A friend once told me a story about a job candidate who interviewed at a high-tech neuro-imaging company where she worked. She said “The candidate looked amazing on paper! And when I saw their research topic, I was so excited to listen to their presentation… but then when the candidate got up to give their talk, everyone in the room was bored and confused into a stupor.” The person didn’t get the job, despite the fact they held a PhD in their field and were very likely doing amazing work. It is not enough to conduct solid research. You have to know how to communicate it.
Data storytelling is critical. And here is the best kept secret of science communication: the same principles of storytelling that make us want to pay hundreds of dollars a year to watch movies, that create a good page-turning book, or that draw thousands out to the theater again and again are the very same principles that we should be incorporating into our data presentations. Data storytelling is my first love. I have been in the sciences for nearly two decades working in academia and laboratories (and I have sat through more boring research talks and read more mind-numbing reports than I care to think about). But I deeply believe in the power of storytelling to communicate solid research findings. I can help you do that. I use my years of experience in storytelling and journalism combined with my understanding of data and experimental design to help you create presentations, grant proposals, and policy reports that are easy to understand and compelling. You can find out more about my data storytelling services at Stories of Science.