The Research Presentation as Storytelling

What is a research talk? Simple, it is an oral presentation that displays your research. The problem is that you have spent all of your time thinking and expressing your research in a medium other than the oral form of communication. Although the underlying ideas you wish to convey are largely the same, the medium in which you are now asked to express them is profoundly different. The primary challenge in crafting a research talk, then, is this: How do I translate my research from one mode of communication to another? This is precisely the question this workshop seeks to answer and it does so by drawing on storytelling as the central translating device.

This workshop is designed to offer you, first and foremost, a general framework on how to think about the research presentation as storytelling. Our journey will take us through such questions as: What is storytelling? What makes storytelling so compelling? How can it be used in the context of research presentations?  Alongside answering these deeper questions, the workshop will also walk through a portion of an actual presentation to demonstrate the principles of storytelling when applied to research. During the second part, participants will be afforded the opportunity to start crafting their own research presentation in the form of storytelling.

While this workshop is primarily geared toward participants who work on their research projects, it can also benefit those who want to learn more about storytelling and hone their presentation and oral communication skills. Participants are encouraged to attend in person to complete exercises and have an opportunity to receive a Digital Gold Badge as evidence of their professional development. This badge can be shared on social media platforms such as LinkedIn. Those who are unable to attend in person can join on Zoom to listen to the lecture component of the workshop without participating in group work.

What to Expect?

Part 1  

• Introduces a general framework on how to think about the research presentation as storytelling.
• Walks through a portion of an actual research presentation to demonstrate the principles of storytelling when applied to research.

Part 2 

• Building on the principles from Part 1, participants now have the opportunity to start crafting their own research presentation in the form of storytelling.

Digital Gold Badge Earning Criteria

This workshop can fulfill requirements to receive a University of Minnesota Graduate School Digital Gold Badge. To earn a badge, participants are required to:

1. Attend the full workshop in person
2. Apply principles of storytelling to their research;
3. Formulate one key takeaway message  - “destination” - they wish to convey to audience through storytelling;
4. Present and hone this message while working in small groups.