Scientific Presentations Intro to Oral Presentations

What are you trying to accomplish in any presentation? "In science one tries to tell people, in such a way as to be understood by everyone, something that no one ever knew before. But in poetry, it's the exact opposite." - Paul Dirac (1902-1984)

What is required for communication in science? “Cleverness, beauty, originality, and style (although extremely important in the design of experiments) are not required in scientific writing. What is required is a clear, logical, orderly presentation of your question, how you planned to answer it, what your results were, and what you concluded .” Ambrose et al Do you agree?

Objectivity in Science “Objectivity in science is obtained not by the individual scientist, who is always subjective, but by the scientific community as a whole.” Milton Rothman

Scientific Papers Written Oral Poster

Elements Title Abstract or summary Introduction or Background Methods & materials Results Discussion References/Literature-cited

Oral Presentations Meetings Symposia Seminars Proceedings are not usually primary… Not widely published Often review in nature Usually preliminary Rarely peer review or limited Minimal editing

Communicating in Science Know your audience Know your purpose Spend time writing down your thoughts

Tips: Before Presentation Check location, lighting, audiovisuals ahead Notes Become comfortable w/ material & possible questions - Practice! Practice! Practice! Slides Organize similar to paper, but simpler Time limit

Tips: About the Presentation Tell as a story Be enthusiastic Guide audience: tell purpose beginning, middle & end Endings Humor Anticipate problems Appropriate dress

Tips: During Presentation Look at your audience Speak up Concentrate on audience understanding Do not be afraid of pauses

Poster Presentations Generally only a subset of the final publication Often preliminary in nature: Why?

Poster Presentations Appearance of poster Content Characteristics of well-designed Presentation

Poster Appearance Layout… start w/ a sketch Balance Graphics & text Appealing Eye catching, not overpowering Color: uniform or w/ meaning Flow Balance Weight White space Text vs. graphics Graphics & text Readable Font selection: Serif vs san sarif