Careers in science: what is a science writer?
Science writing is a career you can do from a home office, but tight deadlines come with the territory. Photo by Christin Hume on Unsplash.
I brand myself as a science writer and editor. Lots of people I meet ask,
But what does that mean – exactly what kind of work does a science writer do?
On a simple level, my job description goes like this: I break down complex science and technology content into digestible chunks of information that are useful for the target audience (usually non-scientists).
But “science writer” is a pretty broad term – it covers a range of work I deliver for diverse clients and across many types of science and technology subject matter.
For each job, the brief depends on the client and their needs. Common outputs include technical science writing and editing, science journalism, science communication and science marketing/public relations (PR).
The lines between categories of work can appear blurred. However, it is possible to make some broad distinctions.
One useful way to think about the differences between types of projects is to focus on:
what the objective of the work is
who is paying for the work.
I’d like to thank Niall Byrne and Sarah Brooker for suggesting this approach in an Australian Science Communicators email thread years ago.
Here’s a brief breakdown of four different types of work science writers do.
Technical science writing and editing
What is the objective? Well-structured, compelling and useful presentation of data-based, factual and technical content in research papers, white papers, client-facing documents, reports, grants and prize applications.
Who pays? Individual researchers, research departments and institutions, government departments, private companies, not-for-profits.
Science journalism
What is the objective? Factual, verified and unbiased analysis of science news and scientific processes.
Who pays? Consumers and publishers of news.
Read more on science journalism here.
Science communication
What is the objective? Inform the public about what science is, how it works, what it offers.
Who pays? Scientists, universities, research institutes, media platforms and companies, private companies, state and federal governments, or self-funded.
Read more on science communication here.
Science marketing and PR
What is the objective? Improve brand and topic awareness and trigger action in consumers, such buying a product, donating to a research institute, clicking through to a website, sharing content to others.
Who pays? Scientists, universities, media platforms and companies, research institutes, private companies.
Read more on science marketing and PR here.
Core capabilities for science writing
Many skills come together in delivering high quality work across all of these categories, including in-depth understanding of the world of science — how research is funded, where and how research takes place, different types of experimental design, quantitative and qualitative data, the ethics of science, how results are analysed and interpreted, statistics, and the limitations of science. It helps to have science qualifications to cover all these bases, but it’s not always essential.
Being a freelance science writer and editor is a highly rewarding and interesting career. But how do you transition from a scientist to a science writer? I’ve pulled together some tips on that topic in a separate post.
This article was triggered by conversations with my IMNIS mentee Monique VanAcquoy, and an associated panel session I participated in recently. Run by Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering (ATSE), the IMNIS program connects motivated PhD students and postdoctoral fellows in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) with industry leaders in a one-year mentoring and professional development program.