Biophysical Society Bulletin | November 2019

Career Development

Tips for Great Oral Presentations The goal of an oral scientific presen- tation is to convey your thoughts and sophisticated data in a logical and clear fashion. Great presentations are critical for a successful career in science and technology. They are composed of several

When delivering the presentation , stand up straight, and project your voice. Try using a microphone, laser pointer, slide advancer, or any other presentation aids beforehand. Begin by thanking the audience and the organizers who invited you to speak. Pace your- self and attempt to proceed at a rate of approximately one slide per minute. Do not read from the slides (or a manuscript), but instead talk around their content, highlighting key points. Facing the audience, maintaining eye contact with as many people as possible, and smiling create an air of intimacy and reassurance. Tomaintain the audience’s attention, speak clearly and vary the tone and inflection of your voice to show enthusiasm and energy. Do not assume that the audience is completely familiar with the topic, but also avoid patronizing them. Presentations should be entertaining, however, maintain a professional tone. Finishing up is often considered the most critical part of a talk. This is when you present and/or reiterate the primary message(s). Even though time is critical at this stage, slow down. Conclude with the take-home points and leave the slide up for an additional few seconds to give the audience a chance to reflect. Conclude by acknowledging those who assisted you, so that their contribu- tions are clear, and thank the audience. Addressing questions can feel like the most daunting part of an oral presentation. However, your knowledge of the subject will likely become clear during the question-and-answer session when the audience becomes active participants. Good, provoc- ative presentations frequently lead to a dialog. Assume the audience has listened and are interested in your research. If you are uncertain about what someone is saying, ask for the question to be rephrased. Repeating the question prior to answering can helpmaintain focus. Keep responses brief. Finally, remember to treat the floor as a stage, have fun, be proud of your work, and, importantly, embrace criticism.

elements that help successfully com- municate and disseminate your work. A plethora of resources are available online and in print, including a systematic review

of 91 articles aimed to extract expert recommendations on how to organize and deliver effective presentations. 1-5 Many of the recommendations are summarized briefly below. Be prepared. Look at the venue in person, if possible. Know the time allowed for your talk, the background of the target audience (profession, age, education), and its size. Tailor the presentation accordingly. You should establish a logical flow for your presentation where the stage is set, the story is told and, finally, the main points are clearly understood. Ideally, the take-home message(s) should persist throughout, and the audience should be able to easily recall them at a later date. Keep it simple. The most frequent advice for oral presentations is to keep slides simple and not congested with detail. Slide design should be consistent and contrasting colors used. Most experts recommend a dark background, arguing that this makes text easier to read. Limit text (number of lines and words per line) and have a maximumof three to four short points per slide to avoid exceeding the cognitive load of audience members. Use phras- es and not sentences. Don’t try and say toomuch or else main messages are often lost. Toomuchmaterial can also force you to talk too quickly, which can limit comprehension andmessage retention. Use clear and concise visual cues including diagrams, videos, or graphs to support your talking points instead of text, when possible. Their use facilitates retention and recollection of facts. Rehearse your presentation in front of at least one person, ideal- ly a research collaborator and not necessarily a peer who is likely to be less critical. This is especially important for inexperienced presenters. The more you practice, the more likely you will remain focused on the main points and adhere to the allotted time. Amend the talk according to feedback. If possible, practice in the venue itself for familiarity. Ask colleagues and seniors for ques- tions and prepare suitable responses. Record yourself practicing. Seeing what is not working during rehearsals will help break bad habits and ensure they are not repeated in front of a live audience.

1. Anholt, Robert RH. Dazzle’em with style: The art of oral scientific presentation. Elsevier, 2010.

2. Mackiewicz, Jo. Comparing PowerPoint experts’ and university students’ opinions about PowerPoint presentations. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication 38.2 (2008): 149-165.

3. Bourne, Philip E. Ten simple rules for making good oral presentations. PLOS Computational Biology (2007): e77.

4. Hartigan, Lucia, Fionnuala Mone, and Mary Higgins. How to prepare and deliver an effective oral presentation. BMJ: British Medical Journal 348 (2014): g2039.

5. Blome, Christine, Hanno Sondermann, and Matthias Augustin. Accepted standards on how to give a Medical Research Presentation: a systematic review of expert opinion papers. GMS Journal for Medical Education 34.1 (2017). Numbers By the The median annual wage for biochemists and biophysicists was $93,280 in May 2018. Source: https:/www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/ biochemists-and-biophysicists.htm.

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