Lisa M. DeTora, PhD, Associate Professor of Writing Studies and Rhetoric and Director, STEM Writing, Hofstra University
Moderator: Todd Parker, PhD, ISMPP CMPP, Chair, ISMPP Board of Trustees (2020-2021); Vice President, Managing Director, MedThink SciCom

Rhetorical studies of science and medicine offer tools for scientific communicators who seek to prevent misunderstandings across different audiences. Drawing on the published rhetorical literature, the speaker will describe specific elements of rhetorical study with potential importance to scientific communication functions such as publication planning, manuscript preparation, lay summaries, and editorial feedback. Of particular interest will be a description of differences in expectations between scientific audiences and those with a more normative understanding of medical terms. Further, the speaker will outline specific strategies and rationales for ethically integrating publication and communication planning into translational medical settings.

Learning objectives:

• Leverage rhetorical strategies to improve communication in an open world
• Identify critical terms and phrases that can benefit from additional explanation for lay and other non-expert audiences
• Strategize more effective integration of publication planning across the development pipeline based on communication needs