Presenting information clearly and effectively is a key skill if you want to spread your idea/message, especially in academia. For some people this comes naturally, for others it is a major challenge. However, with a little work and practice, it is possible to improve your presentation skills. The aim of this group is to help you improve your presentation skills. 

Session Format:

  • Brief overview of how to prepare and deliver a presentation
  • Create a 3 minute presentation about your current work, find a partner from outside your scientific field to present to, and optionally have them record it on your phone to help you analyze your gestures, expressions, and speech clarity afterward. Refer to the handout for more information. Here are some examples how excellent 3 minute presentation can look like:
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  • And there are some bad examples:
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Presentation preparation and delivery tips

  • Before the presentation
    • Content and structure
      • Think about how you are going to present your material (structure, level of detail, text vs pictures, chronological/logical description).
      • Content should be audience-specific, e.g. domain experts or outside experts.
      • During the motivation/introduction you may attract or lose attention (make it interesting!)
      • Check spelling and grammar
    • Design
      • Use the same style on all slides
      • Use simple, uncluttered pictures
      • Use an eye-friendly colour scheme
    • Preparation for your presentation
      • Review some of the most-watched TED talks. Try to understand why they are popular? Can you use the same techniques in your presentation?
      • Rehearse your presentation in front of friends and family and ask for feedback.
      • Try not to use filler words such as 'you know', 'mh', 'aah', etc.
      • People tend to pay more attention to people who speak with enthusiasm.
  • During the presentation
    • Be confident
    • Speak loud (do not shout)
    • Don't speak too fast or too slow
    • Don't read your slides word for word! Explain them in other words
    • Smile, but don't overdo it (it can be scary)
    • Look at the audience
    • You may use some gestures (but do not play the sign language interpreter)
    • Do not exceed the time limit
  • After the presentation
    • Don't get upset if you can't answer all the questions
    • You can improve your presentation depending on the questions. Analyse them!


Useful links
  • Some templates and examples of professional presentations here
  • Check how figure/slide will look for colorblind people here
  • Choose appropriate and pleasant color scheme for figures or slide design here and here
  • Great article with examples of using hooks in essays and presentations here


Last modified: Monday, July 1, 2024, 10:07 AM