Lecturer: University of Western Australia
Research: scicomm, health literacy, media technology
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Public Health feed: https://bsky.app/profile/samuelanimates.bsky.social/feed/aaaarylo7rb2e
Public Health starter pack: https://go.bsky.app/EgMQxe9
Dr Samuel Animates
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Readability alone is not the whole picture though. The original text also skipped over the fact that some people face much higher COVID risks than others. A readable message still needs to be relevant to the wide array of people you want to read it, and who need the info most
I put this into practice on a real COVID vaccine text from the Public Health Communications Collaborative. After editing for shorter words and shorter sentences, the difference was noticeable. The post walks through the before and after.
I'll also say, readability formulas are a very blunt tool. Don't rely on them alone.
But blunt tools can be pretty good for a first hack at some overly complex text.
This series is called "Health Literacy Glow-up" for a reason. Real examples, real edits, real tools in action.
I'm copying my LinkedIn newsletter over so you don't need to interact with that site to read it. Going back to these early editions and making them more fully mine has been a treat.
(On LinkedIn, still working my way through the transfer to my personal blog. Eventually I'll publish to both at the same time).
New on my (NEW) personal blog! Health Literacy Glow-up #1: Usable Infographics.
The three tips from this one: use relevant illustrations, write in active voice, and focus on action over facts. Sounds simple. Surprisingly rare in the real world.
🛟 😷 🧪 #academicsky #commsky
AI chatbots promise clearer health info. While they can sound caring, they can't improve your care. They can be accurate in general terms but fail in complex cases. They can be more complex than existing communications. More details in my latest newsletter below
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If you write public health content, two edits will make it more readable right now. Replace words with more than 2 syllables, and break long sentences into shorter ones. That is the gist of the SMOG readability formula.
🛟 😷 🧪 #academicsky #commsky
samuelanimates.com/blog/002-hea...
Latest newsletter issue: the perks of being a Luddite amid AI hype for health communication. Because communication is about more than info and this top-down implementation push is likely about more than just communication
🛟 😷 🧪 #academicsky #commsky
Big fan of @skypeascientist.bsky.social
I always recommend them as a good place to start if you want to get more public engagement experience as a scientist.
And right now they're funding in-person science communication projects.
For Feeds: 🛟 😷 🧪 #academicsky #phdsky
Use the Suitability Assessment of Materials to improve your infographics. 3 evidence-based tips: relevant illustrations, active voice, and action-oriented content.
