Transcript Conference Presentations 101 - Claremont Graduate University

CGU Writing Center
24 February 2010
Q:
• How do I go about finding a
conference, submitting an abstract
and presenting my paper?
A:
• 1. Find a conference.Your colleagues and
professors can help with this, or you can visit
the Web sites for your discipline.
– Try www.conferencealerts.com --who knew there
was a “Christianity and the Detective Story”
conference, for example?
• 2. Locate the call for papers.Expect most
conferences to ask for papers about six
months in advance. If your targeted
conference is in November 2010, for example,
the deadline is likely around March.
– Ascertain if you need to be a member of an
organization to submit a paper; if so, and you’re
serious, join. Student dues for most major
academic organizations run $50 or less.
• 3. Decide what kind of presentation you’d
like to make. Some conferences let you
organize a panel or volunteer to respond to
others. There are a number of types of papers
and presentations:
• Paper with respondent. Usually about 15 minutes
with a 15-minute response.
• Panel presentation.Usually 3-4 speakers, 15
minutes each. Sometimes a moderator responds
to all.
• Roundtable. Five or more speakers, 5-10 minutes.
Central theme.
• Poster talk/presentation/discussion. Visual
presentation of ideas—can include 3- to 8-page
paper on a poster, an outline of research
questions and findings, and/or charts, graphs,
etc.
• 4. Write your abstract.
– Meet the deadline. Enough said.
– Most abstracts are no more than 300 words—be
concise! Remember that the selection committees
likely read a lot of abstracts. They don’t want to
slog through unnecessary material. So respect
word counts and page limits.
– Make sure the conference knows that this paper is
perfect for it. Use language/themes/buzzwords
from the call for papers to drive the point home.
-- Get to the point. No need for fancy introductions;
lead with the thesis statement/research questions,
and clarify what your paper will demonstrate.
-- Use your own words. Abstracts are the place for
your to bring your unique ideas to bear, not to quote
extensively from the works of others.
Q:
• What specific things should I
keep in mind for my
humanities presentation?
A:
1. Write your essay to be presented orally.
Oral presentations are very different than written ones.
Hold your audience’s hand: “I will make three points:
First, …”
Make sentences shorter and less elaborate than you
might want to for a written paper.
Say “quote…end quote” when you quote text (your
audience can’t see quotation marks!).
If using visual aids, mark their use in your paper.
• 2. Anticipate questions and criticism.
– People are there to discuss, not to just listen.
Don’t take questions/criticism personally; respond
professionally and calmly. Don’t be afraid to say,
“Your comment is certainly worth looking into,” or
similar.
– Take your notes that didn’t make it into the paper,
as well as a copy of the bibliography for it. Also,
take notes of what people say—these can help
refine your paper for publication.
• 3. Focus your paper.
– You cannot argue for an entire theory. Choose
ONE idea, interpretation, reading, etc. and focus
on it. Make a clear thesis statement and back it up
with a few pieces of compelling evidence.
Q:
• What specific things should I
keep in mind for my social
sciences presentation?
A:
• For your topic, choose a major theme or question that
represents a "thin slice" of the field's current
debates. Be on the cutting edge.
• On the first page, locate the question in a body of
knowledge/literature.
• Make the theoretical significance of your ideas clear.
• Have a strong, creative research design. Anticipate
possible critiques.
• Use clear terminology, but use as little specialized
terminology as possible.
• Consider the paper a legal brief that makes a
persuasive case and fits it into an ongoing
dialogue.
• Use a "bullet" conclusion. In the final part of the
paper, repeat the question posed, then explain
how you addressed the question, and why the
question is relevant. End with a statement of the
larger implications of your question.
Preparing for the Conference
• 1. Read out loud over and over. The more you
read out loud, the more likely you are to catch
odd phrasings and overlong sentences. Plus, it
helps you practice.
• 2. When you read, go more slowly than you
think you should. Rarely do people talk too
slowly at a conference—err on the side of
slowness.
• 3. Prepare your manuscript so that you can
read it.If you need to bump up the font size,
do it.
• 4. Number your pages.If you happen to drop
your papers mid-talk, this is priceless.
• 5. Present your paper to friends, colleagues,
professors, etc.Practice makes perfect.
Presenting “Dos” and “Don’ts”
• 1. Respect time limits.If you’ve got 20 minutes,
that means 10-11 pages of double-spaced, 12pt font. Rule of thumb: 2 mins./page
• 2. Read from your text.This is expected. Don’t
try to be an extemporaneous speaker.
• 3. Define your terms.It’s best to avoid jargon
and overly specific terminology, but if you are
using a word with multiple meanings within
your field, explain what you mean.
• 4. Find simple ways to discuss complex ideas.
Use easily grasped metaphors and analogies.
• 5. Use vocal inflection. Be engaging—no
monotone!
• 6. Don’t stand stock still. But don’t pace,
either.
• 7. Don't be afraid to say you don't know the
answer to a particular question. The trick is
not to sound defensive, but to confidently say
that that area is something you really need to
research, or that you'd like to take a look at
those sources, etc.
• 8. Over-prepare your visual aids/handouts.
Most importantly…
• HAVE FUN! Conferences are about
being with people who have a
passion for the same things you do.
Enjoy it.
QUESTIONS?