Using science to tell the story

January 13, 2014

Janis Whitlock

Dr. Janis Whitlock, director, Cornell Research Program on Self-Injury and Recovery (CRPSIR), and Deinera Exner-Cortens, former BCTR grad student,  wrote a recent post on the Society for Research on Adolescence blog about the importance of conveying research findings in a concise and engaging way. Whitlock explains a revelation she had after conversing with a visiting speaker,

... rather than lament the strong proclivity of the public, including policy makers, to favor anecdotes over rigorous evidence produced by careful scientific inquiry, we must learn to render our data as a testimonial, a story with soul and heart and meaning for everyday people in everyday life. What does this mean for our work? For me, the take home was this: in order for evidence to inform practice, policy and public opinion, members of the research community need to become good storytellers, using our data to construct and tell meaningful and understandable stories ...

She goes on to discuss some ways to address the problem of translating complex research findings for a general audience.

Using Science to Tell the Story - Society for Research on Adolescence