Structure of a 10-minute Oral Scientific Presentation Title Background Methods Results Discussion Acknowledgments Question and answer period 10 minute oral scientific presentation is a common standard. Same structure for 5 min EIS LB, 30 min EIS TMS, Field Exercise—just adjust the time devoted to each section accordingly

Title Slide (10-15 sec) Title should include Your name Subject Location Time period Your name Your affiliation Appropriate logos Say “Good morning / afternoon / evening” Gives you a few extra seconds to familiarize yourself with the podium and find the switch on the pointer Title slide tells the audience that they are in the right place for the right presentation Your name, not your co-authors

Elevated Fall-Related Mortality Rates — New Mexico, 1999–2004 Aaron M. Wendelboe, PhD New Mexico Department of Health OWCD, CDD, EIS Field Assignments Branch Example of title slide

Background (1-2 min) Usually a few slides Engage audience Set stage for outbreak investigation Provide rationale for planned study Essential information (only) about project Establish relevance to health Include a slide describing study objectives WHY you did your study or investigation

Methods (1-2 min) Usually a few slides Describe study design(s) Tell how controls were selected if CC study Define cohort if cohort study Say what laboratory tests were used HOW you did your study

Results (3-4 min) Usually several slides Emphasize most important findings Describe characteristics of study participants Include descriptive results and analytic results Use mixture of text, tables, figures, photos as appropriate to your data WHAT you found out when you did your study

Discussion (2-3 min) Interpretation of findings Don’t repeat results Prioritize findings from most to least important Link findings to study objectives Put findings into context with previous studies Limitations slide (only the important ones) Conclusions slide(s) based on your findings Recommendations slide(s) Control measures Directions for future studies WHAT YOU THINK about what you found

Acknowledgments (10-15 sec) Recognize coauthors and contributors Same logos as on title slide Your last words = “Thank You” Your co-authors usually go here- coauthors, collaborators “Thank you” is the audience’s cue that you are done and they can start applauding safely. I will cover strategies for Q and A a bit later.

Creating Effective Slides

Effective Slides… Are uncluttered, clear, visible Don’t distract the audience Use informative titles “Characteristics of Study Participants” “Risk Factors for Illness” Not “Results 1, “Results 2” Use bolded, sans serif font (Arial, Tahoma) Have simple, high-contrast, consistent color schemes In general……Effective slides support what you are saying in your script, don’t compete with it.

Color-Blind “Friendly” Presentations Avoid red-green color combinations If must use red, use yellowish red (R=255 / G=82 / B=0) instead of pure red Avoid red characters / lines on dark background Make text and lines as big or thick as practical Use high-contrast color scheme

Recommended Fonts and Sizes Sans serif font, all titles and text bolded For Arial (bolded): Titles 36 pt Main bullets 28 pt Sub-bullets 28 pt if room, otherwise 24 pt Avoid sub-sub bullets (re-format) Keep text / title size consistent across slides Stop PowerPoint from changing text size as you type Go to Tools, AutoCorrect Uncheck “Autofit body/title text to placeholder” Some people like Tahoma instead of Arial—that’s fine. Use comparable size font. This is Arial. Think of highway signs—clear.

Effective Text Slides Order of slide text matches order of script Key words only, not complete sentences 8–10 lines maximum Bulleted text better than numbered items in most cases Parallel structure (all verbs, all nouns, etc)

Things to Avoid Visual clutter from too many colors Unbolded, serif font like Times New Roman ALL CAPS (HARD ON THE EYES) Pseudo-3D charts and graphs Animation (no flying objects; slide builds=OK) Clip art that serves no purpose Unnecessary grid lines in figures Necessary lines that are too thin All PowerPoint design templates What I mean by animation=things moving

Photos and Clip Art — Tips Should serve a purpose No copyrighted materials without permission No photos of identifiable people unless release No photos of your kids or your pets Clip art cautions Simplest is most effective Check in Slide Show to make sure it is not animated No photos of your kids or your pets unless they were part of the outbreak

Tips on Delivering Oral Presentations So now that we’ve covered the structure of a formal scientific presentation, making slides that are effective, and ways to depict data in your presentations, let’s talk a little about how to deliver your presentation effectively so that the good structure, slides, and tables, etc. don’t go to waste!

Preparation Tips Use script, flesh out bullet pts into sentences Practice is the key to making sure it doesn’t sound scripted Print your script in large enough type (14-16 pt) Check script size in Notes Master or Notes view Print one slide and accompanying script per page Time your presentation If you used “Rehearse slide timings” feature, go to Slide Show, Set Up Show, and uncheck “Advance slides using timings if present” Talk about why use script: to convey the most information in 10 (or 5 for LB) minutes. Easy to talk without a script if you have 30 minutes. Ad libbing wastes precious time in a 5-10 minute presentation. Precision and clarity of language, especially epi associations. And, so you don’t give your supervisor a heart attack. Recommend print notes pages with one slide per page BUT, nobody wants a monotone reading, so practice until you can look up and until it doesn’t sound scripted. Script in large type/ Time presentation.

Delivery Tips Get there early Don’t start speaking until ready Speak slowly and with sufficient volume Don’t turn your back on your audience Check that the correct slide is projecting Use microphone correctly Be careful with humor Explain charts / graphs before giving point Explain associations clearly Pause before advancing to next slide Look at your audience: don’t speak to your slides Show how to open a PPT file directly as show. R click, show.

Reasons Not to Use a Laser Pointer Have to turn away from audience to use it Some projection screens absorb the laser, so audience in room cannot see it Color-blind people can’t see it (red) Can become a crutch If your hands are shaking, pointer will show it Alternatives: Building “pointers” into slides Using computer cursor (arrow) Demonstrate.

Question & Answer Period: Don’ts Don’t fumble for extra slides Don’t be defensive even if question hostile Don’t ask “Did that answer your question?” Don’t thank the questioner for the question Don’t rate the question Don’t back away from the podium as if poison Don’t hang on to podium as if life-preserver Don’t fumble for extra slides, just answer the question unless it’s absolutely necessary to show a visual Don’t be defensive, even if the question hostile; as long as you keep your cool and remain professional, a hostile question or comment reflects poorly only on the questioner not you Don’t ask “Did that answer your question” because that just invites a follow-up; if the questioner isn’t satisfied with your answer they will likely speak up without having to be asked. Don’t thank the questioner for the question, just answer it. Don’t rate the question: “That’s a great question.”

Take-Home Messages Decide type of data and the point you want to convey, then choose the visual accordingly (text, table, graph, chart, etc.) Well organized, practiced presentation with clear, effective slides (when used) reinforces your message and helps you communicate effectively Good science is more important than glitz

Reprinted from… Julie Magri, MD, MPH (EIS ’98, PMR ‘00) EIS Field Assignments Branch, CDD, OWCD