Giving feedback on oral presentations: Critically considering the line between constructive criticism and unhelpful feedback

Abstract

For students and early career researchers, the opportunity to present their research at internal seminars and external workshops and conferences is met with both excitement and trepidation.For researchers eager to receive feedback, and for experts in the field wanting to reflect and engage with the work they are doing, conferences provide a space for deep and invigorating development of their argument and research.However, instances in which commentary offered is overly critical, not mindful of the context of the work, and unhelpful, leave students and early career researchers questioning the value of their research, and increasingly disillusioned about academia.We offer a set of key questions that can be used to frame comments at conferences and workshops to maintain engagement whilst enhancing constructive feedback and minimising unhelpful criticism.