Effective Scientific Presentations

1
Effective Scientific Presentations

• Lecture 4
• G.J Mankey
• gmankey_at_mint.ua.edu

2
My Poster/Presentation

• My Name, My Collaborators, and My Advisor
• Department
• The University

This project was funded by grants from X, Y and Z.
Location and Date of Presentation.
3
Garys version of Ray's Rules for Talks

• Organization
• Appearance
• Preparation
• Presentation
• Formatting

(http//www.astr.ua.edu/white/webtalks/raysrules.h
tml)
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Organization

• Outline
• Introduction
• Provide context for your topic.
• What is the impact or implications of this work?
• Who, what and hows of previous work?
• Main Body
• Make sure the organization is logical flows
  well.
• Emphasize key assumptions (rule of three),
  results, implications, etc.
• Summary
• What is the conclusion?
• Explain the implications and impact.
• Is there a need for any future work ?

5
Appearance

• Use brief phrases  keywords to reinforce what
  you are saying.
• A few complete sentences in a bulleted list on
  each slide.
• Never make a slide with only a graph and no
  explanation.
• Don't recite your text verbatim.
• Use the MINT PowerPoint template.
• Dont use fonts less than 16 points.
• Try reading it from the back of the room.
• Do not use more than three font colors.
• Don't put much on the page.
• Don't display tables.
• Use a histogram or graph.
• Explain what's being plotted.
• Describe each axis' units  range.

6
Preparation

• Make sure you know how to use the equipment .
• Fumbling is distracting, embarrassing
   inefficient.
• Make sure projection is in focus FILLS the
  screen.
• What is the point if we can't read what you
  display ?
• Test slide show presentation before your talk.
• Make sure font size  graphics are readably sized.

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Presentation

• Vary the amplitude in your voice.
• Monotony stupefies.
• Reinforce the particularly important parts.
• Jump up  down to make them notice.
• Develop a narrative which builds expectation for
  your results.
• Make eye contact with all parts of the audience.
• Entertain the audience.

• Cater to the audience's sophistication level.
• Avoid or explain jargon.
• Don't block the projector.
• Be aware of your surroundings.
• Face the audience.
• Don't talk to the screen
• Don't striptease your viewgraphs.
• It frustrates the audience.

8
Formatting

• Each presentation should be submitted as a single
  Power Point file with the slides in the correct
  order when viewed with the slide sorter.
• Use the MINT Presentation Template-dont change
  font sizes or colors.
• Slides must be readable when scaled down to six
  per page, so use font sizes from the MINT
  Presentation Template (minimum 18 point) and
  scale graphics accordingly (details later).
• All pictures must be in Windows Bitmap format
  (graphs too).
• Presentations will be converted to html for the
  MINT web page using Power Point.
• Page titles must be entered using the Slide
  Layout to make Table of Contents web page.

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Insert Picture Guidelines

• Windows Bitmap (.BMP) is required format.
• Maximum size is 500 x 500 pixels (as shown).
• DO NOT RESIZE IN POWER POINT!
• Resize larger images using Microsoft Photo
  Editor, Adobe Photoshop or Picture Publisher.
• 256 colors are recommended for conversion to web
  files.
• If pictures have more than 256 colors, notify
  office personnel.

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OriginPro Graph

• Format/Page/Print dimensions 6 x 6 in.
• Font sizes title 24, axes title 22, axes label
  and legend 20.
• Export Page as Bitmap (.BMP)
• Export Options 72 DPI, 256 colors.
• Insert Windows Bitmap picture into Power Point
  slide.
• DO NOT RESIZE!

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Sigma Plot Graph

• Format/Size and Position/ 5.00 in wide x 5.00 in
  high.
• Font sizes title 28, axes title 22, axes label
  and legend 20.
• Export jpeg 72 Dpi.
• Crop and save as Windows Bitmap using Microsoft
  Photo Editor (or equivalent).
• Insert Windows Bitmap picture into Power Point
  slide.
• DO NOT RESIZE!

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KaleidaGraph Graph

• Set frame size to 5.00 x 5.00 in.
• Font sizes title 20, axes title 18, axes label
  and legend 16.
• Export Windows BMP - size Same as plot window.
• Insert Windows Bitmap picture into Power Point
  slide.
• DO NOT RESIZE!

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Equation Example
Under Size / Define change font sizes as
follows Full 24 Point. Subscript/Superscript
14 Point. Sub-subscript/Superscript 10
Point. Symbol 36 Point. Sub-Symbol 24
Point. Resizing affects formatting and makes some
formulae unreadable. The equation editor changes
fonts on the print computer
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Special Fonts in Equations

• Equations wont print correctly if they include
  special fonts that are installed only on your
  computer.
• To eliminate this problem, edit your equation in
  a Microsoft Word document, save the Word document
  as an html file into a dummy directory, and the
  equation will be saved as ImageNNN.gif in the
  dummy directory where NNN is an equation number
  assigned by the Word program.
• Make sure you use font settings from Equation
  Formatting so the equation image is the correct
  size.
• Use Insert Picture to place equation on the Power
  Point slide.

15
Explanatory Text

• Some people wont see your talk in person, so the
  slide should be self-explanatory. Answer these
  questions
• What is the sample?
• What did you expect?
• What did you get?
• What does this tell you?
• Use complete sentences.
• Proofread and spell check.

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Slide Titles
Thin Film Processing
5/31/01
Click here to start Table of
Contents Thin Film Processing Vacuum
Why do we need a vacuum? Vacuum
Systems Bayard-Alpert or Ionization Gauge
Residual Gas Analysis Monolayer
Time Vapor Pressure Curves from
http//bama.ua.edu/gmankey/vacuum/index.htm

• Each slide title will be displayed on the Table
  of Contents Web Page.
• Keep it short 7 words or less.
• Make the title a phrase.
• Use terminology that will produce hits on search
  engines.

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Presentation Content

• All presentations should have a title slide, an
  introduction slide, the main body and a
  conclusion slide.
• Outline the presentation before making the
  slides--it will save you time.
• Limit the content to three main points--more than
  that will overwhelm the audience.
• The introduction should state the problem and the
  method of approach to the problem.
• The main body should include what you did and how
  you did it.
• The conclusion should restate the problem and how
  your work has contributed to its eventual
  solution.
• The conclusion may also include future work.

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Important Details

• Cite background work and similar work by other
  groups.
• Follow a Style and Notation Guide from your
  discipline when formatting cited references.
• Point the reader to your related published work.
• Dont advertise submitted papers--only cite
  references that are accepted for publication or
  published.
• Emphasize your unique contribution to the
  solution of the problem you are addressing.