---
title: "Resources and Recommendations"
source: The Turing Way
source_url: https://github.com/the-turing-way/the-turing-way
licence: CC-BY-4.0
domain: data-and-analysis
subdomain: turing-way
date_added: 2026-04-25
---

(cm-comms-overview-resources)=
# Resources and Recommendations

(cm-comms-overview-resources-accessibility)=
## Accessibility

Read more in this chapter: {ref}`cm-comms-overview-accessibly`.

* [Ability Net](https://abilitynet.org.uk/) for guides to making your documents more accessible.
* [Contrast calculator](https://contrastchecker.com/) is a good website to freely check if you meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) ratings.
* [Outlier conf](https://www.outlierconf.com/) is a good example of accessibility in conference participation fees and data experience (vs visualisation).

(cm-comms-overview-resources-blogs)=
## Blogs

Read more in this chapter: {ref}`cm-blogs`.

* [20 metrics every blogger needs to track to measure success](https://www.dreamhost.com/blog/metrics-every-blogger-needs-to-track/).
* [Start a Wordpress blog](https://www.podcastinsights.com/start-a-wordpress-blog/)
* [Comparing Google sites and Wordpress](https://superbwebsitebuilders.com/google-sites-vs-wordpress)

### Some of our favourite blogs
* Dr Veronika Cheplygina's [How I fail series](https://veronikach.com/failure/)
* [Software Sustainability Institute Blog](https://www.software.ac.uk/blog)
* [Open Working](https://openworking.wordpress.com/) by 4TU.ResearchData & TU Delft Library and Data Stewards. Uses WordPress.
* [Metadocencia](https://metadocencia.netlify.app/post/) - This is in Spanish but you can also read it in English [here](https://metadocencia.netlify.app/en/post/).

(cm-comms-overview-resources-lay)=
## Lay summaries

Read more in this chapter: {ref}`cm-lay-summaries`.

* See  [Perfecting that lay summary](https://bitesizebio.com/10871/perfecting-that-lay-summary/) for a good example of how an abstract can be changed into a lay summary.

**Readability tests:**
* [Hemingway app](http://www.hemingwayapp.com/)
* [The first word readability test](http://thefirstword.co.uk/readabilitytest/)


(cm-comms-overview-resources-podcasts)=
## Podcasts

Read more in this chapter: {ref}`cm-podcasts`.

* [How to start a podcast blog](https://www.podcastinsights.com/start-a-podcast/?gclid=CjwKCAiA9vOABhBfEiwATCi7GNV7zJl0tHaVkW-7DCjVdAwGa4q0vbaXB44xsSBHp7YBO8K6pH0syBoCVtUQAvD_BwE).

### Some of our favourite podcasts
* [Orion Open Science](https://www.orion-openscience.eu/publications/training-materials/201902/podcasts).
* [Open Science talk](https://soundcloud.com/opensciencetalk).
* [The Turing Podcast](https://www.turing.ac.uk/news/turing-podcast).
* [ReproducibiliTea Podcast](https://soundcloud.com/reproducibilitea).
* [Open science stories](https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/open-science-stories/id1547403532).

(cm-comms-overview-resources-presentations)=
## Presentations

Read more in this chapter: {ref}`cm-presentations`.

Here are some websites that offer free resources making different aspects of presentations:

* [The Noun Project](https://thenounproject.com) for icons and photographs.
* [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com) for photographs.
* [Pexels](https://www.pexels.com) for photographs.
* [Freepik](https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/english) for icons and illustrations.
* [Flaticon](https://www.flaticon.com/free-icons/english) for icons.
* [Canva](https://www.canva.com) for icons.

For recording talks:
* [OBS](https://obsproject.com).
See [this guide for using OBS](https://software.ac.uk/fellowship-programme/2019/application-video-guide) by the Software Sustainability Institute.
* [Amara](https://amara.org) or [Otter](https://otter.ai/) can be used to generate your subtitles. 
Video conferencing platforms such as Zoom or Google meet also have captions.

* Many of the technical aspects and tools for giving remote talks (or classes) are covered in [The Carpentries tips for teaching online](https://carpentries.org/blog/2020/03/tips-for-teaching-online/) and the webinar ["Teaching Online on Short Notice"](https://rstd.io/teach-online-2020) by RStudio, a source for several points of this section.

* The Outlier conference has some excellent tips on [speech development](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1VltGZmwfFcqwJ_pMwNx-ECfhgtl0dhxYC99qM5xnV-U/), [structure](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1XyFdpqjlvXd_8kIl3dJFHhGTcywX0tayQtHXXYUi9DQ/), and [technical setup](https://https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1ZLrVBs5Zt9_DDu2TYUN3CzsEr1WiMXbwj-AP5m9Rbhc/).

* Author Nancy Duarte offers some insights in her books, articles and [talks](https://www.ted.com/talks/nancy_duarte_the_secret_structure_of_great_talks) on how to structure presentations that involve a call to action.

(cm-comms-overview-resources-social)=
## Social Media

Read more in this chapter: {ref}`cm-social-media`.

* [X Pro (formerly Tweetdeck)](https://help.twitter.com/en/using-x/how-to-use-x-pro)
* [Buffer](https://buffer.com/)
* This is a good [guide to getting set up on X (formerly Twitter)](https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-setup-twitter-search-hashtag-and-login-help/).
* [Ten simple rules to getting started on Twitter as a scientist](https://journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol/article?id=10.1371/journal.pcbi.1007513)
* [Ten simple rules of live-tweeting at scientific conferences](https://journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol/article?id=10.1371/journal.pcbi.1003789)
* [How to use Twitter to further your research career](https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-00535-w)
