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!
Data tips...
Do slow down; complex info needs to be taken slowly.
Do spend time setting the context of the data before showing the graph.
Do connect the data to the MEANING - this is crucial; data on its own tells me nothing of value.
Do slow down; complex info needs to be taken slowly.
Do spend time setting the context of the data before showing the graph.
Do connect the data to the MEANING - this is crucial; data on its own tells me nothing of value.
November 26, 2025 at 10:13 AM
Data tips...
Do slow down; complex info needs to be taken slowly.
Do spend time setting the context of the data before showing the graph.
Do connect the data to the MEANING - this is crucial; data on its own tells me nothing of value.
Do slow down; complex info needs to be taken slowly.
Do spend time setting the context of the data before showing the graph.
Do connect the data to the MEANING - this is crucial; data on its own tells me nothing of value.
Tech Advice
Always remember to carry your talk on a memory stick, in case the tech options in the room are limited.
Sometimes the cables are broken, or there is no wifi, or your laptop dies etc - have a back up.
#Academia #PHDChat #Research #Presentations
Always remember to carry your talk on a memory stick, in case the tech options in the room are limited.
Sometimes the cables are broken, or there is no wifi, or your laptop dies etc - have a back up.
#Academia #PHDChat #Research #Presentations
November 25, 2025 at 7:53 AM
Tech Advice
Always remember to carry your talk on a memory stick, in case the tech options in the room are limited.
Sometimes the cables are broken, or there is no wifi, or your laptop dies etc - have a back up.
#Academia #PHDChat #Research #Presentations
Always remember to carry your talk on a memory stick, in case the tech options in the room are limited.
Sometimes the cables are broken, or there is no wifi, or your laptop dies etc - have a back up.
#Academia #PHDChat #Research #Presentations
Don’t apologise!
This is something I see a lot
folk apologise for how bad they are at public speaking, or for how boring their content is going to be.
or make some apology adjacent comment like “Time for the dull bit” or “I won’t go on too long”
This is something I see a lot
folk apologise for how bad they are at public speaking, or for how boring their content is going to be.
or make some apology adjacent comment like “Time for the dull bit” or “I won’t go on too long”
November 24, 2025 at 9:04 AM
Don’t apologise!
This is something I see a lot
folk apologise for how bad they are at public speaking, or for how boring their content is going to be.
or make some apology adjacent comment like “Time for the dull bit” or “I won’t go on too long”
This is something I see a lot
folk apologise for how bad they are at public speaking, or for how boring their content is going to be.
or make some apology adjacent comment like “Time for the dull bit” or “I won’t go on too long”
Top presentation tip
To engage well humans need a bit of variety. We just cannon focus on something that stays the same for a long time.
For long presentations break them up with activities, polls, videos or anything that lets the audience focus on something else.
To engage well humans need a bit of variety. We just cannon focus on something that stays the same for a long time.
For long presentations break them up with activities, polls, videos or anything that lets the audience focus on something else.
November 21, 2025 at 11:11 AM
Top presentation tip
To engage well humans need a bit of variety. We just cannon focus on something that stays the same for a long time.
For long presentations break them up with activities, polls, videos or anything that lets the audience focus on something else.
To engage well humans need a bit of variety. We just cannon focus on something that stays the same for a long time.
For long presentations break them up with activities, polls, videos or anything that lets the audience focus on something else.
*Storytelling*
Storytelling is powerful. Its 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
#PHDChat
Storytelling is powerful. Its 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
#PHDChat
November 20, 2025 at 8:46 AM
*Storytelling*
Storytelling is powerful. Its 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
#PHDChat
Storytelling is powerful. Its 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
#PHDChat
Little reminder that a lightning talk of 3 or 5 mins is not the same as your 20 min talk you did last month.
Don't think of it as cutting down a longer set, think of it as its own thing build it from the ground up around the 1 point you want to make.
#PHD #AcademicTalks #Conferences
Don't think of it as cutting down a longer set, think of it as its own thing build it from the ground up around the 1 point you want to make.
#PHD #AcademicTalks #Conferences
November 19, 2025 at 9:50 AM
Little reminder that a lightning talk of 3 or 5 mins is not the same as your 20 min talk you did last month.
Don't think of it as cutting down a longer set, think of it as its own thing build it from the ground up around the 1 point you want to make.
#PHD #AcademicTalks #Conferences
Don't think of it as cutting down a longer set, think of it as its own thing build it from the ground up around the 1 point you want to make.
#PHD #AcademicTalks #Conferences
Eating cold crumble for breakfast while watching the snow fall feels like a vibe.
November 19, 2025 at 7:55 AM
Eating cold crumble for breakfast while watching the snow fall feels like a vibe.
“But that’s the way talks have always been done!” – academia has a huge status quo bias, change is slow.
Embrace your rebellious side and go do your talks differently! Audiences get bored, so novelty is a big asset. And by doing it YOUR WAY, it’ll be more honest, authentic, and genuine.
#PHDChat
Embrace your rebellious side and go do your talks differently! Audiences get bored, so novelty is a big asset. And by doing it YOUR WAY, it’ll be more honest, authentic, and genuine.
#PHDChat
November 18, 2025 at 8:04 AM
“But that’s the way talks have always been done!” – academia has a huge status quo bias, change is slow.
Embrace your rebellious side and go do your talks differently! Audiences get bored, so novelty is a big asset. And by doing it YOUR WAY, it’ll be more honest, authentic, and genuine.
#PHDChat
Embrace your rebellious side and go do your talks differently! Audiences get bored, so novelty is a big asset. And by doing it YOUR WAY, it’ll be more honest, authentic, and genuine.
#PHDChat
*Am I allowed?*
- is a phrase we hear a lot from researchers.
We often assume we need permission.
Permission to be interesting, to be different, to be ourselves.
But know this: only you can give yourself permission, many of the things that feel like 'rules' aren't.
#Academia #PHDChat
- is a phrase we hear a lot from researchers.
We often assume we need permission.
Permission to be interesting, to be different, to be ourselves.
But know this: only you can give yourself permission, many of the things that feel like 'rules' aren't.
#Academia #PHDChat
November 17, 2025 at 8:37 AM
Storytelling is not always effective
Remember, the goal is to get your audience to listen to what you're saying and understand it.
If storytelling isn't going to help with that, abandon ship!
Remember, the goal is to get your audience to listen to what you're saying and understand it.
If storytelling isn't going to help with that, abandon ship!
November 14, 2025 at 11:00 AM
Storytelling is not always effective
Remember, the goal is to get your audience to listen to what you're saying and understand it.
If storytelling isn't going to help with that, abandon ship!
Remember, the goal is to get your audience to listen to what you're saying and understand it.
If storytelling isn't going to help with that, abandon ship!
Here are some bad bits of commonly given presentation advice to avoid
- make eye contact
- Just tell stories
- Start with a Joke
- Be yourself
- Use your slides as handouts
- More visuals!
- Memorize everything
- Dress more formally than your audience
#Presentation #Academic
- make eye contact
- Just tell stories
- Start with a Joke
- Be yourself
- Use your slides as handouts
- More visuals!
- Memorize everything
- Dress more formally than your audience
#Presentation #Academic
November 13, 2025 at 9:03 AM
Here are some bad bits of commonly given presentation advice to avoid
- make eye contact
- Just tell stories
- Start with a Joke
- Be yourself
- Use your slides as handouts
- More visuals!
- Memorize everything
- Dress more formally than your audience
#Presentation #Academic
- make eye contact
- Just tell stories
- Start with a Joke
- Be yourself
- Use your slides as handouts
- More visuals!
- Memorize everything
- Dress more formally than your audience
#Presentation #Academic
My Newsletter has over 500 researchers in it, all getting better at presentations every week!
Come and join us
thoughtful-motivator...
Come and join us
thoughtful-motivator...
November 12, 2025 at 9:51 AM
My Newsletter has over 500 researchers in it, all getting better at presentations every week!
Come and join us
thoughtful-motivator...
Come and join us
thoughtful-motivator...
Do you want to get better at giving presentations and talks?
Join over 700 researchers and get weekly tips, thoughts, and the odd rant straight to your inbox!
thoughtful-motivator...
Join over 700 researchers and get weekly tips, thoughts, and the odd rant straight to your inbox!
thoughtful-motivator...
November 11, 2025 at 7:21 AM
Do you want to get better at giving presentations and talks?
Join over 700 researchers and get weekly tips, thoughts, and the odd rant straight to your inbox!
thoughtful-motivator...
Join over 700 researchers and get weekly tips, thoughts, and the odd rant straight to your inbox!
thoughtful-motivator...
If you want to take the stress out of building academic talks
Check out my 6 day email course which will teach you step by step how to build focused, engaging talks stress free
thoughtful-motivator...
Check out my 6 day email course which will teach you step by step how to build focused, engaging talks stress free
thoughtful-motivator...
November 10, 2025 at 8:33 AM
If you want to take the stress out of building academic talks
Check out my 6 day email course which will teach you step by step how to build focused, engaging talks stress free
thoughtful-motivator...
Check out my 6 day email course which will teach you step by step how to build focused, engaging talks stress free
thoughtful-motivator...
If you want presentation tips right to your inbox, join the 700 other researchers who currently get the 'presenter academy newsletter' - together we can make rubbish academic talks a thing of the past.
thoughtful-motivator...
thoughtful-motivator...
November 7, 2025 at 10:54 AM
If you want presentation tips right to your inbox, join the 700 other researchers who currently get the 'presenter academy newsletter' - together we can make rubbish academic talks a thing of the past.
thoughtful-motivator...
thoughtful-motivator...
In DY training we are experts in presentation skills specifically for Universities.
Want your PHD's and ECR's to be more confident at conferences?
This is what we do 👇
Want your PHD's and ECR's to be more confident at conferences?
This is what we do 👇
November 6, 2025 at 8:58 AM
In DY training we are experts in presentation skills specifically for Universities.
Want your PHD's and ECR's to be more confident at conferences?
This is what we do 👇
Want your PHD's and ECR's to be more confident at conferences?
This is what we do 👇
Want to know what we talk about in my Presenter Academy newsletter?
Here is a sneak peak
Interested, comment below and I'll send you the sign up link.
Here is a sneak peak
Interested, comment below and I'll send you the sign up link.
November 5, 2025 at 9:10 AM
Want to know what we talk about in my Presenter Academy newsletter?
Here is a sneak peak
Interested, comment below and I'll send you the sign up link.
Here is a sneak peak
Interested, comment below and I'll send you the sign up link.
Lots of people thing presentation is 1 thing. I’ll do this one workshop which will cover it all.
Its not. There are SO MANY tools you can use and need to use to do it well;
Storytelling
Body language & deliver
Preparation techniques
Slide design
Interactivity
Q&A
Structure
Its not. There are SO MANY tools you can use and need to use to do it well;
Storytelling
Body language & deliver
Preparation techniques
Slide design
Interactivity
Q&A
Structure
November 4, 2025 at 7:25 AM
Lots of people thing presentation is 1 thing. I’ll do this one workshop which will cover it all.
Its not. There are SO MANY tools you can use and need to use to do it well;
Storytelling
Body language & deliver
Preparation techniques
Slide design
Interactivity
Q&A
Structure
Its not. There are SO MANY tools you can use and need to use to do it well;
Storytelling
Body language & deliver
Preparation techniques
Slide design
Interactivity
Q&A
Structure
Presenting to small audiences
If there’s 6 people or less, then you have a very intimate setting.
Full on PPT to 5 or 6 people gets a bit awkward.
So instead, make it a conversation or discussion. Don't be afraid to throw out your plan if the context changes.
#Academia #PHDChat
If there’s 6 people or less, then you have a very intimate setting.
Full on PPT to 5 or 6 people gets a bit awkward.
So instead, make it a conversation or discussion. Don't be afraid to throw out your plan if the context changes.
#Academia #PHDChat
November 3, 2025 at 8:21 AM
Quite an epic bike ride today over the moors of Northumberland.
It is getting cooolld though!
20 miles 1875ft elevation
It is getting cooolld though!
20 miles 1875ft elevation
November 2, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Quite an epic bike ride today over the moors of Northumberland.
It is getting cooolld though!
20 miles 1875ft elevation
It is getting cooolld though!
20 miles 1875ft elevation
Want to engage industry in your research?
Maybe for collaboration or commercialization. Go to industry events, network, talk to people, or better yet get speaking slots at those events!
You can show off your work to 200 potential partners in depth, just by doing 1 presentation.
Maybe for collaboration or commercialization. Go to industry events, network, talk to people, or better yet get speaking slots at those events!
You can show off your work to 200 potential partners in depth, just by doing 1 presentation.
October 31, 2025 at 10:42 AM
Want to engage industry in your research?
Maybe for collaboration or commercialization. Go to industry events, network, talk to people, or better yet get speaking slots at those events!
You can show off your work to 200 potential partners in depth, just by doing 1 presentation.
Maybe for collaboration or commercialization. Go to industry events, network, talk to people, or better yet get speaking slots at those events!
You can show off your work to 200 potential partners in depth, just by doing 1 presentation.
Great thread on reasons ai art is bad.
I'll add that it undermines your credibility (which should be kryptonite to academics).
Audiences don't like you using ai - if you can't be bothered to put effort into a talk, why should they be bothered to listen to you?!
I'll add that it undermines your credibility (which should be kryptonite to academics).
Audiences don't like you using ai - if you can't be bothered to put effort into a talk, why should they be bothered to listen to you?!
The amount of AI generated art in slides at this conference, primarily used by older scientists, is killing me. Scientists please. Don’t use these ai platforms to make your figures or slides. They look bad and I have yet to see them meaningfully improve the message of talks.
October 31, 2025 at 6:41 AM
Great thread on reasons ai art is bad.
I'll add that it undermines your credibility (which should be kryptonite to academics).
Audiences don't like you using ai - if you can't be bothered to put effort into a talk, why should they be bothered to listen to you?!
I'll add that it undermines your credibility (which should be kryptonite to academics).
Audiences don't like you using ai - if you can't be bothered to put effort into a talk, why should they be bothered to listen to you?!
Don't start with 'sorry' - or anything that sounds like one
“Time for the dull bit”
“I won’t go on too long”
"I haven't really prepared anything"
. Instead, try these opening techniques.
1/5
“Time for the dull bit”
“I won’t go on too long”
"I haven't really prepared anything"
. Instead, try these opening techniques.
1/5
October 30, 2025 at 8:40 AM
Don't start with 'sorry' - or anything that sounds like one
“Time for the dull bit”
“I won’t go on too long”
"I haven't really prepared anything"
. Instead, try these opening techniques.
1/5
“Time for the dull bit”
“I won’t go on too long”
"I haven't really prepared anything"
. Instead, try these opening techniques.
1/5
You can use stories in presentations to...
- share lessons
- make people care
- illustrate examples
- hook emotions
But you should always use them for a reason. Don't just bang on about that one time in Amsterdam.
- share lessons
- make people care
- illustrate examples
- hook emotions
But you should always use them for a reason. Don't just bang on about that one time in Amsterdam.
October 29, 2025 at 9:35 AM
You can use stories in presentations to...
- share lessons
- make people care
- illustrate examples
- hook emotions
But you should always use them for a reason. Don't just bang on about that one time in Amsterdam.
- share lessons
- make people care
- illustrate examples
- hook emotions
But you should always use them for a reason. Don't just bang on about that one time in Amsterdam.
An academic career grants A LOT of knowledge about your thing.
Remember most people you talk to won't know the same things you know.
Remember most people you talk to won't know the same things you know.
October 28, 2025 at 7:39 AM
An academic career grants A LOT of knowledge about your thing.
Remember most people you talk to won't know the same things you know.
Remember most people you talk to won't know the same things you know.