How to Present an
Academic Paper
Dr Richard Rayne
[email protected]
Birkbeck, University of London
School of Biological & Chemical Sciences
Presented 28th May 2006 at the College Research School
Generic Skills Workshop
FEAR!
• People say public speaking is the number
one fear
– Death is 6th!
• "The human brain starts working the
moment you are born and never stops
until you stand up to speak in public.”
– George Jessel
– see: The Oceanography Society (1995)
What to be afraid of?
• someone in the room who knows more than
you
• forgetting what you were, um…
• having to run screaming from the room
• presentation so awful and embarrassing that
your social/career relationships are forever
ruined
• impossible to answer ‘question from Hell’
– See: http://www.uncommon-knowledge.co.uk/public_speaking/fears.html
Combat the Fear:
Plan Well
•
•
•
•
•
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Know your audience
Think about your rhetorical goals
Develop a clear message
Deliver your message effectively
Practice
Practice!
Know Your Audience
• Who are you addressing?
– experts in your narrow area
– experts in the general area
– others
• How many?
• Friendly or hostile?
Know Your Audience
• What is the format?
– seminar discussion?
– formal talk?
• How much time is allotted?
• Where are you in the programme?
::: Practical Advice :::
Know Your Audience
• Design the talk to address the most
important constituency
– Good if you can pitch the bulk of the talk to the
experts, but keep the interest of others via the
intro and summary
– Anticipate questions
• Know the format and plan accordingly
– technological issues?
• Use the allotted time, but NEVER exceed
it!
Rhetorical Goals
• What do you want your audience to
take away?
– is the talk simply disseminatory? is it an
‘advertisement’?
– is there an accompanying paper or
poster?
::: Practical Advice :::
Rhetorical Goals
• Take account of your intended outcome
and plan accordingly
– are you ‘preaching to the converted?’ trying to
persuade? looking for a job?
• When a paper or poster accompanies the
talk…
– a sensible goal is to ‘whet the appetite’ of the
audience to read the paper/see the poster(s),
not to simply mimic these
Develop a Clear
Message
• What are the 2 or 3 key points you
really want people to remember?
• Don’t forget:
– listeners may get only one chance to
hear your talk!
– they might be hearing MANY talks on
the same day
– they might not be able to ask a question
::: Practical Advice :::
Develop a Clear Message
• Compose a sharply focused, jargon-free
intro sentence (or two) that you know by
heart
– make this the first thing you say
• Compose a sharply focused, memorable
summary sentence (or two) that you know
by heart
– make this the last thing you say
::: Practical Advice :::
Develop a Clear Message
• Be a little repetitive
– Tell them what you’re going to tell them
(Forecast)
– Tell them (Just do it!)
– Tell them what you told them
(Summary)
Deliver Your Message
Effectively
• What are the elements of an effective
presentation?
• Practical considerations: How do I
execute a good presentation?
Effective Presentations
• An effective talk must:
– Communicate your arguments and
evidence
– Persuade your audience that they are
true
– Be interesting and entertaining
– see: Edwards (2004)
Entertaining?
• Alternative definition:
– ‘keeping the audience interested and
involved’
• Expect the audience to be tired and
cranky…
– Help them keep their focus!
::: Practical Advice :::
Deliver Your Message Effectively
• Modulate your voice
– conversational tone; loud and clear
• Engage the audience
– Don’t stare at your notes or your slides
• Be self-aware
– Please don’t: wave arms about, tap foot,
zap the audience with a laser…
::: Practical Advice :::
Deliver Your Message Effectively
• Watch your pace…
– …slower than normal conversation
• Hone the transitions
– help the audience follow links from one
topic to the next
– clearly introduce each topic/slide
::: Practical Advice :::
Deliver Your Message Effectively
• Visuals
– legible, no ‘eye tests’
– don’t obscure the slide by standing in
front of it
– avoid garish/bizarre slide formats
– avoid information overload
• not too many visuals
• limit the quantity of information on each
Practice!
• The 2nd hardest part…after
actually doing it!
::: Practical Advice :::
Practice!
• Practice LOTS!
– to be extra-cruel, videotape
yourself and WATCH it--ugh!!
• Use realistic conditions
– ...in so far as this is possible!
– similar venue
– employ an audience
On the day
• Making sure all the planning
pays off…
::: Practical Advice :::
On the day
• Check the venue in advance
– know how any a/v controls,
microphones, etc work
– know who will be there to help
• Try to relax before you speak
– try to find a private place, if
possible
::: Practical Advice :::
On the day
• Dealing with questions
– re-state the question
– be sure you understand the intent
– don’t be evasive
• If you don’t know the answer, say so!
– don’t lose your cool!
Is the fear gone…?
• A little adrenaline can be a good
thing:
– makes you get down and do it!
– energises your talk
• So, don’t erase the fear-tame it!
Sources (1)
• The Oceanography Society (1995). Tips for Preparing
Scientific Presentations. [Online]. Available:
http://www.onr.navy.mil/about/speaking_tips/ [Accessed 28
May 2006].
– An unexpected source, but the above is an excellent,
comprehensive resource. It focuses on scientific talks, but many
of the principles are universal.
• Radel, J (2004). Effective Presentations. [Online]. Available:
http://www.kumc.edu/SAH/OTEd/jradel/effective.html
[Accessed 28 May 2006].
– Science orientation, comprehensive; includes posters.
• Hill, MD (1997). Oral Presentation Advice. [Online]. Available:
http://www.cs.wisc.edu/%7Emarkhill/conference-talk.html
[Accessed 28 May 2006].
– Science orientation; concise. Includes a humourous piece, ‘How
to Give a Bad Talk’.
Sources (2)
• Edwards, PN (2004) How to Give a Talk: Changing the Culture
of Academic Public Speaking. [Online]. Available:
http://www.si.umich.edu/~pne/acadtalk.htm [Accessed 28 May
2006].
– A useful, concise guide; available as a PDF.
• Tyrell, M (2005). Public Speaking (Or How to Enjoy
Presentations). [Online]. Available: http://www.uncommonknowledge.co.uk/public_speaking.html [Accessed 28 May
2006].
– More general than the other sources. Some useful nuggets.