by Delaney Morgan, Mathematics
We write all the time in academia. But we usually only write for a specialized audience. Students write for the professor teaching their class, and professors write for the other people in their field. In intensely specialized subjects like math, this means their work may only be read by a handful of people. And students can rest assured that there will only be one person reading their paper, and it is someone very familiar with the topic. As a result, both students and professionals tend to lack practice in another vitally important skill: writing for a public audience.
What is known as public writing encompasses many mediums. It could be a nonfiction book or a book review. It could be a magazine article or a blog post. It could even be the slides for a presentation or the script for a YouTube video. But at its core, public writing is about effectively communicating academic research to a broad audience who are not in your field.
There are a myriad of reasons why we might need to communicate our work for a broader audience. A lot of research is funded by the federal government, which is another way of saying it’s funded by taxpayer dollars. So it is in our best interest to effectively explain to those taxpayers why our work is important. Writing for the public is also a way to make all subjects in academia more accessible and inclusive. You don’t need a degree to pick up an article on a cool new scientific discovery or a nonfiction book on politics. Public writing allows more people to discover and engage with your research, especially people from underrepresented groups who may face barriers to higher education or be steered away from certain subjects. And you should want to do it because it lets you share the things that you love and that you spend your time on with more people!
Now that we’ve covered what public writing is and why it’s important, let’s discuss a few things to keep in mind when you are doing your own public writing.
Tip 1: Avoid jargon.
This may seem like one of the most obvious things. You shouldn’t use words the average person on the street isn’t familiar with. In the times where it is necessary to use a technical term, you should take a sentence to briefly define it so your readers can follow. However, a lot of professionals are so deep in their research, they may forget that what they see as a simple term is not something an average person will know. It can be especially helpful to have someone from outside your field read your work and point out words they don’t know. In the same vein, there are words that have different meanings colloquially than they do technically in your field, so make sure that if you run into a case like this, you are specific when using your technical term.
Tip 2: Make it snappy.
Use a hook, keep your sentences short, and don’t be afraid to use colorful language or crack a joke! You want to keep your reader engaged, which means you should avoid dry language that is usually a hallmark of academic writing. Keep it casual, and let your authentic writing voice shine through.
Tip 3: DON’T dumb it down.
Readers know when you are being condescending, so don’t think about “dumbing down” a concept. That being said, there are times where you may need to simplify things. This means you might need to ignore minor details or extreme situations so you can focus on the overall idea.
Tip 4: Use analogies.
Analogies are your best friend. They help relate abstract concepts to concrete objects. You can use any analogy that seems appropriate, as long as it is something an average person may be familiar with. It could be sports, food, children’s toys, or brushing your teeth. It can truly be anything that helps get your point across.
Tip 5: Be a bird, not a frog.
Theoretical physicist and mathematician Freeman Dyson wrote “Some mathematicians are birds, others are frogs. Birds fly high in the air and survey broad vistas of mathematics out to the far horizon. They delight in concepts that unify our thinking and bring together diverse problems from different parts of the landscape. Frogs live in the mud below and see only the flowers that grow nearby. They delight in the details of particular objects, and they solve problems one at a time.” In research, the small, technical details are incredibly important. It is often necessary in academic writing to live down in the mud. But when we write for a public audience, the goal of the writing should be to convey the big ideas of your research. We have to focus on the big picture, because that is the piece that is important to our readers. Be a bird.
References: Notices of the AMS, vol 56, no 2, p. 212.
Special thanks to Karen Lange and Meredith Welch Devine for teaching me about public writing and inspiring this post.