Sharing new knowledge is an important task for researchers, and the thesis defence is a perfect time for doctoral students to share their research. However, the newsworthiness of a thesis varies and this determines the chosen communication channels. A popular science article for the SLU website may suffice, but sometimes an official SLU press release may be relevant if great media interest in your thesis can be expected.
To assess the newsworthiness of your thesis, we need a popular science summary of approximately 2 000 characters – ideally no later than two weeks before the date of your defence. Focus on your results and conclusions and, if possible, explain how these results can be used in practice. The style and register of your language should be tailored to your intended readership, in this case both broadcast and print journalists.
If we decide to issue a press release, we will edit your text so it is suitable for the target audience. Please note that the press release will be distributed to the Swedish media and must therefore be written in Swedish. Should this pose a problem, you can write the text in English and we will have it translated. We may need to contact you to ask some additional questions.
You will always be given the chance to approve the text before it is distributed to the media. We kindly ask that you also make sure that your supervisor is satisfied with the content.
The press release will also be published on the Press Room pages of the Swedish SLU website.
Including photographs of yourself and/or from your field of research will make your presentation more interesting. Ideally, the photographs should be high-resolution and in .jpg format. Remember to credit the photographer. Make sure that you have the photographer’s permission to use the images and that they can be freely published in articles about your thesis, both in print and online.
Send the following information together with your text and photographs:
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your thesis title
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the date, time and location of your thesis defence and the name of your external reviewer
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your current title and the title you will be awarded once you have received your doctorate
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telephone number we can use to contact you (private and office)
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telephone number the press can use to contact you (to be included in the press release)
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email addresses for the local media (newspapers) in your home town (in Sweden)
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link to further information (personal or departmental website).
Email your summary, photos and the above information to:
- press@slu.se – please note that the server can send a maximum of 10 MB per email.
Journalists will often use these press releases, especially if the subject is of interest to the general public. However, each editor decides whether a specific topic is relevant to their readership. The Division of Communication is therefore unable to guarantee that a press release will be published.
Research presentations and Wikipedia contributions
Use the SLU templates with the university’s graphic profile when presenting your research. This saves time, creates a cohesive image and reinforces our brand.
SLU collaborates with Wikimedia Sweden on a start-up project that supports researchers who want to contribute to Wikipedia. The aim is to spread the research and knowledge generated at SLU to an audience beyond academia. Some of the information will be specific to Sweden and a Swedish-speaking audience, but by contributing in other languages we are able to reach out to people worldwide with information from disciplines in which SLU researchers are experts.