And…, but…, so…, it’s story time

Dr. Joseph Barber

If you want to integrate a little drama or intrigue into any situation where you are talking about your research to a broad audience, then consider using the “and…, but…, so…” technique. It can be helpful in signposting the different parts of the narrative arc that you want people to engage with.

AND: this word helps to make connections between different facts, perspectives, occurrences, or experiences. Humans like to see how information is connected, and so there is nothing better than a few “and” words here and there. However, using “and” too often turns your research story into a shopping list, “…and peas, and carrots, and soup, and hedgehogs…”, and that isn’t interesting at all.

BUT: the use of the word but signifies DRAMA. Cue the spooky music. The other day, I was at the shopping mall, and I was looking for a new pair of shoes, and I was in the clothing department of Macy’s, BUT… I didn’t know that someone had cloned killer dinosaurs and released them into the mall the night before. Try replacing the word “but” in the last sentence with “and”. You can hear how the drama vanishes!

SO: you can also use “therefore”. If you’ve added some drama, then people will automatically start thinking about what happens next. Was I eaten by dinosaurs, did you research answer the question you had, were you able to find the data you needed? The “but” phrase is about challenges and obstacles. The “so” phrase is about you and how you overcame them, and about how you were changed by this experience.

Here is the theory in action. You might want to turn the volume down for the first video shown within the following video if you happen to be at work.

Author: Joseph

Joseph Barber is a Senior Associate Director at Career Services serving graduate students and postdocs. He has a PhD in animal behaviour and animal welfare, and continues to teach these subjects as an adjunct professor at Hunter College (CUNY).