"Writing tips for the web" presentation from Abby Tabor given at Biovision Next - Lyon.

1. Wri$ng
Science
for
the
Web
-­‐
BIOVISION.Next
2013
Abby
Tabor
(@abbytabor)
Science
Journalist

2. Wri7ng
for
the
web
• Science
blogging:
A
short
history
• Why
blog?
• Specifici7es
of
the
web
&
how
to
take
advantage

3. A
short
history
of
scien7fic
blogging
• First
plaEorms:
late
90s
–
early
2000s
– “countering
an7-­‐science
claims”
• Research
blogging:
academic
papers
Carl
Zimmer
• Journals
(PLOS),
aggregators
(ScienceBlogs),
university
blogs,
individual
researchers
Source:
“Science
Blogs
–
defini3on,
and
a
history”
by
Bora
Zivkovic,
Scien3fic
American
(7/10/12)
“Pharyngula”,
PZ
Myers’
personal
blog

4. Why
blog
about
science?
• ↑
visibility
of
your
work
• ↑
visibility
of
your
knowledge
&
exper7se
• Develop
your
e-­‐reputa7on
=
job
opportuni3es
• See
your
science
differently
(context,
impact)
• Improve
wri7ng
skills

5. Length:
Know
your
goal
• Online
news
is
oYen
shorter…
• …but
not
always.
Know
why
you’re
wri$ng
this
ar$cle.
Simply
to
share
a
piece
of
news?
Or
to
examine
a
complex
issue?

6. How
much
detail?
“Technical
wri3ng
sheds
truth;
science
wri3ng
breeds
understanding.”
-­‐
Kris7na
Bjoran,
science
writer
• Tell
only
what
you
need
to
tell
• Interpret
&
dis7ll
• Express
yourself
simply:
This
is
not
academic
wri7ng!
“No
glory
in
long
sentences.”

7. How
much
detail?,
cont.
• Break
it
down,
step
by
step
1
ar7cle
=
1
goal/angle
1
paragraph
=
1
message
1
sentence
=
1
idea

8. The
Beauty
of
Web
Ar7cles
Links
“...provide
depth
in
ways
unique
to
the
web
medium.”
-­‐
Robert
Niles,
in
Online
Journalism
Review
• Cite
your
sources
• Explain
details
/
defini7ons
• Open
up
discussion
(Twieer,
blogs:
more
info,
connect
&
share)
But…
• Clueer
&
distract
• Lead
reader
away
from
your
ar7cle
Use
links
when
truly
useful.

9. The
Beauty
of
Web
Ar7cles
Images
• A
diagram
or
video
may
explain
beeer
• Beau7ful
images
draw
us
in
• Very
popular
on
Facebook
&
Twieer
• Many
available
in
public
domain/
Crea7ve
Commons
license

10.
Source:
CDC
/
Frank
Collins

11. (Credit:
Dr
Jonathan
Clarke.
Wellcome
Images.
(Flickr/Rebecca-­‐Lee))

12. Credit:
Flickr
/
Liebe♥Gaby

13. Photo:
Mike
Bear

14. The
Beauty
of
Web
Ar7cles
Images
-­‐
Free,
open
resources
Crea3ve
Commons
license
or
public
domain
• Flickr.com
• 500px.com
• CDC
-­‐
Public
Health
Image
Library
(PHIL)
Copyright,
with
free
use
• NASA,
ESA
Cite
your
source.

15. The
Beauty
of
Web
Ar7cles
Visibility
Google
has
needs,
too.
• Search
Engine
Op7miza7on
(SEO)
à
key
words
in
7tle
Make
your
3tle
tweetable.
• <
140
characters
lets
Twieer
users
share
your
piece
Connect!
The
web
is
about
connec7on.
Use
it!

16. Back
to
basics:
Notetaking
Prepare
background
Don’t
try
to
write
every
word
•
sure
quotes
•
key
data
Develop
your
own
system
•
symbols,
abbrevia7ons,
drop
vowels
Return
to
your
notes
ASAP
&
fill
in
blanks

17. The
Beauty
of
Web
Ar7cles
Online
Resources
• The
Open
Notebook
• NASW
(Nat’l
Associa7on
of
Science
Writers)
• Duke
Univ.
Scien7fic
Wri7ng
Resource
and…
• Science
bloggers!

18. Thank
you.
Hope
to
see
you
&
your
science
on
the
web!