Presentation from ECF Europe 2019: https://europe.ecampaigningforum.com We're all experts in our different fields, although it's easy to forget that other people aren't. Whether it's talking about climate change, health policy or workers' rights, we need the right skills to decode our technical, jargon-filled language into something the rest of the world can understand. In this hands-on session, we'll look at how to spot jargon, how to find alternative ways of getting your point across, and how to make friends with your inner policy wonk.

1. Jargon busting
Jamie Woolley
jme.woolley@gmail.com
jamiewoolley.org

2. jargon (noun)
1. the technical terminology or characteristic idiom of a special activity or
group. “sports jargon”
2. obscure and often pretentious language marked by circumlocutions
and long words an academic essay filled with jargon
3.
a. confused unintelligible language;
b. a strange, outlandish, or barbarous language or dialect;
c. a hybrid language or dialect simplified in vocabulary and grammar
and used for communication between peoples of different speech

3. For scientists, jargon is any word or phrase that loses or
changes meaning when you use it with people who
aren’t in your field (or the sciences).
from American Geophysical Union
https://www.agu.org/Share-and-Advocate/Share/News-media/Jargon

4. Why bust your jargon?
Makes it understandable for your audience
Makes it about what your audience wants to know, not
what you want to say

5. Reading skills
We learn 2,500-5,000 words by the time we’re six
As adults, we still recognise these more easily than
newer words
The 1,000 most common words are used 13 times more
often than the next 1,000

7. The different kinds of bits we see come from just one
kind of wrapped long thing moving in different ways
from Ten Hundred Words of Science
https://tenhundredwordsofscience.tumblr.com/

8. The different kinds of bits we see come from just one
kind of wrapped long thing moving in different ways
string theory
from Ten Hundred Words of Science
https://tenhundredwordsofscience.tumblr.com/

9. I study what it is about human minds that allows us to
speak to each other
from Ten Hundred Words of Science
https://tenhundredwordsofscience.tumblr.com/

10. I study what it is about human minds that allows us to
speak to each other
cognitive science
from Ten Hundred Words of Science
https://tenhundredwordsofscience.tumblr.com/

11. Tiny pieces of fire rock from inside the world can fly
through the air
from Ten Hundred Words of Science
https://tenhundredwordsofscience.tumblr.com/

12. Tiny pieces of fire rock from inside the world can fly
through the air
volcanology
from Ten Hundred Words of Science
https://tenhundredwordsofscience.tumblr.com/

13. Even though the ground under your feet feels very still,
it is actually moving really, really slowly
from Ten Hundred Words of Science
https://tenhundredwordsofscience.tumblr.com/

14. Even though the ground under your feet feels very still,
it is actually moving really, really slowly
tectonics
from Ten Hundred Words of Science
https://tenhundredwordsofscience.tumblr.com/

15. If you take a big thing and make it small, it does
something different than what you’d expect
from Ten Hundred Words of Science
https://tenhundredwordsofscience.tumblr.com/

16. If you take a big thing and make it small, it does
something different than what you’d expect
nanotechnology
from Ten Hundred Words of Science
https://tenhundredwordsofscience.tumblr.com/

17. How people read online
We scan rather than read
We recognise the shape of familiar words

18. 1. Group words and phrases
How to spot jargon
from Becky Gaylord
https://www.prdaily.com/4-ways-to-find-and-replace-jargon-in-your-writing/
nouns as verbs
ideate, incentivise, lensing

19. 1. Group words and phrases
How to spot jargon
from Becky Gaylord
https://www.prdaily.com/4-ways-to-find-and-replace-jargon-in-your-writing/
verbs as nouns
actionable, deliverable

20. 1. Group words and phrases
How to spot jargon
from Becky Gaylord
https://www.prdaily.com/4-ways-to-find-and-replace-jargon-in-your-writing/
work that’s not done in an office
drill down, circle back, loop me in

21. 1. Group words and phrases
How to spot jargon
from Becky Gaylord
https://www.prdaily.com/4-ways-to-find-and-replace-jargon-in-your-writing/
utter rubbish
square the circle, give more than 100%

22. 1. Group words and phrases
How to spot jargon
from Becky Gaylord
https://www.prdaily.com/4-ways-to-find-and-replace-jargon-in-your-writing/
internal language
team names, campaign names

23. 2. Scan your content
How to spot jargon
from Becky Gaylord
https://www.prdaily.com/4-ways-to-find-and-replace-jargon-in-your-writing/

24. WHO categorises the first-line, narrow spectrum drugs as ‘Access’ group antibiotics, which
should be widely available, affordable and quality-assured. It advocates that 60 per cent of the
global consumption of all antibiotics should come from this category.
The other categories — Watch and Reserve Group — are recommended for specific, limited
indications or for situations when all alternative antibiotics have failed. Any shortages or
inconsistencies in the supply of first-line, narrow-spectrum ‘Access’ antibiotics can adversely
affect people who otherwise go untreated or are forced to use second- or third-line ‘Watch and
Reserve’ antibiotics.
This is further fuelling drug resistance against them. It is a major barrier for people in the
short-term, an obstacle to rational use, and, as such, an overlooked driver of antibiotic
resistance. Without resolving shortages and supply instability, we cannot address AMR
successfully.

25. 3. Substitute jargon for common words
ideate > generate ideas
incentivise > create incentives
drill down > look at the detail
loop me in > keep me informed
How to spot jargon
from Becky Gaylord
https://www.prdaily.com/4-ways-to-find-and-replace-jargon-in-your-writing/

26. 3. Substitute jargon for common words
ideate > generate ideas
incentivise > create incentives
drill down > look at the detail
loop me in > keep me informed
How to spot jargon
from Becky Gaylord
https://www.prdaily.com/4-ways-to-find-and-replace-jargon-in-your-writing/

27. 3. Substitute jargon for common words
ideate > generate ideas
incentivise > create incentives
drill down > look at the detail
loop me in > keep me informed
How to spot jargon
from Becky Gaylord
https://www.prdaily.com/4-ways-to-find-and-replace-jargon-in-your-writing/

28. 3. Substitute jargon for common words
ideate > generate ideas
incentivise > create incentives
drill down > look at the detail
loop me in > keep me informed
How to spot jargon
from Becky Gaylord
https://www.prdaily.com/4-ways-to-find-and-replace-jargon-in-your-writing/

29. 3. Substitute jargon for common words
ideate > generate ideas
incentivise > create incentives
drill down > look at the detail
loop me in > keep me informed
How to spot jargon
from Becky Gaylord
https://www.prdaily.com/4-ways-to-find-and-replace-jargon-in-your-writing/

30. WHO categorises the first-line, narrow spectrum drugs as ‘Access’ group antibiotics, which
should be widely available, affordable and quality-assured. It advocates that 60 per cent of the
global consumption of all antibiotics should come from this category.
The other categories — Watch and Reserve Group — are recommended for specific, limited
indications or for situations when all alternative antibiotics have failed. Any shortages or
inconsistencies in the supply of first-line, narrow-spectrum ‘Access’ antibiotics can adversely
affect people who otherwise go untreated or are forced to use second- or third-line ‘Watch and
Reserve’ antibiotics.
This is further fuelling drug resistance against them. It is a major barrier for people in the
short-term, an obstacle to rational use, and, as such, an overlooked driver of antibiotic
resistance. Without resolving shortages and supply instability, we cannot address AMR
successfully.

31. Other jargon to bust
Acronyms & initialisms
NGO, AMR, ATP, Defra
exceptions including Nasa, DNA, BBC

32. Other jargon to bust
Technical or scientific terms
anti-microbial resistance, user experience, moratorium

33. Other jargon to bust
Internal language
engagement, call to action, mobilise

34. Useful tools
Hemingway App
WebFX Readability Tool
Readable
Up Goer Five Text Editor
Google Trends

35. Thank you
Jamie Woolley
jme.woolley@gmail.com
jamiewoolley.org