Syracuse University Senior Associate Vice President for Content Strategy Ellen de Graffenreid recently joined our CCTS Friday Fellows to present a workshop on “How to Share Your Views: Op-Eds for Scientists.” De Graffenreid’s background includes 20 years of higher education and academic medicine communications and marketing leadership at the Robert J. Margolis, MD, Center for Health Policy at Duke University, the University of Missouri, and Brandeis University as well as offering her own viewpoint for Inside Higher Ed’s online blog and other outlets.

De Graffenreid encouraged the audience of outcomes researchers to “share all you’ve learned about effective interventions—writing an op-ed is a great way to influence health policy.” But it’s not the same as writing for Science, she warned. “In addition to a great title, a cogent point of view, and the data to back it up, you need to make a connection with the reader early on and end with a compelling call to action,” she said.

Below we summarize this communication guru’s top tips for crafting an effective op-ed to share your insights, both scientific and personal, with the media and the public. You can catch her complete CCTS Friday Fellows talk on our YouTube channel.

1. Track the news and jump at opportunities. Timing is essential. Try to link your issue to something that is trending in the news.
2. Limit your article to 750 words (or less). Shorter is even better. Newspapers have limited space (at least in print).
3. Make a single point – well. You cannot solve all of the world’s problems in 750 words. If you cannot explain your message in a sentence or two, you’re trying to cover too much.
4. Put your main point on top. You have ~10 seconds to hook a reader. Don’t wait until the end of your article to reveal your punchline.
5. Tell readers why they should care. Ask yourself “So what?” as you reread your draft—and then answer the question.
6. Offer specific recommendations. This is not a news article, an op-ed is about improving matters. You’ll need to do more than make a call for more research or suggest people work out their differences.
7. Showing is better than discussing. People remember colorful details (even better, a photo or graphic) better than dry facts.
8. Avoid jargon, long sentences, convoluted paragraphs, and passive voice. Using plain language principles will increase your readership and help others amplify your message.  
9. Avoid tedious rebuttals but do acknowledge the other side. A letter to the editor is more appropriate for taking issue with an earlier article point-by-point. Mention it once and state your case.
10. Embrace your personal voice and relax, have fun. It’s ok to draw from your own experience and tell a story that illustrates your points. It’s also ok to lighten up and entertain the reader a bit, when appropriate.