Using quotes in science stories

Using quotes in science stories

Quotes in science stories are an essential tool for making news attractive. They’re one way to bring a science story to life.

Direct quotes are when you use someone’s exact words and put them in quotation marks. It lets the audience know that this piece of information came from a particular person in their own words. When you quote someone directly, you’re also showing the reader that this is an essential piece of information and you’re giving it special attention.

For this reason, carefully select your direct quotes in science stories. Don’t deliver a flat statement. Your quote should be striking. Ideally, it should capture the essence of the person’s view. We might call this the “golden quote”.

Use memorable quotes in science stories

When quotes are memorable or convey strong feelings and opinions, they help your news stand out. You can share plain facts in your writing. But let the quote tell something about your source’s thoughts on the matter.

This is because quotes in science stories that express consequences, feelings, insights, opinions or views tend to be more engaging than statements of plain facts. A statement of fact would have to be very dramatic to compete with feelings and opinions.

Here’s an example of a strong quote from Dr Tedros, head of the World Health Organization:

“No one should get sick and die just because they’re poor or marginalized”.

See how this quote is striking and conveys a strong opinion on the speaker’s topic of health.

What happens if you can’t use quotes in science stories

Sometimes you’ll interview someone, but you won’t get that one memorable quote. If this happens, it’s best not to include a direct quote.

Remember, it’s also not right to change someone’s words. Never alter a direct quote to make it more interesting. However, you can ask additional questions to see if your source says something else that you could include as a strong direct quote.

If this happens, try asking the same types of questions in different ways. Asking “how?” and “why?” can help. To get your golden quote, you can also try describing your target audience to your source. Then ask them to answer your questions in language that makes sense to that audience. If your source uses jargon or technical words, ask them to clarify them. If your target audience is the general public, ask your interviewee, “How will this affect the ordinary citizen?”

Remember to include simple quotes in science stories

It’s crucial to make complex science as simple as possible for audiences. Someone from the general public should be able to understand a direct quote. However, if your source uses a technical word in their quote, you can insert a description in parentheses after that word.

Be selective about the parts of the quote you include. If two sentences in the quote say the same thing, only include one of the sentences. “Parrot quotes” – quotes that repeat what the source has noted in their preceding sentence – are a waste of valuable space in your news.

In summary, remember to use strong direct quotes that are appealing and striking. Look out for quotes that include opinions or refer to consequences. Also, include quotes that use dynamic language and active rather than passive words. Dramatic expressions can make a quote more memorable. Remember to avoid complex quotes or quotes that contain complicated scientific jargon. And avoid parrot quotes and steer clear of statements of plain facts.

In this way, you can use direct quotes to your advantage and write more engaging science news that engages the reader.

To learn more about science communication, read Science Communication Skills for Journalists by Dr Charles Wendo. And take our free online course, Script.