Science Writer

Overview and Key Facts

What Do They Do?

A science writer could...

Overview Listen to this section

Have you ever tried to read a scientific or technical article in a professional journal? They can be hard to decipher because they are full of technical terminology. But have you ever read a science article in a magazine that was geared for your age or for the general public? These tend to be a lot easier to read and more interesting because they have been written by a science writer. A science writer can take a complex subject and write a concise article in language that is easy for non-scientists to understand. Science writers can work on several different kinds of projects, like scientific bulletins, advertising, and articles for science magazines, but ultimately their job is to make science interesting and fun for general audiences.

Do You Have the Skills and Characteristics of a Science Writer?

1. Writing: ? Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
2. Reading Comprehension: ? Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
3. Active Listening: ? Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
4. Speaking: ? Talking to others to convey information effectively.
5. Critical Thinking: ? Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

6. Active Learning: ? Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
7. Judgment and Decision Making: ? Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
8. Time Management: ? Managing one's own time and the time of others.
9. Coordination: ? Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
10. Monitoring: ? Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Core Tasks

Think about if you'd like the typical tasks a Science Writer might do:

• Act as the chief conduit of information between scientists and the public.
• Convey research findings for scientific or medical professions and organize information for advertising or public relations needs.
• Work with researchers on technical subjects to prepare written interpretations of data and other information for a general readership.
• Travel to meetings and conferences to make contacts and learn about cutting-edge science topics.
• Provide weekly news reports and other content for an institution's website.
• Write scientific proposal grants.
• Consult editorial staff.
• Proofread articles written by other science writers.
• Perform fact checks.
• Evaluate research results of scientific studies.