Communication skills

Advice on academic communication skills

Communication skills

Presentation skills

PhD students are encouraged to develop their communication skills and present their research at a wide variety of fora. Skills in abstract writing, grant writing, poster formatting and papers as well as presentations are essential. 

Multimedia and social media use

Twitter, Facebook, Researchgate etc are ideal tools for communication of results to a diverse audience. Many PhD students will have well-developed skills in this area but universities provide media education to enhance these skills and to help students present the impact of their work.

Managing collaborations

Although the student will have a core relationship with their main supervisor there will often be multiple collaborators and co-supervisors. Regular scheduled meetings and update on the project are important and ensuring all relevant authors are recognised in publications and presentations is important.