Effective Research Presentations Saeed Attar, Ph.D. Director, Smittcamp Family Honors College Professor, Department of Chemistry CSU Fresno

General Considerations BEFORE You Start Preparing for Your Presentation 1. Consult with your research mentor! A matter of courtesy to your mentor Proper acknowledgement must be given to all team members 2. Can the information be disclosed at this time? Ownership of intellectual property 3. Do your homework well! There is a story to every research project - know yours well!

Common Methods of Communicating Results of Scientific Research 2. Oral presentation 1. Poster presentation

Common Features Between Oral & Poster Presentations 1. Background / introduction 2. Main question; purpose and/or significance 3. Methods 4. Results 5. Interpretation / discussion of results 6. Conclusions / future work 7. References (normally given along the talk) 8. Acknowledgements

Effective Poster Presentations

When is a Poster Appropriate? 1. Fear of public speaking! 2. When you have a contained body of work A single experiment or related sets of expts. Example: work done by an UG student 3. Opportunity for meaningful one-to-one discussion 4. A poster can be appreciated long after its official use

Features of an Effective Poster 1. Clear statement of the research problem 2. Clear statement of the conclusion(s) reached 3. Minimal use of words 4. Readable font 5. Clearly organized and labeled graphs and diagrams 6. Simple and neat look; pleasing to the eye 7. Enthusiasm of the author / presenter

Factors to Consider in Designing a Poster 1. Know your audience Large/national meetings vs. small/local meetings Common mistake: over- or under-estimating the audience’s familiarity with your subject 2. Overall considerations Physical aspects Scientific message What is the best way to communicate it?

Physical Aspects of Designing a Poster 1. Dimensions of the space allotted to you 2. Layout and size of panels 3.Text vs. graphic A picture = 1000 words! 4. Colors to use 5. Something to catch the eye? Rule of thumb: keep it simple! Remember: it is very easy to overdo this! General Comments

1. Heading should match that in the printed program 2.Keep the text to a minimum Average length of a visitor’s stay < 5 minutes! 5. Conclusion(s): the take-home message Make it brief Make it concise The answer to your research question Specific Comments 3. Clearly state the research question 4. Summarize your results as much as possible Physical Aspects of Designing a Poster 6. DO NOT forget the acknowledgements!

1. Legibility: use minimum of 24-point letters 2.Use boldface and/or italicized letters judiciously The Cosmetic Aspect! 3.Guide readers through your poster Use a columnar arrangement of panels if possible Use numbers or arrows to guide the reader 4. Keep number of panels to a minimum Physical Aspects of Designing a Poster 5.Use PowerPoint or other software Makes editing much easier Will show you how to do this today!

1.Be ready to give each visitor a brief summary of your work 2. Prepare a brief synopsis of your work One-page limit Easily done in PowerPoint Have photocopies ready for visitors Further Preparation for Presenting a Poster 3. Be available for questions and comments! 4.Avoid chatting constantly with your neighbor or your research group fan club so as to miss any visitors! 5. Be sure your name tag is visible! 6.You do not have to have an answer for every question that you are asked!

1.Think big! Use font size of at least 24 points 2. Fewer words & more graphics Brief Introduction and Conclusions sections (text) Properly labeled figures, tables, schemes Summary of the Tips for Poster Presentations 3. Simple is beautiful! Judicious use of color, boldface, and italics 4. Organize Provide a means for the visitors to follows the flow 5. Sell your poster to the audience! Look professional Be enthusiastic Be ready to provide a brief summary of your work

Effective Oral Presentations

1.Write out your talk beforehand Ensures that all important ideas are covered Ensures that difficult ideas are explained effectively Tips for Delivering an Effective Oral Presentation 2. Organize your talk appropriately Use an outline Beginning, middle, and end sections The “whole-part-whole” idea Brief introduction Clear statement of the research question and its significance in a broader context Plenty of time to explain results & their interpretation Time for questions

3. Imagine each slide that you have prepared Explain it to yourself orally Then write down what you said Ensures that your talk sounds natural / conversational Tips for Delivering an Effective Oral Presentation 4. Do not read your slides word for word Implies lack of preparation Will distance you from the audience 5. Practice, practice, practice! In front of a critical audience well in advance Ask for constructive criticism Do not go over allotted time

6. Number of slides Not too many slides! Rule of thumb: 1 min. per slide Tips for Delivering an Effective Oral Presentation 7. Simplicity of slides Not too much information per slide Figures / tables should demonstrate main points Beware of frills! It is very easy to overdo this! 8. Readability of slides Use a large and easily readable font (e.g. Arial) Use a minimum of 24-point font size Check for misspelled words! If you have to apologize for a slide, do not show it!

9. Use of color in the slides Use primary colors that provide good contrast Tips for Delivering an Effective Oral Presentation This is easily readable from every location in the room This is NOT easily readable from every location in the room This is impossible to read from any location in the room! This is very difficult to read from any location in the room! Remember again: it is very easy to overdo this!

10. Before the talk Arrive early Familiarize yourself with the room Tips for Delivering an Effective Oral Presentation 11. Beginning your talk Thank the person who introduced you Begin your talk decisively (no “um,” “OK,” or “let’s see”) Establish eye contact immediately 12. During your talk Keep your talk simple (avoid excessive detail) Talk to the audience Speak slowly, clearly, and loudly Resist filler words (um, ah, etc.) Use a laser pointer sparingly 13. Ending your talk End it decisively!

1.Practice, practice, practice Summary of the Tips for Oral Presentations 2. Be professional! 3. Show enthusiasm 4. Be confident and at ease! Finally…….. Enjoy your presentation! It is a great learning experience!