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Communications support for doctoral students

Communicating research is central to a researcher’s work, both to contribute to societal development and, in the longer term, to strengthen opportunities for funding, collaborations and commissioned projects. The University’s Communications Department supports doctoral students in raising the profile of their research during their studies and after the defence of their licentiate/PhD thesis. The aim is to generate interest and help ensure that research benefits both academia and society at large.

  • Communications support for doctoral students

During your doctoral studies

Staff profile page

All doctoral students employed by the University have their own staff profile page where they can publish information related to their research studies. The page is updated by the doctoral student. Further information is available on the University intranet.

Doctoral students web page

There is a page on hh.se where all doctoral students are presented with their name, research subject and a link to their staff profile page. For doctoral students who are not employed by the University, such as industrial doctoral students, an external page may be linked instead, for example a company webpage or LinkedIn profile. The page on hh.se is updated by a research communications officer.

Research project web page

All doctoral students have the opportunity to have a web page on hh.se for their doctoral project. By completing a form on the University intranet, doctoral students can submit information, which is then published on the website by a research communications officer. Doctoral students who are not employed by the University may contact the Communications Department to obtain access to the questions in the form.

Workshops

All doctoral students are invited to participate in recurring workshops on research communication and popular science writing.

Events calendar

For doctoral students enrolled in doctoral studies at the University

Midway seminars and licentiate seminars are added to the University’s internal and external events calendars. This is done by a research communications office

For doctoral students enrolled in doctoral studies at another university

The university where the doctoral student is enrolled is responsible for announcing the midway seminar or licentiate seminar through its own channels.

Before and after the defence of the PhD thesis

For doctoral students enrolled in doctoral studies at the University

When the decision regarding the doctoral defence is received from the Research and Education Board (FUN), the defence is announced in the University’s internal and external events calendars. This is done by a research communications officer. The announcement includes the date, time and venue of the defence of the PhD/licentiate thesis, the doctoral student’s name, the title of the thesis, a summary of the thesis, and the name of the opponent. The announcement is described in full in Production and distribution of PhD and licentiate thesis, section 4.

Production and distribution of PhD and licentiate thesis, section 4

Once the defence of the PhD thesis has taken place, the Communications Department highlights it on the University’s social media channels (LinkedIn and Instagram).

For doctoral students enrolled in doctoral studies at another university

The university where the doctoral student is enrolled is responsible for announcing the defence through its own channels.

For all doctoral students

When the Communications Department becomes aware of an upcoming defence of a PhD thesis, a research communications officer sends an email to the doctoral student offering them the opportunity to write a short popular science article about their thesis for publication on hh.se. The offer is described in full under the heading Tell us about your thesis below.

Tell us about your PhD thesis

Sharing research findings with policymakers, industry, interest organisations and the wider public can be beneficial for researchers. Therefore, all doctoral students preparing to defend their PhD thesis are offered the opportunity to write a short popular science article about their research for publication on hh.se. This is an opportunity to practise communicating research in a more accessible way and to reach a broader audience.

Using the form below, doctoral students can submit their article and the additional information required by the Communications Department, who will then proofread the text and assist with publication.

What doctoral students need to keep in mind

  1. The popular science article should briefly describe the thesis findings and their societal relevance, and follow the format described in the form.
  2. The target audience is readers without specialist knowledge.
  3. The article should be ready for publication when submitted.
  4. The Communications Department will review and proofread the text before sending it back to the doctoral student for approval prior to publication.
  5. The article will always be published in both Swedish and English. Doctoral students may write their text in Swedish, English or both languages. If the text is not submitted in both languages, the Communications Department will translate it using machine translation.
  6. Publication takes place after the defence of the PhD thesis.
  7. To reach relevant target groups, it is important that the doctoral student, supervisor and others also help disseminate the popular science material through their networks.

 

Tell us about your PhD thesis in the form

Doctoral students who wish to tell others about their thesis should complete the form below. The Communications Department will respond within the coming weeks once the text has been reviewed.

Date of defence of PhD thesis * (mandatory)
Date of defence of PhD thesis
Which of the University’s doctoral education areas do you belong to?
Which research programme does your doctoral project belong to?
Your principal supervisor must approve publication of the text. Have you checked with your principal supervisor that it is okay to publish a popular science article about your thesis on hh.se and in social media?
If any collaboration partner objects, the University cannot publish the text.
All collaboration partners must approve publication of the text. Have you checked with any collaboration partners that it is okay to publish a popular science article about your thesis on hh.se?
The Communications Department requires a photograph in order to publish your article. The image should be an official portrait photograph taken by Halmstad University (or an equivalent institution). If you have a photograph from another institution, you must first ensure that you have the right to use and publish the image and then upload it below.
Is there an official portrait photograph of you taken by Halmstad University (or the university where you are enrolled)?
The image must be in JPG format, at least 990 × 660 pixels and at least 150 ppi.
The headline should be clear and relevant. It should arouse readers’ curiosity and encourage them to continue reading. Maximum 70 characters including spaces.
70
Summarise the findings of your thesis in two to three sentences using plain English. The purpose is to encourage further reading. Remove unnecessary words. Use active verbs. Present tense is recommended. A mixture of short and long sentences often creates a good rhythm. Maximum 350 characters including spaces.
250
What problem does your research address? How was the study conducted? Maximum 800 characters including spaces.
800
Be as specific as possible and use examples where appropriate. You do not need to describe all findings – focus on the most important ones. Maximum 800 characters including spaces.
800
Be as specific as possible and use examples where appropriate. Maximum 800 characters including spaces.
800

Tips for writing popular science

  • Consider what you want to achieve. Do you want to offer a new perspective, highlight an overlooked issue, explain something complex, or spark curiosity? Try to introduce your main message early on – a clear opening helps readers stay engaged.
  • Rather than beginning with background information and methodology, consider starting with the main finding or key message and providing the context afterwards. This often makes the text more accessible and engaging.
  • Imagine that you are explaining your research to someone in person, such as a distant relative who is unfamiliar with your field. This can help you spot awkward phrasing, unnecessary repetition and inconsistencies.
  • Use examples. Concrete examples help readers visualise your research, whereas abstract discussions can be difficult to follow.
  • Use plain English and straightforward sentence structure. Avoid bureaucratic wording and technical jargon. If specialist terms are absolutely necessary, explain them clearly. Avoid introducing technical terminology at the beginning of the text, where it may discourage readers from continuing. Also avoid vague or ambiguous language.
  • Use a lively and engaging writing style. This includes varying repeated words and expressions, even if the alternatives are less formal or technical. Short sentences are generally easier to read. Simple words are quicker to understand. Varying sentence length can also help create a more natural rhythm.

More information

Lund University: Writing popular science External link.

Plain English: Free guides and articles External link.

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