How to Present a Scientific Article BIOS 583 8/29/06 Dr. Mary Purugganan maryp@rice.edu Cain Project in Engineering & Professional Communication www.owlnet.rice.edu/~cainproj

Topics We’ll Discuss Getting started Displaying text Displaying graphics Animating Presenting Critiquing sample slides

Getting Started PowerPoint instructions http://www.rice.edu/it/resources/training/docs.html

Getting Started Create a slide show that is an outline, not a script Use the slide show... to select important information and visuals to organize content to create a hierarchy

Getting Started Set up Slide Master Allows you to design the “look” of your slide show Browse design templates or create your own

Getting Started To select a design, ask yourself: In what type of room will I give my talk? Well-lit room: use light background / dark text and visuals Dimly-lit room: use dark background / light text and visuals

Selecting Content Consider your audience! State problem/question clearly & early (title, abstract, intro) Include significance Include background: organism/system Concisely state the “point of departure” for work

Selecting Content, Part 2 Results: include the how & the why! Hypothesis Method (remember audience) Show figures and guide audience through them State authors’ conclusions; your agreement or disagreement Summarize paper’s overall conclusions Suggest areas for improvement; future investigations

Displaying Text Remember that your audience... Help your audience by… skims each slide looks for critical points, not details needs help reading/ seeing text Help your audience by… Projecting a clear font Using bullets Using content-specific headings Using short phrases Using grammatical parallelism

Project a Clear Font Serif: easy to read in printed documents Times New Roman, Palatino, Garamond Sans serif: easy to see projected across the room Arial, Helvetica, Geneva

Use Bullets Bullets help your audience to skim the slide to see relationships between information organize information in a logical way For example, this is Main Point 1, which leads to... Sub-point 1 Further subordinated point 1 Further subordinated point 2 Sub-point 2

Use Content-Specific Headings “Results” suggests the content area for a slide “Substance X upregulates gene Y” (with data shown below) shows the audience what is observed

DNA polymerase extends 5’ to 3’ Use Short Phrases Be clear, concise, accurate Difficult to read DNA polymerase catalyzes elongation of DNA chains in the 5’ to 3’ direction Better DNA polymerase extends 5’ to 3’ Write complete sentences only in certain cases: Hypothesis / problem statement Quote ???

Use Grammatical Parallelism Use same grammatical form in lists Not Parallel: Cells were lysed in buffer 5 minute centrifuging of lysate Removed supernatant Parallel: Lysed cells in buffer Centrifuged lysate for 5 minutes

Use Grammatical Parallelism How would you revise this list? Telomeres Contain non-coding DNA Telomerases can extended telomeres Cells enter senescence/apoptosis when telomeres are too short

Displaying Visuals Select visuals that enhance understanding Figures from paper: evidence for argument Figures from other sources (web; review articles): Model a process or concept Help explain background, context Design easy-to-read visuals Are the visuals easy to read by all members of your audience? Draw attention to aspects of visuals

Simplify and Draw Attention http://www.indstate.edu/thcme/mwking/tca-cycle.html

Displaying Visuals Harvey et al. (2005) Cell 122:407-20

Choose Color Carefully

Cite Others’ Visuals http://www.bioc.rice.edu/~shamoo/shamoolab.html Harvey et al. (2005) Cell 122:407-20 http://www.bioc.rice.edu/~shamoo/shamoolab.html

Animating Custom animation allows you to animate text, visuals, or line work Custom animation should be used purposefully (and sparingly!) To aid in the audience’s ability to comprehend your message Not solely for aesthetic purposes

Animating Use professional animation methods for text (avoid fly in, typewriter, etc.)

Presenting Delivery Handling questions

Delivery Physical Environment Stance Body language Handling notes Gestures Eye contact Voice quality Volume Inflection Pace

Handling Questions LISTEN Repeat or rephrase Watch body language Don’t pretend to know

Samples Features to consider: Text Visuals Slide design Fonts, use of phrases, parallelism Visuals Readability, drawing attention Slide design Organization/ hierarchy Titles, bullets, arrangement of information, font size

Use Grammatical Parallelism One possible revision… Telomeres Contain non-coding DNA Are extended by telomerase Cause senescence/apoptosis when shortened too much