Talking about, presenting and publicising your research

Abstract

Talking about, presenting and publicising research is an ongoing project for a PGR. It starts before the PhD begins because in order to get accepted onto a PhD programme you will need to prepare a proposal and discuss it with an interview panel. It may never finish because if you enter academic life you will draw on aspects of your PhD throughout your career, like you will draw on your other academic or consultancy projects. Even if you follow another life-course you may still talk about your PhD in a work or social context. Any three- or four-year period of your life, yet alone a period as intense as one involving PhD study, will yield lessons and stories to inform and recount, sometimes as fond memory and sometimes not, for years to come. The three activities of talking about, presenting and publicising are not one and the same thing. There are also differences within each activity. However, there are some essential principles that apply to all. The aim of this chapter is to unpack both common principles and the peculiarities of each distinct activity. After outlining the essential principles with reference to research content (details and ideas) delivery style (written and verbal) and platforms, the chapter offers further general and practical discussion about a range of platforms (research-speed dating, lecture-type presentations, poster presentations and social media). Conferences are an important opportunity to talk about, present and publicise your PhD and the section that follows offers an exploration of what that entails. Finally, a PGR also needs to engage beyond peers and other academics. Hence, the next section offers some pointers on 212public engagement. The chapter ends with our customary final words of encouragement.