The Oral Presentation

1. The Oral Presentation Shahin Akhondzadeh, Ph.D. Professor of Clinical Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry Tehran University of Medical Sciences Scientific Writing Workshop, Hamedan

2. The oral presentation Congratulations? Dear Dr. Jones: Congratulations!!! We are pleased to inform you that your abstract entitled “Physiological effects of beer drinking in University of California undergraduates” has been accepted for oral presentation at Experimental Biology, to be held in San Diego, California. Your paper is scheduled in the session “Health predictors for student life” to be held in Room 11 of the Convention Center from 8.30 – 10.00 am on Monday, April 14, 2003. Please take note of the enclosed guidelines for preparation of your Powerpoint presentation. Speakers must provide their own laptops, and should report to the session room at…………

3. The oral presentation Outline • Why am I subjecting myself to this torture? • Defining the task • Nuts and bolts of preparing a talk • Delivering the talk itself • Star Search vs. Fear Factor • Handling questions • Closing thoughts

4. The oral presentation The scientist as performer - why? • Communicate your findings to colleagues • Establish scientific priority • Public relations • You • Your research group/PI Presentation skills may get you the job, the grant, or the invitation to an opportunity!

5. The oral presentation Defining the scope of the task • Understand the background of your audience • Scope of session • Who’ll be there? What will they know? • Know who the chairs are • Know who the other speakers are • Should your talk be coordinated with those of others?

6. The oral presentation Structure of a ten-minute talk • Background (1-2 slides) • Aim of the study (1 slide – essential!) • Brief methods (1 slide) • Results (4-8 slides) • Summary (1 slide) • Conclusions (1 slide) • Make it funny! No more than 15 slides in total!

7. The oral presentation Designing graphics • Above all else, show the data • Erase redundant data • Revise and edit • Avoid chartjunk

8. General title Specific title Keep it simple Remember a key Statistics! Intestinal chloride secretion Salmonella induces COX-2 via iNOS expression Means + SEM, n=6 ***, p<0.001 vs. uninfected control

9. The oral presentation Avoiding technical snafus • Take care with colors, font size, overcrowding • Project before the meeting • Arrive at the session room at least 15 minutes prior to the start of the session • Belt and braces • CD/zip/removable media plus laptop • Give a labeled copy of your presentation to your mentor

10. The oral presentation Tips for style • Never read from a prepared text or recite a memorized one • Short words/sentences/paragraphs • Avoid jargon and abbreviations • Take care with transitions • The audience cannot go back and review • Establish and maintain eye contact • Place a friend in a strategic location • Don’t hesitate to show expression/enthusiasm/personality!

11. The oral presentation Overcoming anxiety • Practice, practice, practice! • Present to a variety of audiences if possible • Use outline notes to ensure coverage of key points • Physical considerations • Feet apart • Hands on podium • Pointer off between points!

12. The oral presentation The role of rehearsal “It takes three weeks to prepare a good ad lib speech” Mark Twain

13. The oral presentation You are the expert It’s OK to say you don’t know, or haven’t done the experiment yet The three “D”’s Defend Deflect Defer Handling questions

14. The oral presentation Closing thoughts • Presenting your work orally is a wonderful opportunity to further your career • The keys to success are preparation, precision and practice • Try to have fun!