In an age when science is regarded with skepticism—even dismissed as “fake”—there’s an increasing need for psychologists and other scientists to communicate their work directly to the public. One powerful tool for disseminating research is through op-ed pieces. Such essays can, for example, showcase how psychologists’ expertise is promoting equality, advancing new treatments and helping the nation heal after disasters.
“I view it as my social responsibility as a social scientist to write op-eds,” says Jaana Juvonen, PhD, professor of developmental psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles. She has written several pieces for lay audiences, including the 2017 op-ed “I Study the Psychology of Adolescent Bullies. Trump Makes Perfect Sense to Meopens in new window” for The Washington Post. “If I can shed light on something timely, then I need to communicate it,” says Juvonen.
With a growing stream of news and social media outlets all clamoring for content, there’s never been a better time for psychologists to communicate their expertise, says Lisa Damour, PhD, a senior adviser to the Schubert Center for Child Studies at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, and author of a monthly column in The New York Times about adolescence. “Everything is amped up and sped up, and we have ways to communicate with the public that we didn’t before,” she says.
While psychologists and psychology students may wonder whether they should carve out time from their already packed schedules to write op-eds, Juvonen points out that these articles also pay career dividends. “Op-eds can reach the largest audience we as researchers can ever reach,” she says. They can also establish you among the media as the go-to person on key issues.
With those points in mind, here are nine strategies for writing columns that editors will welcome and people will read:
- Come up with a news hook
News outlets, both print and online, are much more likely to accept a piece about a topic that’s dominating national or local headlines, such as a congressional vote on mental health care or a perennially popular subject, such as stress management or child development, says Juvonen. - Tailor your op-ed to the news outlet’s audience
If it’s a local paper, talk about how the topic affects the local community. For example, a local newspaper may be interested in an op-ed that offers insights on how the opioid crisis is affecting the community and discusses the latest research on treatment, says Jamie Bodenlos, PhD, associate professor of psychology at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, in Geneva, New York. If it’s a national outlet, make sure the topic is broad enough to be of interest to readers nationwide. - Read the publications you want to write for
“Read those platforms to get a sense of style, length and level,” says Damour. One of the best columns to read regularly is “Gray Matter” in The New York Times Sunday edition, which features opinion columns about science and society, suggests Kim Mills, of APA’s Communications Department. - Ditch the jargon
Psychologists are taught to be very careful about how they cite, quote and describe, but if they try to do that in an op-ed, it won’t be accessible, says Juvonen. Instead, she says, “think about how you would reach your parents, grandma or next-door neighbor.” The best way to explain your work to the public is to write as if you’re talking to a good nonpsychologist friend, suggests Damour. To make sure you aren’t using too many technical terms, ask a nonacademic friend to critique your draft and make sure it is free of confusing language. - Lead with your conclusion
In academia, scientists carefully lay out the groundwork that supports their ideas before they articulate their conclusions. But in an op-ed, that order is reversed, says Damour. Start with a conclusion and then unpack it for readers. For example, a research manuscript might begin with a discussion of how spanking children may affect their mental health later in life, then present evidence that supports that conclusion. In an op-ed, writers should start out with the key finding that corporal punishment is not effective and can lead to a host of negative outcomes. - Go light on the data
Remember that you’re not writing a research paper or study, says Bodenlos. So, while you should offer numbers and statistics that illustrate your key points, limit how much you include to keep your piece streamlined. - Make it compelling
“What captures people is a story, a narrative,” says Alison Gopnik, PhD, professor of psychology and affiliate professor of philosophy at the University of California, Berkeley, who writes a monthly column called “Mind & Matter” for The Wall Street Journal. “Ask yourself, is there a way of integrating narrative with the scientific material that doesn’t sacrifice the science?” She suggests incorporating a joke or a personal anecdote and including lots of specifics, not abstract statements. “Put in some bit of vivid detail—what something smelled like, looked like, felt like,” Gopnik says. - Consider a range of outlets
“We don’t all need to shoot for The New York Times,” says Bodenlos. Submit your articles to media outlets including Psychology Today and HuffPost, which are always looking for content, suggests Mills. You can also build a following on social media and publish your content there. “We’re all publishers today,” says Mills. - Make it exclusive
Don’t submit your op-ed to multiple outlets simultaneously, thinking that this will increase your chances of getting it published, says Mills. Most newspapers insist on exclusivity. If you don’t hear back from an editor within a week of submitting, follow up with an email asking if a decision has been made because you’d like to submit the piece elsewhere.
Dr. Damour’s monthly columns on adolescence appear at www.nytimes.com/column/well-adolescenceopens in new window.
Dr. Gopnik’s monthly columns appear at www.wallstreetjournal.comopens in new window under “Mind & Matter.”
