Oral Presentation Skills for PhD

Desmond Thomas, University of Essex

Aims of workshop

• To raise awareness of specific skills and strategies needed to deliver effective oral presentations (in general) • To discuss how developing OPS can contribute to the success of a research project.

• To identify key elements in a “research in progress” presentation • To consider strategies for dealing with questions after a presentation

What are the features of a good oral presentations ?

• Content of presentation • Structure? Organization? Coherence?

• Communication Skills • Language (eg pronunciation, suitable style etc)

Points to note: Obama video

• Big difference between talking to an audience and talking to camera • Amount of preparation time possible • Signposting – not just through words but through pauses, stress, intonation • Frequent use of deliberate repetition • Importance of speed of delivery • Importance of body language

The role of oral presentations in helping your research project to progress • • Clarify your thinking in two ways – by the very act of having to structure your thoughts and as a result of listener feedback.

• Produce ideas that can feed back into writing and can suggest new avenues to explore in your reading • An integral part of a researcher’s experience: upgrading interviews, final PhD viva, presenting at conferences, delivering lectures etc etc

Any other?

Plan a “research in progress” presentation • What elements will you need to include?

      Research topic/draft title Reasons for choosing topic Research questions and claims Research methodology Expected findings Anticipated problems • How will you present the information and how to achieve a balance between …  What is presented orally  What is presenting in writing (handouts, text of slides …)  What is presented visually (pictures, charts, diagrams, data tables

How to deal with questions?

• Anticipating likely questions • Clarifying what questions mean • Dealing with questions that you can’t answer • Dealing with inappropriate questions • Knowing when to cut short the debate

Reminder: Summer Term Topics

• Overview of key reading and writing skills • The writing process – developing productive routines and developing a structured chapter framework • Writing chapter introductions and conclusions • Reporting and analysing findings • Developing academic style • Editing your written work • Oral Presentation Skills: The Viva