Researchers,
In Plain English!
How to write a popularization article for the journal
Pédagogie collégiale
AQPC Symposium (Workshop 612), June 7, 2012
Fanny Kingsbury, editor-in-chief
Maria Chiras, Laura King, Maeve Muldowney and Norm Spatz,
members of the English Editorial Board
Pédagogie collégiale
revue@aqpc.qc.ca
(418) 906-2746
Getting Started
Who we are, who you are
 Why did you register for this
workshop?


2
Have you ever researched or are you
actually conducting research in
education? On what subject? When
will you complete your research or for
how long has it been completed?
Workshop Goals

To identify the main characteristics of
a successful popularization article;

To provide the necessary guidelines
on how to write such an article for
Pédagogie collégiale.
3
In your opinion…

4
What is the difference between a
scientific paper and a popularization
paper?
What is the difference between a scientific
paper and a popularization paper in your
opinion?
5
Example 1 : « Human Ecological Complexity:
Epistemological Implications of Social
Networking and Emerging Curriculum
Theories »
Online courseware and social networking have dramatically changed the way
students and educators learn and think about learning and scholarly
communication. With a transdisciplinary ecological focus on educational
research, this article incorporates research in chaos and complexity
theories, sociology, and philosophy to address major research questions
drawn from the American Educational Research Association [AERA] 2010
Annual Meeting in relation to social networks and human ecological
complexity. Epistemologically, social networking sites challenge traditional
forms of knowledge inquiry, because they are organic in nature. Rather
than identifying discrete units of knowledge for acquisition in the teaching
and learning process, knowledge creation is emergent in these networks,
where participants appear to play the roles of selforganizing system agents.
Equally, we see challenges to traditional higher education in the forms of
far-from-equilibrium environments through wide scale budget cuts and
competition from for-profit companies, educational software, and online
certifications. In some ways, we might even ask if these far-from-equilibrium
conditions contribute to the mass appeal of social networking among
college students which paradoxically and simultaneously drive new
developments in curriculum theories.
6
Example 2 : «Male Students in Early
Childhood Education Techniques: can we
Help them to complete their Program of
Studies? »
« When we know the positive impact on child development that having two
parents who act in different but complementary ways can have (Besnard,
2008), we are struck by the lack of male figures in educative daycare
services. Indeed, only 4% of the educators who provide services offered in
childcare centres (CPE – Centres de la petite enfance) are men. (Institut de
la statistique du Québec, 2008) Traditionally reserved for women, the
profession of early-childhood educator is where we find the highest
segregation with regard to gender (Sumsion, 2005). What is more, when
analyzing college registration statistics, again we are struck by the fact that,
of the small number of male students interested in studying Early Childhood
Education (ECE) techniques (a mere 3.5% of registrations come from
males), only one in four will complete the training. So, beyond the fact that
few male students are attracted to ECE training, the majority will abandon it
en route. Why is this? Are these students welcome? Has the program
become too feminized for them to be comfortable? Are there other factors
at play? What good research questions to try to solve! »
7
Example 3 : « Rethinking Literacy
Education »
A group of boys sit around an iPad in a grade three classroom in an elementary
school in a western suburb outside of Toronto. They are crowded around the iPad
playing “A Monster Ate my Homework”. We ask them why they like the game and
one boy claims that it helps his spatial skills (“it is also fun”). As we move around
the room, we encounter two girls playing “Whirly Word” with an iPad close to
them. […]
The vignette that begins our article describes a moment in time in a classroom in
Oakville, Ontario. The moment encapsulates the way that children are able to
respond quickly and effectively to the digital technologies that permeate their
world. While education policy makers and curriculum designers struggle to find
ways of incorporating new modes of communication, many researchers and
teachers worldwide are finding ways of using new technologies for literacy and
learning. […] In this article, we provide an explanation of the new terms that have
developed to theorize changes in literacy and communication in society. We
demonstrate the potential of new technologies for classroom literacy learning by
discussing the differences between literacy with digital texts compared with printbased texts, and provide some examples of ways in which teachers are using
8
multiple modes
in digital texts to enhance literacy learning.
The Main Differences Between
a Scientific Paper and
a Popularization Article
 Target
Audience
 Intended Goals
 Form
 Content

The relevance of the methodology (-),
the nature of the question (-), the results (+), the
outcomes and their practical use (+)
 Tone
9
A Concept of
Communication Mechanics
Context
(Informative function)
Addresser
(Expressive function)
Message
(Aesthetic/Poetic function)
Contact or Channel
(Phatic function)
Code
(Metalinguisitic function)
10
Addressee
(Vocative function)
A Popularization Basic:
Motivation to Communicate
Addresser
(Expressive function)

11
Why do you want to popularize your
research results?
The Motivation to Communicate:
Why popularize results of
educational research?
“Erudition is without value if not in the service of the greatest number.”
(Translated from André Miquel, L’Orient d’une vie, Payot, 1990, p. 72)






12
Ensure the dissemination of the results of the
work;
Fulfill the researcher's ethical and moral duty;
Ensure the flow of concepts beyond one’s
discipline or field of research;
Encourage the careers of new researchers;
Take into account research advances in
practice;
Add to the researcher's résumé.
Popularization Basics:
Adapting to the Audience

Each context has its requirements, its
audience and its tone. These cannot
be ignored!
Context
(Informative function)
13
What is
Pédagogie collégiale?






A quarterly journal published in French by the AQPC
Many articles are translated into English and uploaded on the Web
Distribution on the rise (3000 copies or more)
Two Editorial Committees: one in English, one in French
Provides Editing and Graphics
Main characteristics of Pédagogie collégiale:





Characteristics of the articles the journal is looking for:

14
A cross between an academic journal and a popular scientific
magazine
Articles must fit into defined categories
Maximum article length of 4000 words (once translated into French)
Includes graphs, tables, illustrations and select bibliography
Exclusive, topical, coherent, rigorous, pertinent, well written, nondefamatory, respectful of the reputation and honour of individuals
and groups
What are the goals of
Pédagogie collégiale?

15
Goals of the Journal:
 Support professional development
 Strengthen professional identity
 Promote college-level research
 Encourage the application of pedagogical
practices
 Promote links between theory and practice
 Ensure a place at the table in public debates
over college level issues
 Provide the opportunity to express different
points of view
Popularization Basics:
Stimulate and Encourage
Readership
Attract readers
 Keep their attention and interest

Contact - psychological
(Phatic function)
16
Example 1 : « Human Ecological Complexity:
Epistemological Implications of Social
Networking and Emerging Curriculum
Theories »
Online courseware and social networking have dramatically changed the way
students and educators learn and think about learning and scholarly
communication. With a transdisciplinary ecological focus on educational
research, this article incorporates research in chaos and complexity theories,
sociology, and philosophy to address major research questions drawn from the
American Educational Research Association [AERA] 2010 Annual Meeting in
relation to social networks and human ecological complexity.
Epistemologically, social networking sites challenge traditional forms of
knowledge inquiry, because they are organic in nature. Rather than identifying
discrete units of knowledge for acquisition in the teaching and learning
process, knowledge creation is emergent in these networks, where
participants appear to play the roles of selforganizing system agents. Equally,
we see challenges to traditional higher education in the forms of far-fromequilibrium environments through wide scale budget cuts and competition from
for-profit companies, educational software, and online certifications. In some
ways, we might even ask if these far-from-equilibrium conditions contribute to
the mass appeal of social networking among college students which
paradoxically and simultaneously drive new developments in curriculum
theories.
17
Example 2 : «Male Students in Early
Childhood Education Techniques: can we
Help them to complete their Program of
Studies? »
« When we know the positive impact on child development that having two
parents who act in different but complementary ways can have (Besnard,
2008), we are struck by the lack of male figures in educative daycare
services. Indeed, only 4% of the educators who provide services offered in
childcare centres (CPE – Centres de la petite enfance) are men. (Institut de la
statistique du Québec, 2008) Traditionally reserved for women, the profession
of early-childhood educator is where we find the highest segregation with
regard to gender (Sumsion, 2005). What is more, when analyzing college
registration statistics, again we are struck by the fact that, of the small number
of male students interested in studying Early Childhood Education (ECE)
techniques (a mere 3.5% of registrations come from males), only one in four
will complete the training. So, beyond the fact that few male students are
attracted to ECE training, the majority will abandon it en route. Why is this?
Are these students welcome? Has the program become too feminized for
them to be comfortable? Are there other factors at play? What good research
questions to try to solve! »
18
Popularization Basics:
Focus on the Format of a Popular Article
The Title :
Message
 Short
(Poetic or Aesthetic)
 Engaging
 Stimulates Curiosity
 Evocative (Suggestive)
 Provocative (Stimulating)
 Accessible - Humour and spirit are welcome
 Can include a more instructive or
explanatory sub-title (or the other way
around)
 Can introduce an extended metaphor
19
The Introduction
Must present the subject of the article
and attract readers. It should pique
the reader’s curiosity.
 Three Introductory Strategies:

• Cultural Reference (CR);
• Significant Detail (SD);
• Overview (O).
20
Cultural Reference (CR)
Rather conventional;
 Presents historical or cultural facts in
order to introduce the subject of the
article.

21
CR Example
«Building a Better Math Teacher »
For years, it has been assumed that teachers -specifically math teachers -- need to master
the content they intend to teach. And the best
way to do this is to take courses beyond that
content.
Yet […], Dr. Brent Davis of the University of
Calgary says research does not support this
common belief. There is little evidence that
advanced courses in mathematics contribute
to more effective teaching.

22
Significant Detail (SD)

Starts with a hook

proverb, famous quote, popular saying
fact, example, etc.
Gradually leads the reader to the
subject of the essay
 In general, keeps the reader guessing

23
SD Example

«This Is Your Brain On Sugar: Study in Rats Shows HighFructose Diet Sabotages Learning, Memory»
Attention, college students cramming between midterms and
finals: Binging on soda and sweets for as little as six weeks may
make you stupid.
[…]
"Our findings illustrate that what you eat affects how you think,"
said Fernando Gomez-Pinilla, a professor of neurosurgery at
the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and a professor
of integrative biology and physiology in the UCLA College of
Letters and Science. "Eating a high-fructose diet over the long
term alters your brain's ability to learn and remember
information. But adding omega-3 fatty acids to your meals can
help minimize the damage."
24
Overview (O)
Situates the subject in a wider context
 Describes the imagery or an
atmosphere related to the subject of
the article


25
Puts the reader « in » the subject
Overview Example

« Rethinking Literacy Education »
A group of boys sit around an iPad in a grade three
classroom in an elementary school in a western
suburb outside of Toronto. They are crowded around
the iPad playing “A Monster Ate my Homework”. We
ask them why they like the game and one boy claims
that it helps his spatial skills (“it is also fun”). As we
move around the room, we encounter two girls playing
“Whirly Word” with an iPad close to them. […]
The vignette that begins our article describes a moment
in time in a classroom in Oakville, Ontario.
26
Message
(Aesthetic or poetic function)
Popularization Basics:
Target Your Audience




27
Know the target
audience
Stimulate the
reader’s interest
Target reader
reaction
Convey
information to the
reader
Addressee
(Vocative function)
Contact - Psychological
(Phatic function)
Code
(Metalinguistic function)
Context
(Informative function)
Know Your Audience
To Best Respond
To Their Needs
Addressee
(Vocative function)
The readers of Pédagogie collégiale…



Are working in the field of higher education;
Are mainly recently hired or experienced college-level
teachers;
Are NOT researchers or specialists in your field of research
Adapt content to your audience





28
What can they do with your results? How can they use them?
Which of your results will they find the most interesting?
What questions will they probably ask in relation to your field of
your research?
What are generally held concepts about your research topic?
What is common knowledge about your research topic?
Will readers understand a given word or passage?
How to convey your
knowledge to readers

The readers of Pédagogie collégiale :
Are not all researchers
 Are not specialists in your field of
research
 Want to understand your ideas

Addressee
(Vocative function)
29
Context
Code
(Informative function)
(Metalinguistic function)
How to make your knowledge
accessible to readers
(1 of 2)

Do not be pedantic!

Give examples which will allow readers to
tranlsate abstract concepts into concrete terms.


Explain or define specialized terms or define
them using examples or analogies.

30
Example: 40 billion dollars = about 3 times the annual
budget of the ministère de l’Éducation or a bit more than
$5,333.00 per man, woman and child in Québec
Example: Property owners along several Quebec river
systems are affected by drift ice – small ice crystals formed
from river ice which flood properties.
How to make your knowledge
accessible to readers
(2 of 2)

Use analogies (such as comparisons
and metaphors) to make the subject
matter more accessible to readers



31
Examples: ‘The heart is like a pump’ or ‘River water
takes on the appearance of slush’ or ‘These areas are
defined as drift ice factories’
Use easy-to-understand diagrams and
tables.
Use short active phrases.
The Structure of the Article

Build in indicators for your reader - Where
is the text going?
Message

(Aesthetic
or poetic function)


Code
(Metalinguistic
function)


32
First of all: the results!
Subtitles: the backbone of the text
One main idea per paragraph or group of
paragraphs (Group everything on related
subjects together to ensure unity and coherence)
Ensure logical links (one idea after another) in
order to build bridges (transitions) between
ideas.
Choose the best style of text organization for
your subject
Modes of Text Organization
(1 of 2)

Various Writing Techniques
 The Chronological Mode
• Present information sequentially

The Logical or Analytical Mode
• Ask a question or present a problem which your
results respond to
• Present different aspects of a question or
conflicting points of view as well as additional
detail about a subject before concluding with
possible solutions as indicated by the research
33
Modes of Text Organization
(2 of 2)

Spatial Mode
• Create a network of words related to a space or place and then
use them to structure the article (language used to convey the
format and structure of the article to the audience)

Narrative Mode
• Tell a story (why one did the research, problems encountered,
what one discovered, the next step, etc.)

Affective Mode
• Create a network of words related to emotions (of the
researcher or the reader) and then use them to structure the
article (use of feelings and emotions to reinforce the format
and structure of the article)

Metaphoric Mode
• Create a network of words related to a metaphor which
represents your subject and use them to structure your article
34
The Conclusion –
Bowing Out Gracefully
The conclusion is not a summary of
the article.
 Stress concrete consequences of the
results presented and their
implementation (transferability)
 Close the circle


35
Restate an element of the title or
introduction adding a nuance, a
confirmation or a refutation.
What follows?






36
(1 of 2)
Required reading and editing after several
days of rest
Enlisting an uninvolved critical reader who is
a member of the targeted audience
Adjusting bibliographic references (selective
bibliography)
Editing (read the text in reverse – sentence by
sentence - starting from the end)
Highlight the text by theme to ensure logical
structure
Cut? If required!
What follows?


(2 of 2)
Send your article to the editor-in-chief of Pédagogie
collégiale
 After the text, write a short professional biography for
each of the authors (about 80 words per person),
followed by the e-mail address of each
 Provide the authors’ names, professional title,
institutional affiliations and their contact information
 Enclose a digital photo of each author (in high
resolution or large format)
Wait for changes! (Editing, Space Available, Editorial
Committee Suggestions, etc.)
37
Synthesis: Principal
Characteristics of
Scientific Popularization Article
Can take a number of forms
 Is not a mini research paper
 Gives methodology little if any
consideration
 Highlights specific research results
 Focuses on reader interest

38
A Final Checklist for Authors
BEFORE SUBMITTING AN ARTICLE
 Select results that are essential to readers
 Identify your communication goals
 Plan the structure and format of your article
 Adapt to publishing context and target
audience
 Writing
 Modification
 Editing
39
A Final Checklist for Authors
AFTER SUBMITTING YOUR ARTICLE
 Be open to comments and suggestions from
the Editorial Board
 Don’t get discouraged! 
 Take into consideration the comments and
suggestions from the Editorial Board
(if you have any questions, contact the
editor-in-chief)
 Edit and revise your article
 Return the revised version of your article to
the editor-in-chief
40
Further Reading



41
Pédagogie collégiale published writing guidelines for
researchers who want to submit a popularization
article
 http://www.aqpc.qc.ca/en/submit-article
The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research
Council of Canada (NSERC) published a document
giving tips for effective communication of research
results to the public :
 http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/StudentsEtudiants/Guides-Guides/index_eng.asp
The Association pour la recherche au collégial (ARC)
offers its members a coaching program :
 www.cvm.qc.ca/arc
Everything you need to know
about publishing an article in
Pédagogie collégiale

Consult the website of the AQPC:
www.aqpc.qc.ca

Contact the editor-in-chief of
Pédagogie collégiale
revue@aqpc.qc.ca
42
Question period
Do you have any questions?
 Do you have any comments?

Thank you and good luck writing your article!
43