This document summarizes Sarah Keenihan's unconventional career path from studying medicine and research to becoming a freelance science writer. It outlines her education history from high school through completing a graduate diploma in science communication. The document then discusses the challenges of being a science communicator, including identifying audiences, choosing publication platforms, using appropriate language and images, and determining what subject matter and personal details to share while maintaining her identity as a scientist and person.

1. From research to writing:
a sciencey case study
Sarah Keenihan
@sciencesarah
sciencesarah.wordpress.com
scienceforlife365.wordpress.com
http://scienceforlife365.wordpress.com/?s=beach

2. My convoluted path to here and now
• 1984-1989 high school
• 1990 year off
• 1991-1993 studied medicine
• 1994 year off
• 1995 honours year in research
• 1996 started Grad Dip Sci Comm
• 1996-2000 PhD
• 2000-2002 research in Indonesia
• 2003-2004 research in Adelaide + baby
• 2005-2006 Grad Dip Sci Comm + baby
• 2007-2011 work in science comms + 1 more baby
• 2011 finally finish Grad Dip Sci Comm
• 2012-now freelance science writer

4. www.facebook.com/scienceforlife365

5. Challenges
• Who do you talk to?
• Where do you talk to them?
• How do you talk to them?
• What do you talk about?

6. Who do you talk to?
Thinking about
your audience(s)

7. Where do you talk to them?
• Where to publish?
• Using social media
- refined use of twitter
• Finding communities
• Sharing your knowledge

8. How do you talk to them?
• Language
- 1st vs 3rd person
- formal vs casual
- passive vs active
• Images
• Pace of information
– ‘foot in the door’

9. ‘Foot in the door’
If you want to explain complicated or unfamiliar
stuff….don’t scare your audience off with the full
force of the matter in the first mouthful.
Use everyday language and phrases, and then
work up to more detail if people ask for it.

10. It might not mean
what you think it means
Communicating the science of climate change
Richard CJ Somerville and Susan Joy Hassol

11. What do you talk about?
• Subject matter
• Identity
- scientist
- mother
- wife
- chef
- runner
- writer
- a real person
• How much to share?

12. Thank you