1. How to Give Talks Will G. Hopkins
Physiology and Physical Education University of Otago Dunedin, New Zealand
© 2001

2. Overview
Giving a good talk is an essential skill for researchers and instructors.
You want feedback on your data or ideas, so put them across well.
Conferences are fun - if you give your talk well.
It’s all a game. Learn the rules and you’ll enjoy it more.

3. Topics in This Presentation
The Talk Itself
The Discussion
The Slides
For the Audience
For the Chairperson

4. The Talk Itself - General
Paint a big picture first, then zoom in on your little pixel.
Impress by informing, not performing.
You know more about the topic than most of the audience. Get down to their level.
Avoid jargon, be colloquial, but be precise.
A short relevant joke is great. Anything else is tedious.
Never apologize.

5. [Down Under joke]

6. The Talk Itself - Preparation
Rehearse!
Present it to colleagues early enough to make major changes, if necessary.
Run through it again at the conference well before your session.
Check out the controls for the lights, projector, pointer, and microphone before your session.

7. The Talk Itself - Delivery (1)
Relax… Who will care in 100 years time?
Don’t read out the title if the chair has.
Avoid trivial opening remarks. Get on with it.
Don’t read the talk verbatim! Ad lib it from notes of the main points.

8. The Talk Itself - Delivery (2)
Speak slowly, loudly, clearly.
Keep your mouth near the microphone.
Keep facing the audience.
Make eye contact with as many people as possible.
Avoid verbal or postural mannerisms that distract or annoy.

9. The Talk Itself - Delivery (3)
Avoid long quotes on a slide, and don’t read them out verbatim.
Point to detail on a slide as you explain it.
Explain the axes of a graph.
Don’t go over time.
Don’t finish with “any questions?”
Finish with “thank you.” Then flick up a black slide, especially with PowerPoint.

10. The Talk Itself - Using Hardware (1)
Control the light pointer.
Use both hands to limit shaking.
Or brace your hand against the lectern.
Don’t use the blackboard or whiteboard during the talk.
For long intervals between slides, put the lights on, and turn off the projector or have a black slide.

11. The Talk Itself - Using Hardware (2)
Two projectors are for experts.
Run different media in series, not in parallel.
Make sure a video is ready to go with the touch of ONE button.

12. Question Time
Make the most of it - you usually get helpful suggestions.
Prepare answers for some questions. Use a stooge to ask them.
Have extra slides ready.
Be thankful and polite - employers and reviewers may be in the audience.

13. The Slides - General Use 35 mm or PowerPoint at conferences.
Take a backup copy of PowerPoint slides.
Use OHP transparencies only for local seminars and last-minute ideas or data.
Think simple.
Use BIG standard fonts.
Run a spelling check.
Avoid irrelevant slides of athletes.

14. [Sport vs science joke]

15. The Slides - Content Title: include collaborators and funders.
Next slides: e.g. background, research question, methods, results, summary.
Don’t waste a slide on the above list.
A relevant joke slide is OK.
How many slides? Count on about 1-2 minutes per slide.
Use duplicate slides rather than back track to a previous slide.

16. The Slides - Tables and Figures
Never copy them 1:1 from a paper. Enlarge or redraw.
Include a title.
Use a bare minimum of digits.
Include SDs, not SEMs.
Use * and * * rather than P values.
Better still: show likely range of true values.
Avoid test statistics (t, F, c2).

17. Characteristics of athletes in sprint and endurance sports
sprint endurance
females
age (y) 22 ± 4 26 ± 5
height (cm) 172 ± 8   171 ± 8   
weight (kg) 66 ± 7 63 ± 6
males
age (y) 19 ± 4 25 ± 4
height (cm) 180 ± 9   177 ± 9   
weight (kg) 73 ± 8 67 ± 8
N = Data are mean ± SD.

18. Protocol for study of cognitive function in orienteersM M M M M M M S S S S S S S P P P P P P B O O O B B
exercise 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
time (min) M
- map reading test P
- Peripheral vision test S
- Stroop color-word test B
- blood lactate assay O
- oxygen uptake assay

19. The Slides - Graphs Use graphs in preference to tables.
Use the right kind of graph for the data.
Label individual lines or bars rather than use a key.
Use a bare minimum of ticks and numbers on axes.
Use LARGE symbols on plotted points. Vary symbol shape for the colorblind.
This: Not this:

20. Effect of drug or placebo on maximum oxygen uptake during 16 weeks of training70
base-
line
drug or placebo
drug
maximum
oxygen
uptake
(ml.min-1.kg-1) 60 * *
placebo 50 4 8 12 16
time (weeks)
Data are means and SDs.

21. Reaction time of novice and elite athletes in three phases of training
pre-season
build-up
taper †
elite
pre-season *
build-up
taper 80
100
120
140
160
reaction time (ms)
Data are means and SDs.

22. In Conclusion... Yes: Do it. No: Drop it.
Be obsessional! Give it your best shot.
Be creative - break the rules sometimes.
Will it help get the message across?
Yes: Do it.
No: Drop it.