Guidelines for Effective Presentations

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Effective Presentations
• Presentation Organization and Content
• Power Point Presentations
• Format
• Presenting figures and equations
• Things to Avoid
• Speech Delivery
• Presentation Time & Length
• How to improve your presentation

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Presentation Organization and Content
• Presentation organization …….. (corresponds to that of the final paper).
• Content:
• Research title + Introduction of the research members + date
• Outline (NO GENERIC WORDS)
• Introduction and motivation
• Literature review (bird view)
• Model (figures)
• Methodology (Experimental/ Simulation)
• Results and analysis
• Conclusions and recommendations for research extension

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PowerPoint Presentations
• Short and to the point, (key words)
• Smooth flow of slides, and continuity, from frame to another
• Use slide numbering to facilitate Q&A
• Headings, subheadings, and logos should show up in the same spot on each frame
• Margins, fonts, font size, and colors should be consistent with graphics located in the
same general position on each frame
• Choosing Text Color
• Light text on dark background or dark text and light background.
• Stand up and take six steps back from your presentation. Is it easily read?

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Presenting Figures:

• A picture is worth a thousand words

• Figures should not be crowded and difficult
to read
• Figures should be self explanatory with all
required information
• Try to group similar figures and graphs
together

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Presenting Tables & Equations
• Do not explain all variables, just the important ones
• Highlight the main point of a table • Write definitions of main variables

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Power Point Presentation
• Graphics and Design
• No more than 2 graphics per page.
• No more than 4 colors on a chart.
• Graphics should enhance the presentation.
• Good Ideas
• Limit transition within the slide.
• Use the same background on each slide.
• Use bulleted key words.
• Align bullets to the left .
• Have a backup.
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Things to Avoid in Presentations
• Avoid more than 8 bullets.
• Avoid auto timing your
presentation.
• Avoid whole paragraphs
• Avoid using graphics that are
difficult to read.
• Avoid noisy animations.

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Speech Delivery
• Have enough rehearsals
• Watch timings.
• Include key issues and results ONLY.
• Speak clearly.
• Do not read your presentation.
• Do not speak to your slides.
• Keep eye contact.
• Relax, smile and speak naturally.
• Dress professionally.

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Presentation time
• Morning
• Audience is alert early morning
• Less alert close to lunch
• Afternoon
• People feel sleepy after lunch
• Mid afternoon people start to get energized again
• Evening
• People are attending out of interest
• Long presentations are not recommended unless necessary

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Presentation Length
• Use the following rule as a starting point
Time/2 (minutes) < No. of Slides < 2*Time (minutes)
• If audience is less expert & long presentations (lower bound)
• If audience is more expert & short presentations (upper bound)
• Presentations with discussion ⇒ interruption ⇒ less slides
• Never skip slides
• Add extra slides at the end for Q&A (if applicable)

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How to improve your presentation
• Practice with a timer
• At least once
• Practice with exact, more, and less time
• Attend other presentations if possible
• Learn from their mistakes
• Incorporate their good points
• Arrive early
• Adjust to the venue and surroundings
• Check connections
• Chat with audience

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General Presentation Skills
• Do not be nervous!!!
• People attending to learn
• Audience are usually sympathetic
• Examining committee want to test your knowledge
• Change your tone (louder at key points, normal at general points)
• Use pauses to emphasize importance (only when needed)
• Highlight what is important during videos

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General Presentation Skills
• Do not cover too much material, only what is needed
• Going overtime does not mean your presentation was important
• Engage the audience (ask questions, polls, etc.)
• Admit if you do not know all the information
• Smile and make jokes (but do not force it)
• Presentations are not direct cut and paste from report
• Presentation skills are different from Public Speaking Skills

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Guidelines for Effective Posters

Tip: Posters are used as one way for sharing research outcomes in
conferences, competitions and showrooms, in a focused manner.

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Poster Design - Guideline
KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE Don't underestimate or overestimate the background of your audience.
Capture their interest and their attention.

IDENTIFY YOUR OBJECTIVE What is the purpose of your poster? Write out your objective until it is
concise and clear, then keep it in front of you while you prepare the material for the poster.

ORGANIZE THE MATERIAL Displays should flow logically, from one point to the next. If an abrupt
transition is necessary, explain why and make sure it is clear to your audience.

STAND IN THE AUDIENCE Detach yourself from your knowledge of the subject and consider the
following:
• Are the points clear without detailed explanation?
• Do the illustrations clarify the points?
• Does the material flow logically?
• Is it self-explanatory without oral presentation?

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tips: • Size A1 in portrait
• Displays should lead your audience into active participation and greater
concentration on your message.
• Each graphic in your poster should communicate your message, be as simple as
possible, flow logically, and be in appropriate sequence.
• Illustrations should be simple, large, and clearly labeled.
• Use color effectively, but don't get too busy.
• Contrast between lettering and background is very important. Consider a white
background for text to enhance the legibility of the data.
• Illustrations and lettering should be readable from 1-2 meters away.

• Fonts should be simple, e.g., Title fonts of 72-pt or more, headers should be 40-pt
minimum, text should be 30-pt minimum.

Usually, the organizers announce some common guidelines for posters to be followed.
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Elements of research Proposal

TIP: Make sure you proofread your proposal. Grammar and

punctuation errors reflect negatively upon the reader

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Structure for Research Proposal
• Cover page with proposal research title
• Summary (Abstract)
• Introduction
• Objectives
• Literature Review
• Description of the Proposed Work (Methods and approaches)
• Execution tasks/phases
• Expected Results, Outcomes and Benefits to community
• Budget Materials
• References
• Research Team CVs

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Summary

• This section should provide a summary of the proposed research project suitable for
publication.
• The summary must not exceed, usually one paragraph or one page in length.
• It should provide a coherent, clear and concise description of the research activity that would
result if the proposal eventually obtains the funding requested.
• It should describe the objectives and methods to be adopted by the proposed research. Briefly
explains what you will be doing, how you will do it, and why.
• Explain the expected outcomes and how to make use of them
• Mention the expected broader impacts on development and society.
• It should be informative to other persons working in the same or related fields and
understandable to scientifically/technically literate readers.
• It should not contain any proprietary or confidential information.

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INTRODUCTION

▪ Introduce the research topic / background

▪ Motivate the topic.
▪ Briefly explaining the importance of the research being proposed, scope of work and conditions in
which the project will be executed.

▪ Address the following concerns

▪ Why you will be researching this topic:
▪ What problem does the research address and how this research contributes to the existing knowledge
(benefit to society)?
▪ How will you conduct this research?
▪ How will the research achieve the questions you have outlined?

▪ A description of expected results should also be provided as well as an enumeration of fields/areas,

and the extent of, their utilization.
▪ Introduction may be of one- or two-pages length

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Objectives
• The research goals should be set in a SMART way.
• Objectives should be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-
bound.
• Use the bullet format to list your objectives.

LITERATURE REVIEW
▪ This section should include pertinent, up-to-date background information and cutting-edge
scientific literatures.
▪ It should identify clearly gaps in knowledge that the proposed project will address.
▪ it should be interlinked with any concluded or ongoing work by the project team or by others.

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DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED WORK
▪ This section should provide sufficient information of the work to be undertaken and should
describe in detail how the project questions will be tackled.
▪ It outlines the general plan of work, including the broad design and methodology that will be
adopted, and, where appropriate, should provide a clear description of experimental methods and
procedures as well as expected outcomes.
a) Approach, tasks and phases: include details of the approaches utilized to achieve each
objective of the project. Research tasks and activities should be divided into groups of
assignments, listed in logical sequence and linked with the project objectives to be achieved.
b) Management Plan: indicate how each team member of the project would be involved (with durations)
in executing specific tasks relating to the project. Include various elements of the intended work plan;
with phases, related tasks and outcomes, assignments, responsibilities, and dates of submission of
progress and final technical reports.

c) Research Methodology: Explain procedures and techniques (e.g., simulation, experimental, statistical
analysis, etc.) to be used, and why these are considered the most suitable to the project questions;
detailed description of the experiments and measurements; as well as methods to be used in data
collection, analysis, and interpretation.
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EXECUTION TASKS/PHASES
▪ Plan for research phases
▪ Set tasks for each phase
▪ Put sequences for tasks and phases
▪ Relate methods and approaches of your tasks/phases
▪ Plan for the time frame of each task

• Explain what you are hoping to find from this project and the time-table (Gantt
chart) of your project.
• List all deliverables (prototype, software, papers, etc.)

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BUDGET MATERIALS
✓ Research team (investigators)
✓ Manpower (students, technicians, labor, manager, secretary, etc.)
✓ Materials
✓ Equipment
✓ Travel expenses (scientific trips, conferences, collaboration,…etc.)
✓ Others

❑ Current Resources: Current or pending funding of the proposed project from any other sources. Equipment and instruments already
available at the executing institution.
❑ Requested Resources: Details of all requested human resources, equipment, materials and consumables, as well as details of
transportation facilities and travel arrangements that may be needed in the execution of field work or special training required.
Applicant must give details of all relevant costs.
❑ Proposed Budget: list the budget items (Manpower compensations, equipment, materials, travel, etc.) needed to execute the
proposed project
❑ Budget Justification: Provide justification of the funding requested in each budget subcategory.

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VALUE TO THE KINGDOM (or community)
❖The value to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Vision (2030) of the proposed research
project should be described in detail, in particular the relevance to the industrial
base in the areas of technology concerned, or to other strategic sectors of the
economy.

❖A description of potential positive impacts on the economy and society at large as

well as likely negative outcomes if any should be as clearly elucidated as possible.

❖Benefits for education and training of Saudi students; the career development of
researchers; etc. may also be outlined here.

❖It is worth mentioning in this section the targeted end users and the suitable
mechanisms for utilization and implementation of the project deliverables.
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REFERENCES
➢ References should be cited in the standard style used in scientific/technical
publications. Links to online versions may be provided together with dates
on which the material was accessed.

➢ Use standard citation format like ASME or IEEE.

➢ Mendeley: A Citation Plugin and Reference Manager

RESUMES
A biography (max. 3 pages) is required for each investigator involved in
the research project. Resumes should include information related to
professional preparation, appointments, publications, synergistic activities
and collaborators and other affiliations. 29