Transcript Designing a poster

Giving an Interesting Oral
Presentation
Design
Content
Delivery
The Anatomy of an Oral
Presentation
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(Title)
Introduction
Hypothesis
Purpose
Methods
Results
Summary
Conclusion
Acknowledgments
General guidelines
• For a 10 minute presentation, no more
than 10 slides
– The distribution will depend on how many
figures you need to present for your results
Grab attention with your title
• Make it assertive, clear and interesting
• Questions often work well
– For example:
Why do dogs scratch flea bites?
– Not so good:
Studies of the effects of Siphonaptera bites on
canine motor neurons.
• A title slide in a PowerPoint presentation is acceptable IF
YOU DO NOT TAKE THE TIME TO READ IT. Have it on
screen during your introduction, then be ready to move
to your first slide.
Introduction
• No more than 2 slides
– 1st slide gives overall hypothesis
• Put your research into context; why might it be
important to your audience?
• Diagrams are good for this
– 2nd slide gives background
• Use bullets for major evidence (the authors who
did the work, and the date)
Purpose/Aims
• Transition from Introduction to Purpose
– We know all this…but we don’t know this…
• Purpose
– The specific problem that you tested (“We
tested for the presence of a specific protease
in the ovulatory process.”)
Methods
• No more than 2 slides (1 is preferable)
• Animals
– Treatment groups
– Timelines
– Doses
• Lab Techniques (just list, no diagram, don’t explain how
the technique works, unless this was your research
project)
– Real-time PCR (Better to use diagram of the primer sequences
as they are positioned in the entire sequence. DO NOT LIST
THE SEQUENCES!)
– ICC
• Statistical Analysis (Just say what you did.)
Results
• Report your major findings (This is what we came to
hear!)
• Number of slides depends upon how many figures you
have to show. You won’t have time to present everything;
pick the major points, not the background experiments.
• This is not a time for excuses (“We didn’t have enough
time to…”). Just present the data you have!
• Use graphs, pie charts or other good visual presentation
methods
– Avoid tables, period.
– Orient the audience to your slide (The x-axis shows…the y-axis
shows…and the result.)
– Never say, “As you can see here…” YOU MUST EXPLAIN
WHAT YOU ARE SHOWING!
Summary
• Reiterate the major point from each figure
you presented. Use bullets.
– Okay to read this slide word for word.
Conclusions
• How did your findings address your
hypothesis (conceptual rather than
descriptive)
– What is the BIG PICTURE (clinical relevance,
etc.)?
• You may use the same diagram you used on your
Introduction slide here, and show where your
research fits in.
– Two to four bullets max. (i.e., overall concept
and clinical relevance)
Acknowledgments
• List as bullets/may include photos, if desired
(and with permission).
• BRIEFLY acknowledge your mentor, any lab
technicians who worked with you, animal
technicians.
• Anyone who donated reagents, protocols by
name and affiliation
• Funding sources (Murdock Trust, NIH grants,
Saturday Academy, etc.)
• Any personal acknowledgments (not usually
included in scientific meetings).
Design Essentials
• Dark background with lighter color lettering
is best in a dark room.
• Bold all text.
• Use the largest font possible that looks
pleasing (Arial, Times New Roman are
good fonts for PowerPoint presentations).
• Minimize prose on your slides.
• Minimize animation.
• Double-check for typos!
Harmonious colors are
easy on the eye
• Use analogous colors (they are side by side on
a color wheel)…
Or complementary colors
…(any two colors which are directly opposite
each other on the color wheel, such as red and
green and red-purple and yellow-green)…
Except…
• Do not use green and red (or orange and
blue) side-by-side, as color-blind
individuals will not be able to read your
slides.
Design slides that speak for
themselves…
Presentation Demeanor
• Face the audience (pointer protocol).
• Make eye contact.
• Speak naturally (but slower than you think
you should), speak loud enough to be
heard.
• Don’t fidget.
• Try not to say, “Um,” or “Uh.” Practice,
practice, practice.
• Be enthusiastic and have fun!
Resources
• http://www.kumc.edu/SAH/OTEd/jradel/Pr
eparing_talks/TalkStrt.html
• http://www.asp.org/education/presguidelin
es.html