Making Data Talk: A Workbook - National Cancer Institute

Table 1.2 Tips for Presenting Audience-Friendly DataTip• Avoid terms not frequently used outsideof the scientific community.• Avoid terms with multiple meanings.• Avoid science and math concepts that canbe misunderstood. If these term(s) or conceptsmust be used, be sure to explain them in aneasy-to-understand way.• Focus on the main message instead of detailedscientific arguments or outcomes.• Explain how the data may impact audiences.• Present data in a distinctive way that helpsyou gain the attention of your audiences.Example/ExplanationCohort, longitudinalSurveillanceProportions, relative riskWhen making decisions, many people use heuristics(shortcuts) rather than the rational decision-makingmodel used by most scientists. 2Demonstrating impact can help audiences understandwhy the data are relevant to them.For a majority of people in the United States, health issuesare of moderate-to-low interest. 3 Presenting relevant andinteresting information can reduce the likelihood thatpeople will filter it out due to lack of interest.After reading this chapter, you should be able to recognize that effective communication with audiences outsideof the scientific community requires consideration of how those audiences differ from the scientific communityand how communication can be modified to account for those differences. For further detail on conceptspresented in this chapter, refer to Chapter 1, Introduction, of Making Data Talk: Communicating Public HealthData to the Public, Policy Makers, and the Press.4