Research findings are often communicated through data, methods, and results. However, audiences rarely interpret information as isolated facts. Instead, people naturally understand information through patterns of change such as beginnings, disruptions, turning points, and outcomes.

Storytelling provides this structure. It helps transform information into meaning and connects research to relevance. Research on narrative communication shows that stories can improve comprehension, increase engagement, and make information more memorable for audiences (Tobin et al, 2022).

At the same time, narrative framing can influence interpretation. The way a story is structured may shape what audiences notice, remember, and believe . This means storytelling can be a powerful communication tool but also carries ethical responsibilities.

This module explores both the value and responsibility of storytelling in research communication. It also introduces storytelling as a tool to support reflexivity in research. In fact telling a story implies reflecting on one’s own personal involvement in it and the human side of doing science – the emotional, ethical and personal experiences that scientists go through.

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Watch: Why stories work

Stories influence how people process information. Rather than presenting disconnected facts, stories organise information into causal sequences that help audiences understand how ideas and events relate to one another. Stories in communication have been shown to improve comprehension and engagement, and can make information more accessible to non-expert audiences (Dahlstrom, 2014)However, storytelling is not only used to communicate research more effectively, but also to support reflexivity among researchers.

By structuring research as a story, researchers are encouraged to reflect on:

how they define the problem
which perspectives are included or excluded
what is important or relevant to them personally
how their findings may be interpreted

This means storytelling is not just a communication tool, but also a way to critically examine how research is framed and what it means for those who are involved in it.

Watch the following video explaining why stories are powerful tools for communication.

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How Stories Are Structured

Stories help audiences understand complex ideas because they introduce progression and change. Instead of presenting information as isolated facts, stories guide audiences through a sequence that explains how something develops. Importantly, stories are not just sequences of events; they also involve emotional engagement. They are often personal or told from a particular perspective, allowing audiences to connect with the events and understand why they matter. Stories therefore report on a narrative from a specific point of view, which shapes how the audience interprets the event.

Many storytelling approaches rely on simple structures that move from a situation to a disruption and then toward a response or resolution.

For example, the ABT framework (Scicomm Success, n,d) describes stories as:

AND – describing the current situation
BUT – introducing a challenge or complication
THEREFORE – presenting the response or outcome

More generally, stories often include:

a situation (what is currently happening)
a disruption (a problem or change)
a response (what is done about it)
an outcome (what changes as a result)

These structures are widely used across storytelling contexts to create meaning and coherence. In addition to structure, stories typically include perspective (who is experiencing the events) and emotional stakes (why the vent matter), which help audiences engage with the narrative rather than just understand it intellectually.

Example:

Dr. X had always trusted patterns—they were the quiet logic that made medicine feel steady (situation). So when a small group of patients stopped responding to a treatment that should have helped them, the disruption hit her harder than she expected. The usual explanations felt flimsy, and each dead end left her with a tightening worry that she was missing something vital (disruption).

That worry became a spark. Instead of retreating to familiar variables, she designed a new study that reached into overlooked corners: stress, sleep, microbiomes, isolation, subtle environmental pressures. It was messy work, but it felt alive, like rediscovering the curiosity that first pulled her into research (response).

When the results finally came together, she felt a rush of relief and clarity. The alternative factors didn’t just explain the variation; they revealed a richer, more human picture of why patients diverge.

Her breakthrough didn’t just advance the field. It reminded her that medicine isn’t about perfect patterns, it’s about understanding the people who fall outside them (result).

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Narrative vs Story

Not every sequence of information forms a story.

A narrative simply describes events in sequence. It tells what happened, but does not necessarily explain why those events matter or to whom.

A story, however, introduces change, tension, emotional engagement, and a personal point of view. It shows how a situation is disrupted and what follows from that disruption and why.

Example:

A narrative gives you the sequence of events, the skeleton. It tells you what happened in a straightforward, almost clinical way.

Example: “The researchers conducted a study, collected data, and published their results.”

It’s factual, efficient, and emotionally neutral. You understand the actions, but you don’t feel anything about them.

A story gives you the emotional logic—the heartbeat. It tells you why it mattered and how it felt.

Example: “Researchers noticed that some patients weren’t responding to treatment as expected, and at first, the unexpected results made them uneasy. But that worry soon shifted into curiosity, pushing them to dig deeper. Their investigation uncovered a new explanation—one that could reshape how the condition is treated.”

A story adds tension, motivation, and transformation. It doesn’t just say what happened; it shows how the people involved changed because of it.

Test your knowledge by completing the drag and drop.

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Perspective, emotions and ethics

Storytelling also involves perspective.

Read this article about using narratives and storytelling to communicate science.

M.F. Dahlstrom, Using narratives and storytelling to communicate science with nonexpert audiences, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 111 (supplement_4) 13614-13620, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1320645111 (2014).

Every story implicitly answers questions such as:

Who does this story matter to?
Why should the audience care?
What might change because of these outcomes?
What can others learn from this? How can they relate?

Considering the audience’s perspective is a crucial part of effective storytelling in research communication. Communicators must think carefully about who the story is for, why it matters to them, and the context in which it will be shared. Importantly, bringing emotions into research communication does not mean exaggeration or sensationalism. Instead, emotion often appears in more grounded forms—curiosity, uncertainty, urgency, or concern—and these subtle emotional cues shape how audiences interpret and respond to scientific information (Dahlstrom, 2014).

Stories therefore do more than communicate results—they guide how those results are understood and valued.

Because stories are inherently more personal and relatable, they can transform research into something worth listening to and help it reach wider audiences. However, this power also means that stories must be framed thoughtfully to produce the intended effect (Dahlstrom & Ho, 2012).

When communicating research to the public, it is therefore important to balance:

engagement
clarity
scientific accuracy

Emphasising dramatic elements may attract attention, but it can also create unrealistic expectations if results are still uncertain.

Responsible storytelling in research involves communicating both the potential importance and the limitations of research findings.

Steps

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