Comprehensive Guide to Planning and Delivering Research Presentations
Characteristics of Research Presentations
Presenting research is a crucial skill for any career, focusing on the ability to clearly and confidently communicate an argument in public.
Presentations occur at all stages of research, from undergraduate work to advanced academic conferences, and can be conducted in person or online.
A presentation may represent the culmination of a project or be based on a written paper.
The primary focus is on addressing a live audience rather than just the supplements, such as slides or handouts.
Designing for Auditors versus Readers
Written reports are designed for readers who can stop to reflect, puzzle over difficult passages, follow headings, observe paragraph indentations, and reread if their minds wander.
Live presentations are delivered to auditors—an audience that must watch, listen to, and follow the argument in real time.
Auditors cannot reread or pause; they must be motivated to stay attentive and require significant help to follow complicated lines of thought.
Presentations should not involve simply reading a paper without engagement or merely projecting slides and repeating their content.
Design and Delivery Strategies for Live Audiences
Presentations should feel like a conversation rather than a lecture.
Timing and Pace:
If reading a paper, the speed should be no faster than minutes per page, assuming approximately words per page.
Inexperienced presenters often read too quickly for auditors to digest the information.
Engagement:
Maintain eye contact. Do not just look at your notes or the top of your head.
Look directly at the audience at least once or twice per page, ideally at the end of each paragraph.
Language and Sentence Structure:
Be explicit about the purpose and organization.
Use simpler, shorter sentences than those found in a written paper.
Use consistent subjects.
Frequently use first and second-person pronouns such as "I," "we," and "you."
Repetition that might seem redundant to a reader is often welcomed by auditors who lack a physical text.
Accessibility in Research Presentations
It is the presenter's responsibility to ensure the presentation is accessible to all audience members, including those with different processing styles or physical requirements.
Visual and Content Guidelines:
Avoid using colors as the sole method to differentiate information.
Use large fonts for slide titles and headings; avoid blocks of small text.
Provide captioning for all video clips.
Orally describe all charts, tables, images, and videos.
Supplemental Materials for Accessibility:
Provide a full script of the presentation for those who prefer visual or textual processing.
Offer a handout containing the slides.
Provide downloadable audio descriptions for visual elements like images or tables.
Distribute resources via paper or digital access, such as a QR code for downloads to phones or computers.
Designing Notes for Presentation
Presentation notes are distinct from research notes or writing plans. Their purpose is to keep the presenter on track and facilitate engagement with auditors.
General Principles for Notes:
Notes should not be elaborate or distracting.
Avoid writing complete sentences or full paragraphs in the notes.
Notes should track the structure and provide cues for what to say at specific moments.
For presenters with low vision, audio notes accessed through an earpiece may be used instead of written ones.
Structuring Notes:
Sketch out a complete introduction and conclusion.
List reasons in order, using large, bold type.
Under each reason, list the two or three best pieces of evidence (named but not necessarily explained).
Use a separate page for each main point.
State main points as claims (shortened or full sentences) rather than topics.
Add explicit oral transitions above each point, such as "The first issue is…"
Write out numbers or quotations in full to ensure accuracy during delivery.
Prioritization:
Organize points so the most important information is covered first.
If time runs short, later sections or relatively unimportant points can be skipped to jump straight to the conclusion without losing the core argument.
Delivering a Preliminary Presentation
Preliminary presentations are valuable for getting immediate feedback while testing new ideas or data.
Primary Goals:
Forecast the argument intended for the final paper or presentation to see if it makes sense when spoken.
Test ideas through the audience's responses.
Essential Components of a Preliminary Presentation:
The research question or problem and the main claim.
An outline of the reasons supporting the claim.
A preview of the types of evidence that will be used.
Presentation Notes for Preliminary Stages:
Fully prepare the introduction and conclusion to ensure a confident start and finish.
Speak naturally, avoiding "textbook" language, except for necessary technical terms.
State the research question clearly and answer the "So what?" question.
Organize the body of the notes as an outline based on reasons, using bold type for sentences that must be said.
Summary: Run through the main reasons in order just before concluding.
Post-Presentation Questions and Discussion
The Q&A period is used to refine and test thinking.
Preparation for Discussion:
Identify areas of the argument that feel unsure.
Determine the best ideas and potential missing elements.
Plan specific questions to ask the audience to focus the discussion on desired feedback.
Handling Questions:
Expect questions regarding data or sources.
If asked about an unfamiliar source, acknowledge it and promise to check it out.
Pause and think for a moment before responding to ensure the question is understood.
If a question is unclear, ask the questioner to rephrase it.
Delivering a Final Presentation
Differences from Preliminary Presentations:
The presenter now knows the argument rather than guessing it.
Structure remains similar, but more attention is given to evidence.
Selectivity is key: present only one best bit of evidence for each reason rather than every scrap of data collected.
Time and Focus Constraints:
Presentations cover only a fraction of what a paper can.
A -minute presentation usually equates to to double-spaced pages of text.
Options for narrowing focus: either present the claim with a sketch of the entire argument (focusing on originality) or summarize a single key sub-argument.
Structuring the Final Presentation
Introduction (Approximately minutes total):
Step 1: The research being extended, modified, or corrected ( minute).
Step 2: The research question or the gap in knowledge ( seconds or less).
Step 3: Why the research matters/the answer to "So what?" ( seconds).
Step 4: The answer/claim ( seconds or less). Stating the answer up front is preferred by auditors.
Step 5: The road map or oral table of contents ( to seconds).
Conclusion ( to minutes total):
The claim, provided in more detail than in the introduction.
The answer to "So what?", potentially adding a new speculative answer.
Suggestions for future research.
Conclude when the allotted time remains, even if minor points were skipped.
Presentation as a Performance
A presentation is an event to be experienced and requires a connection between the performer and the audience.
Engagement Tips:
Look up: Know the notes well enough to only glance at them occasionally.
Speak naturally: Vary pace, rhythm, tone, and volume to signal turns in the argument. Practice is required to make this feel natural.
Extemporize: Depart from the script for an occasional aside, question, or joke.
Show personality: Use gestures, smiles, or movement (avoiding distracting pacing).
Enjoy the process: A presenter who is having fun allows the audience to enjoy the intellectual exchange rather than being distracted by the presenter's stress.