Ch29

Scientific Writing and Communication, 2e Angelika H. Hofmann Copyright © 2014 by Oxford University Press
Chapter 29
Oral Presentations

Oral Presentations
• Prepare your talk well ahead of time
• Practice, practice, practice
• Know your audience

Content of a Scientific Talk
• Choose what is most important
• Display clear, uncluttered and
attractive slides
• Explain each slides slowly and simply

Organization of a Scientific Talk
• Tell the audience what you are going to
tell them
• Tell them
• Tell them what you told them

Format of Scientific Talk
Title slide (optional)
First slide: Overview of talk (optional for short
talk)
Next slides: Introduction/background and purpose
of study
Subsequent slides: Findings (combined with general
approach)
Final slide: Conclusions and main supporting
points
Credit slide (optional)

Preparing for a Scientific Talk
• Prepare visual aids well ahead
• Make exhibits look attractive
• Keep exhibits simple
• Think graphically

Background and Color for Slides
Background:
• Use no more than two or three colors
• Avoid designs
Color:
• Use consistent font and colors
• Use conservative colors
• Use good contrast
This is OK This is OK
This is not OK This is not OK
This is OK

Lettering should be easy to read
48 point
36 point
24 point
18 point
14 point
12 point
10 point
8 point
Posters
Slides
Titles
Text
Footnotes
Journals
Presentation Font Size

WORDS ARE HARDER
TO READ AND TAKE
UP MORE SPACE
Words are harder to read
and take more space
Avoid blocks of capital letters
Presentation Font Type

Text Slides
• Limit the amount of text
• Find visual ways to show your work
Readability
• Large lettering (18–48 pt)
• Font: Use Arial or Times New Roman
• 5 x 5 rule—average of:
o 5 bullet points per slide
o 5 words per bullet point
Figures > Tables > Text

• Founded in 1810, the Yale School of Medicine is a world-renowned
center for biomedical research, education and advanced health care.
• The School is viewed internationally as a leader in biological and
medical research.
• 80% of Yale’s scientific research occurs at Yale School of Medicine
• The Yale School of Medicine has over 900 faculty members and
consists of 9 basic science departments and 17 clinical departments.
• The School of Medicine consistently ranks among the handful of
leading recipients of research funding from the National Institutes
of Health and other organizations supporting the biomedical
sciences
Sample Text Slide
Do not use a text-heavy slide
Do not use a text-heavy slide
Overview of the Yale School of Medicine

• Founded in 1810
• Leader in biomedical research
• Over 900 faculty members
• 9 basic science departments
• 17 clinical departments.
• Top biomedical research funding
Sample Text Slide
Order chronologically
or from most to least
important
Order chronologically
or from most to least
important
Overview of the Yale School of Medicine

Oral presentations
Readability of Figures
• Large lettering (18–48 pt) and symbols
• Easy to distinguish symbols
• Uncluttered graphs

printed figures ≠ slide figures ≠ poster figures
S.p.xS.p.
S.f.xS.p.
S.f.xS.f.
Slide Figures
Title but no legendTitle but no legend
PercentofSTEMgraduates
Figure X. Percent of STEM majors graduating in
scientific disciplines in China, the US and in
Germany over the past two decades. Although
roughly twice as many students initially declare a
major in a STEM field in US univrsities, less than
half of them graduate in the field and graduation
numbers are declining. STEM graduates include
male and females students finishing a four-year
degree from a public or private university in each
country. The survey spanned 420 universities in
the US, 382 in Germany and 764 in China.
Numbers were averaged by students that declared
a stem major by the end of the first year of their
studies.
We surveyed male and female
students for STEM majors at 420
universities in the US, 382 in
Germany and 764 in China finishing
a four-year degree from a public or
private university. Numbers are
averaged by students that declared a
STEM major by the end of the first
year of their studies.
STEM graduates in China,
the US, and in Germany
STEM graduates in China,
the US, and in Germany

0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
0.00 0.13 0.25 0.50 1.00 2.00
Wildtype (n=200)
Mutant (n=198)
Myelin Concentration
(ug/ml)
NeuriteOutgrowth
(um/neuron)
Neurite Outgrowth on Increasing Concentration
of Myelin Substrate
Overall title
Subtitle
Provide error
bars
Include key
Slide with Figure—Example

Concentration of cytokinin
in medium (nM)
Mutant Cytokinin 15ºC 25ºC
thi A1 iP 0.16 0.23
[9R]iP 0.09 0.16
Ove ST15 iP 6.34 60.0
[9R]iP 6.54 9.51
Table 1. Thermal Induction of Cytokinin Overproduction
Slide with Table—Example
Title
Column
headings
Row headings

Structuring a Scientific Talk
Structure your talk to maximize the attention
span of your audience
Audience Attention Curve

Start broad then get specific
Divide talk into episodes
Use overview and transition slides
End broadly
Layout of a Talk

Introduction
Conclusion
Layout of a Talk
Main body:
Subtopic 1
Subtopic 2
Subtopic 3

Preparing a Scientific Talk
• Identify the purpose/question and the take
home message
• Pick out the most important figure for your
core slide(s)
• Plot your talk by choosing supporting
slides

The Core Slide(s)
• The slide(s) that everyone remembers when
they leave
• Should contain your most important figure
• Should be clear, uncluttered, and
immediately understandable
• It is the most important selling point—
centers the talk
• Prepare the core slide with extra care

Sample Core Slide

Notes for Oral Presentations
Prepare notes
• Write out and memorize
• The opening
Example: “Thank you, Kari, for
this great introduction, and also
thank you to X for sponsoring
this event. It is an honor to be
here today.”
• The closing
• Important transitions
• Quotations

Getting Ready for a Scientific Talk
• Practice, practice, practice
• Practice the whole talk before an audience
• Time yourself
• Listen to the suggestions/criticism
• Proofread your slides

Before the Talk
• Dress professionally
• Arrive at least 15 minutes early
• Check setup and equipment
• Hide personal items
• Introduce yourself
• Know the “OFF” button for the laser pointer

Giving the Presentation
Presenter’s Triangle
screen
projectorprojector
audience
presenter’s trianglepresenter’s triangle
lectern
Stay within the presenter’s triangle

Verbal Skills
• Speak slowly
• Avoid “uhs” and “ums”
• Don’t read your slides
• Vary tone
• Be enthusiastic
• Speak up
• Use spoken language
Body Language
• Keep eye contact
• Stand straight
• Gesture, but not too much
• Face your audience
• Stick to the time limit
• Stay within the presenter’s
triangle
Delivery of a Talk

• Make sure everyone can hear you
• Identify everything on a slide
• Avoid distracting tics
• Pause for emphasis
• Use spoken language
• Be yourself
• Stay in control—stay clam or polite
Giving the Presentation

• Keep eye contact
• Ask questions
• Keep it interesting:
- Give unique examples
- Change volume and tone
- Share interesting episodes
- Use humor
Keeping an Audience’s Attention

Signal the ending
• “To conclude, . . . ”
• “In my final slide . . .”
• Then, present
• A summary of conclusions
• The significance of your work
• Next steps (if appropriate)
• Acknowledgements
Concluding Your Presentation
Finish
on
time!

Ending Your Presentation
Good closings
• Simple: “Thank you”
Poor closings
• “I hope this was not boring”
• “That’s all”
• “That’s about it”
• “Are there any questions?”

Question and Answer Session
• Stay in control
• Stay calm and polite
• Anticipate obvious questions
• Let the questioner complete the questions
• Don’t get rattled by difficult questions
• Be honest
• Admit if you don’t know the answer
• Ask to repeat or reword if necessary
• Ask the audience for help
• Defer answer to later

Ch29

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

Viewers also liked

Viewers also liked (12)

Similar to Ch29

Similar to Ch29 (20)

More from stanbridge

More from stanbridge (20)

Ch29

Editor's Notes