Tag Archives: Science

Writing Commentaries

By Samuel Accuff, PhD and Melanie Arenson, PhD

Many journals offer the opportunity to contribute commentaries, but many graduate students are uncertain about how to write one or think these are reserved for senior career scientists. This couldn’t be farther from the truth (see this call in Translational Issues in Psychological Science), so we wrote a blog post to demystify the process and help you get started! 

What is a commentary and why should I write one?

A commentary is a paper which discusses and expands upon a recently-published article in a peer-reviewed journal. Often commentaries are short (<1000 words), do not require additional data, and focus on a piece of the results or impacts that the original article did not discuss at length. 

So, why write one? Many of us are drawn to research to contribute knowledge and to engage in the conversation of science. Commentaries offer unique advantages relative to other article types to do just that. First, due to their brevity, they require less time. Second, a commentary is a product that emerges from the critical thinking that hopefully naturally occurs while keeping up with the literature. Third, commentaries are opportunities to collaborate with your research community on interesting and stimulating issues. We are in the era of team science, and advancement typically comes through the furnace of critical thinking and friendly, collegial debate. In short, this is an opportunity to engage with your scientific community and question the beliefs of yourself and others, in a brief format that engages you with the literature and results in a publication. What could be better?

What’s the process?

  1. Stay up to date with the current literature: Commentaries discuss recently-published articles (ideally published within 6 months, at most a year). You also want your commentary to reference the most up-to-date literature, and your future directions to be novel. To do so, it is important to stay up to date! 
  2. Think critically: Commentaries are fundamentally papers that critically examine an existing work. This is not to say they are critical in nature; in fact, they are often far from this. However, there is likely a result, application, implication, or future direction the authors did not touch, but you can!
  3. Express interest: Often, journals have a specific call for commentaries and may require that you reach out to express interest in writing one. Draft a brief summary and reach out before you write the commentary. You don’t want to write a commentary that the journal isn’t planning to review!
  4. Get writing: Connect with collaborators to determine the division of responsibilities and  timeline. Then, carve out time in your calendar and get writing!
  5. Go through review: After your commentary is submitted, it will go through a review process that may be slightly different than other articles to foster a faster publication timeline (e.g., involves fewer reviewers, often reviewed by editorial board members).

The nitty gritty – things that help, and things that can hurt

Journals only have so much space, and editors are picky about what they publish. Here are some tips and tricks to enhance your commentary, and some things to avoid. 

  1. Identify an idea that is impactful and builds beyond the scope of a previously published article. Identify a practical or theoretical implication not articulated by the authors, or illuminate a limitation/future direction for research (remember to be respectful). A restatement of the findings is not unique and likely won’t publish. Related, avoid vague statements and instead articulate reasons why your take is important. Be specific, and contribute something novel. Connect the paper to a bigger picture.
  • Avoid lengthy summaries of the study, and instead point readers to the published article. Lengthy summaries take space, and by their nature are not commenting on the existing article.
  • Commentaries often have greater flexibility in voice, with opportunities to show more personality. Use catchy phrases to create brief, memorable summaries of your main idea. That said, you are still a scientist. Do not make claims that cannot be empirically tested; stick to the evidence, and communicate a healthy dose of skepticism. 

This is your opportunity to join the conversation of science. You may have lost touch with this desire due to tests or the stress of managing your dissertation, but isn’t that why we are here? Find a topic or recently published paper and share your thoughts with a colleague. Push the limits of what the study found, and challenge the assumptions. Sit long enough to articulate that feeling you’ve been having about the field that you hold dear. You never know how your engagement might impact the direction of science!

Announcing the 2023 APAGS PSRG Grant Winners!

It is once again time to announce this year’s winners of the American Psychological Association of Graduate Students (APAGS) Psychological Science Research Grant (PSRG)! Every year, graduate students apply for $1,000 worth of funding to provide support for their psychological research endeavors. This year, we are proud to announce a total of 107 applicants were considered for the $12,000 of funding: $9,000 awarded to student researchers with an additional $3,000 awarded to innovative research dedicated to topics on diversity and minoritized populations.

Here are PSRG winners for the general category:

Continue reading →

Where Science Meets Policy Part 4: Writing a Policy Brief

Mary Fernandes, Elyse Mowle, & Melanie Arenson

Why do we need it?

As mentioned in a previous blog post, there is a well-known lack of consistent translation of scientific research into public policy. Researchers and policy-makers often have differing timescales and incentives that contribute to limited communication between the two groups. For example, policy-makers are often required to work under strict deadlines to produce immediate policy results, and their time-constraints frequently preclude them from staying up-to-date on the vast scientific literature pertaining to the issues they are interested in. As a result, research findings that are easily digestible are more likely to be read, utilized, and acted upon. Researchers have the ability to coherently summarize their work into a short document that provides clear recommendations for policy and practice. In fact, 79% of policy-makers identified policy briefs as valuable communication tools (Jones & Walsh, 2008).

So, what is a policy brief?

A policy brief is a short document that summarizes important research findings about a specific problem to a lay audience and makes recommendations for improving the identified problem. The document is typically focused on a single topic, and is no more than 2-4 pages or 1,500 words long. A policy brief is written with an audience in mind, and should be easy to understand without specialized knowledge or additional reading. Succinct, simple, and smart. The main goal of any policy brief is to convince the audience of the urgency of the problem, as well as to provide feasible, evidence-based solutions to it, and calling the policy-maker(s) to action.

Who is it for?

Policy briefs are used by local, national, and regional policy stakeholders. Other individuals or groups who have access to the policy making process (including nonprofits, government advisers, lobbyists, Think Tanks, and the media) also use policy briefs.

How do I write one?

First, identify the aim of your policy brief. What are you trying to achieve, or communicate to your reader? Next, consider your audience. What is their technical knowledge? How familiar are they likely to be with the issue? What information will they need? With your audience and aim in mind, target the key aspects that a policy-maker will want from your policy brief:

Title- It should be informative and short.
Summary- This is like an abstract, but without the jargon. It summarizes the overview of the problem and makes evidence-based recommendations. This section should appear on the top of the first page of your brief and it should draw the reader in.
Introduction- Provide an overview of the context of the problem. Identify a few salient points that provide support for the urgency of the topic. Also, give an overview of the research objectives, findings, and conclusions. Include why this problem is important to the audience, and if applicable, why previous efforts to solve the problem have failed.
Methods/Approach and Results- Here, explain the methodology used in the presented research as well as the results of the project(s). Distill the results into a few, key take-home messages. Be sure to simplify the language and avoid technical terms.
Conclusions- Provide clear conclusions based on the data, and express them in an assertive manner, without scientific jargon. Solidify the key take-away from the study.
Policy Recommendations- Propose solutions that are relevant to the stated policy problem. The brief should systematically and clearly describe the evidence in support of the proposed solutions. Recommendations should be specific and backed by the evidence you outlined. Ensure that your recommendations are appropriate for the audience. All solutions should be realistic and feasible (cost-effective, reasonable, etc.). State the next steps precisely.
References- Include a list of the references used and provide resources they might be helpful. A large list of references, akin to a research paper, is unnecessary and even unhelpful – this should be a small section of your brief!
Disclaimers- Just like in a presentation, detail any funding sources that contributed to the research presented. Also list contact details and institution disclaimers that might be necessary.
Visual aids/Infographics- Infographics and visual aids often make detail-heavy content more digestible and appealing.

When you’re done, ask yourself if the document answers these questions:

  • What is the purpose of the brief?
  • What problem does it hope to address?
  • What recommendations does it make to address the problem?
  • Does it pass the breakfast test? A good policy brief should be able to answer all of these questions and be read in the time that it takes to drink a coffee over breakfast.

Style Tips

  • Draw the reader in by starting with your conclusions. Clearly state what the problem is from the start.
  • Break up the text – use headings, bulleted lists, font or call-out boxes to highlight key points. Have healthy margins and plenty of white space.
  • Write using active rather than passive voice
  • Write for clarity and simplicity. Can you say in one sentence what you just said in two or three? Think “economy of words”. For example:
    • Did you use a bigger word when a smaller one would have worked? (“Operationalize” versus “define”)
    • Can you cut words or phrases without changing the meaning? (“Due to the fact that” versus “because”)

How to disseminate your policy brief?

  • Share with key players in the policy field. Have copies ready for policy-makers whom you meet with.
  • Share with other stakeholders who might influence the policy-making process (see our ‘Science Meets Policy: Part 1’ post for information about stakeholders). If emailing, mention in the body of the email why the brief will be useful to them. Make sure that the subject of your email is concise, says everything that you want to convey, and eye-drawing (ex. “Importance of Science Influencing Policy: A Policy Brief).
  • Strategically plan the timing of your dissemination (i.e. during preparations for policy shifts, while there is media attention, etc.).
  • Submit the brief to journals that specify a call for briefs (https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/ipp/call-for-policy-briefs).
  • Combine with other communication methods such as posters and presentations at conferences.
  • Use social media to disseminate your brief (e.g. newsletters, Facebook, Twitter).

Further Resources

  1. https://www.odi.org/sites/odi.org.uk/files/odi-assets/publications-opinion-files/594.pdf
  2. https://www.researchtoaction.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/PBWeekLauraFCfinal.pdf
  3. https://www.mhinnovation.net/sites/default/files/downloads/resource/Tool6_PolicyBrief_14Oct2015.pdf
  4. https://www.spssi.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Page.ViewPage&pageId=1698
  5. http://blogs.lshtm.ac.uk/griphealth/files/2017/01/Policy-briefs-guide_2015.pdf

Sample Briefs

  1. https://www.rch.org.au/uploadedFiles/Main/Content/ccch/Policy_Brief_24_web.pdf
  2. https://www.emerald-project.eu/fileadmin/websites/emerald/media/Policy_briefs/11._Service_user_and_care_giver_involvement_in_mental_health_system_strengthening_in_Nepal.pdf

References
Jones, Nicola & Walsh, Cora. (2008). Policy Briefs as a Communication Tool for Development Research. ODI Background Notes.

Where Science Meets Policy Part 3: Writing About Your Science for Non-scientific Audiences

Melanie Arenson & Mary Fernandes

It is critical that researchers translate their scientific findings to non-scientist consumers (seriously, we’ve written 2 blog posts about it – find out about engaging with stakeholders here and how to write academic papers for a broader range of stakeholders here). However, many researchers (including us graduate students!) feel uncertain about exactly how or where to write about our science. While graduate students typically get exposure to creating posters, giving talks, and writing scientific articles, very few of us are ever taught how to write for other mediums. Below are a few tips and tricks.

Writing for a non-scientific audience.

  • Adjust your lexicon. Sometimes this is easier said than done. Many of us have been talking about our work in scientific circles for so long that jargon is second-nature for us. Break the habit.  Write about your findings in your typical scientific manner and then go back and ask yourself, “but what does this mean?” — then replace whatever you wrote with that answer. Wherever possible, write in lay terms or connect back to phenomena that people know and understand.
  • Write a story. This sounds abstract, but it is really important. People are good at processing stories — they’re not as good at conceptualizing facts and figures and understanding why they matter. The story will change depending upon the science that you are talking about, but it should flow from beginning to middle to end.
  • Write short. Ideally, people should be able to get the gist your scientific findings and the story you are going to tell them within the first 3 sentences. Get to the point as quickly as possible. For longer pieces (e.g. a blogpost), you can definitely expand, but the first few sentences should be a punch that conveys the big takeaways.
  • Wherever possible, include accessible infographics. What these look like can change from discipline to discipline, but you want the graphic to be accessible, easy to understand without explanation, and to summarize the most important take-home point and/or summarize large amounts of information.

Now, share it!

  • Social Media: If you’ve written something just a few sentences long, tweet it, share it on Facebook, or find a great photograph to represent it on Instagram. Then, interact with anyone who comments on or likes it. Encourage people to share your work, and make sure you’ve provided links back to the original scientific article.
  • Link to longer pieces: If what you’ve written is longer than just a few sentences (e.g. you wrote a blogpost, or have talked about your research in a news article), provide the link to the longer story, but make sure you’ve got a 1-3 sentence summary of your results and why they matter. As a tip, if you’ve followed the tricks listed above, you’ve probably already written those 1-3 sentences.
  • Blog posts: There are a number of science-relevant blogs (in fact, you’re reading one of them!). These blogs can vary from area to area, but they are a fantastic way to disseminate your research.
  • Email and listservs: We know this can feel strange, but you should be sharing your work with your colleagues. This means blasting it out on listservs and sending it to your department. First, people in your field are probably already interested in your work. Second, they also have connections, and may want to forward your work to other people who might also be interested. Whenever possible, include links to both the scientific article and the more accessible format.

Help! The media has asked about my work.
First of all, congratulations! You’ve been contacted by the media, because they want to know more about the really cool science that you are doing.
Many scientists feel nervous about talking to the media. They worry their work will get misrepresented, or feel uncomfortable describing themselves as the expert. Below are a few tricks (some of them may feel familiar).

  • Adjust your lexicon. Before providing information to the news source, do some background research on them to see what their writing style is usually like, and who you think their target audience is. Then, adjust your language accordingly.
  • Tell a story. It’ll be a short story, but it should still be a story. Whenever possible, connect back to why your results matter. Contextualize it within the broader picture.
  • Talk short. Your answers shouldn’t be lengthy. Make sure you already know how you want to talk about your work and what the key takeaways are (think back to those 1-3 sentences you’ve been using for social media and the beginning of blog posts).
  • Plan your responses. Think about what questions you might be asked and plan out how you would respond. Pay special attention to anything you think might be taken out of context; aim not only to be understood, but also to avoid being misunderstood. Be as precise in your language as you can be, without sliding into scientific jargon.
  • Build a relationship. Whenever possible, build rapport with the media author that contacted you. You want to be in a place where you would feel comfortable contacting them if you think they’ve accidentally misrepresented your work.
  • Remember, you are the expert. This one can be really difficult, but you are the expert in your work. Take pride in that, feel confident in that.

Further resources.
Don’t just take our word for it! Tons of people have written about communicating scientific findings to non-scientists. Below are a few of our favorites:

Keep following the series for more ways to translate your science! Up next, we’ll discuss how to write a policy brief.

APAGS Convention Tracks – Science

APA 2016 bannerThis year, the APAGS Convention Committee has put graduate student programming at Convention into tracks: Diversity, Professional Development, Science, and Internship. We’ve done so with an eye for how certain programs and talks might go together, so that students can set their goals for convention (e.g., get the skinny on how to research efficiently) and feel assured that they hit all the talks.

Check out my previous post that highlights the Professional Development track.

My self-care activity throughout grad school has been hiking. For that reason, my mind is making connections between our APAGS tracks and hiking routes. Imagine each track as a particular hiking path. Sometimes they intersect with other paths, and sometimes you can hop between paths based on your needs. In fact, the hiking analogy can be extended further! Hydrate during convention, pack good footwear (lots of walking), and tie up your food at night so that grizzly bears hungry grad students cranky advisers don’t get into it.

Second track: Science

Length: Straight shot to some sweet pubs and science-nerdiness                            Preparation: Read up on internships leading to unexpected career paths, and how to dive into research 

  1. Alternative Career Paths with a Doctorate in Psychology (also in Professional Development)
  2. Conducting Research within a Social Justice Framework: From Research Question to Publication (also in Diversity)
  3. Networking with a Purpose: Making a Plan, Building Relationships, and Maintaining Connections (also in Professional Development)
  4. Late Breaking Poster Session
  5. Conducting Research on Marginalized Identities: When Research is “Me-Search” (also in Diversity)
  6. Reviewing for a Journal as Graduate Students: The Whys and Hows
  7. Individual Development Plans for Students and Postdocs (also in Professional Development)

Happy trails!

Editor’s Note: Each day this week we will highlight a different APAGS Program Track. Find out which track is right for you! Also, check out the full schedule of APAGS programming.