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[txgalprof]

I guess I'm just looking for some perspective/reassurance from the other side. Is it ok to give a more touristy talk where the goal is for the audience to learn as much as possible about my research agenda, rather than a department seminar style talk where the goal is for the audience to learn something about the topic?

I am not in the STEM fields, but perhaps the overview talk would be fine, with being very prepared to answer more in-depth questions about either topic?  What type of university are you interviewing with?


Follow-up to original post:
The research talk went fine, there was one question about the research that I flat-out could not answer, but I am trying not to stress too much about it....

[zyzzx]

I am not in the STEM fields, but perhaps the overview talk would be fine, with being very prepared to answer more in-depth questions about either topic?  What type of university are you interviewing with?

Follow-up to original post:
The research talk went fine, there was one question about the research that I flat-out could not answer, but I am trying not to stress too much about it....

I hope so, because the abstract I just sent off is for the overview talk. That was the way it worked last time - it seemed to go over well, and I got good questions about both topics, but I'm still waiting for the decision from that place, so who knows. This university is a public master's granting place, so not R1 or anything, but they are definitely into research, and asked a lot about it in the phone interview.

Anyway, glad that your talk went well, and at least you can make sure to be prepared for that sort of question next time. 

[polly_mer]

So far as I can tell, in many ways the purpose of the research talk is to make sure you can give a talk and can answer questions (aka a check on how you will mentor student research).  While some places may be looking for a qualifications check (did you use the "right" methodology?  Are you on the "right" side of the norms war in the field?), many places just want to be sure that you can speak confidently about your research and that you are the one doing it instead of being carried by collaborators.  Co-authorship on papers is harder to suss out than whether the person giving the talk can go off-script and answer questions.