research-talk-planner
Installation
SKILL.md
Research Talk Planner
A talk is not a paper read aloud and it is not a set of slides with all the paper's content compressed in. It is a live argument designed for a specific audience, a specific time slot, and a specific goal.
The paper can be wrong about what matters. A reviewer reads every section; an audience hears the talk once, cannot rewind, and will remember one thing. The skill is deciding what that one thing should be and building the entire talk around it.
Talk types and their goals
| Talk type | Primary goal | Typical length |
|---|---|---|
| Conference talk | Communicate the core contribution clearly; invite follow-up | 12–20 min + questions |
| Seminar / colloquium | Build understanding of the problem and method; generate discussion | 45–60 min + questions |
| Job talk | Demonstrate research taste, depth, and future potential | 45–60 min + questions |
| Workshop / spotlight | Spark interest; send people to the paper or poster | 5–10 min |
| Thesis defense | Show mastery of a body of work | 30–45 min + committee Q&A |
The goal determines what gets cut and what gets elaborated. A workshop spotlight should end with one memorable result and a pointer to the poster. A job talk must show a research program, not just a paper.