Oral Presentation Skills for PhD Desmond Thomas, University of Essex

Aims of workshop To raise awareness of specific skills and strategies needed to deliver effective oral presentations (in general) To discuss how developing OPS can contribute to the success of a research project. To identify key elements in a “research in progress” presentation To consider strategies for dealing with questions after a presentation

What are the features of a good oral presentations ? Content of presentation Structure? Organization? Coherence? Communication Skills Language (eg pronunciation, suitable style etc)

Points to note: Obama video Big difference between talking to an audience and talking to camera Amount of preparation time possible Signposting – not just through words but through pauses, stress, intonation Frequent use of deliberate repetition Importance of speed of delivery Importance of body language

The role of oral presentations in helping your research project to progress Clarify your thinking in two ways – by the very act of having to structure your thoughts and as a result of listener feedback. Produce ideas that can feed back into writing and can suggest new avenues to explore in your reading An integral part of a researcher’s experience: upgrading interviews, final PhD viva, presenting at conferences, delivering lectures etc etc Any other?

Plan a “research in progress” presentation What elements will you need to include? Research topic/draft title Reasons for choosing topic Research questions and claims Research methodology Expected findings Anticipated problems How will you present the information and how to achieve a balance between … What is presented orally What is presenting in writing (handouts, text of slides …) What is presented visually (pictures, charts, diagrams, data tables

How to deal with questions? Anticipating likely questions Clarifying what questions mean Dealing with questions that you can’t answer Dealing with inappropriate questions Knowing when to cut short the debate

Reminder: Summer Term Topics Overview of key reading and writing skills The writing process – developing productive routines and developing a structured chapter framework Writing chapter introductions and conclusions Reporting and analysing findings Developing academic style Editing your written work Oral Presentation Skills: The Viva