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Considerations for a Good Seminar & Journal Article Presentation

General rules:

1. Have pity and compassion for your disadvantaged listeners at all times. Remember we're trying to understand in 45 minutes what took you hours. Put yourself in our place. What are we intelligent but naive listeners going to have trouble with? Don't assume we're any smarter than you are -- if you had trouble understanding something we will too unless you help us.
2. Justify the value of each part of your presentation-- tell us why we need to hear it before you tell it to us.
3. Present models first and then the evidence for them. Remember, before you decide it would be more exciting the other way around, that you know the model and so the evidence seems easy to follow -- we don't know the model until you've told us.
4. Try to stay in real touch with your listeners. If we are getting lost or bored you should know it without being told. When you ask whether something is clear or if there are any questions, ask as if you mean it, and don't go on without gazing into our eyes to make sure we're being honest.
5. Stick to your time limit. If questions or discussion start to interfere, it’s up to you to cut it off. You’re in control!

Beginning:

1. After giving us title, authors, department, institution, and journal reference, tell us briefly:
   • Why you chose the paper,
   • Why we should be excited about listening to you present it for the next half hour,
   • Why the authors undertook the work, and what they did.
2. In other words, put the work in context, justify its importance (real or intended), let us know what the authors were trying to prove, disprove, or find out, and give us some idea of how well they succeeded. Trying to tell it like a detective story usually doesn't work.
3. Present background on methods or systems that may be unfamiliar.

Middle:

1. Decide in advance what experiments we need to hear about and in what detail. Leave out or just summarize those that aren't important or are too involved to present effectively.
2. For each experiment you present:
• Explain why it was done, what question it addresses.
• Show us the data, referring to a transparency or handout.
• Point to each number, band, peak, etc. we should notice, and go slowly enough so we can follow.
• State the conclusion, what the results mean.
• Criticize or praise the experiment as appropriate.
3. Use the board, overheads or prepare handouts in advance for:
   • defining unfamiliar terms;
   • outlining complex procedures;
   • listing important points;
   • keeping the pace down

End:

1. Summarize the
   • results,
   • conclusions,
   • significance
2. Give us your
   • judgement of the extent to which conclusions are justified;
   • criticisms, if any;
   • assessment of the paper's contribution to the general field.
3. Take your criticism and suggestions for a better presentation with a stiff upper lip.

Organized by: James W. Brown 4558A Gardner Addition phone : 515-8803 (calling this number is futile - send an email) James_Brown@ncsu.edu