Duncan Yellowlees
@dyellowlees.bsky.social
Academic Research talks don't have to be shit!
✨ Researcher trainer
✨ Opinions about research culture
✨ Maker and fan of anything with dragons
Supporting phd's/ecrs/academics to do better more engaged and effective presentations
| He/Him
✨ Researcher trainer
✨ Opinions about research culture
✨ Maker and fan of anything with dragons
Supporting phd's/ecrs/academics to do better more engaged and effective presentations
| He/Him
Pinned
Hello to my new followers!
I'll do a little intro
• I teach researchers how to present their work effectively
• Storytelling, slides, preparation, I got you!
• Opinionated about research culture
• Background in sci comm & museums
• I also make stuff, pics below!
I'll do a little intro
• I teach researchers how to present their work effectively
• Storytelling, slides, preparation, I got you!
• Opinionated about research culture
• Background in sci comm & museums
• I also make stuff, pics below!
I've trained 1000s of researchers in presentation skills, most of the things people worry about just don't matter that much
- you'll make a mistake
- you need to prove you're clever
- you need to give ALL the information
- the audience are judging
It's about connecting
- you'll make a mistake
- you need to prove you're clever
- you need to give ALL the information
- the audience are judging
It's about connecting
February 13, 2026 at 10:10 AM
I've trained 1000s of researchers in presentation skills, most of the things people worry about just don't matter that much
- you'll make a mistake
- you need to prove you're clever
- you need to give ALL the information
- the audience are judging
It's about connecting
- you'll make a mistake
- you need to prove you're clever
- you need to give ALL the information
- the audience are judging
It's about connecting
Remember: the slides are for the audience, not for you the presenter.
If you’re putting stuff on your slides to help you remember what’s next, try another way.
Presenter view in PPT lets you have notes for each slide, or cue cards work too, but best of all, learn the talk.
#Academia #PHDChat
If you’re putting stuff on your slides to help you remember what’s next, try another way.
Presenter view in PPT lets you have notes for each slide, or cue cards work too, but best of all, learn the talk.
#Academia #PHDChat
February 12, 2026 at 8:14 AM
Please stop putting graphs up for like 1 min and expecting the audience to take anything way other than ''well done, you made a graph"
IT TAKES TIME TO PROCESS COMPLEX INFO
IT TAKES TIME TO PROCESS COMPLEX INFO
February 11, 2026 at 9:51 AM
Please stop putting graphs up for like 1 min and expecting the audience to take anything way other than ''well done, you made a graph"
IT TAKES TIME TO PROCESS COMPLEX INFO
IT TAKES TIME TO PROCESS COMPLEX INFO
Being prepared is half the battle.
Know the key ideas you want to convey at each point in your talk.
The better you know the talk, the less nervous you're likely to be. When you rehearse, do it out loud, all the way through & and focus on the ideas rather than the precise wording.
#PHDChat
Know the key ideas you want to convey at each point in your talk.
The better you know the talk, the less nervous you're likely to be. When you rehearse, do it out loud, all the way through & and focus on the ideas rather than the precise wording.
#PHDChat
February 10, 2026 at 7:23 AM
Being prepared is half the battle.
Know the key ideas you want to convey at each point in your talk.
The better you know the talk, the less nervous you're likely to be. When you rehearse, do it out loud, all the way through & and focus on the ideas rather than the precise wording.
#PHDChat
Know the key ideas you want to convey at each point in your talk.
The better you know the talk, the less nervous you're likely to be. When you rehearse, do it out loud, all the way through & and focus on the ideas rather than the precise wording.
#PHDChat
There are 2 kinds of graph...
1. Graphs for analysis (complex, dense, all the info in one place).
2. Graphs for communication (simpler, obvious meaning, no excess info). In a talk, help your audience out & show them the comms graph & make it easy for them to see your take-home message.
1. Graphs for analysis (complex, dense, all the info in one place).
2. Graphs for communication (simpler, obvious meaning, no excess info). In a talk, help your audience out & show them the comms graph & make it easy for them to see your take-home message.
February 9, 2026 at 8:41 AM
There are 2 kinds of graph...
1. Graphs for analysis (complex, dense, all the info in one place).
2. Graphs for communication (simpler, obvious meaning, no excess info). In a talk, help your audience out & show them the comms graph & make it easy for them to see your take-home message.
1. Graphs for analysis (complex, dense, all the info in one place).
2. Graphs for communication (simpler, obvious meaning, no excess info). In a talk, help your audience out & show them the comms graph & make it easy for them to see your take-home message.
Academics love to add detail
Audiences hate too much detail
This is a core challenge of presentations.
Between overly complex and incorrectly simple lies a magic space I call Useful simplicity.
All you need to get the idea but not overwhelming.
Audiences hate too much detail
This is a core challenge of presentations.
Between overly complex and incorrectly simple lies a magic space I call Useful simplicity.
All you need to get the idea but not overwhelming.
February 6, 2026 at 10:45 AM
Academics love to add detail
Audiences hate too much detail
This is a core challenge of presentations.
Between overly complex and incorrectly simple lies a magic space I call Useful simplicity.
All you need to get the idea but not overwhelming.
Audiences hate too much detail
This is a core challenge of presentations.
Between overly complex and incorrectly simple lies a magic space I call Useful simplicity.
All you need to get the idea but not overwhelming.
Storytelling is powerful.
It’s our oldest form of communication. Arguably, there have been stories as long as there have been humans.
If you package your research comms as storytelling, you get a more engaged audience that wants to listen and will remember your key message.
#Academia #PHDChat
It’s our oldest form of communication. Arguably, there have been stories as long as there have been humans.
If you package your research comms as storytelling, you get a more engaged audience that wants to listen and will remember your key message.
#Academia #PHDChat
February 5, 2026 at 8:54 AM
Opening your talk?
Skip the waffle. No one cares where you work or how many awards you've worked on.
Grab attention with a hook like, a question, or a bold statement, then get straight to the good stuff.
Remeber - useful AND Interesting
Skip the waffle. No one cares where you work or how many awards you've worked on.
Grab attention with a hook like, a question, or a bold statement, then get straight to the good stuff.
Remeber - useful AND Interesting
February 4, 2026 at 9:10 AM
Opening your talk?
Skip the waffle. No one cares where you work or how many awards you've worked on.
Grab attention with a hook like, a question, or a bold statement, then get straight to the good stuff.
Remeber - useful AND Interesting
Skip the waffle. No one cares where you work or how many awards you've worked on.
Grab attention with a hook like, a question, or a bold statement, then get straight to the good stuff.
Remeber - useful AND Interesting
The best presenters have found their own style. It's not about being the perfect. The goal is an engaged audience, & there's a load of ways to achieve this.
One person's talk may rely on skills that you don't use much, and vice versa. We all have our own skill set.
#Academia #PHDChat #Presentations
One person's talk may rely on skills that you don't use much, and vice versa. We all have our own skill set.
#Academia #PHDChat #Presentations
February 3, 2026 at 7:23 AM
The best presenters have found their own style. It's not about being the perfect. The goal is an engaged audience, & there's a load of ways to achieve this.
One person's talk may rely on skills that you don't use much, and vice versa. We all have our own skill set.
#Academia #PHDChat #Presentations
One person's talk may rely on skills that you don't use much, and vice versa. We all have our own skill set.
#Academia #PHDChat #Presentations
A social media post that 300 people see for 3 seconds = 15mins of attention.
A 20 min talk to 100 people at an event = 2000 mins of attention.
Want to grow your academic profile or that of your group?
Go to the right conferences, give knockout talks.
A 20 min talk to 100 people at an event = 2000 mins of attention.
Want to grow your academic profile or that of your group?
Go to the right conferences, give knockout talks.
February 2, 2026 at 8:46 AM
A social media post that 300 people see for 3 seconds = 15mins of attention.
A 20 min talk to 100 people at an event = 2000 mins of attention.
Want to grow your academic profile or that of your group?
Go to the right conferences, give knockout talks.
A 20 min talk to 100 people at an event = 2000 mins of attention.
Want to grow your academic profile or that of your group?
Go to the right conferences, give knockout talks.
If you don't know the answer to a question in Q&A you have 2 options...
1. say you don't know
2. try to make something up and bluff
the 2nd is really dangerous cos someone in the audience WILL know, the first honest and humble...
Guess which to go for?
1. say you don't know
2. try to make something up and bluff
the 2nd is really dangerous cos someone in the audience WILL know, the first honest and humble...
Guess which to go for?
January 30, 2026 at 10:19 AM
If you don't know the answer to a question in Q&A you have 2 options...
1. say you don't know
2. try to make something up and bluff
the 2nd is really dangerous cos someone in the audience WILL know, the first honest and humble...
Guess which to go for?
1. say you don't know
2. try to make something up and bluff
the 2nd is really dangerous cos someone in the audience WILL know, the first honest and humble...
Guess which to go for?
Excellent, funny and depressing thread!
I think I might take one of these "under 20 minutes" AI skills courses the UK Govt. seems very keen on everyone doing and live-post it here... Maybe we can all learn something together! The press release sends me to aiskillshub.org.uk/aiskillsboost/ - let's go and see!
AI Skills Boost - AI Skills Hub
aiskillshub.org.uk
January 29, 2026 at 8:45 AM
Excellent, funny and depressing thread!
What do I do with my hands?
They can direct the audience’s attention to the right place, add emphasis to what you say, & provide variety to keep the audience engaged.
They can also indicate: big things, small things, precise things, vague things, contrasting things, & connected things.
#PHDChat
They can direct the audience’s attention to the right place, add emphasis to what you say, & provide variety to keep the audience engaged.
They can also indicate: big things, small things, precise things, vague things, contrasting things, & connected things.
#PHDChat
January 29, 2026 at 8:19 AM
What do I do with my hands?
They can direct the audience’s attention to the right place, add emphasis to what you say, & provide variety to keep the audience engaged.
They can also indicate: big things, small things, precise things, vague things, contrasting things, & connected things.
#PHDChat
They can direct the audience’s attention to the right place, add emphasis to what you say, & provide variety to keep the audience engaged.
They can also indicate: big things, small things, precise things, vague things, contrasting things, & connected things.
#PHDChat
Remember, that graph you've seen a hundred times?
It's brand new to your audience. It's like showing someone a family photo and expecting them to know Aunt Mildred on sight.
Guide them through it, don't leave them in the visual wilderness
It's brand new to your audience. It's like showing someone a family photo and expecting them to know Aunt Mildred on sight.
Guide them through it, don't leave them in the visual wilderness
January 28, 2026 at 9:43 AM
Remember, that graph you've seen a hundred times?
It's brand new to your audience. It's like showing someone a family photo and expecting them to know Aunt Mildred on sight.
Guide them through it, don't leave them in the visual wilderness
It's brand new to your audience. It's like showing someone a family photo and expecting them to know Aunt Mildred on sight.
Guide them through it, don't leave them in the visual wilderness
Tailor your talk to the audience – this is a must
You can’t give the same talk to primary school kids that you would to folks in your research specialism. And it goes for every different audience in between.
Ask yourself who are they?
What do they know already?
How do they feel about the content?
You can’t give the same talk to primary school kids that you would to folks in your research specialism. And it goes for every different audience in between.
Ask yourself who are they?
What do they know already?
How do they feel about the content?
January 27, 2026 at 7:24 AM
Tailor your talk to the audience – this is a must
You can’t give the same talk to primary school kids that you would to folks in your research specialism. And it goes for every different audience in between.
Ask yourself who are they?
What do they know already?
How do they feel about the content?
You can’t give the same talk to primary school kids that you would to folks in your research specialism. And it goes for every different audience in between.
Ask yourself who are they?
What do they know already?
How do they feel about the content?
I’m going to call it out… just stop putting lots of text one your slides. You know its bad, I know its bad, everyone knows its bad… so can we just not?
#PHD #Research #Academic #Presenting #PHDChat
#PHD #Research #Academic #Presenting #PHDChat
January 26, 2026 at 8:13 AM
I’m going to call it out… just stop putting lots of text one your slides. You know its bad, I know its bad, everyone knows its bad… so can we just not?
#PHD #Research #Academic #Presenting #PHDChat
#PHD #Research #Academic #Presenting #PHDChat
Where should you stand when you present?
Where the audience can see you!
This is usually front & centre – not shrunk against the wall, or in the corner, or behind the lectern.
A blank button ((B) on the keyboard) is perfect for disappearing the slides when you want to be centre stage.
Where the audience can see you!
This is usually front & centre – not shrunk against the wall, or in the corner, or behind the lectern.
A blank button ((B) on the keyboard) is perfect for disappearing the slides when you want to be centre stage.
January 23, 2026 at 11:14 AM
Where should you stand when you present?
Where the audience can see you!
This is usually front & centre – not shrunk against the wall, or in the corner, or behind the lectern.
A blank button ((B) on the keyboard) is perfect for disappearing the slides when you want to be centre stage.
Where the audience can see you!
This is usually front & centre – not shrunk against the wall, or in the corner, or behind the lectern.
A blank button ((B) on the keyboard) is perfect for disappearing the slides when you want to be centre stage.
One of my biggest bits of advice for academic presentations: Have a clear goal.
What do you want your audience to;
- think
- learn
- feel
- do
Work it out, then build your talk to achive that
What do you want your audience to;
- think
- learn
- feel
- do
Work it out, then build your talk to achive that
January 22, 2026 at 9:08 AM
One of my biggest bits of advice for academic presentations: Have a clear goal.
What do you want your audience to;
- think
- learn
- feel
- do
Work it out, then build your talk to achive that
What do you want your audience to;
- think
- learn
- feel
- do
Work it out, then build your talk to achive that
When presenting data...
MAKE IT EASY FOR THEM TO SEE THE IMPORTANT BIT
MAKE IT EASY FOR THEM TO SEE THE IMPORTANT BIT
January 21, 2026 at 9:24 AM
When presenting data...
MAKE IT EASY FOR THEM TO SEE THE IMPORTANT BIT
MAKE IT EASY FOR THEM TO SEE THE IMPORTANT BIT
zoom can be tough...
Build in moments where you can ‘check in’.
Ask them q’s
Do polls
Ask for a response to a thought
Do little activites etc
Anything that means they do something you can see/respond to, this way you know they are there.
Build in moments where you can ‘check in’.
Ask them q’s
Do polls
Ask for a response to a thought
Do little activites etc
Anything that means they do something you can see/respond to, this way you know they are there.
January 20, 2026 at 8:02 AM
zoom can be tough...
Build in moments where you can ‘check in’.
Ask them q’s
Do polls
Ask for a response to a thought
Do little activites etc
Anything that means they do something you can see/respond to, this way you know they are there.
Build in moments where you can ‘check in’.
Ask them q’s
Do polls
Ask for a response to a thought
Do little activites etc
Anything that means they do something you can see/respond to, this way you know they are there.
Body language
Broadly speaking, the impression you give off comes down to the shoulders.
Folding your arms closes off your body language & can give off "nervous" or "disinterested". Try arms apart, chest open - this says "friendly, welcoming, happy to be here"
#Academia #PHDChat #Research
Broadly speaking, the impression you give off comes down to the shoulders.
Folding your arms closes off your body language & can give off "nervous" or "disinterested". Try arms apart, chest open - this says "friendly, welcoming, happy to be here"
#Academia #PHDChat #Research
January 19, 2026 at 8:46 AM
If you want to really really get better at presenting, training and courses will only take you so far.
There comes a point where you need to DO it, get feedback and do it again.
The feedback loop is what helps you improve.
There comes a point where you need to DO it, get feedback and do it again.
The feedback loop is what helps you improve.
January 16, 2026 at 10:22 AM
If you want to really really get better at presenting, training and courses will only take you so far.
There comes a point where you need to DO it, get feedback and do it again.
The feedback loop is what helps you improve.
There comes a point where you need to DO it, get feedback and do it again.
The feedback loop is what helps you improve.
“It’s more of a comment than a question.”
We’ve all been there – and you don’t have to put up with it. If you’re the speaker, you own the space. Tactfully suggest that you’re prioritising people with questions? Roll your eyes? Throw things at them? The choice is yours!
#PHDChat #Presentations
We’ve all been there – and you don’t have to put up with it. If you’re the speaker, you own the space. Tactfully suggest that you’re prioritising people with questions? Roll your eyes? Throw things at them? The choice is yours!
#PHDChat #Presentations
January 15, 2026 at 8:37 AM
“It’s more of a comment than a question.”
We’ve all been there – and you don’t have to put up with it. If you’re the speaker, you own the space. Tactfully suggest that you’re prioritising people with questions? Roll your eyes? Throw things at them? The choice is yours!
#PHDChat #Presentations
We’ve all been there – and you don’t have to put up with it. If you’re the speaker, you own the space. Tactfully suggest that you’re prioritising people with questions? Roll your eyes? Throw things at them? The choice is yours!
#PHDChat #Presentations
"How can I ensure that my key points are remembered by my audience?"
- Link them to things the audience cares about
- Quickly highlight them at the end
- Give them examples and stories to help them understand
- Link them to things the audience cares about
- Quickly highlight them at the end
- Give them examples and stories to help them understand
January 14, 2026 at 9:22 AM
"How can I ensure that my key points are remembered by my audience?"
- Link them to things the audience cares about
- Quickly highlight them at the end
- Give them examples and stories to help them understand
- Link them to things the audience cares about
- Quickly highlight them at the end
- Give them examples and stories to help them understand
Presentation mistakes come in 2 types.
Ones that are obvious
Ones that aren’t
We worry overly about both. Most of the time people will forgive you anything.
And remember - they don't know how it's supposd to go.
Ones that are obvious
Ones that aren’t
We worry overly about both. Most of the time people will forgive you anything.
And remember - they don't know how it's supposd to go.
January 13, 2026 at 7:49 AM
Presentation mistakes come in 2 types.
Ones that are obvious
Ones that aren’t
We worry overly about both. Most of the time people will forgive you anything.
And remember - they don't know how it's supposd to go.
Ones that are obvious
Ones that aren’t
We worry overly about both. Most of the time people will forgive you anything.
And remember - they don't know how it's supposd to go.