b
, Zilong Zhang c
,
Jose A. Puppim de Oliveira e
, David A. Jacques f
, Fengming Xi a
a
Key Lab of Pollution Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China
b
National Institute for Environmental Studies, 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8506, Japan
c
Research Center for Circular Economy of Western China, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
d
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
e
Institute of Advanced Studies, United Nations University, Yokohama 220-8502, Japan
f
Energy Research Institute, School of Process, Environmental & Materials Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
a r t i c l e i n f o
Article history:
Received 28 August 2012
Accepted 20 January 2013
Available online 16 February 2013
Keywords:
Co-benefit
Climate change
Wind power
Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region
a b s t r a c t
The combustion of fossil fuel contributes to not only global warming but also the emissions of air pol-
lutants. In China, the rapid growth of energy consumption leads to a large quantity of greenhouse gas
(GHG) and air pollutant emissions. Although many measures have been proposed by the local govern-
ments to mitigate the GHG emissions and improve air quality, limited economic resources slow the
efforts of the local government to implement measures to control both types of emissions. The co-
benefits approach can use resources efficiently to solve multiple environmental problems. In this
study, we first calculated the CO2 and air pollutants (SO2, NOx and PM2.5) emissions in Xinjiang Uygur
Autonomous Region. Then, the co-benefits of wind power, including mitigation of CO2 and air pollutants
(SO2, NOx and PM2.5) emissions and water savings, were assessed and quantified in the Xinjiang Uygur
Autonomous Region. The results demonstrate that, during the 11th five-year period (2006e2010),
emissions mitigation by wind power accounted for 4.88% (1065 Â 104
t) of CO2, 4.31% (4.38 Â 104
t)
of SO2, 8.23% (3.41 Â 104
t) of NOx and 4.23% (0.32 Â 104
t) of PM2.5 emission by the thermal power
sector. The total economic co-benefits of wind power accounted for 0.46% (1.38 billion 2009US$) of the
GDP of Xinjiang during 2006e2010.
Ó 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
1. Introduction
The fourth IPCC assessment report has noted that it is very likely
(>90% probability) that global warming is related to the increasing
anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon di-
oxide (CO2) over the past 50 years [1]. The Kyoto Protocol was an
important step toward the mitigation of climate change. However,
broader participation and deeper cuts in greenhouse gas emissions
are essential for any post-Kyoto agreement to ensure significant
effect [2]. Particularly important are the prospects for curbing
Given China’s size and reliance on fossil fuels for energy, the
country’s high carbon emissions have become an important issue
both domestically and internationally. The rapid development of
China’s economy has been accompanied by a sharp increase in
energy consumption, and China’s coal-dominated fuel portfolio
appears difficult to change in the short term [3,4]. China’s energy
system relies heavily on fossil fuels and, because of the tremendous
growth of demand since 2007; it has become the largest emitter of
CO2 in the world [5]. Therefore, the reduction of CO2 emissions has
become one of the most important long-term policies for China. In
Contents lists available at SciVerse ScienceDirect
Renewable Energy
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/renene

62. Short articles
increase reach
and awareness
of publications

63. The long tail
“The World’s Most Liveable Cities”
54,000 reads in 16 months
>60% a year after publication

64. The long tail
“Are Transgenic Crops Safe? GM Agriculture in Africa”

65. Science needs
to be explained
using clear
terminology

66. Readers like
solutions to
challenges
and problems

67. >6.5 Million
video views
>300,000
article reads

68. Guidance for researchers
Photo: Tawheed Manzoor, CC BY 2.0

69. Ask yourself: So what!?!
Why should anyone care about this topic?
What is the story of my research?

70. Write your article in an
approachable, journalistic style

71. Address the Ws
what, where, who, when, why
Photo: Anita Hart, CC BY-SA 2.0

72. Begin the article by exploring the topic
and challenges (“And…But…”)
Then identify and discuss innovative
solutions (“Therefore…”)

73. Avoid long, complex sentences
Keep it
short, sharp and simple
Photo: Daniel Kulinski, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

74. Avoid acronyms,
colloquialisms,
and scientific jargon

75. Research has a
cast of characters
Photo: © UN Photo/Martine Perret

76. Include personal/human
stories and quotes
Photo: © UN Photo/Martine Perret

77. Clear, engaging titles are important
Detecting Urban Expansion and Land Tenure
Security Assessment: The Case of Bahir Dar and
Debre Markos Peri-Urban Areas of Ethiopia.
What Ethiopian Farmers and Satellites
Teach Us About Sustainable Urban Development

78. 700–1200 words

79. “There is no great writing,
only great rewriting.”

80. Editors are your friends

81. And…But…Therefore…

82. We want to contribute to our field
AND
We want to make an impact
AND
We need to communicate beyond our peers

83. BUT
A forest of researchers; a sea of publications
Universities, institutes and govt. agencies
need to maintain trust and relevance
Others could be speaking for you

84. BUT
Need to connect a non-expert audience to
your research
Communicating complex research is hard

85. THEREFORE
Find the stories in your research
Connect your research to other timely stories
Look to diverse platforms to share your story

86. “All of us want stories. We just weave
different ones from scientific information.”

87. If you weave the story of your research…

88. You can direct the message of your research
Photo: Logan Cambpell, CC BY-SA 2.0

89. Promote understanding and curiosity
Photo: Mario Mancuso, CC BY 2.0

90. Increase the impact of your research
Photo: Jason Drury, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0