How to write and share Data Science articles that get attention?

Writing a Data Science article is easy but writing a Data Science article that invites attention and gets exposure is not as simple as sitting in front of your system and typing out your experiences.

In this article, we will discuss what makes your articles stand out when it comes to the world of Data Science content.

Let’s get started!

Why even write a Data Science article?

You should have a goal before you start pressing keys on a keyboard.

You should have distinctive answers to why you want to write a Data Science article or blog and what do you plan on accomplishing from it?

Writing an article on a Data Science topic will help you articulate your thoughts in a structured way. When you dive deep and write soundly, you essentially create a story of your experiences which can be delivered later on during interviews, seminars, meet-ups and pitches effectively.

Sharing your articles on the internet and social media platforms will ensure good exposure, wider reach and a greater engagement level with your community.

You can’t possibly fit everything in your resume or cover letter. Some experiences, especially valuable personal lessons as a Data Scientist are best shared in an article. These articles can be used as references and anecdotes for hiring managers to see.

These are some reasons why you should attempt writing an article on Data Science. You could have your own personal reasons as well, but what this section emphasizes is that you should have a goal in mind before you start writing.

You should be clear on your objectives from writing an article and also what you expect the end result to be.

Where do I start?

If you haven’t written a lot before or are comparatively new to wearing a writer’s hat, there are some basic protocols you need to take care of.

First, was defining a goal which I’m sure you must have already checked off your list.

Next, is research. Read as much as you can on topics that interest you in this field. Understand the approach and structure of the articles and try to identify why these articles speak to you?

You need to identify the unique, stand-out features of the articles that you, as a reader, enjoy!

There is nothing like creating content on the lines of something that you like. You know what to create, how to create and what will be the distinguishing features of your article.

Explore platforms like Medium, Quora, Reddit and LinkedIn to follow Data Science experts who build on their content by sharing their learnings and experiences. Develop this habit of reading for a while, a week, at a minimum.

If you are already a reading enthusiast, you know your stuff. You can directly jump to selecting a topic of your choice,

What do I write about?

The next thing on your list will be selecting the right topic.

This can get a little tricky, make sure you choose a topic that is within your skill set. No point writing on a topic, you’re not equipped to tackle.

Choose a topic that speaks to your style of writing. Whether your article is biographical, anecdotal or informative depends on your style of writing.

Also, the type of your article will further streamline the writing process and the list of topics available to you.

Some pointers you should keep in mind when choosing a topic:

• Choose a topic you are comfortable with and well-exposed to.
• Choose a relevant topic. Shortlist a topic that is searched and sought after, and is likely to be read by people.
• Choose a topic that has enough resources online for citing reference.

 

Next Steps

Now that the article topic has been decided, the next step is to lay down the structure of the article.

If you’re a novice writer, you need to keep the layout of the article simple.

Keep the layout basic. Start with an effective introduction.

The goal of the introduction is to introduce the reader to the topic directly without beating around the bush. The readers’ interest in the article is built in the first few paragraphs.

• If you keep going in circles in the beginning, the reader will get confused and lose interest very soon.
• Make sure you keep the tone of the article direct and in first person. It makes the article more relatable and easier to read.
• Decide on a word limit before you start the article. Don’t keep it too short or you’ll miss out on important information you should be including in the article and keeping it too long would make it dry.
• Once the optimum length of the article is decided (not less than 750 words), block the length of text you will use across various headers. Stick to the word limit for the introduction, body and conclusion.
• Use proper formatting. Break down your text into paragraphs. Ideally, whenever you start a new point, start a new paragraph. Highlight important points and any statistical data that you have included in the article.

Types of Articles you can write

There are different types of articles you can opt to write:

1. Informative Articles

Informative articles on Data Science can be anything ranging from reviews of tools, tutorials on skills or an analysis of latest trends and developments in this space.

These articles need to be well researched, thought out, fact checked and original. While you can borrow inspiration from other sources, do remember to keep your content original and fresh.

These articles tend to be technical and can get a little dry, so make sure you include as many quotes, facts and figures as you can to keep the momentum going.

2. Anecdotal Articles

These articles tend to focus on one or two real-life instances of impact in someone’s life.

These articles are relatively easier to write as they are essentially your own stories that need to be reproduced.

Keep in mind what is the goal of this article, why do you want the readers to know this specific story and that should be the cornerstone of the article.

These articles can circle around personal experiences around Data Science issues. It can be a project you would’ve undertaken, a pressing business problem you would’ve solved using Data Science or even an interview experience.

The layout of these articles is simple.

Start with the problem statement in the introduction, offer resolution scenarios and tips throughout the body of the article and conclude with solutions your readers can take away to their lives.

3. Biographical Articles

Biographical articles are similar to anecdotal articles in terms of the voice of the article. These articles are also written in first person.

These articles can center around your journey in Data Science, Programming Languages or any Data Science tools you have experience in.

Make sure you end these articles on a positive note. Even if you feel your journey is incomplete as a Data Scientist, you should still end the article on an optimistic note to encourage the readers.

These are some of the things you should know before you write an effective Data Science article.

Once you’re done writing your article, the job is not done, You should get it proof-read from someone. Many times, we have some blind spots that we can’t oversee. Another set of eyes help us get a good review of what we’ve missed.

Once the article is written, formatted, edited and proofread, it is now time for you to share it online. You can decide to host it on a blog-writing site like Medium, share on your own social media handles on LinkedIn and Facebook, submit to some publications or journals or build your own blog.

Although, I have highlighted all possible starter points for a newbie Data Science writer, writing is a skill that develops over time.

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There is no one key to accomplish a Data Science write-up, but rather a series of steps that will get you there. As you advance in your Data Science career, keep these tips in mind to build on your strengths as a writer in Data Science.