Lay Summary Fundamentals
Craft relatable and readable lay summaries for the general public
Do you tend to put off writing the lay summary for your manuscript or project narrative for your grant until the last minute? And then you scramble to craft something that “gets the job done,” but you know deep down the summary is subpar?
If you’re nodding your head yes, then the Lay Summary Fundamentals course is for you! This course will help you :
Craft an effective lay summary in less time and with less effort.
Use a simple formula to craft a message that the public can relate to and enjoy.
Apply principles of plain language to make your writing clearer and easier to understand.
Connect with the general public to make your work more accessible to a broader audience.
Motivate people to support your work with advocacy and even donor funding (we’ve seen it happen!).
Cultivate connections with journalists and policymakers to maximize the impact of your work.
Lay Summary Fundamentals will give you the skills, strategy, and resources you need to confidently craft a lay summary that connects with the general public—and maximizes the impact of your work.
Lay summaries amplify the accessibility, visibility, transparency, and impact of scientific research.
“Highly recommend. The course is easy to follow and the lessons are simple to implement. If you want to understand the skills and considerations needed to craft a lay summary, look no further than this course. It has given me the tools to approach any clinical study, no matter how complex, and translate it into a clear, concise, and accessible summary.”
–Anna Isermann, PhD, Anna Isermann Medical and Scientific Writing
“Excellent course! What I learned from this course will help me write better. The explanations and examples of readability and relatability were all very clear. I will definitely attend more of your courses in the future. Thank you!”
–Lisa Mathiasen, PhD, Estor S.p.A.
By the End of This Course, You’ll Be Able to:
Compose a lay summary for a manuscript or grant proposal
Craft a relatable message that connects with readers
Write readable language that readers easily understand
Use helpful readability tools (and leverage their limitations)
Apply key principles of plain language to write clearly for the general public
“Well presented”
“The material was well presented and concise for anyone who wishes to write plain language summaries.”
–Emma Arigi, EA Medical Writing, LLC
Answers to Common Questions
-
This course includes pre-recorded video lessons totaling about 75 minutes. After you watch the entire series of videos, you can jump around the videos to rewatch any lesson as many times as you want.
-
Yes. We designed this course to include short video lessons that you can watch (and rewatch) as you have time available.
-
You will have access to the course materials for life. That’s right! You can retake the course and revisit the videos as many times as you want for as long as the course exists.
-
Many organizations encourage their faculty, staff, and trainees to continue their education. And some grant or startup funds can be used for professional development.
If you need help figuring out how to ask your mentor or institution for support, check out this in-depth guide (pitch templates included).
-
This course covers fundamentals for writing lay summaries that are made available with published research manuscripts and awarded grant proposals. Although this course does not specifically cover the EU guidelines, the fundamentals will help you write a lay summary for any purpose.
-
For any course-related questions, please send an email to courses@redwoodink.com. We will answer your question ASAP.
-
We believe this course will help you craft an impactful lay summary, and we back that belief with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If you are not satisfied with the course, send us an email at hello@redwoodink.com within 14 days after you sign up. We’ll ask why the course didn’t work for you so that we can get better, but you’ll get a full refund. Simple as that!
-
Send them to courses@redwoodink.com. We’ll get back to you ASAP.
Who is the instructor?
Crystal Herron, PhD, ELS
Crystal is an editor, educator, and coach who helps scientists and clinicians communicate with clear, concise, and compelling writing. Her distinctive style transforms conventional complex language into modern writing that engages, informs, and persuades readers.
Crystal is an international speaker and educator. She leads webinars, workshops, and courses to empower researchers with the principles, resources, and systems to write clearly and efficiently.
Crystal is a BELS-certified Editor in the Life Sciences. She has more than a decade of experience as an editor and nearly two decades of experience as an educator. Before pursuing her passion for words, she completed her PhD in biomedical science and collaborated on diverse projects in clinical research.
For more professional details about Crystal, visit her profile on LinkedIn.
What People Are Saying
“Thank you SO much for your clear and beautiful slides, your helpful and encouraging manner of presenting, and your generosity with information and answering questions. I wish I could tell you how many times you and your slides have come to my mind as examples of what to strive for.”
“This was one of the best plain language seminars I have attended. The visuals were very clear as was the presentation itself.”
"Great chance to learn practical tips and frameworks for how to improve the readability of your writing."
"The slides and resource materials provide a clear and practical introduction to plain language writing for specialist and general audiences."
"Crystal is an excellent, thoughtful presenter who uses helpful graphics and thoughtfully answers questions."
“This was very practical information and I learned about tools I didn't know existed! I'll definitely be putting this new knowledge to use.”
“Extremely useful and wonderfully presented! I am excited to start applying it directly in my everyday life from now on.”
“The workshop was really helpful and made me think about simplifying my writing. With all the suggestions, I significantly enhanced the write-up I was working on. Thank you!”
"Crystal walked through these topics so clearly and I am excited to implement her suggestions into my writing!"
"You are very engaging, and your content is superb! Thank you!"
Here’s What You’ll Get
75-minute training to complete at your own pace
15 video lessons with step-by-step guidance
Worksheets to help you craft a relatable message
Guidelines on key principles of plain language
Resources for measuring readability
Unlimited access for as long as the course exists
Certificate of completion