Skip to main content
BookbeginnerPaid

Houston, We Have a Narrative: Why Science Needs Story

by Randy Olson Β· University of Chicago Press

The most concrete, teachable storytelling method written for scientists: a marine biologist turned filmmaker applies screenwriting principles to science. The book introduces the And-But-Therefore (ABT) template and the related word-sentence-paragraph exercises for turning lists of findings into a narrative with a problem and a resolution.

Visit resource

This link may earn us a small commission at no extra cost to you. Affiliate disclosure

More resources on Science Communication

YouTubeFree

SciShow

Short science explainer videos created by Hank Green and produced by Complexly, answering questions across biology, chemistry, physics, psychology and earth science and reporting new research. Viewers gain accessible, accurate background on how everyday phenomena work and what recent studies found.

YouTubeFree

CrashCourse

Educational YouTube channel of fast-paced, illustrated video series spanning physics, chemistry, biology, astronomy, ecology, history, literature and economics. Each series follows an introductory course syllabus, giving viewers a structured overview of a subject's core concepts before formal study.

PodcastFree

The Naked Scientists

The weekly flagship program of The Naked Scientists, a Cambridge-based science outreach team led by Chris Smith, mixing science news, researcher interviews and listener questions across biology, medicine, physics and space. Listeners keep up with current research explained in plain language.

PodcastFree

Science Vs

Science journalism podcast in which each episode takes a popular claim, such as fasting diets, fluoride or ADHD treatments, and weighs it against the published research. Listeners learn how evidence is gathered and graded, and how to separate supported findings from hype.

PaperFree

Ten Simple Rules for Better Figures

Short open-access PLOS Computational Biology paper (2014) with ten rules for scientific figures, among them knowing the audience, stating the message, adapting to the medium, captions, avoiding default settings, using color deliberately, and not misleading the reader. Includes worked matplotlib examples.

WebsiteFree

AAAS Communication Toolkit

The AAAS Center for Public Engagement's free guide for scientists. It covers message design (bottom line first, then why it matters, then details), online communication, in-person engagement, visuals, working with journalists, and briefing policymakers. A practical free checklist that covers channels the books do not: journalists and policymakers. Last updated 2022, but the advice is stable.

See all Science Communication resources β†’