Narrative in Science Communication

Narrative, or the telling of stories, plays an important role in how science is done and more especially in how it is communicated to the public. However, the role of narrative is controversial, as most scientists would probably eschew narrative descriptions of their own work (preferring straightforward retelling of the facts and procedures of any given scientific investigation), while the public seems to demand science in narrative packages, and the media seem more than willing to provide these stories.

A narrative is basically a story, typically with a beginning, middle, and end. Characters play an important role in narratives; especially important are protagonists and antagonists, and a variety of characters are often deployed in supporting roles to support the realism of the plot and to provide ...