“It’s all Greek to me.” – Servilius Casca in Julius Caesar, William Shakespeare
Scientific information may often sound like a different language to the public. Even research with the potential to improve public health is rarely understood since findings are often communicated in dense, technical language by an academic or presented in a simplistic, sensational manner by the media.
The Art of Communicating Science in Different Contexts, organised by the emergency medicine department, i
s part of the University’s efforts to ensure that young researchers are able to communicate the impact of their work.
“Research can only make an impact on society if findings are understood by audiences outside the academic community. That’s why young researchers need to learn how to translate their complex medical findings into simple health insights that people and policymakers can relate to,” said Dr Uzma Khan, the lead organiser of the event and a senior instructor in research at AKU.
In her presentation, Dr Khan used examples to show how jargon, statistics and discussions on methodology can confuse an audience.
“The true marker of expertise lies in the ability to simplify complexity so that it’s accessible to all types of people. We should communicate our findings by using relatable examples and simple statistics.”
Later on in the day, Dr Asad Mian, an associate professor at the department of emergency medicine at AKU, shared his experience of presenting research. He spoke of the importance of understanding one’s audience and distilling the purpose of research into an ‘elevator pitch’ – a concise summary of a topic that lasts as long as a quick elevator ride.
“At a busy conference, you need to be able to introduce your topic in a memorable way to someone who may not have any prior knowledge. This requires you to understand your audience and what will grab their attention. Once they’re interested, you need to communicate your findings in an engaging way. Adjusting your communication style to your audience and speaking to their needs increases the chance that your research will be noticed, understood and actually put to use by those who can benefit from it,” he added,
Dr Mian used examples from the field of narrative medicine – a form of storytelling that is centered on the experience of a patient – to show how one can build awareness on health issues and educate the public on life-saving health topics. He noted how personal stories about the challenge of saving lives in a busy emergency room can introduce the public to the complexities of the medical profession.
During the workshop participants were videotaped as they delivered five-minute presentations of their research. They then received feedback from mentors and their peers which they incorporated into revised presentations at the end of the day.
A participant at the workshop, Rubaba Naeem, a research coordinator in the Department of Emergency Medicine, appreciated the format of the seminar and the use of technology to improve presentation skills.
She said: “We’ve never seen ourselves present before or gained such detailed feedback on our delivery style.
While it was tough at first to see the video of my own presentation it allowed me observe how slides summarising my findings looked to an audience and helped me observe a number of things that could be distracting. My revised presentation was much more concise and I look forward to applying these skills whenever I need to introduce my research.”
Another participant at the workshop, Dr Fareed Ahmed, a senior medical officer at Aga Khan University Hospital, called the seminar a “very different learning experience” and recommended that it be held for residents from different specialties.