3 Best Techniques for Effective Storytelling – Scientific Storytelling Part 2
Research papers are commonly known for their presentation of facts and findings rather than scientific storytelling. In fact, “storytelling” is not something that comes to mind when one thinks of research papers. Yet, there are manuscripts out there that creatively use techniques of storytelling in academic writing1.
In the first part of this three-part series, we discussed why it is important to incorporate a storytelling narrative into research paper writing. In the second part, we will explore three effective techniques for storytelling in a research manuscript along with tips on implementing them.
Narrative Storytelling Techniques
1. Add a Human Face to the Story
3. Maintain a Conversational Tone
1. Add a Human Face to the Story
Emotions help readers connect better with any piece of writing. It makes them relate to the content in a way that helps grasp information faster and retain them longer. While adding an emotional component to a blogpost in an informal setting may be simple, how do you achieve it in academic writing?
Provide examples or narrate experiences that readers can easily relate to
For instance, if your study discusses a novel method of ensuring safety in nuclear power plants, do not start directly by explaining your study’s purpose. First, describe a few historic examples of major accidents that had a significant impact on common people. Emphasize the extent of impact, both short-term and long-term, such that the readers understand the motivation for initiating your study. Then, proceed to highlight why your novel method can help prevent such accidents in the future.
Describe concrete actions
When identifying a problem, present a vivid imagery of why it is significant and how it is critical that you address it. This gives readers a chance to visualize what you are attempting to convey.
For instance, say you have identified a major gap in the education sector that is negatively affecting students’ learning processes. What are the challenges that you see and how have they impacted students? Describe them in sufficient detail first. Then, highlight what actions can help tackle each of these challenges. You may even present them in a tabular format to underscore which solution works best for which problem to help readers understand your intent.
2. Motion and Pacing
A good story combines action and commentary to set the motion and pacing! While motion moves the story forward, pacing decides the rate at which the story unfolds2. Here’s how this can be incorporated in scientific storytelling.
Use turbo-verbs when describing actions
These are verbs that help you enhance the power of what is being conveyed, adding more weight to your narrative.
For instance, say “The research was conducted in a laboratory setting.” instead of “The research was done in a laboratory setting.”
Or write, “We administered the questionnaire and recorded the participants’ responses.” instead of “We distributed the questionnaires to the study participants and their answers were noted.”
Although the meaning remains the same, the use of turbo verbs improves the writing style and tone of a sentence.
Create a “to-and-fro” style of narration
Readers are likely to lose interest if the research paper follows a monotonous tone in the information flow. Keep them engaged by incorporating a rhythmic prose in your writing.
For instance, start with a general idea and then move to the specifics. Bring the readers back to another idea and then delve into its specifics with examples.
This can typically be done by using suitable sub-headings to categorize your Methods and Results sections into appropriate sub-sections. The paragraphs within each sub-section should be logically structured, referring to tables, figures, and graphs where necessary to provide sufficient context to the readers.
Vary the lengths of sentences and paragraphs
Have a mix of short and long sentences in your paragraphs. Non-native authors may consider writing lengthy sentences as a sign of experienced writer. But this is not true. In research papers, extremely lengthy sentences stuffed with technical jargon could often confuse readers. They might even have to read the sentences multiple times to understand your intent.
Therefore, avoid lengthy paragraphs that run for pages, especially when you are explaining a complex concept. Keep the language straightforward and use jargon only when needed. Let the sentences vary in length as the information flows through the structured paper. Use bullet points or numbered lists to facilitate reading.
Use synonyms to avoid a monotonous tone
A research paper tends to become monotonous, especially when the length exceeds 8 to 10 pages. You need to pace your writing such that the reader remains interested to dive deep into your paper after the first perusal. You can make the reading process interesting by using synonyms (where possible) so that the reader does not encounter repeated terms.
For example, repeatedly using the word “analyze” when describing your experiment could annoy the reader. You can use words like “investigate,” “analyze,” “examine,” and “observe” in different contexts when describing your research experience. Even using different forms of the word, such as “investigating” or “analyzing” could help avoid a boring tone in your writing. However, do NOT use synonyms for technical terms, as these need to remain consistent to avoid confusion.
3. Maintain a Conversational Tone
If you were to explain your study to someone face-to-face, you would make it conversational rather than give a lecture! Likewise, your readers should feel “talked to” and not “spoken at.” Maintaining a colloquial tone3 in your research writing helps readers connect better with your story. Here are some ways to do that:
Use personal pronouns if the journal permits
You might have been discouraged from using personal pronouns (e.g., we, our, you, your) in academic writing in your grad school. But this concept is quite outdated and modern research writing allows using personal pronouns. They help pull the readers in rather than push them away. So use them in your paper appropriately.
However, a few journals might explicitly instruct not to use first-person language in the paper or in certain sections of the paper (e.g., abstract). Always read the journal guidelines and use appropriate language in your writing.
Give agency to people and organizations when reporting information
One of the primary purposes of research articles is reporting findings, either novel or existing ones. Often, authors simply state facts without clarifying “who” reported it.
For instance, when you describe previously reported findings, use the names of authors or institutions rather than abstract concepts. You can write “Darwin reported that…” instead of “Evolution theory says…” This gives agency to the person who reported research findings, clearly indicating the source of your information.
Occasionally, use active voice in sentences
It is alright to use active voice in academic writing to maintain variety in sentence structure. Although passive writing is often encouraged in academic writing, the occasional use of active writing helps keep the tone conversational.
For instance, say “We collected the data from the following databases.” instead of “The data was collected from the following databases.”
In the second sentence, it is not clear “who” collected the data, which may confuse the readers.
Final Thoughts
These strong narrative storytelling techniques can help you author a compelling research paper, following a basic storytelling structure while maintaining scientific objectivity. In the next part, we will learn how the IMRaD format (Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion) should be structured to practically incorporate these storytelling techniques.
References
1. Using storytelling methods to improve emotion, motivation and attitude of students writing scientific papers and theses https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/6921453
2. What is pacing in writing https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-pacing-in-writing/
3. How to write in a conversational tone https://www.webwritingadvice.com/how-to-write-in-a-conversational-tone/
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