Welcome to this module on communication techniques and professional etiquette. Developing your communication techniques ensures that you effectively and appropriately communicate with your research mentor and others in the research community. Within undergraduate research, communicating effectively will be important when you need to ask questions, seek guidance, collaborate on research projects, and more.

Modes of Communication

In the following sections, we separate communication into each of its three forms: written communication, verbal communication, and nonverbal communication. We provide examples of how each form may impact your academic or undergraduate research experience and share some best practices around each form of communication.

Online/Written Communication Etiquette

Written communication can be an effective way to present detailed or important information. However, written communication can also be easily misinterpreted or misunderstood. Therefore, it is important to consider the audience and tone when writing.

So many emails! In a university setting, email is generally the preferred method of communication unless stated otherwise in a syllabus, agreement, or meeting.

Here are a few tips for effective communication through emails:
- Timing: Think about the best time to send your email. Sending an email the night before the test or assignment is due is not suggested and may be perceived as last minute. It is your responsibility to plan. Respect time and be patient when waiting for an email response. A good practice is waiting about a week for an email response. If it has been over a week or your email is time-sensitive, send a friendly follow-up email.
- Review before sending: Check grammar and spelling. Especially the spelling of people’s names! Be respectful and professional. Address people using proper titles.
- Relevance: Ask yourself, “Do I need to ask this question over email?” Check the syllabus or course site before you reach out.

When Emailing to Schedule a Meeting

Purpose: Ask yourself, “Why do I want to meet with this person? Narrow the reason for talking with your research mentor before requesting a meeting.

- Scheduling: After you have narrowed down what you need to discuss, email with the topic and days/times you are available to meet. This will help to avoid back and forth on email. If you have a set schedule, adhere to those hours and communicate if you will be late, absent, or need to change hours.

Example of an Ineffective Email

Image of an example "bad" email. Email from emartinrulesxoxo1234@gmail.com. The subject line reads meeting. Contents says "Hey, We should have a meeting tomorrow for the new research project. It’s the only time I can do it. Let me know when you can do it. Thanks. Sent from my iPhone."

Why is this an ineffective email?

The subject line in the email needs to be more specific and provide more information on the purpose of the meeting.
Informal greeting and closing.
The body of the email has no context and does not specify what the meeting is about
No suggested meeting times
Asking to meet with less than 24 hours' notice.
The email itself needs to be more professional.

Example of an Effective Email

Strengths

Email is sent from a university email address
The clear and informative subject line
The greeting is polite and addresses the recipient by their name and title
The body provides content for the meeting and outlines what needs to be addressed.
Specific time slots are suggested, which makes it easier for the recipient to choose a convenient time.
The meeting request provides enough notice (not requesting a next-day meeting).
A call to action is included by asking them to confirm a time or suggest an alternative.
The closing is polite and shows the sender's appreciation.

Verbal Communication

One very common setting in which verbal communication occurs for undergraduate researchers is in meetings. When effective, meetings can be an excellent way to develop and maintain relationships, clarify goals and expectations, learn the information needed to take the next steps in your research, and ensure you and your mentor are on the same page. Consider the following practices that contribute to more effective meetings.

Bring an Agenda: Before your meeting, spend a few minutes preparing a meeting agenda. Break the agenda into three sections (updates, questions, next steps), then organize your updates and questions into your agenda. This approach can help you effectively communicate what you’ve been working on and what you may need assistance with. Sharing your updates can help your mentor learn what you have worked on since your last meeting. Coming prepared with questions often shortens meeting times and helps ensure you leave with all the information you need. Outlining the next steps during the meeting will help to clarify action items or tasks you need to work on as a result of the meeting.
Focus Your Attention on the Other Person: Work to ensure you give the person(s) you are talking to your full attention. Do this by limiting distractions – put your phone away or flip it upside down so you don’t get distracted by notifications. Close your laptop while in meetings or conversations. Putting devices away helps you prioritize making eye contact or signaling that you’re paying attention.

Take Time To Respond: When someone asks you a question, you don’t have to respond immediately. It’s okay to take a few moments to collect your thoughts and think about your response rather than immediately answer with a half-baked thought.

Quick Check

What is the most effective way to handle needing additional time to respond to a question?

Give a quick response while noting that you will follow up with a more detailed answer later.: The answer suggests a quick response with a promise of more detail later, which may not adequately address urgent or complex inquiries and could leave the requester waiting without critical information.
Acknowledge the question, briefly outline your initial thoughts, and request a moment to gather your complete response.: Correct: This signals a clear thought process and intention when communicating.
Redirect the question to another participant and then add your input after hearing their response.: This can be seen as avoiding direct responsibility and may delay providing a complete answer. It can also come across as lacking confidence or knowledge on the subject, which might not instill trust in your response or expertise.
Admit that you need more time to think and propose addressing the question later in the meeting or in a follow-up communication.: This reply might not be ideal because it delays the response and might not satisfy the immediate needs of the questioner. While honest, it could be perceived as unpreparedness or lack of expertise, especially if a prompt answer is expected or crucial to the discussion.

Nonverbal Communication

Nonverbal communication is conveying information without the use of words or spoken language. This includes eye contact, body position, body posture, tone of voice, and facial expressions. When meeting with research mentors, nonverbal communication is important because it allows for forming interpersonal relationships. When you can read and interpret the intentions and emotions of others, messages can be conveyed more accurately. Nonverbal communication can increase rapport and clarity when communicating with research mentors.

Practicing Active Listening: Active listening is a communication skill that involves actively processing and seeking to understand the meaning and intent of another person's messages. Active listening is important for communication and understanding because it makes the other person feel their voice is valued and heard. Active listening shows respect and value for the other person, strengthening your interpersonal relationship with your research mentor.

- Strategies for practicing active listening with faculty/mentors
  - Ask open-ended question
  - Practice good eye contact
  - Notice and use nonverbal cues
  - Paraphrase and reflect on what was said
  - Listen to understand rather than respond

Quick Check

How does nonverbal communication enhance meetings with research mentors?

It supports and reinforces verbal messages, showing engagement and understanding.: Correct: Nonverbal communication, such as eye contact, nodding, and facial expressions, complements and enhances verbal communication. These cues help convey attentiveness, understanding, and agreement, making the interaction more effective and meaningful. They also provide feedback to the speaker, indicating that their message is being received and understood, which is essential in mentoring relationships.
It entirely replaces the need for verbal communication.: This is incorrect because nonverbal communication cannot fully replace verbal communication, especially in complex discussions. Nonverbal cues are meant to complement and enhance verbal messages, not substitute for them entirely.
It shortens the meeting duration by minimizing conversation.: This is incorrect because the purpose of nonverbal communication is not to shorten meetings or minimize conversation. Nonverbal cues enhance understanding and engagement, but they do not necessarily reduce the time needed for thorough discussion and clarification.
It is less important than verbal communication in professional settings: This is incorrect because nonverbal communication plays a crucial role in conveying attitudes, emotions, and levels of engagement, which are essential in professional settings. It can significantly impact the interpretation and reception of verbal messages, making it just as important as verbal communication.

Consider Your Audience

You wouldn’t explain your research interests to your friends the same way you would explain your research interests to your professor! Who you are talking to impacts how you talk to them and what information you provide. Consider each of the following when thinking about your strategy for any form of communication.

Audience Type

Consider the audience's level and type of knowledge: If you are communicating with other people in the research community, knowing the level and type of knowledge your audience already has will determine how much background information you need to provide. For example, if you are communicating with someone who does not know what you are speaking about, there may be terms you have to define. If you are communicating with someone who knows, you may use a more familiar tone when speaking.

Your Relationship With Your Audience

Consider your relationship with the audience: Your tone will depend on your relationship with whoever you are communicating with. Consider what type of information you give (orders, suggestions, or advice). For example, if you communicate with a peer, your tone may be more personal. You may use a more formal tone in a subordinate role or with a mentor or faculty member.

Audience's Viewpoint

Practice considering your audience’s viewpoint: Communication is a two-way street. If you practice taking the opposing viewpoint, you can reduce the difficulty and anxiety that sometimes arise when trying to communicate with others. For example, consider that your mentor might be balancing several research projects and teaching at the same time. If they forget a detail of your research project, it may be because they have a lot going on - not because they don’t care about you or your project. Developing empathy helps you better understand even the unspoken parts of your communication with others and helps you respond more effectively.

Responding to Feedback

Communication is a two-way street. When you are communicating with another person, they will inevitably respond in some way. Consider how you are responding to feedback you receive and how to make the most of all types of feedback.

View comments as specific to the assignment rather than taking them personally. Very rarely is feedback meant to be a personal attack (and if it is a personal attack, that is a sign of poor feedback)!
Use feedback to improve what you do next time.
Remember that comments can be subjective.
Make sure to understand what the feedback is saying and seek clarification if you are ever confused.
Give yourself time to understand the feedback. When first reading feedback, it may not make sense until after consideration or after doing another assignment or task.
Make an action plan on what you will improve and how you plan to do it.
Be receptive to feedback from the people on your team and implement the feedback and advice if it is relevant. Remember, feedback is only there to help everyone improve!

Attributions

“Effective online communication tutorial” by Candyce Nelson, Barbara Wood, Melissa Martin, Maria Argyridou, Brittany Caraballo, and Ashlen Crawford is licensed under CC BY 4.0

“Barriers to Effective Communication” by Rice University is licensed under CC BY 4.0

“Non-Verbal Communication” by Parveen Sharma is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

“How to send a professional email” by The Writing Center at Wallace Community College is licensed under CC BY 3.0

"Considering Audience" by The University of Arizona Global Campus is licensed under CC BY 4.0

"Brown Scrabble Boards With Letters" by Pixabay is licensed under CC0.

Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial ShareAlike 4.0 International license.