How to keep the audience interested while citing research?

When citing research to engage the audience, it is not just what you say, but how you say it. Here’re 3 steps:

1. State what the data says. Do not embellish. [to establish credibility]
2. Cite reliable sources and exemplify your interpretation with real-life implications. [to support your argument]
3. Be explicit on why they should care and what they should do. [to persuade the audience]

Let’s say you want to cite research to encourage LinkedIn usage, you might say:

[to establish credibility] More than 80% of professionals use LinkedIn according to a (source) survey. [to support your argument] This suggests that many of your peers probably already use it. The survey includes recent college graduates who likely use LinkedIn to be more competitive on the job market. [to persuade the audience] Don’t fall behind the curve, now’s the time to get better at using LinkedIn!

Remember that citing research takes more than stating what the research is, how you deliver the information is key to keep the audience interested!

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