A New Approach to Research Communication: Sharing Results Through Stories

Abstract

Ever since the format of the formal scientific article emerged, it has constituted the standard mode of presentation for scientific research. This tradition, more effective for doing science than for sharing science, erects a wall of jargon between scientific knowledge and the public, especially for students exploring scientific research for the first time. Moreover, in the face of complex technological issues like global climate change, the public, now more than ever, ought to have the resources to understand the results specialized science research to inform their decisions. Hence, if science is to be communicated effectively, the method of communication must change. One approach supported by science communication research is the narrative form. In this thesis, I put these ideas into practice by giving two presentations of the biophysics research I completed at a Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship at Oak Ridge National Lab. Chapter 1 consists of a traditional scientific paper detailing my research project entitled, “Characterizing the Association of Glucuronoarabinoxylan and Cellulose in the Plant Cell Wall.” In Chapter 2, I share the same research but in an alternative presentation style, a set of short stories.