Public-Facing Research Presentation
Adapt research for a public audience through clear delivery, visuals, concise explanation, and credible source attribution.
A lesson of English 12, in Senior Research and Inquiry, about 10 minutes.
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to translate academic research into a public-facing presentation, adapt your argument for a non-specialist audience, and design a presentation that makes complex ideas accessible.
Academic vs. Public-Facing Communication
Academic communication: specialized audience; assumes shared disciplinary vocabulary; detailed evidence and citation; formal register.
Public-facing communication: general audience; cannot assume specialized vocabulary; must make the argument accessible without dumbing it down; engages the listener/reader with narrative and relevance.
The challenge: you've spent weeks or months on this material. Your audience has not. You must bring them to the argument in minutes.
Adapting Academic Research for Public Audiences
What to keep:
- The central claim (translated into accessible language)
- The most compelling evidence (selected for interest, not comprehensiveness)
- The real-world stakes (why does this matter?)
What to leave out:
- Most of the literature review (mention the debate, but don't survey it)
- Methodological detail (unless it's central to the argument)
- Most citations (credit key sources briefly; don't interrupt with formal citation)
The "Elevator Pitch" Version
Before a public presentation, you should be able to deliver a 90-second version of your research:
- What was the question? (1 sentence)
- What's already been argued? (1 sentence — the dominant view)
- What's the problem with that? (1-2 sentences)
- What do you argue instead? (1-2 sentences)
- Why does it matter? (1 sentence)
If you can't do this, your argument may need further clarity.
Narrative Structure for Public Research
Public audiences engage with narrative, not argument. Frame your research as a story with stakes.
"For decades, scholars assumed that X. I started with that assumption too — until I noticed Y. That discovery led me to ask whether the conventional wisdom was missing something fundamental."
This narrative structure draws the audience in before introducing the analytical argument.
Visuals for Public Presentations
Accessible language: translate discipline-specific terms; define anything that isn't common knowledge.
Compelling visuals: images that support the argument; not just text.