2. How to Present a Scientific Article Topics we’ll discuss  Getting started  Displaying text  Displaying graphics  Animating  Presenting  Critiquing sample slides

3. Getting Started Create a slide show that is an outline, not a script Use the slide show...  to select important information and visuals  to organize content  to create a hierarchy

4. Getting Started Set up Slide Master  Allows you to design the “look” of your slide show Browse design templates or create your own

5. Getting Started To select a design, ask yourself:  In what type of room will I give my talk? Well-lit room: use light background / dark text and visuals Dimly-lit room: use dark background / light text and visuals

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10. Selecting Content Consider your audience! State problem/question clearly & early (title, abstract, intro) Include significance Include background: organism/system Concisely state the “point of departure” for work

11. Selecting Content, Part 2 Results: include the how & the why!  Hypothesis  Method (remember audience)  Show figures and guide audience through them  State authors’ conclusions; your agreement or disagreement Summarize paper’s overall conclusions Suggest areas for improvement; future investigations

12. Displaying Text Remember that your audience...  skims each slide  looks for critical points, not details  needs help reading/ seeing text Help your audience by…  Projecting a clear font  Using bullets  Using content-specific headings  Using short phrases  Using grammatical parallelism

13. Project a Clear Font Serif: easy to read in printed documents  Times New Roman, Palatino, Garamond Sans serif: easy to see projected across the room  Arial, Helvetica, Geneva

14. Use Bullets Bullets help your audience  to skim the slide  to see relationships between information  organize information in a logical way For example, this is Main Point 1, which leads to...  Sub-point 1 Further subordinated point 1 Further subordinated point 2  Sub-point 2

15. Use Content-Specific Headings “Results” suggests the content area for a slide “Substance X upregulates gene Y” (with data shown below) shows the audience what is observed

16. Use Short Phrases Be clear, concise, accurate Write complete sentences only in certain cases:  Hypothesis / problem statement  Quote  ??? Difficult to read DNA polymerase catalyzes elongation of DNA chains in the 5’ to 3’ direction Better DNA polymerase extends 5’ to 3’

17. Use Grammatical Parallelism Use same grammatical form in lists Not Parallel:  Cells were lysed in buffer  5 minute centrifuging of lysate  Removed supernatant Parallel:  Lysed cells in buffer  Centrifuged lysate for 5 minutes  Removed supernatant

18. Use Grammatical Parallelism How would you revise this list? Telomeres Contain non-coding DNA Telomerases can extended telomeres Cells enter senescence/apoptosis when telomeres are too short

19. Displaying Visuals Select visuals that enhance understanding  Figures from paper: evidence for argument  Figures from other sources (web; review articles): Model a process or concept Help explain background, context Design easy-to-read visuals  Are the visuals easy to read by all members of your audience? Draw attention to aspects of visuals

20. Simplify and Draw Attention http://www.indstate.edu/thcme/mwking/tca-cycle.html

21. Displaying Visuals Harvey et al. (2005) Cell 122:407-20

22. Choose Color Carefully

23. Cite Others’ Visuals http://www.bioc.rice.edu/~shamoo/shamoolab.html Harvey et al. (2005) Cell 122:407-20

24. Animating Allows you to add text, visuals, or line work sequentially to the slide Should be used purposefully (and sparingly!)  To aid in the audience’s ability to comprehend your message  Not solely for aesthetic purposes

25. Animating Use professional animation methods for text (avoid fly in, typewriter, etc.)

26. Presenting Delivery Handling questions

27. Delivery Physical Environment Stance  Body language  Handling notes Gestures Eye contact Voice quality  Volume  Inflection  Pace

28. Handling Questions LISTEN Repeat or rephrase Watch body language Don’t pretend to know

29. Samples Features to consider: Text  Fonts, use of phrases, parallelism Visuals  Readability, drawing attention Slide design Organization/ hierarchy  Titles, bullets, arrangement of information, font size

35. 34 The Calcium Ion Calcium is a crucial cell-signaling molecule –Calcium is toxic at high intracellular concentrations because of the phosphate- based system energy system –Intracellular concentrations of calcium are kept very low, which allows an influx of calcium to be a signal to alter transcription

36. 35 Microarrays Phillips G. (2004) Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine.

37. Use Grammatical Parallelism One possible revision… Telomeres Contain non-coding DNA Are extended by telomerase Cause senescence/apoptosis when shortened too much