How to Write Papers and Give Talks that People Can Follow

Learn essential principles for effective academic communication in this conference talk from the Programming Languages Mentoring Workshop at ICFP/SPLASH 2025. Discover time-tested strategies for writing accessible research papers and delivering engaging presentations by developing the crucial skill of understanding your audience's perspective. Master constructive principles that go beyond generic advice like "be clear" by providing concrete, actionable methods you can immediately apply to evaluate and improve your written and oral communication. Explore practical techniques developed over 17 years of helping students enhance their writing and speaking abilities, focusing on specific ways to make your research more accessible to readers and listeners. Gain insights into common communication challenges faced by researchers, particularly those early in their careers, and learn systematic approaches to overcome these obstacles. Understand how to structure your papers and presentations to guide your audience through complex ideas effectively, ensuring your research has maximum impact and reach within the academic community.