In this blog post, I talked about researchers' fear of leaving information out of their research communication products. This week, I'm digging a little deeper into the specifics of what types of information (in my opinion) are and aren't OK…
Managing research budgets is tricky. Sometimes you spend too much at the beginning of a study and have to pinch pennies at the end. Or sometimes things cost less than you expected, or you managed your budget conservatively, and you…
I recently gave a presentation on the use of visuals in research communication. During the Q&A period, I got a really good question: How do you decide what information to present visually? I shared my thoughts then, but on the…
As the old saying goes, “Give a man a fish, and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he will eat for a lifetime.” I don’t eat fish, so let’s go with something that is…
Today I’m not going to post about science or data or design. I’m going to post about another topic I tend to get on my soapbox about: ergonomics. Hey, I sit at a desk every day. My clients sit at…
Data Soapbox helps our clients develop entire research communication products, like reports and slideshows. But, sometimes researchers don't need quite that much support. Sometimes they just have a one-off question: Is 75 slides too much for my 30-minute presentation? Is…
Ahhh, here we are: January 2022. We're hauling away the last of the gift packaging and dead conifer. Our pants are a little bit tighter, our focus is a little bit looser. Peanut butter trees have been cleared out to…
You know those suspense stories where a character is scared of the wrong thing? Like when a cop is tracking a serial killer, and she’s pretty sure it’s the creepy taxi driver, but it ends up being her own hot,…
Occasionally, I have a controversial opinion about research communication.* This week it is: The best graphical abstracts have orienting text. OoOoOoOo! Provocative, right?** Let's break down this assertion. What's a graphical abstract? A graphical abstract is an illustrated summary of…
Hey, friends! College football kicked off last weekend,* and the NFL season starts next week. That makes it the perfect time to share my favorite football analogy.** Picture this: Your rival team (blue) kicks off. Your (yellow) team’s punt returner…