Communication: Writing for Non-Writers

The one rule that applies to everything

Before you write a single word, answer two questions:

• Who is this for?
• What do I want them to do or understand after reading it?

If you cannot answer both clearly, you are not ready to write yet. Every problem in a piece of writing (too long, too jargon-heavy, unclear) usually traces back to not knowing the answer to one of these questions.

Writing for online vs print

Online readers do not read, they scan. Data show that users read only around 28% of content on a page, and on mobile devices 80% do not scroll past the first quarter (ONS Service Manual — How people read online).

Research has identified three common scanning patterns:

• F pattern:readers scan the first few lines fully, then progressively shorter horizontal sweeps down the left side. This means your first two sentences carry most of the weight, and the left edge of your text matters more than you think.
• Layer cake pattern: readers scan headings and subheadings, skipping body text entirely until something catches their attention. This is why subheadings are not decoration, they are navigation.
• Spotted pattern: readers jump to specific words, numbers or links that stand out. Bold text, figures and descriptive hyperlinks act as anchors that pull the eye.

This changes how you should write:

• Lead with the most important point – do not build up to it.
• Use short paragraphs – two to three sentences maximum.
• Use subheadings to allow skimming when the piece becomes long.
• Use bullet points for lists of three or more items.
• Make links descriptive – not “click here” but “read the project summary”.
• Keep sentences short – if you need a breath to finish it, split it.
• Use links deliberately, not liberally. Inline hyperlinks trigger the spotted pattern. Every link is a visual interruption that pulls the reader away from your argument. As a rule:
  • Link inline only when the reader might need the resource immediately to understand the sentence.
  • Do not link the same URL more than once in a single piece.
  • Consolidate secondary links into a “Find out more” or “Further reading” section at the end.
  • A piece with one clear call to action at the end is more effective than one with fifteen scattered links.

If a piece needs to be longer, for example a detailed project report or a policy brief, structure it so readers can navigate without reading everything. Use clear subheadings, a short introductory summary, and bullet points for key findings. The reader should be able to skim and still understand the main points.

Print writing allows more narrative flow and longer paragraphs, but even then, clarity and brevity are paramount – despite we tend to forget this in scientific writing.

The inverted pyramid

The inverted pyramid is the standard structure for all news writing — whether a news item on your website or a formal press release. The principle: most important information first, supporting detail second, background and context last. Most important — who, what, when, where, why ↓ Supporting detail and context ↓ Background, links, further reading

This serves two purposes:

1. Readers who stop after the first paragraph still get the essential point.
2. You can cut from the bottom without losing anything critical.

Format 1: The news item

A news item is a short, externally facing piece published on your Node/institution site or ELIXIR Europe website. It informs your stakeholders about a project output, event, new resource or significant update.

Key principles:

• 300–500 words for most news items online
• No jargon. If you need a technical term, define it briefly, but ask yourself if your target audience, actually, needs to know it. For instance, “Des my audience need to know the name of a Commisssion Service?”.
• Name the people involved: this humanises the work and gives credit. People stories are the most impactful ones.
• Focus on impact, not process: what changed, who benefits, why it matters (ask yourself: we are describing this update, sow what?).
• Short is not lazy. A tight 300-word piece is harder to write and more effective than a sprawling 800-word one.

“This framework helps Nodes assess their current RDM practices” is stronger and more credible than “This groundbreaking framework will transform RDM across Europe.”

News item checklist:

[📥 Download the News Item template — Google Doc]

News iteam vs press release

Both use the inverted pyramid structure — but they serve different purposes and different audiences.

Format 2: The newsletter blurb

A newsletter blurb is a short entry – typically 50–100 words – for an internal or external newsletter such as the ELIXIR Weekly Brief. Its job is not to tell the whole story but to give the reader enough to decide whether to click through.

Key principles:

• One idea per blurb, do not try to cover everything.
• Lead with the most important point (same inverted pyramid logic).
• End with a clear, descriptive link. Not “Click here” but “read more”.
• Write it last. For example, after you have written a full news item, distil it down.

Newsletter blurb checklist:

Format 3: The social media post

A social media post is your short format and also your most public. It needs to work in three seconds, the time it takes someone to decide whether to stop scrolling.

Key principles:

• One idea per post, never try to communicate everything
• Lead with the hook. Once again, inverted pyramid.
• Platform matters: LinkedIn allows slightly longer, more professional posts; Bluesky favours brevity and community tone; X is under review but currently still used by ELIXIR
• Use hashtags strategically ELIXIR has a list of standard hashtags on the intranet; do not overuse them.
• Tag relevant accounts. Probably the most important part. Tag other Nodes, collaborators, people named in the work.
• Always link to the full story

What not to write

We are pleased to announce the publication of new resources developed as part of the DATAREX project. #RDM #ELIXIR #FAIR #datastewardship #datamanagement #bioinformatics

What to write instead:

Less research data on hard drives. More data that can be found, understood and reused. ELIXIR members helped build the tools to make that happen. → [link] #RDM #FAIR #DataStewardship @ELIXIR-Europe

A note on LinkedIn

A post from your Node’s official LinkedIn page will reach far fewer people than the same content shared or posted by an individual member of your team from their personal account.

This means:

• Encourage Node members to share organisational posts from their personal accounts. Amplification from individuals outperforms the original post.
• Where appropriate, ask the people named in a story (researchers, project leads) to post about it themselves in their own voice.
• Personal posts that tag the Node account perform better than posts from the Node account alone.

Editing your own writing

The hardest part of writing for non-writers is not the first draft – it is knowing what to cut.

A few practical steps:

• Read it out loud (as silly as it sounds). If you stumble, the sentence is too long or awkward.
• Cut the first sentence. First drafts often warm up before they get to the point, try deleting your opening sentence and see if the piece is stronger without it.
• Replace verbosity. For instance, repalce “in order to” with “to”, “utilise” with “use”, “methodology” with “method”. Research writing is full of inflated language that adds length without adding meaning.
• Ask: so what? After every paragraph, ask whether you have explained why this matters to the reader. If not, add it or cut the paragraph.

Further resources

Writing in the Sciences — free course, Stanford University ELIXIR Style Guide (intranet) ELIXIR social media hashtags and accounts (intranet) CONVERGE video series — communications tips