PerspectivesAre you interested in submitting a Perspective Article? Be sure to read The Science Advisory Board's Editorial Guides for Perspective Articles. Click here. A Great Scientific Presentation–From Stress to Success! by Monica Gianina Marcu, Pharm.D., Ph.D. “Great dancers are not great because of their technique: they are great because of their passion” -- Martha Graham If you are asking yourself what dance has to do with science you are on the wrong foot. What I was trying to emphasize is PASSION. Passion is a significant ingredient of any presentation. Rarely have I been impressed with a speaker’s good technique but I have always appreciated a vibrant, eloquent presenter. The lack of passion (i.e., monotonous voice pitch, inability to emphasize originality of one’s work, a speaker who looks everywhere except at the audience) put me quickly—not to sleep—but to think about totally different matters. I feel bad for the wasted time. Unfortunately, passion for your work and how you reflect it is something I cannot help you with. However, I can offer advice on technique. Let’s hope that an elaborated technique and a neat presentation can compensate sometimes for the lack of passion. By now, we all know how important it is to deliver an outstanding oral presentation. The job of your dreams, or your scientific reputation could depend on this skill. And what else is great teaching if not skillful, eloquent oral communication of ideas and information? I hope my advice will help you improve your abilities and confidence when preparing for a talk. Here are my ten basic rules for success: 1. First, I always like to summarize the main points of my presentation at the very beginning and here I will do just the same: “ Today I will write about how to organize a pleasant and informative scientific talk….” You might argue that was clear from the title, but I often prefer to read the title at the opening of my talk, while emphasizing briefly the presentation’s main points of interest. 2. Think well in advance about your presentation, write down occasional ideas and “sleep on it.” Gather the data and material, decide what to present according to the scientific event and audience, write down occasional great ideas, plan the skeleton of your speech and build on it as you become more organized. Carefully consider the right images (slides, overheads) to best support your data. Be prepared and allow time to correct any imperfect slides that arrive from the photo lab. 3. Choose a relevant, truthful title, one that correctly reflects the core of your talk not just some tangential data that might attract a larger audience. I find it so frustrating to attend a seminar with high hopes only to find out that the title, which brought me to the event, did not reflect the presented content. I feel cheated. If in doubt, select a title that sounds more like a brief conclusion of your results. 4. Have the audience in mind and make yourself useful to them, as a dedicated teacher would do. The audience is a very important factor that determines how detailed and “sophisticated” you should be. Remember, a symposium with the specialists in your field is different from a large congress on cell biology or a science class targeted to high school students. It is possible that few attendees are familiar with your subject, so put yourself in their shoes! Your talk should not be a “vanity fair” but rather a clear, well structured, informative and actually, a rather simple presentation of your results. Conversely, don’t assume that you and only you know that topic. There are always some clever, well-read intellectuals around. Read the recent literature pertaining to your work but don’t forget its history either. Maybe some pioneers of your field might be in the audience and you better acknowledge their contribution(s). I remember when I was a student in Romania that my professors started classes with a short history and mentioned the personalities of the field. Their approach inspired respect as well as some modesty (of which we all need a dose from time to time!) And most importantly, look at your audience while speaking; it is basic good manners! 5. Organize the talk into three parts: introduction (background), main body and conclusions. PLEASE, do not luxuriate on the first two and fly like a jet through the last and most important one! This is maybe the simplest rule of all and everybody seems to follow it. Your presentation should have an introduction—the platform that “propels” the audience in the right direction by providing the necessary background. I appreciate the speaker who clearly outlines the reasons and reasoning of his/her initial scientific ideas starting from the background just given. Unfortunately, too often, the speaker does not use clear connection words, such as: “ given the fact that X we intended to clarify Y.” Personally, I like coherence in speech: that reflects coherence and logical thinking in designing and conducting experiments as well. The main segment of the presentation contains the body, where your results and experiments are presented. If you are in the mood, you could try to add some “sparks” (maybe humor such as a caricature, an old scientific picture, a non-conventional way of drawing or animating data, etc.) in order to enliven your talk. Be creative! Finally, the conclusion (the most neglected part in so many talks), should present the take-home message. I can never understand why so many speakers forget this. While in a rush to finish on time, they superficially run through this important, last-and-final-impression part. Actually, this is the most common and bothersome mistake I have encountered. It spoils the rest of the talk, no matter how good it might have been. Please, know your time limits and stay within them, so you can explain your conclusions in a detailed, eloquent manner. 6. Assess how detailed your data should be. Your audience and time frame should dictate the amount of detail in your data. I found that the best presenters organize the data in a simple, easy-to-understand fashion, providing less details about the techniques but more schemes and drawings highlighting the flow and meaning of work performed. Interestingly, experienced scientists have fewer and less crowded slides whereas young investigators, all too often, try to drown the audience in data and numerous, complicated slides that they never have the time to explain thoroughly! 7. Rehearse well and respect the time allotted for your talk. The importance of rehearsal cannot be overstated. It is best to ask an experienced colleague or your supervisor to listen and give you his/her feedback. Try to step back and critique yourself. Maybe you can use a mirror and/ or a tape recorder. Don’t overdo it though, you might discover just how gifted you are for theatrical performance, and decide to change your career for the better! Just kidding! Rehearse, of course, using your visual materials and check that letters are big and bold enough when projected on the screen. 8. Leave about 20% of your time for questions (your dialog with the audience). This part is maybe the most dreaded one, so do your best to know your stuff. Don’t forget to allot enough time for interacting with the audience at the end of your talk. 9. Make clear but not overcrowded slides. A picture speaks a thousand words. I can only agree. Good slides and their order are extremely useful in organizing and supporting any presentation. Use your imagination but make sure your slides are easy to decipher. If I would have to choose one capital rule, it would be: Do NOT include a slide if you do not have the necessary time to explain it from corner to corner! It is better to have fewer slides and spend the time (2-3 minutes) to elucidate the mystery encoded within. Not explaining slides thoroughly is the second most common mistake I have seen. 10. Finally, relax before the great day. Now, that you have been through these steps and even envisioned the stress of that big day, all you need to do is relax, especially one day before the event. Do something really different. Go to a museum—art purifies the mind and spirit. And, very important, don’t underestimate the power of a good night’s sleep. My last word: I believe a presentation is a commitment of respect for the audience; a presenter should beuseful, patient and, not the least, decently dressed. Good luck! ### Monica Gianina Marcu, Pharm.D., Ph.D. Dr. Marcu is a Research Fellow at the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health in Maryland. Her primary research interests focus on cellular stress in cancer and signal transduction and the pharmacological intervention in cellular stress including the therapeutic manipulation of chaperones. She is a published artist and photographer, and her work is featured in numerous art galleries in the USA and the UK. Her website is photomarcu.com. Dr. Marcu has been a member of The Science Advisory Board since April 2002. ### << Previous Next >> [ View All Perspectives ] |
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