How to present research

Presenting research can be daunting, but it is very fun! It is an opportunity for one to show what they are trying to contribute to the world and why it is worth pursuing. The following are some tips and tricks that can make presenting less intimidating and more exciting. Before diving in remember these are general tips meant to help one shape their presentation. This is NOT a strict list of things that a presentation should be.

Be able to explain the research to a child.
"It is true intelligence for a man to take a subject that is mysterious and great in itself and to unfold and simplify it so that a child can understand it." (cite, John Taylor). Most people who attend undergraduate research conferences will not be experts on most if any of the presentations given there. Because of this, presenting things simply will make all the difference between giving a great, insightful presentation or a boring, run of the mill presentation. One good way to know if you're overcomplicating it is to give your presentation to someone who isn't already familiar with it (e.g. a spouse, roommate, sibling, etc.). They'll often be better than anyone in your lab at catching confusing explanations or undefined jargon.

Practice giving the presentation multiple times with an audience.
Practicing in front an audience allows one to see how well people from different backgrounds will understand the information, pin down a rhythm so that the time limit is not exceeded, get rid of unnecessary vocabulary, and find many other areas of improvement. In essence this refines a coal presentation into a diamond presentation. There are many undergraduates who do not practice or do not practice enough before they present and it shows. They stutter a lot, either their confidence is almost nonexistent or they do not seem to care, and, as unbelievable as it may seem, they do not seem to know what they are talking about. Practice, practice, practice, there is no alternative.

The aesthetic of a presentation
When creating a presentation make it unique, but keep it simple. Use a background that is a solid color and does not draw a lot of attention to itself. If the people are busy looking at the floral pattern slide show they will miss important information. Insert one or two key phrases on a slide or poster division. It is important to have general statements, but beyond that people will try to read what is on the slide rather then listen, which is usually not as insightful as the presenter helping them understand. Use one or two pictures for each slide or poster division. This helps people to visualize what is being described, and provide much greater understanding then any verbal description could. Furthermore, do not be afraid to point at different aspects of the picture to help the audience be sure they understand. These tips should make the presentation much more meaningful and intelligible to those listening.

The necessary information
For most scientific presentations there is a simple format to follow. First, share the main focus of the research and the specific question/topic being presented on. Second, show and briefly explain the experimental set up. Third, share the results of the experiment. Fourth, analyze the results, i.e. explain the implications of the results and their significance. Fifth, give a brief concluding statement and explain general plans for future research. Sixth, give acknowledgements. This is just a general outline that can be mixed around and changed. As is stated above, make the presentation unique, but make sure that in so doing it accomplishes the overarching goal of helping others understand why the research needs to continue and its importance to the world. Presenting can be very fun! And is one of the pinnacles of research, not for the glory of it, but because it is an opportunity to show important new discoveries and why an area of research matters.