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tutorials:scientific_presentation [2023/08/21 11:34] – [Oral presentations] chkuotutorials:scientific_presentation [2025/06/07 02:38] (current) – [Scientific Presentations] chkuo
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 ====== Scientific Presentations ====== ====== Scientific Presentations ======
-  * Guidelines for scientific presentations that Chih-Horng Kuo (chk@gate.sinica.edu.tw) developed for our group members. Suggestions are welcome.+  * Guidelines that Chih-Horng Kuo (chk@gate.sinica.edu.tw) developed for our group members. Suggestions are welcome.
   * Related information:   * Related information:
     * [[tutorials:file_management|File Management]]     * [[tutorials:file_management|File Management]]
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   * Presenting your work, either through oral or poster presentations, provides excellent opportunities for you to think about your work critically, to examine the logic, to establish the context and a story line, and to prepare for writing. Also, such opportunities allow others to know your work and to provide feedback.   * Presenting your work, either through oral or poster presentations, provides excellent opportunities for you to think about your work critically, to examine the logic, to establish the context and a story line, and to prepare for writing. Also, such opportunities allow others to know your work and to provide feedback.
   * Lots (and lots) of preparation and practice are required to do this well. Do not get frustrated if you feel like you did not do well. Just note the points that you can improve the next time, and use that knowledge and experience to improve.   * Lots (and lots) of preparation and practice are required to do this well. Do not get frustrated if you feel like you did not do well. Just note the points that you can improve the next time, and use that knowledge and experience to improve.
 +  * Critically important for many other career paths other than academic research. 
 +  * Watch and learn: observe effective speakers at seminars or online talks. What do they do well?
 +  * Everyone improves with practice. Presentation skill is not talent—it is technique + preparation.
  
 ===== Critical questions ===== ===== Critical questions =====
 +  * As the first step, answer these questions
 +
 ==== Why? ==== ==== Why? ====
   * Why are you doing this presentation?   * Why are you doing this presentation?
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     * How to make them interested?     * How to make them interested?
     * How to make them understand?     * How to make them understand?
 +
 +==== What and how ====
 +  * What are your goals for the presentation?
 +    * What message do you want to deliver?
 +    * What do you want the audience to remember?
 +  * How do you achieve these goal?
  
 ==== Examples ==== ==== Examples ====
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     * Need to show the raw data in Results     * Need to show the raw data in Results
     * Discussion focuses more on solving problems and have actionable future plans with clearly defined check points     * Discussion focuses more on solving problems and have actionable future plans with clearly defined check points
-  * Poster presentation at a conference+  * Presentations at conferences 
 +    * Usually the opposite of lab meeting; not too much detail, emphasize on the "big picture"
     * What kind of conference? Broadly defined fields or more focused?      * What kind of conference? Broadly defined fields or more focused? 
-    * How many people (and who) are attending?  +    * Among the potential audience, who do you care about the most? All the same, get as many people interested as possible? Already thinking about applying for graduate program or postdoc, and the potential future advisors will be there? 
-    * Among the potential viewers of your poster, who do you care about the most? All the same, get as many people interested as possible? Already thinking about applying for graduate program or postdoc, and the potential future advisors will be there? +  * Presentation for the IPMB travel grant competition
-  * Oral presentation for travel grant competition+
     * Who are the judges? What are their background? Is the breadth of your Introduction/Discussion appropriate?     * Who are the judges? What are their background? Is the breadth of your Introduction/Discussion appropriate?
-  * Final presentation for interns+  * Final presentation for the IPMB Internship Program
     * For yourself and your advisor: how much do you understand the project? what have you learned through the internship?     * For yourself and your advisor: how much do you understand the project? what have you learned through the internship?
     * For other interns: exchange experience, learn from each other     * For other interns: exchange experience, learn from each other
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       * Common mistakes: the text of figure legend or axis labels are difficult to read       * Common mistakes: the text of figure legend or axis labels are difficult to read
  
 +===== Rehearsal =====
 +  * Practice the presentation in your head silent is important, but is not enough
 +  * Talk out loud, ideally with a timer and standing up
 +  * Ask people to join if possible and request feedback
 +  * Emphasize the opening and ending. 
 +    * When you do well in the opening, you would be less nervous, and easier to do well for the main part. 
 +    * A good ending is often what people remembered after the presentation, also makes yourself feel good.
  
 ===== Oral presentations ===== ===== Oral presentations =====
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     * Get familiar with the pace, this also helps with time control.     * Get familiar with the pace, this also helps with time control.
     * For short talks (~10 minutes), you may use a few more slides (but not too many)     * For short talks (~10 minutes), you may use a few more slides (but not too many)
-    * Vary the information density. Do not pack every slide with a lot of information.+    * Vary the information density. Do not pack every slide with a lot of information 
 +    * For most slides, one key message per slide 
 +  * Slide design 
 +    * Use figures effectively, avoid text-heavy slides 
 +    * Use large font size (for text and figure). If you show something on the slide, make sure that the audience can see it. Common bad examples are people show some very small figures or big tables with lots of info.
   * Think like a movie director   * Think like a movie director
     * How many minutes and how many slides do you have? Are the proportions for different parts (e.g., Introduction, Main Findings, Discussion) appropriate?     * How many minutes and how many slides do you have? Are the proportions for different parts (e.g., Introduction, Main Findings, Discussion) appropriate?
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   * The "Acknowledgement" slide   * The "Acknowledgement" slide
     * Can be the second slide (immediately after the title slide) or the last slide     * Can be the second slide (immediately after the title slide) or the last slide
-    * Common mistake: end with a slide with "Thank You!". This is not useful at all. At the end of the presentation, while waiting for questions, keep the "Conclusions" slides on the screen. This helps to audience to remember the main points.+  * The ending slide 
 +    * Common issue: end with a "Thank You!" slide, which does not contain any useful information.  
 +    * A better strategy: at the end of the presentation, while waiting for questions, keep the "Conclusions" slides on the screen. This helps to audience to remember the main points.
   * On stage: engage with your audience!   * On stage: engage with your audience!
-    * Be confident, and show the confidence to your audience +    * Be confident and show the confidence to your audience 
-    * Show enthusiasm! If even the speaker appears to be bored, how can you expect the audience to become interested?+    * Show enthusiasm! If the speaker appears to be not so interested, how can you expect the audience to become interested?
     * Face the audience, keep eye contact     * Face the audience, keep eye contact
     * Voice: change the speed, tone, and volume according to the content. For example: slow down for the important or complex part, louder for the exciting part.     * Voice: change the speed, tone, and volume according to the content. For example: slow down for the important or complex part, louder for the exciting part.
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     * Be careful with the pointer. Use the pointer to help the audience, not to distract them.     * Be careful with the pointer. Use the pointer to help the audience, not to distract them.
   * Q&A   * Q&A
-    * If the questions are unclear, it is okay to ask people to repeat or ask in another way. Make sure that you truly understand the question before answering.+    * If the questions are unclear, request to repeat or ask in another way. Make sure that you truly understand the question before answering.
     * If you cannot answer, be frank about it. However, if possible, provide some reasonable discussion.     * If you cannot answer, be frank about it. However, if possible, provide some reasonable discussion.
     * Be concise, but not overly so.     * Be concise, but not overly so.
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   * Double-check the dimension guidelines!   * Double-check the dimension guidelines!
   * Can people understand the key points by browsing without your presence?   * Can people understand the key points by browsing without your presence?
 +  * Are the text, figures, labels within figures big enough?
   * Prepare a short (~1-3 minutes) and a long (~5-7 minutes) version of oral presentation based on the poster   * Prepare a short (~1-3 minutes) and a long (~5-7 minutes) version of oral presentation based on the poster
 +  * Add a QR code? (to your paper or website)
  
tutorials/scientific_presentation.1692588845.txt.gz · Last modified: by chkuo