%0 Journal Article
%T Half
%A Brandon Patterson
%A Brian J. Zikmund-Fisher
%A Elyse L. Aurbach
%A Katherine E. Prater
%J Science Communication
%@ 1552-8545
%D 2018
%R 10.1177/1075547018781917
%X Academic writers and presenters need concrete activities to help them learn how to communicate more effectively. We describe such a tool, called ¡°Half-Life Your Message,¡± which is adapted from a commonly used improvisational theater game and can be applied in three minutes to distill a central thesis for any communication effort. Users can increase the value provided by Half-Life Your Message by scaffolding its application with an introduction and opportunity to self-reflect and debrief. We emphasize the tool¡¯s utility based on our experiences in using it ourselves and in teaching it to undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty
%K science communication
%K public engagement
%K messaging
%K idea prioritization
%U https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1075547018781917