How to write a kick-ass blog post

For academics

1. Write for your audience

Who are you writing for?

• You and your coworkerso Most of your terminology will be understood

• The academic worldo Discipline-specific terminology and concepts need clarifying

• A wider audienceo Both general and specific scientific terminology, concepts and

methods need clarifying

Explain concepts like these:

• Multivariate analysis

• Dotblot

• Normative

• Eusociality

• Mouse model

• Nanites

• Phenomology

• Reproducibility

• Methodology

http://usefulscience.org/

2. Pick your topic

Not every blog post has to be a big thing. Pace yourself!

• Your researcho Your reseach set-up, your research questiono Your mistakes (and how you fixed them)

• Your experiences as a PhD

• Conference visits

• Subjects related to your discipline

• Corrections on popular media coverage about your discipline

3. Get to the point!

• Keep your posts short and to-the-point

• Drop the nuance, but do add references

4. Add examples (if you can)

Add examples (if you can)

5. Use illustrations

6. Write a good title and introduction

• It may be all people see of your post• Make clear what your post is about and why

people would want to read it• Don’t write a mysterious title –

give the conclusion away!

• Write your post first, add your title and intro last

Source: London School of Economics

7. Writer’s block?

Start writing first, edit later

8. Made an impression?

Make sure people know who you are and can reach you with comments

About.me

8 tips1. Write for your audience

2. Pick your topic

3. Get to the point!

4. Add examples

5. Use illustrations

6. Start your article with a good title and introduction - but write them last

7. Writer’s block? Start writing first, edit later

8. Make sure people know who you are and can reach you with comments

Happy blogging!

Keep us posted on your social media experiences:

@julianienaber@SarahSomers@ManuelSintubin