1. Provide the title of your story or series and the names of the journalists involved.
"How Stress Messes With Memory" by Gretchen Voss, edited by Lisa Bain.
2. List date(s) this work was published or aired.
Oct. 10, 2010.
3. Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
In "How Stress Messes With Memory," Gretchen Voss explains how tension tampers with the inner workings of the brain, in a way that's both intricately riveting and easy to understand. The article delves into research proving that gender plays a major role in how people deal with pressure — groundbreaking, up-to-the minute information that even many neuroscientists didn't know at the time the article was reported. Inventive graphic sidebars enhance the overall service, with clear strategies for how to better remember things when your nerves are jangled (even all those computer passwords!), and ways to find the sweet spot between mellow and meltdown when our brains are able function at optimum capacity. Women's Health is known for its exhaustively researched reports that delve deeply into the pressing health issues of the day, and bring those issues to life in a tone that's lively, clear, and instructive. At a time when half of all American women say their stress levels have skyrocketed in the past five years (according to new research from the American Psychological Association), this article gave our readers a deep understanding of an especially important side effect of all that tension, and provided them with the tools for sharpening their minds and staying calm under pressure.
4. Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
The author combed through more than a dozen scientific journals and culled data from recent studies published on the internet. She also drew information online from organizations such as the Boston University Memory Disorders Center.
5. Explain types of human sources used.
Voss spoke with about a dozen scientists — mostly neurologists — about their research. She also interviewed about 10 women before settling on the three who best represented the memory issues that we focused on in the story.
6. Results (if any).
The article sparked a lot of coverage from other media sources, including the Today Show, which featured a segment on the story, and a wide range of online news outlets.
7. Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
N/a.
8. Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
From Gretchen Voss: "It can be very difficult to write about complicated scientific data in a reader-friendly way, so it's very important to try to take a step back and figure out how to make the information accessible, understandable, and interesting."