Scientists and Stories

Scientists and other technical professionals, take heed of an op-ed in today's Washington Post by Matthew C. Nisbet and Chris Mooney titled, "Thanks for the Facts. Now Sell Them."

The duo argues that technical arguments and data dumps are meaningless to most of us. While they concede that "a small audience of science enthusiasts" exists, they point out that the bulk of us need to be convinced in a more straightforward manner. Here, here!

I work with doctors and scientists a fair amount in media training and presentation skills workshops. I could retire a wealthy man if I had the proverbial nickel for every time one of them expressed the opinion that the data explains everything. Maybe it does. But the message must pass the "Who cares?" test. Blather about coefficients and meeting primary end points are meaningless to a general audience. If you want to persuade only a narrow band of fellow technicians, dive into the data. If, however, you seek to move the dial on the public opinion meter, you had best talk in more conversational tones.

Nisbet and Mooney lay a solid foundation. Allow me to take it a step further by suggesting one concrete action that is all too often shunned by technical experts -- the power of a story. In the case of a doctor, that story might center on a patient who showed dramatic results during a clinical trial. For an IT worker, the story could revolve around an application that saved each salesperson four hours of time every week.

The writers hit the nail on the head as they conclude, "If scientists don't learn how to cope in this often bewildering environment, they will be ceding their ability to contribute to the future of our nation."