Cause an Effect series
Basics of Science Communication
Strategic science communication starts with understanding your audience and tailoring your message to them.
It’s tempting to just start somewhere, but paying attention to the basic questions is good practice if you want to make your science communication efforts worthwhile. They’re called the basics because they’re essential!
43 pages | PDF
Cause an Effect series
Science and the Media
(Social) media are a great amplifier for your message – if you approach them wisely.
Both media and social media have their intricacies and both can seem scary in the beginning. This book will get you on your way to a good understanding with either, but it’s up to you to try it out.
62 pages | PDF
Cause an Effect series
Storytelling for Scientists
Narrative techniques and stories can really complement your datasets and scientific publications, if you know how to use them.
Stories captivate us from an early age. Use their power to draw people in as a way to communicate your science! And this also goes for your peers at a conference..
52 pages | PDF
Cause an Effect series
Presentation Design Package
This package contains a practical guide to design science presentations that engage and inspire, as well as templates to help you on your way. Improve your slides and stand out from the crowd with the best presentation design at any conference.
This practical book – by scientists, for scientists – helps you get rid of slides full of text and data and present with clarity instead.
Use the fully customizable PowerPoint template and instructions to create your next presentation in minutes!
123 pages | PDF | Ebook + PowerPoint template
I have worked closely with Liesbeth and Stephan. They listened very carefully to our wishes, translated them into designs and texts that were understandable and visibly highly attractive. Their greatest asset is their ability to communicate clearly and constantly address the various professional voices involved by translating between the different audiences.
Esther Captain, former head of Centre for Applied Research on Education, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences
We collaborated with the Online Scientist for a series of presentations for an online event about a scientific innovation project. The team at the Online Scientist was very hands on and helpful with both the design and content of the presentations. We now have clear and to-the-point slides on a very scientific topic, making the presentations more impactful.”
Sophia Rehn, EUFIC
The authors
Since we founded The Online Scientist in 2012, we’ve helped hundreds of researchers with their science communication. We combine scholarly insights into science communication with hands-on practical experience.
It has been a very instructive and enjoyable job to get my farewell speech together. I thank Liesbeth and Stephan for the support, inspiration and help they offered. I received a lot of praise for the presentation, both about the content and the visualization. The overall picture was impressive according to many. Thank you for the pleasant and inspiring collaboration.”
Prof. dr. René Bindels, Radboudumc
Liesbeth Smit
I make science sexy and want to help researchers create more impact with their work. That’s why I taught myself design and web development during my research and PhD in nutrition science at Harvard School of Public Health and VU University.
Since founding The Online Scientist in 2012, I’ve created over 150 websites and dozens of presentations, infographics, and animated videos for researchers all over the world. My goal is to make their research output more user-friendly and intuitive with engaging designs that put a smile on your face.
Stephan van Duin
I started in science communication right after graduating as a biologist, and I now commit myself to improving the discipline of science communication or ‘scicomm’ even further. Not only by working for scientists and giving workshops, but also as co-chairman of the Dutch science communication association SciCom NL. One of my goals is to connect the practice of scicomm to the academic research.
My vision is that both science and society can benefit from clear science communication when it’s done the right way.
Do you want to learn even more?
Book one of our science communication workshops!
IMPACT with science communication
Get creative with your science communication for impact!
Basics of Science Communication
Learn how to engage your audience effectively
Poster design & graphical abstracts
How to communicate your research visually
Science and the media
How to engage media with confidence
Presentation design
Avoid the PowerPoint traps and visualize your message
Storytelling for scientists
Use narrative techniques to talk about your research in a new way
Social media
Get inspiration for your next post to create an impact online!
Increase your online visibility
Your first steps towards a better online profile
Write a slogan for your research
A jumpstart into approaching your audience
Create a personal website
The nuts and bolts about creating a personal academic website
