Understanding Science and Technology Writing

• Science and technology writing involves presenting scientific reports in a clear and effective manner.
• This involves translating them into stories understandable for the average reader.
• Science writing can take the form of news, features, or editorials, differing from other forms due to the angle or the side of the story.
• Consider the story's relation to any scientific process or matter when emphasizing the angle of a science news story.
• Science journalism involves science writers taking information from doctors, scientists, and experts and translating it for ordinary people.

Examples for Science Writing

• Breastfeeding news should focus on the number of mothers who are breastfeeding.
• Editorials should focus on why millennial mothers do not breastfeed.
• Features should focus on the bonding between the mother and the child.
• Science-focused articles should focus on the nutritional benefits of breastfeeding.
• When writing about fumigation, avoid simply mentioning that it occurred and instead describe the chemicals used and their effects.

Essential Elements

• Facts: Science articles must present sensible, digestible, coherent, and relatable data.
• Expert Interview: An expert interview is essential to a science article.
• Figures/Statistics: Figures and statistics will make an article more specific.
• Comparative Analysis: Highlights the intensity/progress of the topic.
• Solution: Articles should provide solutions and not leave readers feeling hopeless.

Basic Parts of a Science Article

• Headline/Title: Should be catchy and concise.
• Lead: Should be catchy, and can include a twist.
• Body: Should have a smooth flow, with one idea per paragraph.
• Conclusion: Should check the lead and act as a clincher.

Writing Headlines/Titles

• Headlines/titles must have a complete thought and a call to curiosity.
• Feature-style examples: "Aquaculture: Five Ways on How to Make it Sustainable"
• News-style examples: "Local fish farmers say aquaculture is easy to sustain with correct methods" and "Bacteria make 'spider silk' that's stronger than steel".

Writing the Lead

• The lead should explain the headline and be direct and conversational, especially for science news.
• "DOH: Leptospirosis cases rise to 1,500"
• For Science Features, use direct quotations or sayings.
• A direct quotation example from the DOST: "The banana industry is a sagging enterprise."
• A saying example: "An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure - the safe and the best way to avoid getting contaminated with leptospirosis lends a truism!"
• Articles should be descriptive and colorful.
• "The packet is pristine white, almost antiseptic and the advertising stresses the cleanliness of the brand. Under the cellophanes, high gloss paper and silver foil are 20 cigarettes which the somewhat evangelical wrapping says are of 'low-tar content."

Writing the Body

• The body of the news story/article gives the reader the detailed parts of the news, developing the facts and data given in the lead.
• Details should elaborate on the Ws and H of the news.
• Each paragraph should contain only one sentence and focus on one idea.
• The overall goal is to encourage the reader to continue reading.

DOH Leptospirosis Example

• The Department of Health (DOH) on July 5, confirmed the rise of leptospirosis cases all over the country.
• Dr. Benjamin Herrera, an alumnus of the University of Santo Tomas, said that local cases have reached 1,500.
• The National Capital Region (NCR) has the highest cases of leptospirosis, followed by CALABARZON (Region IV-A) and Central Luzon (Region III).
• Within NCR, Malabon has the highest case of leptospirosis, followed by Navotas, Caloocan, Marikina, Valenzuela, and Makati.
• These cities were determined to be flood prone by the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA).
• Bacteria can penetrate the body through any skin opening or wound, not just through rat urine.

Formulas for Science Articles

• For Illinesses: Title, Origin, Symptoms, Cure, Prevention, Conclusion
• For Trends: Title, Origin, Science Angle 1, Science Angle 2, Benefits, Threats, Conclusion
• For Tonics/supplements: Title, Origin, Nutritional Content, Health Benefits, Source, Conclusion

Anatomy of a Science Article

• Includes a headline/title with a source
• Lead elaboration of the headline.
• Facts with sources.
• Direct statements
• Possible solutions from experts.
• Headlines must mention the source/expert and statistics.
• Articles should expound on the headline.
• Articles should mention the representative/name of the expert, their background information, and info about the disease: Source, Symptoms, Cure, and Prevention.

Tips for Science Writing

• Write in a conversational manner
• Avoid leaving readers hanging.
• Define scientific terms.
• Learn how to appreciate data.
• Include figures in your headline.
• If the expert is not famous, do not mention them in the headline and the lead.
• Ensure your lead is the explanation of your headline.
• Write the expert's full name the first time you mention them.
• Spell out the names of agencies and organizations.
• Adhere to the scientific angle of the story.
• Only provide information from known authorities or data accessible to the public.
• Define terms, and explain/cite the sources, implications, and cures of diseases.
• Always provide a solution, but quote an expert.

Factors for Writing a Science Article

• Translate the scientific information.
• Interpret the information for the average reader.
• Develop the body of the article with supporting facts and details.
• Write a good ending that provides a solution or conclusion.
• Expert interviews, a credible source, and professional opinions are also crucial to science writing.