1. 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

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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.

9. Creating Effective Slides

10. 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.

11. 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

12. 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.

13. 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)

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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!

17. 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.

18. 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.

19. 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.

20. 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.”

21. 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

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