Talks are traditional presentations (e.g. using slides or something similar), given live to an audience. Talks will last 20 minutes with an additional 5 minutes for questions, and will be grouped with talks on similar themes where this is possible. They should be engaging, and will often include videos or short demonstrations. Their aim is to inform the audience about something that would interest and educate them in the field of Research Software Engineering.

Planning your submission

Talks focus on sharing information and experience. They do not directly focus on technical skills—if this is your aim, think about submitting a Workshop or a Walkthrough. They also typically represent a single point of view—yours, or that of the collaboration you represent. If you would like an event to show a diversity of viewpoints, then consider submitting a Panel.

Topics for talks could include:

  • Highlighting a piece of research software work that has been successful
  • Raising awareness of a tool or technique that others could find useful
  • Sharing lessons learned during a software project, regardless of its success or otherwise

When submitting your proposal for a talk you will have considered:

  • Title and abstract: Make this informative and eye-catching as this will be used in the conference programme.
  • Expertise level and audience: Would your target audience be required to have any prerequisite skills/background knowledge e.g. knowledge of a particular language or software package?
  • Outcomes: How will your attendees benefit from your session? What do you expect them to gain/learn?
  • Accessibility: We have a complete accessibility guideline set to ensure you make your talk successful.  Some key pieces to consider are:
    • Have you thought about how accessible your session will be to a diverse conference audience (i.e. different skill sets, different work backgrounds)? 
    • Visually, have you considered the colours chosen as well as the shape and size of graphics and fonts? 
    • Will someone who views a recording of your event be able to contact you in future?

Wider dissemination after the conference and licensing

Please bear in mind that all materials will be published on the conference website under a CC BY-NC license.