Understanding audiences
It’s not what you know. It’s how you express it…
…that’s decisive in your audience understanding you. And just because they understand doesn’t mean they will agree (that’s something completely different!).
This is tricky, especially for people in any complex field like scientific research. It’s human nature to think if you know something, other people know it, too.
“Non scientific” audiences, that is, people outside science, are not experts. You are the expert. That’s what your audience expects from you.
Most peoples’ perception of science and the scientific method is very different from yours. To communicate your message effectively, challenge what you think is common knowledge and totally obvious.
Think a lot about your audience and try to see it from the audience’s point of view.
If you can learn to express your ideas in ways that make sense to your audience you’ll be able to reach them more effectively.
