How to prepare and present a technical presentation

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How to prepare and present atechnical
presentation

• Randy Clarksean, Ph.D., P.E.

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Overview

• Why is it important to give a clear, concise
  presentation?
• What are the major sections?
• How should I prepare my slides?
• Any suggestions on how to present?
• Is there anything I should do when it is
  finished?
• Summary

Consistent Structure
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Clear and Concise

• This may be the only chance you get to tell
  people about your research
• If you are not excited by your work, they wont
  be either
• Know your material well!
• Many job interviews (Ph.D.) require a technical
  presentation
• Oral communications are important in ALL job
  settings!

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Major Sections

• Overview / Introduction
• Tell the listener what you will present
• Background
• Numerical or Experimental Method
• Software development or commercial code?
• Discussion of Results
• Summary

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Overview / Introduction

• Very general overview of the talk
• Outline
• Start out general (broad)
• More specific (narrow focus)
• General at the end (broad)
• Consistency in structure
• Quick, brief, and to the point

Hourglass shape
Title Not as consistent with the outline as I
would like!
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Background

• What practical application does your research
  relate to?
• Who else has performed research in this area?
• How does your work relate to previous research?
• Why is the research important?
• Set the stage for problem you are analyzing

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Numerical/Experimental Method

• How did you set up the problem?
• Boundary conditions, symmetry sections, special
  material properties, initial conditions,
  governing equations
• Emphasize unique characteristics
• What is different or new for this research?
• DO NOT go into extensive detail for Navier-Stokes
  equations unless formulation is unique
• Verification/validation possibly mentioned here

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Num./Exp. Method cont.

• Software development
• Emphasize what is new/unique
• Skip things people already know
• Detailed equations may be necessary
• Use drawings/figures whenever possible
• Commercial software
• Emphasis should be on the problem being solved
  (not always true)
• May need to comment on special subroutines

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Governing Equations cont.
EXAMPLE SLIDE
Momentum Equation Natural Convection
Buoyancy Force
Transient
Pressure Gradient
Viscous
Convective Transport
This slide has too much detail for most typical
presentations.
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Governing Equations cont.
EXAMPLE SLIDE
Fluid
Solid
Additional details on another slide for BCs and
ICs
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Discussion of Results

• Verification or validation of the method you
  used? (experimental or numerical)
• Brief discussion to demonstrate validity
• Previous experience, test problems, etc.
• What were the most important things you learned?
• What assumptions were used?

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Discussion of Results cont.

• Clean, crisp graphs and charts (see section on
  Preparing slides)
• Use of color
• Do not try to wow your audience with fancy
  footage if it does not make sense
• Significant results will stand on their own, even
  if black and white
• 10 percent red theory

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Analyzing the Results cont.
EXAMPLE SLIDE
What is missing?
Comparison between measured low-Re pipe flow data
and the numerical predictions of FIDAP's k-omega
model at a Re 3500. Experimental data obtained
by D. McEligot and G. McCreery at the INEEL.
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Geometry Issues cont.
EXAMPLE SLIDE
Numerical Particle Visualization
3D Results difficult to present and explain
Experimental Particle Visualization
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Summary

• Recap of the talk
• NO new information should be presented in the
  summary of the talk
• Two different types
• General (broad conclusions)
• Detailed (specific numbers, percentages, etc.)
• Future work could be mentioned here
• Possibly a separate slide if appropriate

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Preparing Slides

• Clear and simple
• Leave fancy, slick, and complicated to those that
  have nothing to say!
• Do not clutter the slides
• Too much technology can be annoying
• Each slide should take 1 to 1 ½ minutes of time
  to present
• A recommendation not a hard and fast rule

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Preparing Slides cont.

• Ask yourself What information do I want the
  listener to learn from this slide?
• Particularly important for Discussion of Results
• Bullets should list important concepts
• Pictures, plots, and drawings are extremely
  useful to convey a lot of information in small
  spaces

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Preparing Slides cont.

• Consider your audience!
• What is their knowledge level?
• What is their interest level?
• Items on slides should be readable by the
  audience.
• Is there too much information?
• If they can not read it you dont need it.
• Exception You want it to be in a handout.

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Preparing Slides cont.

• Governing equations
• Most people know the equations, only comment if
  there is something unique
• Highlight issues of importance (i.e. phase
  change, special turbulence model, etc.)
• Tensor notation versus full form
• Summarizing research versus teaching
• Commercial code versus in-house code

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Preparing Slides cont.
EXAMPLE SLIDE
What is wrong with this figure? Just about
everything!
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Preparing Slides cont.
EXAMPLE SLIDE

• Key components for a graph
• labels
• legend
• units

Test Conditions?
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Preparing Slides cont.
EXAMPLE SLIDE
Draw attention to items of importance (also
reminds you to talk about important issues!)
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Presenting

• Arrive early to check out the room and equipment
• Is there a pointer?
• Is there a microphone?
• Who is the session chair?
• Where will you stand?
• Make sure they can see the slides
• Talk to the audience not the the wall!

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Presenting cont.

• Speak clearly and loudly
• Nothing worse than not being able to hear a
  presenter
• Do not race take your time and do a good job
  rather than trying to cover too much
• Make eye contact
• Are they getting it?
• Do they look lost and confused or interested?

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Presenting cont.

• Try to use transitions between slides
• Makes for smoother presentation
• Saves some time
• Keep audience interested
• A pointer is not a toy it is a tool.
• Waving it around is ANNOYING!
• Shut it off when not using
• Do NOT run over your allotted time!

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Presenting cont.

• Answering questions
• Be friendly and polite not confrontational
• Be willing to admit limitations or shortcomings
  of the research
• Know the intent of your research
• Are their questions beyond the scope of your
  work?
• Acknowledge that they have a good question and/or
  a good point

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At the End

• Acknowledgement of research sponsor
• Very important, particularly if they are in the
  audience!
• Were you able to answer all the questions you
  were asked?
• Did someone point out a weakness or limitation in
  your research?
• Go back and consider their comments

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Summary

• Talked about how to prepare for a technical
  presentation
• What should you remember?
• Clear and concise
• Clean crisp slides
• Practice in advance
• Stay within the time limit
• Be friendly and make eye contact