Successful Oral Presentations

1
Successful Oral Presentations

• How to present seminars effectively?
• The easiest way is to know the tricks of the
  trade!
• Dr. Anne C. Crook
• Department of Zoology Animal Ecology
• University College Cork

2
Seminar Tricks of the Trade

• Know the Audience
• Who will you be presenting to?
• This will determine the pitch of your
  presentation
• Are the audience fellow scientists?
• Avoid being too technical/too simplistic
• Plan your presentation to interest and stimulate
  your audience
• How large is the audience?
• Will determine the medium you use for
  presentation (OHPs, slides, data projector etc.)
• Will determine if you can give handouts
• Will interaction work with a large/small
  audience?

3

• Where does my talk fit in?
• You should have a clear understanding of where
  your talk fits in with other presentations on the
  day
• Who is talking before you?
• Will there be other talks on similar or related
  topics?
• This will determine the pitch of your
  presentation
• What is the size and layout of the presentation
  room?
• What equipment is available and do you know how
  to use it (if not, ASK!)
• Practice your presentation in the room, if
  possible
• The size of the room can be intimidating so
  prepare yourself beforehand by viewing the room
  in advance

4

• Using the equipment
• Make sure you know how to use the OHP/slide
  machine/data projector BEFORE your presentation
• Not knowing how the audio-visual equipment works
  reflects badly on you!
• If you are using a data projector in your
  presentation ensure you are not walking across
  the beam when you change slides
• If using mixed media, practice the logistics in
  advance. Plan, plan, plan!
• Eye contact
• DO NOT talk to your cue card, your feet or the
  back wall address the audience!
• When pointing out aspects of slides/OHPs, be
  conscious of where you are standing try to avoid
  turning your back on the audience

5

• Content how much to include?
• Choose a section of your research
• Summarise your work
• Avoid listing all of your results (a common
  mistake is to include too much text per
  slide/OHP)
• Start with an outline
• Provide a title OHP or slide
• Keep the presentation in a logical order (plan it
  well!)
• Use Aims, Introduction, Methods, Results
  Conclusions format
• End with conclusions
• Ensure your seminar ends with conclusion(s)
• Conclusions should reflect the results you have
  displayed
• End with stimulating points that will cause the
  audience to think

6

• Text on OHPs or slides
• Text on OHPs/slides (including figures/graphs)
  should be legible from the back of the seminar
  room
• No less than 24 pt. font should be used
• Keep font standard throughout the presentation
• Avoid using clashing colours what looks good
  on-screen may look awful or not be legible when
  projected!
• Place OHPs straight on projector!
• Typographical errors are unprofessional
• Graphs Figures
• Should be legible from back of room
• DO NOT put one up and remove it 3 seconds later!
  This is a common mistake.
• If you are using graphs etc. TAKE TIME to explain
  them (use a pointer)

7

• Interest
• Choose the sexy stuff for your presentation
  what will interest the audience?
• Make use of colourful slides/ OHPs but ONLY if
  they are relevant!
• A picture paints a thousand wordsif used
  effectively!
• Citations
• Dont give nauseatingly long lists of authors on
  OHPs/slides
• Choose the few that are the MOST important to
  illustrate your point
• Use cue cards, if necessary
• Memorise or use cue cards (numbered)
• DO NOT read from cards - you are presenting a
  science seminar, not a bedtime story make eye
  contact with your audience!

8

• Your voice
• Speak clearly
• Ensure you can be heard at the back of the room
  (practice beforehand ask someone to sit at the
  back of the room)
• You may be provided with a microphone - if this
  is the case, practice speaking with it
  beforehand)
• Try to avoid speaking too quickly this will come
  with practice!
• Dealing with questions from audience
• Most people dread this part...
• Questions are not aimed to catch you out
• Try not to waffle THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK!
• Do not be afraid to turn the question back to the
  person who asked it if you dont know the answer

9

• Organisation
• Poorly organised presentations reflect badly on
  you
• Number your slides/OHPs so that you can keep
  track of your progress during your presentation
• Ensure the seminar is delivered in a logical
  sequence plan, plan, plan!
• Rehersal
• Practice makes perfect but dont over-rehearse as
  this can make you sound tired or bored on the
  day!
• Nerves are perfectly normal, but try not to rush
  your presentation and be conscious of nervous
  mannerisms!
• Timing
• Keep to time
• Length will vary depending on context plan,
  plan, plan!

10

• Learn from others
• Attend other presentations
• Look at the good and bad points of other peoples
  presentations
• Learn from other people
• Take Time
• Communication skills are important, irrespective
  of whether you are planning a career in
  science.
• Use your time wisely to perfect these skills

11
What is wrong with this?

• For starters, the text is far too small..can
  you read this at the back of the room?!
• Typographical errors are unprofesional anything
  wrong hear?!
• What is wrong with this figure?