1. How to Create an Oral Research Presentation
Dr. Karen Swanchara+
Riverside High School
Research Biology

2. Purpose of a research talk
Is not to
Impress the audience
Tell them all you know about a subject
Present every little detail of your work
Is to
Give the audience a sense of what your idea/work is
Make them want to read your paper/research
Get feedback on your work

3. Leave them with these thoughts
I understood what the problem was and why it was important
I have an idea of what the solution was and how it was different/better than others

4. Preparing the presentation
Less is more. Fill in with narration not words
Use color to emphasize some points but limit to 2 or 3
Be consistent! In the choice and use of color font size/type etc.

5. Slide layout - Bad
This page contains too many words for a presentation slide. It is not written in point form, making it difficult both for your audience to read and for you to present each point. Although there are exactly the same number of points on this slide as the previous slide, it looks much more complicated. In short, your audience will spend too much time trying to read this paragraph instead of listening to you.

6. Slide layout – Good Show one point at a time:
Will help audience concentrate on what you are saying
Will prevent audience from reading ahead
Will help you keep your presentation focused

7. Fonts: Good
24 point
28 point
36 point
44 point

8. Fonts - Bad CAPITALIZE ONLY WHEN NECESSARY. IT IS DIFFICULT TO READ
If you use a small font, your audience won’t be able to read what you have written
CAPITALIZE ONLY WHEN NECESSARY. IT IS DIFFICULT TO READ
Don’t use a complicated font
Use the same font style throughout

9. Color - Good Use font color that contrasts sharply with the background
Blue font on white background
Use color to reinforce the logic of your structure
Ex: light blue title and dark blue text
Use color to emphasize a point
But only use this occasionally

10. Color - Bad
Using a font color that does not contrast with the background color is hard to read
Using color for decoration is distracting and annoying.
Using a different color for each point is unnecessary
Same for secondary points
Trying to be creative can also be bad

11. Background - Good
Use backgrounds such as this one that are attractive but simple
Use backgrounds which are light
Use the same background consistently throughout your presentation

12. Background – Bad
Avoid backgrounds that are distracting or difficult to read from
Always be consistent with the background that you use

13. Do’s and Don’t’s of Tables/Graphs
Not every table and graph is good
Do your best to display your data in the most clear, concise way possible
 Remember that your audience will only have a minute or less to view your table/graph
Notes about background/methods
Is this an example of a good table?

14. Do’s and Don’ts of Tables/Graphs
The following is a much better way to display the data on the previous slide
Why is the graph so much better than the table on the previous slide?

15. Tables - Bad

16. Graphs - Good

17. Graphs - Bad

18. Results Add a bulleted summary of the findings
Include p value (if applicable)
Reject or accept null hypothesis

19. Discussion/Conclusion(s)
Section is a concise summary of your main findings
Ideally you should be able to state the answer to your research question that you initially posed in the beginning
How does the data support the claim
Give evidence
Why did the IV cause a change in the DV
So what?

20. Experimental Errors
Explain what may have gone wrong in your experiment
How could you improve the experiment if repeated
Do not simply write, our data was bad?

21. Future Research State your goals in a bulleted format
Add a sentence about why you believe the research should go in this direction
You may want to briefly mention how you plan to implement these research goals
What would you do next time?

22. Acknowledgements
This section is used to thank the people, programs and funding agencies that allowed you to perform your research.
Be sure to thank:  Your faculty mentor  Any students that may have helped you  Anyone else you may want to add

23. Preparing the presentation
Practice, practice, practice
Give a practice talk to a general audience
Give a practice talk to an audience of expert
Time your presentation (allow for speed up effect caused by nervousness)
Always assume technology will fail you. Have backups.

24. Delivering the talk
Be enthusiastic! If you aren’t why should the audience be?
Make eye contact with the audience
Identify a few “nodders” and speak to them
Watch for questions. Be prepare to digress or brush off when irrelevant

25. Delivering the talk Point at the screen not the computer
Do not read directly from the PPT or your notes
Have the “spill” for the first couple of slides memorized in case you go blank
Finish in time

26. Dress for Success- Women
Wear conservative colors
Matching blazer and skirt or pants – dark colors with light colored blouse – nothing low-cut OR
Dress/khaki slacks (pressed) and long-sleeve button-down shirt
Skirt should be appropriate length
Avoid wearing tight clothing
Shoes should be low-heeled
Make-up should be minimal
Lipstick and nail polish in conservative tones

27. Dress for Success - Men Wear conservative colors
Conservative suit or sports coat and pressed dress/khaki slacks
White long-sleeved button-down shirt
Conservative silk tie (optional)
Polished dress shoes
Belt that matches shoes
If you have any visible body parts pierced or tattooed:
Remove all piercings and cover all tattoos if possible

28. Target Practice 4.2
Over the next few slides you will determine weather an outfit is appropriate or inappropriate for an interview.

29. Which is appropriate? A) B) C)
Obviously, B is appropriate. A and C are not.
Remember: Even B can be inappropriate if the pants are not ironed/neat in appearance, if they have paint on them, or if they are frayed/torn. Belts should be work with khaki pants and the shirt should be tucked in.

30. Which is inappropriate?B) C)
C is inappropriate (too revealing in the front)

31. Which is appropriate? A) B) C) D) F) E) A is backless B is see-through
C is a T-Shirt
D is APPROPRIATE
E is strapless and too tight
F is a tank top