By this last chapter, you should have a clear biological and statistical model, well-designed data collection, and careful interpretation of models fitted to your data. The challenge now is to communicate what may be some complex analyses to a range of audiences. This aspect of data analysis has been relatively neglected, but we now have audiences less tolerant of unclear or unengaging communication, coupled with the challenge of describing complex analyses. We advocate bringing a storytelling approach to presenting results and being very clear how the data support our larger biological story. We also introduce basic ideas about how to report complex analyses and offer suggestions for improving the clarity of supporting graphics. Two important recommendations are that biologists learn more about how to communicate quantitative information and alter our data communication dramatically to match the mode of delivery and the target audience.

After completing the data collection and analysis, the research problem, the data collected, and the findings need to be presented in a logical, consistent, and persuasive report. This chapters outlines a typical format for such a research report, and describes the contents of each section. It also discusses oral presentations and writing for publication.

After completing the data collection and analysis, the research problem, the data collected, and the findings need to be presented in a logical, consistent, and persuasive report. This chapters outlines a typical format for such a research report, and describes the contents of each section. It also discusses oral presentations and writing for publication.

Conferences are an excellent opportunity to hear about the latest news in your field. They are also a great chance to meet like-minded people, share experiences, discuss ideas and gain inspiration. Friendships, collaborations, new research directions, invitations and job offers can all arise from conversations at conferences. Conferences range from small regional or national gatherings to huge international meetings. They may address a particular topic or may be a more general meeting of a learned society, including symposia on a variety of topics as well as society business meetings. Conferences may have only one session, with all delegates in the same room at the same time or may have multiple concurrent sessions in a conference venue where all the rooms and corridors look the same and it’s very easy to get lost. Most conferences include keynote or plenary presentations by major researchers in the field. This is a great chance to meet the people whose articles you have read and admired. In this chapter, I cover preparing and submitting an abstract, then attending a conference. Next, I provide general advice on presentations, then cover preparing and presenting oral and poster presentations. I end with conference etiquette.