Preparing an Oral Preparing an Oral Presentation Presentation

of Your Researchof Your ResearchMehmet Tevfik DORAK, MD PhDMehmet Tevfik DORAK, MD PhD

www.dorak.info

OutlineOutline

Basics of Oral PresentationBasics of Oral PresentationLearning from mistakes

Effective PresentationsEffective PresentationsEmphasizing the right

Advanced TopicsAdvanced Topics

Final Checklist: Dos and Don’tsFinal Checklist: Dos and Don’ts

Basics of Oral PresentationBasics of Oral Presentation

The following annoy people:The following annoy people:

- No sign of enthusiasm or excitement

- Wrong color scheme, small font, invisible items

- “No intention to be heard” kind of behavior

- No regard for the audience

- Attempt to overwhelm the audience with information /

knowledge

Then, don’t do it!

Basics of Oral PresentationBasics of Oral Presentation

No sign of enthusiasm or excitementNo sign of enthusiasm or excitementLooking like a nervous wreck

-practice more

Not enjoying what you are doing-change your field

Tired, sick or pre-occupied-cancel, postpone, explain, apologize

No time for presentation-don’t do it

If you are not enthusiastic, how will the audience be?If you are not enthusiastic, how will the audience be?

Basics of Oral PresentationBasics of Oral Presentation

Wrong color schemeWrong color scheme

Basics of Oral PresentationBasics of Oral Presentation

No intention to be heard kind of behavior

Speaking low-speak up

Speaking away from the audience-speak towards the audience

Faint and off-putting slides-get better in making slides

Mean what you do, achieve what you aim!Mean what you do, achieve what you aim!

Basics of Oral PresentationBasics of Oral Presentation

No regard for the audienceNo regard for the audienceNo enthusiasm, speaking low, looking away

No contact with the audience-maintain eye contact

Not enough preparation, sloppy mistakes-prepare better

Talking to the wrong audience-know your audience before you prepare

The audience is your customer; treat them well.The audience is your customer; treat them well.

Basics of Oral PresentationBasics of Oral Presentation

Sloppy mistakesSloppy mistakes

Spelling errorsPunctuation errorsAlignment errorsCapitalization errorsFont and boldface errorsScientific errors

However trivial they may be, such errors work against you However trivial they may be, such errors work against you on the subconscious of the audience (and the judges).on the subconscious of the audience (and the judges).

Basics of Oral PresentationBasics of Oral Presentation

Attempt to overwhelm the audience with Attempt to overwhelm the audience with information / knowledge information / knowledge

The idea is not to show them how much you know or

how little they know

Your aim is to communicate your findings

You want to make sense to the audience

Keep it simple, keep them interested

Basics of Oral PresentationBasics of Oral Presentation

Basics of Oral PresentationBasics of Oral Presentation

What was wrong with the What was wrong with the previous slide? previous slide?

Basics of Oral PresentationBasics of Oral Presentation

Visual Aid Visual Aid RulesRules

Keep it simple

Minimize words

Use large fonts

List key points

Use exact phrasing

Use color

OutlineOutline

Basics of Oral PresentationBasics of Oral PresentationLearning from mistakes

Effective PresentationsEffective PresentationsEmphasizing the right

Advanced TopicsAdvanced Topics

Final Checklist: Dos and Don’tsFinal Checklist: Dos and Don’ts

Effective PresentationsEffective Presentations

What to include and what not to includeWhat to include and what not to include

How to start and how to end a presentationHow to start and how to end a presentation

Order of a presentationOrder of a presentation

Answering questionsAnswering questions

Effective PresentationsEffective Presentations

What to include and what not to includeWhat to include and what not to include

outlineoutline

some background, rationale, aimssome background, rationale, aims

methodsmethods

RESULTSRESULTSimplications, conclusionsimplications, conclusions

Not a lot of theoryNot a lot of theory

No individual or group advertisementNo individual or group advertisement

Effective PresentationsEffective Presentations

How to start and how to end a How to start and how to end a presentationpresentation

Do not just read out the title, Do not just read out the title,

it is already on the screenit is already on the screen

Do not finish with a data slideDo not finish with a data slide

Do not let the Chair remind the audience that you have Do not let the Chair remind the audience that you have

finishedfinished

Finish with a bang, which should be an exciting Finish with a bang, which should be an exciting

take home messagetake home message

Effective PresentationsEffective Presentations

Order of a presentationOrder of a presentation

TitleTitle

OutlineOutline

Background (introduction)Background (introduction)

MethodsMethods

ResultsResults

Discussion, including limitationsDiscussion, including limitations

Conclusions, including a take home messageConclusions, including a take home message

(Acknowledgements)(Acknowledgements)

Keep signposting throughout the presentationKeep signposting throughout the presentation

Effective PresentationsEffective Presentations

Outline & SignpostingOutline & Signposting

Effective PresentationsEffective Presentations

ResultsResultsThe most important component of your researchThe most important component of your researchYou will be judged by the quality of your resultsYou will be judged by the quality of your results

Effective PresentationsEffective Presentations

FiguresFigures

Effective PresentationsEffective Presentations

Answering questionsAnswering questions

No harm in saying “I don’t know the answer” or No harm in saying “I don’t know the answer” or ““I did not think about this before”I did not think about this before”

Beware of people with big egos, and be Beware of people with big egos, and be preparedprepared

Solutions: deferral to the break; acknowledging the

criticism; sticking with the content (not the tone)

Beware of people who must ask questionsBeware of people who must ask questions

Treat everyone like a gentleman (you know why)Treat everyone like a gentleman (you know why)

OutlineOutline

Basics of Oral PresentationBasics of Oral PresentationLearning from mistakes

Effective PresentationsEffective PresentationsEmphasizing the right

Advanced TopicsAdvanced Topics

Final Checklist: Dos and Don’tsFinal Checklist: Dos and Don’ts

Advanced TopicsAdvanced Topics

Symphonic structureSymphonic structure-resolution of a dissonant chord, recapitulation rule

ArticulationArticulation-go and see a play by professionals

Don’t forget to breathDon’t forget to breath-learn diaphragm breathing

Advanced TopicsAdvanced Topics

Symphonic structureSymphonic structureExposition - Development - Recapitulation (+/- Coda)

Don’t forget what you have set out to talk about, and revisit it at

the end to tie the knot!

Create suspension to keep people interested

Mention something and tell them you will explain later, or

it will be clear later on

Advanced TopicsAdvanced Topics

ArticulationArticulation

Advanced TopicsAdvanced Topics

Don’t forget to breathDon’t forget to breath

Advanced TopicsAdvanced Topics

Don’t forget to breathDon’t forget to breath

And finally:And finally:

Work on the subconsciousWork on the subconscious

Keep unity in mindKeep unity in mind

Color scheme, including background

Have a recurrent theme on each slide if possible

Font and size

Don’t pick and mix from different sources without some

coherence

Be consistentBe consistentConsider symmetry, alignment, proportionality

And finally:And finally:

Work on the subconsciousWork on the subconscious

OutlineOutline

Basics of Oral PresentationBasics of Oral PresentationLearning from mistakes

Effective PresentationsEffective PresentationsEmphasizing the right

Advanced TopicsAdvanced Topics

Final Checklist: Dos and Don’tsFinal Checklist: Dos and Don’ts

What to Do and What Not to DoWhat to Do and What Not to Do

- Do not sit; stand and walk around always in eye contact- Do not sit; stand and walk around always in eye contact

- Radiate energy and interest, not lethargy- Radiate energy and interest, not lethargy

- One slide per minute is the rule of thumb- One slide per minute is the rule of thumb

- Do not waste time complaining about lack of time when - Do not waste time complaining about lack of time when

there is indeed only little time to do the jobthere is indeed only little time to do the job

- Do not ramble on, focus on main arguments- Do not ramble on, focus on main arguments

What to Do and What Not to DoWhat to Do and What Not to Do

- Vary your voice, and pause occasionally to make - Vary your voice, and pause occasionally to make

emphasisemphasis

- While preparing, rehearse in front of a mirror- While preparing, rehearse in front of a mirror

- Record your rehearsal and listen to yourself- Record your rehearsal and listen to yourself

- Do not memorize what you are going to say - Do not memorize what you are going to say

- Do not overload your slides, list only key points- Do not overload your slides, list only key points

What to Do and What Not to DoWhat to Do and What Not to Do

- Make sure each slide has a full self-explanatory title of - Make sure each slide has a full self-explanatory title of

its ownits own

- Avoid dark background if you can, consider lighting of - Avoid dark background if you can, consider lighting of

the roomthe room

- Keep signposting- Keep signposting

- Be consistent with everything- Be consistent with everything (background, lists, punctuation, capitalization, font/size/color)(background, lists, punctuation, capitalization, font/size/color)

- Don’t try to be fancy- Don’t try to be fancy(ever changing background, distracting background, transitions, (ever changing background, distracting background, transitions,

too much clip art, animations)too much clip art, animations)

- Do not exceed your time limit; they may pull the plug off- Do not exceed your time limit; they may pull the plug off

- Thank the audience at the end- Thank the audience at the end

OutlineOutline

Basics of Oral PresentationBasics of Oral PresentationLearning from mistakes

Effective PresentationsEffective PresentationsEmphasizing the right

Advanced TopicsAdvanced Topics

Final Checklist: Dos and Don’tsFinal Checklist: Dos and Don’ts

Check the Rubric!Check the Rubric!

Preparing an Oral Presentation Preparing an Oral Presentation of Your Researchof Your Research

Mehmet Tevfik DORAK, MD PhDMehmet Tevfik DORAK, MD PhD

www.dorak.info

Thank you for Your Thank you for Your Attention!Attention!

Preparing an Oral Presentation Preparing an Oral Presentation of Your Researchof Your Research

Appendix:Appendix:Additional ResourcesAdditional Resources

http://www.dorak.info/mtd/sci_write.html

http://www.nature.com/scitable