How to Make Effective Research Presentations

In the scientific community, it is imperative for researchers and students to present their work based on evidence, but also to make it understandable and engaging for an audience who may not be familiar with the work. Creating an effective research presentation can be overwhelming when trying to present large amounts of data and findings in a cohesive manner, but with these tips and guidelines, the path to making an effective research presentation will be less stressful!

Establish Your Main Points

Research can become overwhelming with the large amount of information, so it is important to let the audience know the key points such as context, reason, and findings of your research. This can be done at the beginning of the presentation, which will also organize the presentation section by section, like a table of contents. This step is important, not only to lay out the course of the presentation, but to engage the audience in why your research is important.  

Visuals and Formatting

Thanks to technology, there are so many tools at our disposal to create interesting presentations with cool effects and animations. Although you can use these tools, it is important to not get carried away with them, so it does not distract from the actual information in the presentation itself. A great tip is to use a graph when describing data, to showcase any trends, which can be a visual aid for the audience. Alongside this, it is great to include a figure caption, so that the audience is aware of what they are looking at as well. Additionally, organize the information by categories, so that your research is easy to follow and does not look cluttered. This brings us to the actual formatting of the presentation; depending on the type of presentation, it is important to follow guidelines set by the organization or following APA rules. It is always great to consult any handbook for research presentations on what should and should not be included, such as the APA handbook. 

Some great resources for visuals and formatting:

• APA General Format 
• BioRender for scientific graphics
• Inkscape for designing and drawing
• Canva for designing infographics

Oral Practice

Giving an oral presentation can be very nerve-wracking, but with practice, it gets easier each time. A great way to get prepared is to practice your dialogue with family or friends before the presentation. By doing this, you can get comfortable with someone listening to you and also get feedback on what you can improve on. Giving a presentation is significantly smoother when you actually know what you are talking about, so make sure you clear up any confusion you have beforehand, be familiar with your data and results, and remember the importance of your topic in the first place! By doing this, it is easier for you to convince yourself and the audience on why your research matters.

Assertion-Evidence Approach

The Assertion-Evidence Approach is a method used for presenting scientific research, created by Michael Alley, a Professor from Pennsylvania State University. This approach is used to give a presentation using important messages and visual aids rather than categorical topics and lists, which we often come across in PowerPoint presentations. This method will allow you to know your information in detail through focusing on main messages to best explain it to the audience in the moment. Here are the steps you can use for the Assertion-Evidence approach:

1. Provide your research information based on your main messages, not topics
2. Utilize visual aids, not bullet points
3. Study your visuals in depth, so you can formulate sentences on the spot

You can also utilize their Assertion-Evidence templates!

Research can be a gruelling and time-consuming process, but it is important to remember that the presentation is potentially the easier and more fun part, because you can finally showcase it to the world. By following these simple steps, you are sure to have a smooth and stress-free research presentation!