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How to communicate?

What makes communication effective?

  1. Know your audience → Adapt your level of detail, terminology, and examples depending on who you are speaking to (peers vs non-experts).
  2. Clarity over complexity → Simplicity ≠ loss of rigor. A clear explanation demonstrates deeper understanding.
  3. Structure your message → Every explanation should answer:
    • What is the problem?
    • Why does it matter?
    • What did you do?
    • What does it change?
  4. Use storytelling → Frame your research as a narrative:

    Problem ⇒ Approach ⇒ Result ⇒ Impact

  5. Avoid jargon (when possible) → If technical terms are necessary, define them briefly and intuitively.

How to improve immediately

  1. The 1-minute test → Explain your research in under 1 minute. If you can't, simplify further.
  2. The "outside your field" test → Explain your work to someone in a different discipline. If they understand the core idea, you are on the right track.
  3. Use analogies and visuals → Translate abstract/theoretical concepts into more relatable ideas.
  4. Be intentional with slides: One idea per slide; minimal text; visual support > written explanation
  5. Pause and engage → Allow time for questions and interaction

Practice & Skill Development

Communication improves through deliberate practice:

  1. Peer practice sessions → Present to fellow students, PhDs, or postdocs; ask for targeted feedback (clarity, pacing, structure)
  2. Join or create informal speaking spaces → Low-pressure environments are ideal for experimenting and improving
  3. Record yourself → Identify unclear explanations, filler words, and pacing issues
  4. Manage performance anxiety → Prepare your opening; practice in low-stakes settings; use breathing techniques to regulate nerves

Institutional & Structural Suggestions

To support long-term improvement, communication should be fully integrated into academic culture:

  1. Science Communication Workshops → sessions led by trained communicators or experienced researchers; focus on public speaking, storytelling, and audience adaptation
  2. Integration into curricula → Include communication components in courses and research projects
  3. Dedicated communication support → Establish or promote a Faculty Science Communicator role
  4. Practice platforms → Create recurring, student-led events where researchers can present informally (e.g. Café Lorentz)

Applying this to your own research

To directly apply these principles write a 2-paragraph summary of your research.

Translate it into:

  • A 1-minute explanation
  • A 3-minute structured talk

Identify:

  • Your audience
  • Your key message
  • Your desired impact

Then test and refine through practice.