Essential communication skills for scientific researchers

The workshop Communicating Scientific Research will take place at Voksenåsen kultur- og konferansehotell in Oslo, 9 to 11 March 2009. Experienced course instructors will help PhD students unleash their potentials as communicators of scientific content through a combination of lectures and hands-on training.

The workshop consists of four modules; Scientific Presentation, Fielding Questions, Communicating Science to the Public, and Scientific Writing. Read more about the workshop modules. 

The workshop includes plenary lectures, and hands-on training through helpful critique sessions. The lectures include critical examination of excerpts from actual research documents and analyses of recorded presentations given by outstanding speakers. The techniques presented in the lectures will be reinforced in the critique sessions.

Realistic exercises
In addition to the lectures, each participant will take part in at least 6 hours of exercises that allow them to practice the communication of their own research. The participants will have time to refine their research presentations as they build experience with the methodology and techniques that are discussed in the lectures.  

Web-based learning platform
A web-based learning platform designed especially for the workshop, provides a communication channel between participants and instructors also prior to the actual event. In the middle of February, each participant will receive instructions through the platform on how to prepare a short slide-based presentation of his or her research. Once the presentation slides are submitted, the instructors will provide written feedback. The participants are expected to make the recommended improvements to their presentations before attending the workshop. Each student’s live presentation will be recorded as a digital video. All documents, including presentation slides, feedback from the instructors, and the digital video recording will be communicated through the learning platform. 

Experienced lecturers
The course modules are adapted from university courses and short courses that Associate Professor Michael Alley from Pennsylvania State University has developed over the last 20 years and taught regularly at well known universities, research laboratories, and companies in the US and Europe. Through previously arranged short courses in Norway, his methods have proven to be very useful for Norwegian students at the PhD level. Read more about the people behind the workshop.

The workshop invitation flyer is available here (pdf).