Education Template

Science Explainer Script Template

A retention-optimized script template for YouTube science explainer videos. Copy it, customize the placeholders, and start writing.

[RESULT FIRST - 0:00 to 0:30 | about 91 words]
Open on the finding, stated carefully, with the paper on screen.
"[WHAT WAS FOUND], according to a [YEAR] study in [JOURNAL]."
Say the scale immediately: "[SAMPLE SIZE], [TYPE OF STUDY]."

[WHAT WE ALREADY KNEW - 0:30 to 1:30 | about 181 words]
"[THE ESTABLISHED BACKGROUND], in two sentences."
"Here is the gap this study was trying to close: [OPEN QUESTION BEFORE THE STUDY]."

[HOW THEY TESTED IT - 1:30 to 3:30 | about 362 words]
"[METHOD, in plain language]."
"Think of it like [ANALOGY]."
"Here is what the method can and cannot detect: [LIMIT OF THE METHOD]."

[WHAT THEY FOUND - 3:30 to 5:30 | about 362 words]
"[THE HEADLINE RESULT, with the number on screen]."
"[THE SECONDARY FINDING, which is often more interesting]."
"[WHAT THE AUTHORS THEMSELVES FLAGGED as uncertain]."

[WHAT IT DOES NOT MEAN - 5:30 to 7:00 | about 272 words]
"This does not mean [OVERREACH ONE], and it does not mean [OVERREACH TWO]."
"The study looked at [POPULATION OR CONDITION], so anything outside that is a different question."

[WHAT WOULD CHANGE IT - 7:00 to 8:00 | about 181 words]
"The result would be weaker if [SPECIFIC REPLICATION TEST] came back different."
"Here is what I would want to see next: [NEXT STUDY], and why."

[SOURCES AND CLOSE - 8:00 to 9:00 | about 181 words]
Show the citation, the year, and the sample size on screen and hold it long enough to read.
"If you take one thing from this: [ONE SENTENCE RESTATEMENT OF WHAT IS ACTUALLY KNOWN]."

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Leading with a general introduction to the field instead of the specific finding and its scale.

Skipping the method, which leaves the viewer unable to judge whether the result is worth believing.

Reporting a correlation as a cause, or a small sample as a general rule.

Leaving the citation off screen, so a viewer who wants to check the study has nowhere to go.

Planning numbers

About 1,629 words

Script length that fills 9 minutes

0:00 to 0:30

Result block to write first

181 wpm (median for 8 to 12 minute videos)

Words per minute of finished video

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I explain a study without overstating it?

Name the sample size and the study design in the first 30 seconds, describe what the method cannot detect, quote the authors own stated uncertainty, and add a section on what the result does not mean. A 9 minute science explainer is about 1,629 words, which is enough room for all four without padding.

Should I cite the study on screen?

Yes. Put the authors, year, journal, and sample size on screen, and hold the frame long enough to read. Viewers who want to check the claim should not have to search for it.

How much background should a science video include?

Two sentences, then the open question the study addressed. Leading with a full introduction to the field loses the viewers who already know it and buries the finding for everyone else.

How do I handle a study that contradicts earlier work?

Say that it contradicts earlier work, and explain the difference in method or sample that might account for it. Contradiction is the most interesting part of a science story, and pretending the field is settled is the fastest way to lose a knowledgeable audience.

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