Communication Workshop

Communicating the message

Written and verbal communication

Characteristics of effective documents

• Consistent• Concise• Structured• Clear• Informative• Interesting• Attractive

• Readable• Relevant• Well presented• Grammatically correct• Easily available• Summary points

Writing a document

• Know the following:– What type of document?– What is the purpose?– Who is the audience?– What is your message?

• Plan the content• Revise!!

Source: Biotext 2011. Successful science writing and editing

Eliminating wordiness

• Waffle words– Generally speaking, writers can basically rely in

the main on certain fundamental techniques to structure their text

– Generally speaking, writers can basically rely in the main on certain fundamental techniques to structure their text

– Writers can rely on fundamental techniques to structure their text

Source: Biotext 2011. Successful science writing and editing

Eliminating wordiness

• Repeated meanings– The end result was shorter in length than we had hoped, but

we plan to increase the text in the future. Our writing methods and techniques enabled us to achieve our aims and objectives

– The end result was shorter in length than we had hoped, but we plan to increase the text in the future. Our writing methods and techniques enabled us to achieve our aims and objectives

– The result was shorter than we had hoped, but we plan to increase the text. Our writing methods enabled us to achieve our aims

Source: Biotext 2011. Successful science writing and editing

Complex words and jargon

• Complex words– Use familiar words (keep it plain not posh!)

• Jargon: be careful when...– Assigning precise/specific meaning to words that

others may interpret differently– Using expressions that aren’t used in everyday

speech – might need to define them

Source: Biotext 2011. Successful science writing and editing

Report writing

• Reporting of health statistics from service data: Country best practices (WHO 2007)– Present statistics in different forms– Use graphs, diagrams and tables – but include

explanatory notes– Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the data

• Improving data quality: A guide for developing countries (WHO 2003)– Improving the quality of statistical and public health

reports

News articles and editorials

• Good way of getting information to the general public

• News items– Recent events

• Feature articles– Longer– Analyses subject areas

• Commentaries– Opinion pieces, columns, editorials, letters

Inverted pyramid writing

Very important

Somewhat

Less

Telling a story

Newsletters, brochures and leaflets

• External or internal audiences• Like a ‘shop window’• What to include?– Digest – Progress – Reports – Goals – Plans –

Tips – Links – People – Graphics – Features • Brochures and leaflets• Focus on single issue, product, service• Content similar to a policy brief

Poster presentations

• Summarises work in easy, captivating ‘nuggets’• Like an advertisement• Inspires desire for more information• Compelling research/evidence• Colourful design• Better than giving a talk– Works when you aren’t there– Can be used many times

Policy briefs

• Identify a problem• Show evidence that informs policy on the

matter• Propose solutions• Present a recommendation• Move the reader from problems to

possibilities to policies• ‘Corn-flakes’ test

Components

1. Title2. Summary3. Statement of the problem4. Background and/or context to problem5. Pre-existing policies6. Policy options7. Critique of policy options8. Policy recommendations

Group work50 minutes

• Based on analysis of annual health bulletin• Use the data to create a policy brief– Advocate for additional resources/interventions

for a specific health issue– Advocate for additional resources to improve

HIS/reporting (such as the bulletin)• 30 minutes to develop• 20 minutes to present back

Oral presentations

The ‘three message’ speech

Source: Knowledge Translation Toolkit, pg 169

Death by PowerPoint

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