How Beginning Online Writers Can Utilize Formatting to Inform Non-Science People About Scientific Research
A short guide to presenting research in online essays to people who aren’t “into all that science stuff” in a way that will stick
Writing online means appealing to people scrolling through looking for something catchy.
So you want to be catchy.
Being able to format an essay to appeal to an online reader is one way to catch someone’s eye.
The title is your jumping-off point
The title of your essay should thoroughly explain what the piece is about and who it is for. Your title should be interesting (as much as it can be) but should be written in ordinary terms. People that are not in a STEM field are not likely to understand science jargon, meaning that the title (and everything else) should be written in layman's terms.
This title concisely identifies what the article is about and who it is for. The reader can quickly decide if the essay is for them or not.
Use interesting colors
The color palettes you use should be eye-catching, though not overpowering. Monochromatic palettes are a good way to keep a cohesive theme while also using color.
Above is a screenshot from one of my atomic essays. I used a monochromatic pink palette so that the title would catch the eye but the rest of the text and the background would not distract from the reading experience. I also used bold on my subtitles so that they could easily be seen when scrolling or pausing to skim.
Speaking of subtitles… make them count
Since people are briefly assessing your work, make the parts that are really visible matter. Subtitles should fully but concisely explain the text underneath.
As a whole, they should depict the core ideas of your essay.
Each of the subtitles above captures the main idea of the following paragraphs.
If someone were to just read the subtitles above, they would understand the main points of my essay, which is the goal. Subtitles are there to help you quickly get your point across and make your essay seem interesting to read.
Use images when you can
The primary way images can be integrated into an essay is to provide an example. Sometimes a picture can explain something in a better, more concise way compared to text.
The graphic I used in this essay displayed the percentage and number of boys and girls at different ages and how often they played outside. This image was a better use of space than a paragraph describing what is on it.
Academic writers must follow a “rule” when publishing a paper with scientific data. If it fits in a sentence or two, write it, otherwise, put it into a visual representation. This can be a good rule to follow if you feel it is going to be too complicated to verbally explain data or a concept. You can always caption or explain an image.
Another way is to break up the text. Blocks or even lists of text can get boring or seem unappealing at a glance. Pictures can help mediate by providing breaks.
Lists can be your friend
Lists can do a number of things in an online essay:
- Emphasize points
- Expand on points
- Brief explanations
- Be easily readable
- Provide examples
- Provide context
The list from the screen capture is providing examples for the text above. It is providing more context for what I am saying.
Lists can help with highlighting important parts of what you want to say. It can also help break down complex concepts or ideas into parts that are more easily read online.
Here, the list is emphasizing the main results from part of the research. This list is easier to read than a block of text and easier to absorb for the reader.
Writing online can be an excellent tool for relaying scientific research
Like any tool, it takes practice to develop the knowledge to use it correctly. Part of learning how to write online is learning how to format essays to appeal to online audiences. The above are examples of what I learned that helped me communicate research to audiences unfamiliar with my fields of interest.
