Includes index. Bibliographical references available online at http://www.explainingresearch.com/index.php?page_id=271.

Explaining your research is a professional necessity -- Learning a new communications paradigm. Understand your audiences ; Plan your research communication strategy -- Effectively reaching your peers. Give compelling talks ; Develop informative visuals ; Create effective poster presentations ; Write clear research explanations ; Build a quality web site -- Engaging lay audiences. Forge your research communications strategy ; The essential news release ; Craft releases that tell your research story ; Target releases to key audiences ; Produce effective research photography ; Produce informative research videos ; Organize dynamic multimedia presentations ; Create e-newsletters, wikis, blogs, podcasts, social networks, and webinars ; Write popular articles, op=eds, and essays ; Author popular books ; Become a public educator ; Persuade administrators, donors, and legislators -- Explaining your research through the media. Parse publicity's pros and cons ; Understand journalists ; Meet journalists' needs ; Prepare for media interviews ; Make the interview work for you ; Protect yourself from communication traps ; Manage media relations at scientific meetings ; Should you be a public scientist? "Drawing on knowledge gleaned from a forty-year career in research communication, Dennis Meredith maps out how researchers can utilize a wide range of communication tools and techniques to disseminate their discoveries to important audiences. Explaining Research shows how to use Web sites, blogs, videos, webinars, old-fashioned lectures, news releases, and lay-level articles to reach the key audiences, emphasizing that a strong understanding of each audience allows a more effective communication tailored to its unique background and needs. The book features revealing insights from scores of the country's leading science communication experts, including academics, authors, journalists, and public information officers."--BOOK JACKET.