Preparing for Presentation

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You will have 15 minutes for your talk, followed by 2 minutes for Q&A. Please design your slides to fit the time frame and practice to make sure you will not run out of time. Most authors find that 10-12 slides are about right. Additional slides (Backup slides) could be prepared to support possible answers to attendees' questions.

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Each illustration should not be crowded by text and graphics. Too much text should be avoided:  illustrations should support the presentation; they should not be simply read by the presenter. Graphics help in communications, are more understandable and point out the basic ideas. Use large fonts so they can be read without a major effort.
 
The presentation should be clearly structured. Begin with a title slide. The index of the presentation should outline the presentation. The basic problem should be clearly stated, as well as the application area. Background and previous work should be summarized to provide a perspective for the results presented in the paper. The innovative approach should be clearly stated. The application of the approach to the application problem should be described, by pointing out the main features and characteristics, the problems, and the solutions. The results should be clearly outlined and evaluated. Appropriate comparison with previous results should be presented. Conclusions should summarize the work performed and point out the main innovation and results. Future work and developments could also be sketched.

  • Your audience is listening to you, and also reading, try to keep the written part short.
    • Reading all your points from the slides can be tedious for your audience, so short summaries may work best.
    • Too much text overwhelms your listeners. 
  • Make sure the font size is large enough and that the color of the font works well with the background. 
  • SPELL CHECK!  Be sure to proofread. 
  • Give your audience time to look at the slide. Do not hastily move on. 
  • Be selective when you choose your images/visuals/graphs. Ask yourself: does this visual demonstrate my argument? How does it relate to my point?
  • The more you practice, the easier it will be to look up at your audience. The more engaged an audience member is, the more successful your presentation will be.
    • Practicing your talk is the only way you can make sure you remain within the time you  are given. Try to make it a minute shorter than your allotted time! 

    How to Convert your Paper into a Presentation, Duke University