Postgraduate Communication Skills

1. Postgraduate Communication Skills

2. 1. Oral Presentation Skills • 2. Writing Scientific Papers and reports • 3. Web Page Authoring and Publication • 4. Poster Presentation Skills

3. Layout of Presentation • Poster Principles • motivation, strategy & presentation • Poster Composition • aesthetics, techniques and layout • Computer Basics • some software and hardware issues • A Demonstration

4. Acknowledgements: • Based on a workshop and set of slides first presented by • Bill Jenkins • Kate Davis • Phil Stanford • … in autumn, 1999

5. Posters are Important Communication Tools • Especially for younger scientists • Not a consolation Prize: • More time to assimilate information • Interactive process (feedback) • Available for longer • You meet your audience • Often leaves a more lasting impression (good or bad)

6. Presentation Etiquette • avoid spicy food, heavy drinking on the previous night • arrive early and composed • if you must leave for a bit, leave a sign such as “Back at 2:25” • Be prepared to stay the course • bring a bottle of water, and mints

7. Practice Good Body Language • Avoid long conversations with pals • Don’t lounge, read newspapers, eat sandwiches, constantly check watch • Watch your position: don’t sit or block view of the poster • Use the aisle to allow unattended readers access to poster

8. Maintain a Good Attitude • Don’t be too aggressive or too shy • Smile, keep your humour, be patient • Don’t invade other people’s space • Avoid saying “May I help you?” • Acknowledge waiting visitors • with eye contact or gesture • gently disengage “time-wasters” • Defer to later discussion • Refer to literature (or handouts)

9. Logistics • Be sure to bring “the fixings” • Take poster in a waterproof carrier (ink is water soluble), hand carry on plane if possible • Set up and tear down at requested times • Use poster well in between (not just “show time” • Learn well: take time to observe others’ techniques (good and bad) • What works and what doesn’t?

10. Provide Party Favours • Bring A4 colour miniatures • as a kind of business card • in an attached pouch for unattended viewing • if it’s too small to read on A4... • Have related materials handy • more detailed plots, etc • reprints • blank paper • specimens, etc?

11. Planning Ahead • Think about your objectives • what do you want to accomplish? • who is the target audience? • Plan general layout • how big an area do you get? • Portrait or landscape? • Do A4 prints for gestalt • Don’t leave A0 printing to the last day (esp. before a big conference)

12. Apply the KISS Principle • Keep titles short, but informative • Have an prominent, visible abstract • Use the “1 & 10 minute rule” • Avoid gratuitous • detail • colour • gimmicks • Promote a single coherent concept • what do you want them to remember?

13. Three Most Important Points • Simplicity • Structure • Flow

14. Combining text and images • Use a balanced approach • commonly 1/3 text, 2/3 image (not rigid) • Font point sizes and combinations • Use a heirarchy of sizes: • Headings 100pt • Sub-headings 40pt • Text 18pt • References 12-14 pt • Keep to one font e.g. Helvetica/Arial • choose one that is easy to read • avoid excessive bold, italics, underline

15. Headings, labels, logos • Use headings and sub-headings • Keep main heading short, use total width • Sub-heads help to emphasize text blocks • Clearly label all images & figures • Provide links with text (by color, lines, and location) • Acknowledge/cite sources (if not yours) • Include logos (if appropriate) • For joint projects with others • To acknowledge sponsors

16. Importing Graphics and Images • Layout programs are not word processors • text, equations • … and not spreadsheets • tables, charts • … nor stats/graphics packages • graphs, plots • … nor image processors • photos (from digital camera or scanned) • Also need to insert • maps, line drawings, schematic figures • images from the web

17. Importing Graphics and Images • There are two basic kinds of files: • vector graphics: • e.g., postscript, windows metafile, HPGL • infinite resolution, scales up gracefully • produced by GMT, MATLAB, Illustrator, AutoCAD • smaller memory demands, smaller files • bit-mapped graphics • e.g., gif, tiff, bmp, jpeg, compressed (lossy) • fixed resolution, grainy on magnification • photos, web images, paint programs • large memory requirements if big • colour depth important • Determined by file endings • .gif /.jpg/.bmp/.ps .wmf

18. Vector vs. Bitmap? • They may look similar until you “blow them up” • Vector Graphic • Bit Mapped

19. Use Colour • Provides impact, draws immediate attention • Highlighting key elements • linking items, e.g. images, plots, or text • Colour within text • Draws attention to an important section • CAVEAT EMPTOR • But avoid clashes and over-use • Looks amateurish, cluttered, distracting • Ink or dye not the same as screen phosphor • experiment small before you “go to press

20. Overall Composition • Use colour in plots, but consistently, not gratuitously (use a scheme!) • Use: • larger fonts • larger data points • thicker lines • Scale up as much as possible • Use vector graphics files rather than bit-mapped

21. Overall Composition • Continuity of text • Obvious flow from 1 section to next • Consider length of lines for readability • Form should follow function • Equal distances between elements • Total layout becomes tidier & easier to look at • Consider balance and symmetry • Think of overall structure

22. Overall Composition • Uncluttered simplistic approach • Applies to any presentation • Providing sufficient impact / Final review • Solicit comments from colleagues • Use the 1 Metre test

23. Graphics packages • Composition/Drawing packages: • CorelDraw 9 (site licence) • Adobe Illustrator (bundle deal) • Freehand (Kate Davis) • Powerpoint (very limited) • Image editing and manipulation: • Adobe Photoshop • Corel Photopaint • + a host of other, less capable

24. Graphics packages • Use composition/drawing software, which generate vector graphics, as bit-mapped graphics are hugely memory intensive • E.G., the bit content of an A0 (~1.2 x 0.8 m) plot at modest resolution (600 dpi) and reasonable colour (24 bit) requires a gargantuan • 1.67 Gigabytes! • Result: computer and printer choke and die...

25. Graphics packages • Computer Systems need adequate memory • Particularly if editing images - eg Photoshop ideally needs 4 - 5 times as much RAM as the size of image that’s being edited. • Printing images • Better to print images from Illustrator or CorelDraw rather than Photoshop or PhotoPaint- makes more economic use of resources, smaller plot file.

26. Plotting posters • Main large-format plotter at SOC is the Hewlett-Packard DesignJet 650C • Commonly known as the ‘A0 plotter’ • Located in Room 234/09 • A4 colour prints can be made in post-grad office • A3 colour prints can be made through graphics office (K. Davis)

27. Plotting posters • Contact ITG if you are plotting on the A0 Plotter: • Is the queue “active” (this is the “place” where you submit your jobs)? • Is the plotter “up and running”? • Is the right paper loaded? • “draft” paper • Glossy paper

28. Installing Printer Drivers • You need the printer drivers on your PC to use plotters • Acquisition, installation information on ITG web pages (“intranet”) • The DesignJet supports two plot formats: • HPGL and Postscript (for PC and UNIX) • Further installation information, etc on GSSOC web site

29. A Demonstration using CorelDraw 9 • SOC site licence, therefore available • get CD from Tim Henstock • A capable software package • although a steep learning curve, fairly user friendly • growing base of expertise, books available • latest version • You could use PowerPoint… but it has limitations.

30. A Demonstration using CorelDraw 9 • CorelDraw is a page composition program • Creates vector graphics • Embeds both vector and bit-mapped graphics • Outputs both vector and bit-mapped graphics • Comparable to Adobe Illustrator