Communication

Presenting Research

• Developing your presentation skills to fit your field and general academic standards is an important part of your professional development in academia. The Office of Graduate Professional Development, Smathers Library, and Health Science Center Library offer workshops throughout the year to help you sharpen these skills.
• The Dial Center for Written and Oral Communication hosts a drop-in (currently virtual) Public Speaking Lab where you can meet one-on-one with a trained consultant for help in developing, organizing, and improving public speeches. The Public Speaking lab's hours and Zoom links are found on their website.
• Participating in conferences, either through oral presentations or poster presentations, is also key to your development in academia. Your advisor and graduate coordinator are excellent resources to help you find and apply to relevant conferences in your field.
• The Organization for Graduate Student Advancement and Professional Development hosts the Graduate Student Research Day and 3 Minute Thesis Competition each year.
  • The Graduate Student Research Day engages attendees in a competitive poster session, keynote, and panel discussions representing varied academic fields.
  • The 3 Minute Thesis Competition challenges graduate students to make a compelling presentation on their thesis topic and its significance in just three minutes.

Overcoming Public Speaking Anxiety

• Many graduate students experience fear when faced with a public speaking event in which they plan to participate. The UF Dial Center for Written and Oral Communication offers a drop-in Speaking Lab where students can meet one-on-one with a trained consultant to learn oral presentational skills and tips for managing public speaking anxiety.

ESL International Students

• Public speaking engagements can be especially challenging for some international students who don’t speak English as their native language. The University of Florida’s UF English Language Institute offers classes to help ESL speakers hone their communication skills.

Additional Resources

• Activate to Captivate: Presentation Tips and Tricks

If you are assigned a teaching assistantship at the University of Florida, the following are excellent resources to browse:

• Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) is an important resource to make your teaching experience successful. The CTE offers:
  • frequent workshops that focus on a multitude of aspects to develop your teaching skills  
  • resource library full of useful teaching tools. 
  • Great Teaching Certificate-TA Edition after the completion of essential courses designed for developing graduate student teaching assistants.
• The Center for Instructional Technology and Training (CITT) is another great resource for instructional design and training.
  • workshops are offered year-round and include topics such as engaging online learners, designing an inclusive course, academic integrity, and many others.
• The Center for the Integrations of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL) offers resources to enhance STEM instruction for undergraduates.

Office of Graduate Professional Development (OGPD) Writing Program

The OGPD Writing Program is offered every semester as a social support initiative that strives to create a peer support structure to (1) help students cope with feelings of isolation in the writing stage of their studies and (2) aid students in supporting each other in setting and reaching writing goals. Participants will need to be actively engaged in an academic writing project (thesis, dissertation, manuscript, qualifying exams, research papers, literature reviews, etc.) to be accepted into the program. Learn more on the Writing Program webpage.

Academic Writing- UF Courses

Graduate students engage in a large amount of writing throughout their studies including classwork, papers for publication, and a thesis/dissertation. Some departments and programs offer academic writing courses focused on your discipline’ writing standards. You can ask your advisor or graduate coordinator for more information or browse through the Graduate Course Catalog for applicable courses.

Academic Writing- General Resources

• Purdue Owl also offers a wealth of information on American writing standards including:
  • style
  • restrictions
  • citations
  • avoiding plagiarism.
• The University Writing Program is designed to help graduate students improve their writing and editing skills through: 
  • The Writing Studio’s one-on-one consultations
  • Scholarly Writing for Publication course.

Academic Writing - Grant Proposals

Writing grant proposals for research funding is a unique process in academia. 

• UF Research hosts a guide, "Proposal Development Assistance" that includes proposal tips, guides, and examples. 
• IFAS has created a multitude of resources on their training website that includes different types of writing such as social media, newsletters, and blogging basics.
• You may find more resources under the Research Skills and Knowledge page. 

Academic Writing - Theses and Dissertations

When it’s time to begin your thesis or dissertation, be sure to work closely with your advisor and thesis/dissertation committee. UF has many additional helpful resources:

• The Graduate School Editorial Office offers important resources necessary to successfully format and submit your thesis or dissertation, including the Guide to Preparing Theses and Dissertations

Off-Campus Resources:

• The National Center for Faculty Diversity and Development offers a Dissertation Success Curriculum that is designed to provide the skills, strategies, and support that advanced graduate students need to overcome the three biggest obstacles to finishing their dissertation: perfectionism, procrastination, and isolation.
  • UF has an institutional membership to the NCFDD, once activated, you can access all of the NCFDD’s resources for free.

ESL International Students

Academic writing can present unique challenges for international students who speak English as a Second Language.

• The Academic English Program (AEP) is offered through the English Language Institute to help international students improve their writing in English through short, non-credit courses such as Scholarly Writing.