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The objective criteria on which the presentation is judged, each with equal
weight, include significance of ideas, creativity, quality of methodology,
validity of results, and clarity of presentation.
ADVICE FOR GIVING A GOOD ORAL PRESENTATION
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For a 20 minute talk, limit yourself to 15 minutes to allow time for
questions. You'll probably end up talking for 16-18 minutes anyway.
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Practice your talk numerous times, both alone and in front of critical
friends.
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Know your talk well enough to give it without notes in easy-to-follow
conversational sentences. If necessary, bring your notes to the podium for
security, but if you know your talk well enough, it will come automatically
despite your fear.
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Tape record your talk and listen for "uhs" and other repetitious and
superfluous words.
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Plan your talk carefully around a few "take-home messages," to provide
focus for your talk.
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Use a loud, clear, enthusiastic voice. If you don't seem to care about
your topic, why should your audience?
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Avoid distracting mannerisms, such as waving the pointer or pacing.
ADVICE FOR PRODUCING GOOD SLIDES
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Do NOT put too much information on a slide. Avoid tables, but if
necessary, simplify them by including only the data you will refer to and use
rounded numbers. If there is some graphical way to present the same
information, do so, because your audience will be more likely to grasp it in
the short time it is on the screen.
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If you can read a 2" x 2" slide without a magnifier, those in the rear
seats will be able to see everything when it is projected. Use the largest type
possible.
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Slides with light backgrounds are more legible than slides with dark
backgrounds, particularly if any room light is present. Most computer-generated
slides turn out much darker than they appear on a computer screen.
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Include on each slide only information that you will discuss. Other
information is distracting and confusing. Limit each slide to one main idea,
and just a few sentences.
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If you refer to the same slide more than once, use duplicates.
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Horizontal slides are best, since the size of the screen may result in
cropped vertical slides.
For more complete guidance, an excellent resource is
"Strategy and checklist for effective scientific talks" by S.T.A. Pickett, B.E.
Hall and M.L. Pace (Bull. Ecol. Soc. Am. 72:8-11, 1991).
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