Fishing for Stories: Using Storytelling to Share Science with New Audiences

Storytelling is a powerful, intuitive approach to exchanging information and connecting with people. For scientists, this everyday skill can be an essential tool for disseminating research outside of the peer-review system and demonstrating its relevance to broader audiences. To develop a research narrative, scientists should start by identifying their audience, message, and existing skill set. Who might care about your research? What do they already know? What existing tools could you adapt to share your story? To connect with your audience, focus on an interesting character, use emotion, and share what happens behind the scenes. Most importantly, explain why it matters. What do your results mean? What is at stake? As a college student in 2013, I worked with the Ichthyology Department at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, Canada to produce videos, photos, graphic designs, and online content. I will share my experience with developing narratives and applying multiple communication tools to connect museum curators with the general public.