Department of Statistics –UCC

STA 399: Research Methods

Making Oral Presentations

Science Communication

Complied by Mrs I. K. Amponsah (PhD/Mrs)

How Do Oral Presentations Differ
from Written Forms of
Communication?

Two Key factors

 1 - There is no written record
• Usually there is no complete written record for
your audience to consult - you talk; they
(hopefully) listen.
• This means that simple, direct presentations
are best: otherwise you risk losing your
audience's attention.
• In other words, don't just present to your
audience, but rather guide them through your
presentation.
2 - You must be the Centre of
Attention

• Remember, you are delivering your message

in person, and in front of other people.

• This means that your message will not simply

be what you are saying,

but how you are saying it.

 Factors to consider
Let us examine each of the following in turn
because they all have an important bearing
on the presentation.
• Your voice.
• Your use of eye contact.
• Your positioning.
• The use of body language.
• Involving hand/ face/ whole body gestures.
• Your overall appearance.
Techniques associated with Voice

Clarity
• Speak clearly. Don't slur words together. Try to
make each word count.
• English is a language that requires the presenter to
pronounce all parts of the word, especially the
beginning and the end (clearly distinguish between
‘b’ and ‘p’, ‘v’ and ‘w’ and ‘d’ and ‘t’).
 Loudness
• Make sure you speak loud enough so that all of
your audience can hear you, especially those at the
back of the room.
• This may require some practice (but I am not asking
you to strain your voice !!).
• If you speak loudly and distinctly you voice will
project much better. (But not if you look at your feet
or out the window instead of at the audience).
• And of course, to project your voice, you must open
your mouth. This is especially true when you
pronounce the letter ‘O’.
 Monotony of voice
English is not a tonal language. You can thus
use tone for emphasis.

You can use :

change of tone (pitch),
change of pace (speed),
change of loudness (volume), and even
elongation
to avoid a presentation being monotonous.
 Gaining attention

And don’t forget two additional, very important

components:

• the pause. You don’t have to talk all the time –

pausing can be very effective, especially in
drawing attention to finishing one point and
starting another.
attention getting words/phrases - Welcome,
Now, Look, Let me begin, Attention ! Even Good
morning/afternoon/ evening can be used this
way.
 Speed of Speaking
• The optimal rate for a research presentation, in
English, is about 80-100 words per minute.
• Be careful – foreigners tend to speak English
much faster than native people. (It seems other
languages are spoken at a faster rate). It is OK to
speak English slowly (provided it is done in an
affected way).
• Often, oral presenters, who are nervous, talk too
fast. That makes it hard for the audience to follow.
• Slow down, take it easy, be clear.
 Verbal Gestures
Watch out you do not use negative aspects when
speaking.

The following can be very irritating (such expressions

often comes about if your are nervous) :
• ‘um,’ ‘er,’ ‘yeah,’ ‘uh,’ ‘you know,’ ‘OK’ and other
kinds of nervous verbal habits.
• (Instead of saying "uh," or "you know" etc. every
three seconds, try not saying anything at all).
 Eye Contact
The audience wants you to look at them. Therefore,
look at the audience as much as possible.
But, don't fix your attention on one individual - it can
be intimidating. Even looking at a select, few
individuals only can also be intimidating (and annoying
to others, especially if these persons are in the front
row).
And whatever you do, DO NOT
– Face the display screen behind you and talk to it.
– Look at the computer screen and talk to that.
– And, of course, reading a script is forbidden !
 Positioning
• Position yourself so that everyone can see all of
you. (The audience likes to see the person
speaking and if you are going to be better then a
television screen, it will be by your actions!)
• If you cannot avoid blocking the screen, etc. for
some persons, then try to move so that you are not
continually blocking the screen for the same
audience members all the time.
• However, avoid moving about too much!!. Pacing
up and down can unnerve the audience, (although
some animation is desirable as we will mention
later).
 Body Language
What is this ?
Imagine that that you are watching through a window
as someone does a presentation to a group of people
in a room. You can't actually hear the presenter's
voice, but :
– he or she seems to be speaking clearly,
– is making eye contact with various people in the
room,
– is emphasizing points using appropriate gestures,
– appears to be in command of the material, and
exudes enthusiasm.
What would be your reaction ?
 Body language
In contrast:
imagine that you are watching, under similar
circumstances, a second person giving a
presentation. This time, you notice that the
person :
– avoids direct eye contact with their audience,
– keeps their hands in their pockets or at their
sides,
– shifts their weight uncomfortably,
– generally appears unenthusiastic about their
topic.
How do you now react?
 Body language
Body language is important.
It covers
• use of the hands
• use of the face
• use of the whole body
• your enthusiasm, your excitement, the
fact you are enjoying the occasion.

Muttering over a slide, or not realizing that

you are blocking the projection of the image,
is terrible.
 Use of Hand Gestures
• You can use your hands to emphasize points. Not only does it
draw the attention of the audience, but it can be very useful in
aiding clarification.
• But don't indulge in a grand display of hand waving. This can
be distracting - and a bit comical.
• Use the hands in different ways so that there is not one style.
• But in general, plan to keep your hands clasped together or
holding on to the podium, cue cards, etc. and only occasionally
making some gesture.
• Be careful, presenters, over time, develop particularly habits.
We all have them. Some can be irritating. Try to avoid habitual
behaviors using your hands (fumbling change in pocket, or
twirling the chair in front of you, for example).
 Use of Face Gestures
Do you think the audience will like it if :
• you appear to be happy?
• you are smiling ?

Do you think the audience will notice if:

• you appear tired ?
• you are angry (at the audience or any person) ?
• you are nervous ?

Facial expressions can show most of these.

A happy, smiling face, showing interest, in the audience is
important.
Avoid an expressionless face (who wants to see such a face).
 Use of Whole Body Gestures
Whole body gestures cover aspects such as –
• your general posture (how you stand),
• your use of action (body orientation),
• even aspects such as dance.

How do you stand - at attention, at ease, leaning against

something, sitting on the edge of a table, (sitting on a
chair – unlikely we hope) ?

In many cases, gestures are used to draw further

attention to yourself. And often the more exaggerated
they are, the more attention you get.
 Dress
• Your appearance is part of your (non-
verbal) message.

• Dress appropriately.

• The Americans may like causal dress, but

often Europeans (and especially, I think
Estonians, like a more formal style).
• Ghanaians like ..........
 Use of Cue Cards
• To keep yourself on track, you can use cue cards with a
few key words, instead of a complete text.

• But remember, maintain eye contact with the audience.

• If you use cue cards, try to read the cues while the
audience is focussing on something. For example,
– a research question you have displayed on the
screen,
– a graph you have displayed on the screen,
– a verbal question you have asked.
 Be enthusiastic
• If you are liking the situation and are enjoying
the presentation, the audience will sense this
and be happy also.

• Be enthusiastic about your topic; but not

unnaturally so.

• Try to make you presentation something special

– it is different from all the other presentations.
 Jokes
Are you good at telling jokes ?

The recommendation is :
• Unless you intentionally have had experience as
a stand-up comic, avoid making jokes.
• The results can be disappointing, and may
suggest an unprofessional attitude.
• Also jokes may not transcend different cultures
(can you follow English jokes about the Irish?)
 Oral Presentations

We can consider a Presentation in 2 parts

1. Preparing the Presentation.
2. Delivering the Presentation.

We have said much about part 2.

Let us look at the preparation part
 Presentation of Content
Preparing an oral presentation often requires the same
kind of research as needed for a written report.
1. Goals - What content will help to convey the goal you have
for your presentation ?
2. Audience - What information to choose to appease your
audience - particularly their attitudes, interests, biases, and
prejudices about the topic.
3. Coverage - What do you need to cover ?
4. Effectiveness - Because listening is more difficult than
reading, how to make the narrative (stories) particularly
effective to retain the attention of your listeners ?
Questions to analyse audiences
1. How much do my audience know about the subject?
2. How much do they know about me?
3. What do they expect from me?
4. How interested will they be in what I say?
5. What is their attitude towards me?
6. What is their attitude towards my subject?
7. What is their age group?
8. What is their educational background?
9. What positions do their occupy ?
10. What is their cultural/ethnic background?
11. What kinds of cultural biases will they likely have
towards me and my topic?
 Comments on the questions for
analysing audiences
• In viewing this list, you will note the prevalence
of questions on attitude--the audience's attitude
toward you as well as the subject. Some
attitudes will matter more than others (depends
to the situation).

• The questions are important, since you need to

know, before you begin planning your
presentation, whether your audience will
consider you trustworthy and credible.
 How to approach planning
for the presentation
Talks will differ from writing papers, creating poster
papers, or writing reports.
The major difference is that the oral presentation
needs to be more repetitive.

The standard advice goes like this:

• Tell 'em what you're going to tell 'em.

• Then tell 'em.
• And then, tell 'em what you told 'em.
 Presentation of ideas
Based on your purpose, in what order should you
present your ideas? This sequence needs to be
simple and easy to follow.
It is usual follows the sequence – introduction, main
body, summary (conclusion).
You will develop this if you divide your presentation
(a) an introduction – tell ‘em what you are going to tell
‘em,
(b) the main body – tell ‘em, and
(c) the conclusion – tell ‘em what you have told ‘em.
 The Introduction
(telling ‘em what you are going to tell ‘em)

The presentation should be organized in a manner

similar to your report e.g.

• The introduction should clearly tell the audience

what the presentation will cover so that the
audience is prepared for what is to come.
– In planning your introduction, be sure that you state
your goal(s) for the presentation near the beginning.
– Even if you start with some type of anecdote, or
question to interest your audience, state the goal(s) of
your presentation next.
 The Body of the Presentation
• The body should develop each point previewed in your
introduction, in the same sequence.

• Thus, in designing the body of the presentation, you

develop what you want to say about each of these main
points or ideas as clearly and succinctly as you can.
• An important point, however, is to demarcate (separate),
each point in the presentation as you come to it. In this
way, your audience knows when you have completed
one point and begun another.
• (How might you do this ?)
 Body of the Presentation (cont’d)
Results
The Results should be a clear and concise (you will probably
present these visually).
However, don't make the mistake of showing a figure or graph
and then saying, "This is what we got." and then sitting down
and saying nothing else.
Lead the audience through the visual.

Discussion
The Discussion will be your interpretation of your results, such
as whether the data support your hypotheses.
This part is particularly important as it presents your very own
thinking.
 The Conclusion
• The conclusion should reiterate the ideas
presented and reinforce the purpose of the
presentation.
• It is the tell ‘em what you have told ‘em and
usually answers the question: "so what?"

• At a minimum, you should restate the main issues you

want your audience to remember, but do so in a concise
way.
• Do not make the conclusion long; it is just enough to leave
the audience with a positive feeling about you and your
ideas.
 Timing and Coverage
• The presentation should last no more than 15-20 minutes,
since there must be time for questions and discussion with the
rest of the class afterward.

• In preparing the main body of your presentation, you may find

it helpful to keep the following questions in mind:
1. Will you convey why you did your research?
2. Will you clearly state the question(s) you are trying to answer?
3. Will you clearly present what you did to try and answer your
question(s) ?
4. Will you offer explanations/comments on your results/findings,
especially any inconsistent or unexpected results/findings?
5. Will you explain what your data means? Will you present answers to
the question(s) from number 2 above?
Preparing at the time of the
Actual Delivery of your
Presentation
 The Moment of Truth
• So you are sitting there, about to be introduced.
Now what?

1. Relax. Take several deep breaths as you are

being introduced (but don't sigh!). Visualize your
rehearsed opening statement; don't improvise at
the last moment.
2. As said earlier, state your objectives at the start
of your talk, then restate them again at the end
of the talk. In between, discuss how your
material relates to these objectives.
 Your Presentation
• Never read from a script.
• You should know most of what you want to say - if you
don't, then you should not be giving the talk!

• You can prepare cue cards which have key words

and phrases (and possibly sketches) on them.
Postcards are ideal for this. Don't forget to number
the cards in case you drop them.
• Rehearse your presentation - to yourself at first and
then in front of some colleagues.
 Remember
• Stick to the plan for the presentation, don't be tempted
to digress – you will use up much of your time !

• As a rule of thumb, allow 2 minutes for each

PowerPoint slide, but longer if you want to use it for
developing specific points.

• Note:, the audience will get bored with something on

the screen for more than 5 minutes (especially if you
are not actively talking about it). Switch off or cover
the display.
At the end of the Presentation
• At the end of your presentation ask for questions
– but avoid being abrupt when you do this.
(The Danger - the audience may find it
intimidating as it may come across as if you are
saying “any questions? - if there are, it shows
you were not paying attention” !!!).
• If questions are slow in coming, you can start
things off by asking a question of the audience -
so have one prepared !!!
 Confidence
The audience wants to know you are confident. They will
feel more relaxed themselves.

How will you convey that confidence?

• You can begin by following the usual points:
– don't fidget (move nervously for no reason)
– look at your audience (not at your overhead slide –
this is so important we will return to this point later)
– don't hold papers that rustle, or click a pen, or have
coins in your pocket which you can clink.
– don't read your talk. (If you try to do this in our
presentation sessions, you will be stopped !!)
 Speaking Techniques
• Don't over run. Shorten your talk by removing details,
concepts, and information, not by eliminating words.

• If it becomes absolutely essential to supply details,

supplement your presentation with a handout. Make about
10% more handouts than you think you'll need. Include your
e-mail contact.

• Always leave time for a few questions at the end of the talk.

• Remember that there is no point in giving a presentation, if

the audience isn't listening. You should make a big effort to
help them to be interested in what you have to say.
 The Question-to-Answer Slide.
• This is the slide that follows your conclusions
and remains in the background as you answer
questions from the audience.

• I suggest you Avoid:

– turning off the projector (you may need it and have to
turn it on again - and wait while it warms up).
– projecting a blank white (dazzling) or blank black (too
dark) slide.
– leaving your conclusion slide in place as you answer
questions - just not as interesting or as provocative as
the strategy suggested above.
 Handling Questions
• Your presentation doesn't end once you've
finished what you have to say. The question
period often is the part of the talk which influences
the audience the most. After all, you've had time
to practice the rest of the talk.
• This is the part of the presentation where your
ability to interact with the audience will be
evaluated.

• Since you can't always predict what you will be

asked, how can you prepare for the questioning?
 Some Answering Guidelines
1. Repeat each question so the entire audience
knows what you've been asked.
2. Before you answer, take a moment to reflect on
the question. By not rushing to give an answer,
you show a degree of respect for the questioner,
and you give yourself time to be sure you are
answering the question that actually was asked.
3 If you are unsure of the question, try to restate it,
(and then check you have it correct), or don’t
forget you can ask for a clarification of the
meaning.
 Answering questions
4. Wait for the questioner to finish asking the question before
you begin your answer!

The exception to this comes when it is necessary to break in

on a vague, rambling, or unnecessarily long question
(usually because it is more of a comment than a question)
• Here we remember - this is your presentation and you
have only a limited time.
• However, it is important that you break in tactfully. Say
something like "So, are you asking ....?" This will focus the
question and give you a place to begin an answer.
 Answering questions
5. If a question is asked during the talk, and it will clarify
an ambiguity, answer it immediately.

6. On the other hand, postpone questions aimed at

resolving specific problems (or arcane knowledge)
until the end of the talk, or in private discussions.
• This is particularly important if the answer will distract
either you, or the audience away from the flow of your
presentation.
 Answering questions
7. Avoid prolonged discussions with one person,
extended answers, and especially arguments.

8. If you can't answer a question, just say so.

Don't apologize (although it is OK to say – I am
sorry, I cannot answer that).
You then may:
• Offer to research an answer, then get back to
the questioner later.
• Suggest resources which would help the
questioner to address the question themselves.
• Ask for suggestions from the audience.
 Answering questions
9. Finish your answer by asking the person who asked the
question - whether or not you answered the question
sufficiently for them.
• This approach is a way in which you can acknowledge and
thank the questioner; it lets the rest of the audience feel
comfortable asking questions (because it shows you are
genuinely interested in addressing audience issues, not just
in lecturing to them), and it gives you a chance to more fully
answer the question if your first effort was not quite on
target.
• If the questioner says you didn't answer it and you believe
you did, either ask them to clarity the question, or suggest
that the two of you go into more detail at a break or after the
presentation.
 Using pointers/monitors
• Pointers are best used by flashing the pointer on and off, so
that the place you are indicating is illuminated briefly.
• Don't swirl the pointer around and around one place on the
projection screen, or sweep it from place to place across the
screen.
• This is very distracting for the audience, and they will end up
watching the pointer and not listening to what you are saying.
• Likewise, and for the same reasons, avoid using the cursor as
the pointer in your computer presentations.
• If you find yourself pointing to the monitor, power-off or disable
the monitor to force yourself to concentrate on the projection
screen!
 Be Prepared

Be prepared for interruptions (late arrivals, cell phones or

pagers, burned out projector bulbs, fire drills, etc.).

If you must turn down the room lights, don't turn them off
entirely.

Don't leave the lights down any longer than necessary -

remember to turn them back up! Of course, the snores from
the sleeping audience may remind you to turn the lights back
on if you've forgotten.
Other Aspects
 Hand-Outs

Try not to provide the audience with handout

materials before you begin.
To do so encourages your audience to read rather
than listen.

If you must provide written material, be sure the

material is coordinated with your presentation.
That way, you have a better chance of keeping
your audience's attention on what you are saying.
 Visual Aids
• Visual aids significantly improve the
interest of a presentation. However, they
must be relevant to what you want to say.
A careless design, or a poor slide can
simply get in the way of the presentation.

• What you use depends on the type of talk

you are giving.
 Using Slides
• Make sure you know in advance how to operate the
equipment and also when you want particular displays to
appear. Sometimes a technician will operate the
equipment.
• Arrange beforehand, what is to happen and when and
what signals you will use. Edit your slides as carefully as
your talk - if a slide is superfluous then leave it out. If you
need to use a slide twice, duplicate it.
• And always check your slides - for typographical errors,
consistency of fonts and layout.
 Use of Slides

Try to limit words per slide. Use a reasonable size font and a
typeface which will enlarge well. Typically use a minimum
of18pt Times Roman on OHPs, and preferably larger.
A guideline is: if you can read the OHP from a distance of 2
meters (without projection) then it's probably OK.
Avoid using a diagram prepared for a technical report in your
talk. It will be too detailed and difficult to read.
Use color on your slides, but avoid orange and yellow which do
not show up very well when projected. For text only, white or
yellow on blue is pleasant to look at and easy to read.
 Guidelines for using visual aids:

What type of visual aids should I use?

• You can use drawings, graphs, props and objects, a blackboard
with an outline, charts, demonstrations, pictures, statistics,
cartoons, photographs, maps, etc.
• Use anything that will help people SEE what you MEAN!

How do I design effective visual aids?

• Because your visual aids will be seen while the audience is
listening to you, you will need to be sure that all visuals are as
simple as possible and easy to read.
 Using my visual aids effectively
• Begin your presentation with no aids, as you want your
audience to be listening to you, not looking at props,
specimens, or other visual aids (or have the title only).
• Present the aid at the appropriate point in your
presentation.. Present the aid; give your audience a few
seconds to comprehend it, and then comment on the aid.
• Turn off/block the projector lamp between slides. Do not
begin talking about another topic while a slide, depicting a
past topic, is still showing.
• Remember: people cannot see and listen at the same time.
 The Acknowledgements slide.

This is an important slide! But avoid reading a list of names and

agencies as this:
• takes time
• may give the appearance of 'name dropping' no one will
remember names of people they don't know anyway

Consider using a collage of photos of your collaborators in their

natural settings for this purpose At a crowded conference a
collaborator is more likely to be recognized in the hallway or at a
restaurant if your audience has seen his or her photo during your
talk.
 Self Assessment Checklist
Did you introduce yourself to your audience ? Yes No
Did you aim to arouse the interest of your Yes No
audience ?
Did you begin with a clear introduction of your Yes No
topic with an overview of what you will cover ?
Were your ideas presented clearly with a Yes No
logical flow from one point to the next ?
Did you conclude by summing up what you Yes No
had said ?
Were your visual aids presented clearly ? Yes No
Did you have good control over your material with Yes No
everything in the correct order
Did you present the right amount of facts and Yes No
figures? Could your audience understand them ?

Did you avoid reading too much from your cues ? Yes No
Did you look comfortable and relaxed ? Yes No
Did you display any nervous gestures, such as Yes No
hand waving or pen clicking ?
Did you look and sound interesting and Yes No
enthusiastic ?
Did you get your timing right ? Was it too long? Yes No
Too short ?
Did you provide hand-outs for the audience? Yes No
Did you take up a good position(s) during your Yes No
presentation ?

Was your voice loud enough to be heard clearly Yes No

by all ?
Did you speak too quickly ? Yes No

Did you look at, and speak to, the audience ? Yes No

Were there any words you had difficulty in Yes No

pronouncing ?

Did you allow time for questions and invite the Yes No
audience to make comments?
 IMPORTANT
What is the purpose of the presentation?
– Inform?
– Persuade?
– Entertain?
 Finally

Enjoy yourself.

The audience will be on your side and want

to hear what you have to say!
Say it with a
Smile