Public Release: 

What makes influential science? Telling a good story

University of Washington



Their idea was that papers written in a more narrative style -- those that tell a story -- might be more influential than those with a drier, more expository style. Psychology and literary theory have long held that if you want someone to remember something, you should communicate it in the form of a story. The UW researchers -- led by Annie Hillier, a recent graduate from the UW's School of Marine and Environmental Affairs, and professors Ryan Kelly and Terrie Klinger -- wondered whether this theory would hold up in the realm of peer-reviewed scientific literature.


"The results were especially surprising given that we often think of scientific influence as being driven by science itself, rather than the form in which it is presented," Hillier said.


"We don't know if the really top journals pick the most readable articles, and that's why those articles are more influential, or if the more narrative papers would be influential no matter what journal they are in," Kelly said.




For more information, contact Ryan Kelly at or 206-616-0185.
