Reading between the lines: The science of storytelling

by | Jun 10, 2025 | Storytelling, Education, Uncategorized | 0 comments

Scientific writing isn’t exactly known for being captivating and emotional. Words like impersonal, dry and dense seem more fitting. But does it have to be this way?

This week we’re looking at how storytelling can breathe life into the world of science communication, and in communicating any complex data or ideas.

At Beam, storytelling is what we are all about. We live for stories. So, we’re starting by spotlighting why stories matter in a policy context and how we brought it into a Beam project we recently collaborated on with Dr Heleen Hofmeyr from Stellenbosch University.

Spotlight

Beam was asked by Dr Hofmeyr to support her in developing a scientific storytelling approach to communicating the research findings of a project which examined the impact of socio-emotional skills (measured in an early childhood development context) on early school performance. The data in her study were of a statistical nature, containing complex regression analysis.

 
Beam was tasked with helping her make sense of how best to communicate the findings to a mixed audience of people from academia, the private sector and civil society (NGOs).

Our approach to Dr Hofmeyr’s brief included:

 

  1. A strategic storytelling slide deck outlining the workshop’s purpose, audience needs, key findings, how to communicate them effectively, a logical sequence for sharing the story, and behavioural science approaches to inspire action.
  2. Visuals to make complex findings easier to understand and more impactful.
  3. An infographic summarising the research’s relevance, existing evidence, key results, and what they mean in practice.

For more information on this project, see her recent LinkedIn post.

Storytelling

There is clear biological evidence that our brains are primed to receive and scan for stories, rather than facts. Research shows this thought process stimulates oxytocin (the ‘love’ or ‘happy’ hormone’) in our brains, encouraging empathy. But stories also serve as a vital survival tool. They help us solve problems by teaching us to navigate conflict and draw lessons from others.

On the other hand, the Knowledge Deficit Model, which values delivering factual information to the audience to dispel scepticism, is followed by most researchers when writing studies. It’s based on the idea that mistrust in known facts stems from a lack of information or understanding and providing more information will fix the problem.

A 2017 study argued that researchers and scientists could have greater impact if they saw themselves as storytellers instead of fact-deliverers.

That’s where the Narrative Policy Framework (NPF) comes into play. It is a model that draws on storytelling elements to effectively communicate ideas and policies across to audiences.

 
The NPF consists of four core elements:
  1. Setting: The context, time or location in which the story takes place.
  2. Character: The antagonists who hurt the victims and the protagonists who are there to solve the problems.
  3. Plot: The events that connect the characters and explain how the problem occurred, the current situation and the way forward.
  4. Moral: The underlying point of the story that the audience will hopefully take home with them once the story has been told.
Why does this kind of storytelling help policymaking? Stories rooted in lived experiences are often more memorable and even sometimes relatable to readers than data or facts. By tapping into emotion, they shape how people perceive an issue and can inspire action toward change.

Showcase

In a South African example, Adelle, Black and Kroll (2022) argue that digital storytelling, which in this case is a short film made up of audio and static images, can amplify policymaking.

Their study focused on four women from Khayelitsha, an informal settlement in the Western Cape, who used this storytelling method to share their personal experiences with food insecurity. Their stories highlighted the difficult choices they faced around food, deciding what to buy, what to go without and how those choices impacted their lives.
Their personal stories, along with traditional scientific information, were presented to the Food Governance Community of Practice, an informal group which guides decisions on how the local food system is managed. Some members of the group experienced the stories as ‘compelling’, ‘real’ and reported emotions of anger, sadness and frustration at the storytellers’ hardships. On the other hand, some members also reported that the academic presentations gave them a clearer understanding of the local food environment and presented hope for a way forward.
The study notes that more government officials reported a shift in perspective after watching the stories than from viewing the academic data alone. One official said this change stemmed from seeing the stories as “real interactions [that] we need to absorb and learn.”

This example illustrates how blending facts with lived experiences through storytelling can drive meaningful change, and it reminds us that behind every data point is a human story.

 

Links we love

Podcasts

  • Why are stories important for society? In this podcast episode by Crossing Channels, experts weigh in on this topic by looking at everything from the storytelling methods of the San people in the Kalahari to the modern techniques that can influence our public policy decisions.
  • Responding to the logistical challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, the iconic Cape Town book store, Book Lounge, asked Voicenote, a local podcasting company to develop a podcast series of conversations with authors who were due to launch their books at the Book Lounge during the Covid period. The series continued beyond. Listen to the inspiring conversations with authors about their own writing.

Science communication and storytelling

  • This video by The Researchers’ Writing Academy delves into how scientific writing tends to overcomplicate topics. Dr Anna Clemens walks viewers through a Scientific Storytelling Framework that writers can use to engage readers and make their work more compelling.

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