Feedback that I frequently gave to spring 2025 presenters

Many of the comments I make in colloquium are predictable. Here is a summary of what I often said in spring 2025. I prompted Claude with the following: "I have attached a TXT file containing feedback that I gave to student presenters. Please summarize this as a modest number of suggestions that I can give to all students."

Structure and Timing

• Keep introductions concise: Limit motivation and literature review to 10 minutes maximum. Get to your research design and results quickly.
• Lead with your research question: State it clearly on slide 1, and explain why the answer matters - how should our understanding change based on different possible results?
• Provide model overview early: Before diving into technical details, give a slide explaining what the model does and what it promises to deliver to the audience.

Slide Design and Clarity

• Use larger text throughout: Make axis labels, legends, and all text easily readable from the back of the room. Fill the available space rather than leaving black bars.
• Simplify complex slides: If a slide has "too much going on," break it into multiple slides. Each slide should convey one clear message.
• Define all terms and acronyms: Never assume audience knowledge. Define technical terms, abbreviations, and specialized concepts when first introduced.
• Choose informative slide titles: Instead of generic titles like "Results," use specific takeaway messages.

Data Presentation

• Show raw patterns before regression results: Present clear descriptive evidence (graphs, maps) before diving into econometric specifications.
• Include confidence intervals: Always show uncertainty around your estimates, especially for key results.
• Avoid excessive decimal places: Don't report percentages to two decimal places unless precision is crucial.
• Make comparisons easy: Use consistent legends, colors, and scales across related figures. Label specific examples when helpful.

Research Design

• Explain the identification strategy clearly: Make your source of exogenous variation crystal clear. If using instrumental variables, explain both relevance and exclusion restriction.
• Address endogeneity concerns upfront: Acknowledge potential confounders and explain how your design addresses them.
• Justify your empirical setting: Explain why your particular context is the best way to answer your research question.

Model and Theory

• Connect theory to empirics: Make clear links between your theoretical framework and empirical specifications.
• Define key parameters: Explain what elasticities or other parameters govern your results and why they matter.
• Specify functional forms clearly: Be explicit about assumptions (CES vs. more flexible demand, etc.).

Presentation Mechanics

• Practice concise explanations: Be able to explain complex concepts to a general economics audience in simple terms.
• Anticipate clarifying questions: Be prepared to define variables, explain methodological choices, and justify modeling assumptions.
• Use consistent examples: Stick with the same illustrative example throughout rather than switching between different cases.
• Manage slide flow: Don't spend excessive time on any single slide. If you frequently click to appendix slides, consider moving them to the main deck.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

• Don't bury the key findings: Make your main results prominent and easy to interpret.
• Avoid jargon without definition: Terms familiar in your subfield may be unclear to a broader audience.
• Don't show results without context: Always provide benchmarks, comparison groups, or baseline statistics to help interpret magnitudes.
• Resist the urge to show everything: Focus on the most important results rather than overwhelming the audience with every robustness check.