Cast your vote now!

This is the third year running that I have been involved in the Access to Understanding awards run by EuropePMC, eLife and the British Library.

It’s a great initiative that has gone from strength to strength. And this is the part of the competition where you get to have a say by voting in the People’s Choice Award.

‘Access to Understanding’ seeks to make the science presented in jargon-heavy research articles accessible to a wider audience. Early career researchers are invited to write plain-English summaries of scientific research articles for a public audience.

Each summary needed to explain why the research was done, what was done and why it was important. Entrants could write about one of 12 articles, each covering fascinating cutting-edge science including: a potential treatment for tinnitus, the effects of disrupted sleep on the human body and the effects of social interactions on flu transmission

The 12 best summaries have already been shortlisted by a panel of judges (Chaired by me). Now we want to know what the public make of them. Are they interesting? Are they easy to understand? Since the entries are written for the public, we think they should be judged by the public.

The website is now live and open for you to place your votes: http://www.access2understanding.org/competition/peoples-choice/

The deadline to vote for the People’s Choice award is 1200 GMT on 27 March 2015; the award winner will be announced at the award ceremony that evening at The British Library. Tickets are still available for the event.

Please do vote. But, above all, enjoy the articles. Each of their authors has gone a great job of making some very complex science not only understandable but also invigorating and exciting.