Promote your doctoral research

Read a compact overview of how you can promote the public examination of your doctoral research on various platforms.

Make use of your networks

Think about which networks are the most closely linked to your research topic and would benefit from your results the most. Are you part of some active communities where you could promote your research?

Once you have written a news article, you can offer it as content for your networks’

• email lists
• newsletters
• websites
• blogs (published by trade unions, associations, researcher networks, interest organisations etc.)

Pitch your story to the media

Unless you have agreed otherwise with the communications team, you can send a news story tip or a media release to your journalist contacts and/or networks. Pick the target groups that fit your research topic and personal interests the best. Often, a personal pitch works the best. 

Put effort into coming up with a clear headline and concise main text. Consider the distinctive features of news writing and the editorial criteria applied by media, such as topicality and general relevance. Give answers in plain language and explain what happens/happened and when, where and to whom; who did something and what, how and why; and what consequences does the research and its results have. Try to be as proactive as possible when contacting people.

Let the communications team know if you have given interviews where you have talked about your degree or research or if there has been some other media coverage. We are happy to share the articles on the university’s social media platforms.

Be vocal on social media

Make use of your own social media platforms. Be active and share information about your event and project on your existing platforms. Tailor your post according to the platform and audience in question.  

If you have your own blog, write about your research process and give a last-minute update on how things are going before the examination event. Inform the communications team when you have posted texts. 

Don’t forget that there is also “life after completing the doctoral degree”: the audience might be inspired to see you post content where you share how you feel right after the public examination and what future plans you have.  

Add the public examination as a Facebook event and invite the university/academy as the co-host.

Refine your visual presentation

Present your research using the university communications team’s visual resources, such as logos and file templates. You can find the links to Uniarts Helsinki logos and tailor-made Word and PowerPoint templates on Artsi.

Go through Uniarts Helsinki’s brand guide. Besides the brand guide and visual guidelines, the site also includes the university’s style guide with tips on how to write in a clear and accessible way.

Share content on Uniarts Helsinki’s platforms

Write a blog entry about your research. The university communications team will advise you on which blog is the most suitable publication platform for your text and help you with the publishing process.

You can contact the communications team and suggest that you post MyDay content or do an Instagram Takeover on the university’s official Instagram accounts. Share a glimpse into your everyday academic life, tell the audience what has inspired you and what insights you have had lately in your work. Be your own authentic self – that works best on social media. Read the takeover guidelines! 

The Uniarts Helsinki communications team adds the examination event to the event calendar on the university website based on the information that you have sent them. Remember to follow the general guidelines when you send the event details. Make sure all the details are correct and ask the supervisor-in-charge of your studies to double-check them. If any changes come up, contact the communications team immediately. 

Share links to content posted on the university’s platforms with your own friends and followers.

Don’t hesitate to contact the communications team if you need help formulating messages or choosing which platforms you should use!