This document provides guidance on presenting research and technical information effectively. It emphasizes that a good presentation tells a story with a clear beginning, middle, and end, and is supported by facts and data. The presenter should plan their presentation considering the format, audience, and time allowed. They should organize their material into an easy to follow structure and use visuals that are simple, clear, and leave white space. Practicing helps improve delivery and handling questions. The goal is to have the audience understand the problem, approach, or findings and leave with a clear takeaway message.

1. Presenting Research & Technical Information
Patrick Gibbons
Executive Director, Academic Communications

2. More than 500 million people in the world use PowerPoint

3. 30 million PowerPoint presentations are given each day

4. Many are good

5. Some are not

6. Agenda
• Planning
• Designing
• Delivering
• Special considerations
• Zoom presentations
• Poster sessions
• Additional resources

7. Common features of good presentations
• Competent, enthusiastic presenter
• Good story, supported by facts and data
• Easy to follow, understand, and remember
• Finish on time

8. Competent, enthusiastic presenter
• You are the presentation
• It’s your story to tell
• You should enjoy telling it

9. A good story...
• Has a beginning, middle, and end
• Shares something interesting
• Is supported by facts and data
• Is well told or explained

10. Planning considerations
• What’s the format, environment, time allotted?
• What do I want them to take-away?
• How do I organize my material?
• What’s the best way to present my evidence or data?
• How can I conclude in memorable way?

11. Planning your presentation
• Occasion
• Audience
• Time allotted
• Speaking order
• Technology available

12. What’s the take-away?
• What do you want them to do?
 Understand the problem?
 Understand your approach?
 Understand your contribution?
• Is there a call to action?

13. Organizing
• Interest, hypothesis, finding(s)
• Problem, approach, solution(s)
• Questions, answers, unknowns

14. Introducing the topic
• Personal story
• Startling fact or opinion
• Rhetorical question
• Short, relevant quote
• Greeting

15. Supporting your ideas
• Facts and data
• Specific instances
• Analogies, comparisons
• Personal stories, examples

16. Simplify, clarify main points
• Simple language
• Common references
• Tell them why it’s cool
• What you found?
• How you found it?
• What it means?

17. Communicating science
“If you can't explain it simply,
you don't understand it well enough.”
Albert Einstein

18. Planning visuals
• Easy to see, read, and understand
• Consistency – colors, styles, fonts
• Font sizes can be a problem
• Please leave some white space
• Spell checking is a ‘grate’ idea

19. Rules of thumb
 10-20-30 Rule
 5 X 5 Rule
 2 MPS Rule

20. Example: One main idea per slide

21. Example: Large, simple graphics
Think big Get stuff done
Like to have fun
People I like to
work with

22. Example: Photos can convey emotion
I am smiling

23. Delivering your presentation
• Voice
• Gestures
• Eye contact
• Movement

24. Practice, practice, practice
• Helps with wording
• Helps with timing
• Helps with visuals
• Helps with nerves

25. Happy endings
• Finish on time
• Summarize take-away
• Explain next steps
• Thank attendees

26. Summary
Enthusiastic presenter
Good story
Easy to follow
+ Finish on time
Successful Presentation

27. Special considerations: Zoom presentations
• Lighting
• Background
• Eye contact
• Plan for Q&As
• Controls and security

28. Special consideration: Poster sessions
• A storyboard
• Simplify, simplify
• Practice telling it
• Tell them what’s cool

29. Questions?

30. Additional Resources
 Explaining Research by Dennis Meredith
 Slide:ology by Nancy Duarte
 Presentation Zen by Garr Reynolds
 Thank You for Arguing by Jay Heinrichs
 https://onmessage.nd.edu/
 https://www.pexels.com/
 www.SlideShare.net

31. Notre Dame ‘fun facts’
• Founded 1842
• 8,500 undergraduates
• 3,800 graduate and professionals
• 1,400 international students
• 1,500 faculty members
• 95% graduation rate
• 9:1 student to instructor ratio
• 10% pursue medical degrees
• 2nd most academic all-Americans
• 98% student-athlete graduation rate
• 80% participation in service projects
• 75% take part in original research
• Women admitted starting in 1972
• Nation’s first university marching band

32. The University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame is among the nation’s leading research universities, committed to the highest level of scientific
and scholarly inquiry and the development of moral citizens who apply their knowledge, skills, and talents
to serve society and the world. Inspired by Catholic values, Notre Dame is a global community of scholars
dedicated to educational excellence and the betterment of humanity.