TIPS for PRESENTATIONS from Ten Secrets to Giving a Good Scientific Talk, Everything You Always Wanted to Know

but Were Afraid to Ask, 5

Ways to Improve Your Presentations Now, and Creating Effective Presentation Slides.

Write down at least three tips that you gleaned from the readings and audio file. Add more tips from your classmates when they share tips from
their readings and/or experience.

Preparation

Ten Secrets to Giving a Good Scientific Talk:

 Presenter should prepare the talk like a story.

 Speaker should practice the talk before the actual talk. It is better to practice in front of small audience.

 It is not a good idea to put a lot of material in the slides. It is good to keep in mind that one view-graph takes about 1.5-2 minutes in
talk.

 Presenter should avoid as many equations as possible. Equations are distracting for audience.

 Check your slides on the projector screen before the start of the actual presentation.

Everything You Always Wanted to Know….:

Introduction

Ten Secrets to Giving a Good Scientific Talk:

 Introduction should give motivation to both audience and speaker about the talk. Speaker should convey the importance of the topic
and usefulness of the results.

Everything You Always Wanted to Know….:

Body

Ten Secrets to Giving a Good Scientific Talk:

 It should include both the things the author tried and not succeed and author tried and succeed.

 Speaker should tell about the content three times. First, when it is about to come, second when it comes, and third when it has
already finished and used in the later content.

Everything You Always Wanted to Know….:

Five Ways to Improve Your Presentations Now:

Conclusion

Ten Secrets to Giving a Good Scientific Talk:

 It should not be more than a few points. Audience will not take more than one or two points with them.

 It should connect with the introduction of the talk.

  Show willingness for taking up questions from audience at the end of the presentation.

 First repeat the question that has been asked, then answer it accordingly.

 Acknowledge people who helped you with your work.

Everything You Always Wanted to Know….:

Visual Aids

Ten Secrets to Giving a Good Scientific Talk:

 Using large font size for the view-graph. Especially axes titles are unreadable.

Everything You Always Wanted to Know….:

Five Ways to Improve Your Presentations Now:

Delivery (including handling questions and nerves)

Ten Secrets to Giving a Good Scientific Talk:

  Talking to the audience, and making an eye contact with audience is always necessary in the talk.

 It doesn’t sound good when presenter make sounds like “Ummm” or “Ahhh”.

 Humor during the talk will connect the talk and audience in a better way.

Everything You Always Wanted to Know….:

Five Ways to Improve Your Presentations Now:

Creating Effective Presentation Slides:

Too much content is a problem. So it is better to not to have a slide rather than having a slide with inappropriate content.

Slides should be well planned and should be structured with respect to the main content of the presentation. Every slide should make a point
to the audience. Minimum text and more visuals are always a good option for slides. It is better to rehearse the presentation before the
actual presentation.

Each slides should carry a message for the audience. Slide title should answer the audience about what do they need to infer from that
particular slide. Two lines should be considered enough for the title. Visual evidences are good choice to explain the content of the slide.

Each slide should be concise to have only important points. Font size should be very well chosen to be visible to all audience.