A lay summary presents a concise snapshot of your research in approximately 200 words, using plain language to make it understandable for non-specialists. For people outside the research community, lay summaries make it quick and easy to understand why your work matters. Whether they’re science journalists, practitioners or professionals, policymakers, science-based content creators, or the public, they need to understand and engage with your research for it to make a significant impact.

Lay summaries can be crafted before your article publishes and used for grant applications, or after the publishing journey to promote your research. Here are a few ways that lay summaries can expand the impact of your research:

-          Better accessibility:  Removing words and terminology non-specialists won’t understand increases the readability of your work to a wider audience.

-          Broadens your audience: Explains research in an understandable manner that can be easily understood and shared among non-experts

-          Easier conversations and sharing: Explaining scientific work without jargon is challenging, but a lay summary can serve as a template for informal discussions on the work or sharing on social media.

-          Improved visibility and transparency: By explaining why this work is important to you, you acknowledge the biases in your work while contextualizing the reasons behind it

Since lay summaries add time to your process, they can often feel like just another box to tick on the publishing checklist.  But their value is clearer when you consider the significant impact they can have on your readers and your research itself.

Many journals view lay summaries as a key part of the publication process. Many of these journals focus on a specific audience, like teachers for education research journals or clinicians for medical research journals. Offering lay summaries helps these publications connect with stakeholders that need to understand the latest research on the topic even though they’re not experts in the research community.

Regardless of journal policy, lay summaries are a useful tool for any author looking to share their work in a way that connects with everyone, everywhere.