Seminar Presentation Guidelines.pdf

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Wolfgang F. Mader Dos and Donts in Seminar Talks
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Dos and Donts in Seminar Talks

Wolfgang F. Mader1

1Institut fur Kern- und TeilchenphysikTU Dresden

Proseminar: Key Experiments in Quantum Mechanics

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The Audience

How much does your audience know in advance about your seminar topic?

Determines time needed to spend on particular aspects

The tone of your seminar: serious or informal

Humor? How much is too much?

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Title slide, outline and introduction

Keep it simpleChoose a level of scientific information that you want to conveyDont tell EVERYTHING you know about the subjectDont blow the introduction! People fall asleep immediately

Start with clear statement about your topic and what you intend to do with itWolfgang F. Mader Dos and Donts in Seminar Talks
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Title slide, outline and introduction

Give background why this work is interesting

What key issues/hypotheses were tested

How will results change the way of viewing the concept


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Structure of presentation

And now for something completelydifferent

(Quote from Monty Pythons Flying Circus, BBC, 1969)

Clearly structure your presentation

Make it clear when you address a new aspect of your presentation

Helps audience to re-focus in case they have been lost


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Structure of presentation

And now for something completelydifferent

(Quote from Monty Pythons Flying Circus, BBC, 1969)

Clearly structure your presentation

Make it clear when you address a new aspect of your presentation

Helps audience to re-focus in case they have been lost


Ch i f f t d l
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Choice of fonts and colors

Choose FONT SIZES appropriately

Structure your slides by using different font sizes

Choose FONT COLORS appropriately

7% of male population is red/green blind


Ch i f f t d l
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Choice of fonts and colors

Choose FONT SIZES appropriatelyStructure your slides by using different font sizesChoose FONT COLORS appropriately

7% of male population is red/green blindWolfgang F. Mader Dos and Donts in Seminar Talks

Diagrams
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Diagrams

Avoid too complicated diagrams

Keep it well structured and simple

Complicated slides do not need to be un-understandableWolfgang F. Mader Dos and Donts in Seminar Talks

Diagrams
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Diagrams

Avoid too complicated diagrams

Keep it well structured and simple

Complicated slides do not need to be un-understandable


Animations
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Animations

Dont!!!!!

Seldom helps to bring your point across

Distracts the audience from the scientific message

Just dont do it!


Tables
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Tables

Can you read (all of) this? I dont!!!

Only show information relevant to your subjectMake tables readable by

Extracting important information and display it in separate tableHighlight the important information


Tables
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Tables

Can you read (all of) this? I dont!!!

Only show information relevant to your subject

Make tables readable byExtracting important information and display it in separate tableHighlight the important information


Time Limit
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Time Limit

Never go over time

Seriously, NEVER EVER go over time

Audience only able to focus on certain aspect for limited amount of time

Adapt amount of details presented to scope of the seminar

Spend on average 2min per slide


Time Limit
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Time Limit

Never go over time






Time Limit
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e t

Never go over time






How to respond to questions
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p q

Be sure to leave time for questions

Be ready for questions during your talk

Try to anticipate potential questions and prepare Extra Slides

Dont ever say something youre not comfortable with saying

If you cant answer a question, politely say so and move on


...and before you give your talk...
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y g y

Practice, practice, practice and ...

...practice

But: dont recite memorized work! This can be disastrous!

However: Memorize some aspects of your talk


...and before you give your talk...
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y g y

Practice, practice, practice and ...

...practice

But: dont recite memorized work! This can be disastrous!

However: Memorize some aspects of your talk


Summary
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Dos

1 Practice

2 Look professional

3 Preview your slides

4 Clearly state your objectives and goals

5 Speak clearly and at a good pace. Rule of thumb: About 2 minutes per slide

6 Always identify your axes, define all technical terms and spend time on your data(graphs, tables)

7 Quote appropriate references and distinguish your work from literature sources

8 Make a lot of eye contact with your audience

9 Conclude your talk with statements that address your objectives and finish your

story


Summary
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Donts

1 Wait until the last minute to prepare

2 Make slides that are impossible to read or understand, e.g. complicated figures,large tables, Picasso-like graphs.

3 Read your talk verbatim, either from notes or from your slides!! Instead: Knowyour material well without reading.

4 Make distracting gestures when you talk (play with a pointer, rock back andforth, play with your hair, pick your nose, etc.).

5 Speak too rapidly, too slowly, too quietly or too loudly. Dont speak in amonotone and try not to mumble.

6 Talk to one person or the screen.

7 Panic. Staying calm and focused is very important, especially if you hate

speaking publicly.8 Try to be too funny. Humor has its place in your seminar, but use it judiciously.

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Thanks for your attention

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References

Senior Seminar - How to Give a Good Presentation

Tips for preparing a great seminar

Qualities of good seminar talks

How to give a Seminar Talk

How to Give a Good Scientific Seminar: Does, Donts and Strategy

...and many more on the web

http://home.sandiego.edu/~kaufmann/envi_mars495/envi_mars495_handout.htmlhttp://130.15.90.245/tips_for_a_great.htmhttp://fliptomato.wordpress.com/2007/10/28/qualities-of-good-seminar-talks/http://www.cmpe.boun.edu.tr/.../kroening_talk.pdfhttp://www.uni-hamburg.de/ihf/goodpresent_e.pdfhttp://www.uni-hamburg.de/ihf/goodpresent_e.pdfhttp://www.cmpe.boun.edu.tr/.../kroening_talk.pdfhttp://fliptomato.wordpress.com/2007/10/28/qualities-of-good-seminar-talks/http://130.15.90.245/tips_for_a_great.htmhttp://home.sandiego.edu/~kaufmann/envi_mars495/envi_mars495_handout.htmlhttp://find/


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Thanks for your attention

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Documents

Seminar Presentation Guidelines.pdf