Research Methods Laboratory
Lammers' Tips for the Powerpoint Presentation
The bulk of any scientific conference consists of oral presentations. In most cases, these presentations represent the researcher’s most recent findings. Thus, it is an important way for researchers to stay abreast of new developments in the field. It also provides an opportunity for the researcher to receive feedback from others through both formal and informal question/answer sessions at the conference.
Typically, a conference will put out a call for submissions several months prior to the conference. Researchers then submit an abstract of their proposed presentation, it is reviewed, and then either accepted for the program or rejected. The level of peer review is much less stringent than that for publication. Opportunities exist for student researchers to present at their own university, at regional conferences, and at national conferences.
Sections
of the presentation
The
organization of the presentation is at the discretion of the presenter. However,
an oral presentation of research findings typically follows a format similar to
that of manuscripts. There is an introduction, a description of the methods, a
presentation of the results, and a discussion of the findings.
Working
from notes
In some cases, the researcher makes an oral presentation by simply reading a written manuscript. In many cases, student researchers make their first presentation by reading a written research report. We do not recommend this! How much do you enjoy a professor lecturing by reading his/her notes from a lectern. Such presentations can be good but are more often boring. You should know your research project well enough to simply talk about it, using an outline or note cards to remind you of important points that you want to make. Another useful strategy is to let your visual aids serve as your outline and notes.
Visual
aids
Visual aids come in the form of written outlines, pictures, tables, figures, and more recently, websites on the internet. They can provide organization to your presentation, help describe your experimental design, help describe your results, and help summarize your major points. Overhead transparencies are still a very popular method of displaying information to an audience. Electronic presentations (e.g., Powerpoint, Corel Presentations) are becoming popular and offer new opportunities for video clips and linking to sites on the internet. It is wise to remember that technology does not always function properly and you should have overhead transparencies as a backup. Another nice feature of many presentations is the use of a laser pointer. With this, you can direct the viewer attention to a particular part of the visual display (e.g., a particular data point on a graph).
Powerpoint Slides
Your slides should serve as an outline for your talk, as well as a means by which you can show samples, figures, tables, and other visual aids. Do not put too much text on any slide - it should only be an outline. A lot of text will distract the audience from what you are saying. Make sure that your text is viewable - it should be in an appropriate color and should be of sufficient font size. Use the custom animation feature to reveal only certain portions of a slide at a time. Do not use fancy options that may distract from your presentation.
Speaking
tips
As many of you know firsthand, public speaking can cause anxiety. Often, it is this anxiety that leads to behaviors during public speaking that make the presentation less effective. As a speaker, you should make eye contact with the audience and shift your gaze around the room. This requires that you not read a set of written notes or the text projected on a screen. You should also avoid the danger of speaking too fast. Your audience needs time to process the information that you are presenting. This is especially true when presenting information in a table or figure. You must remember that you are very familiar with the data and that this is the first time that your audience has viewed this information. Try to avoid ums and uhs. Be sure to practice your presentation several times and to deliver it with enthusiasm.
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Quick Tips for an Effective Oral Presentation |
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1. develop sections similar to that of a manuscript |
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2. present from notes – do not read your presentation |
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3. use visual aids (outlines, figures, table, pictures, video, websites, etc.) |
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4. relax |
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5. make eye contact with the audience |
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6. speak slowly |
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7. avoid ums and uhs |
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8. be enthusiastic |
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9. practice, practice, practice |