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Tips for a Successful Oral Presentation

1. The presentations should be done in a professional style. The most important element is content; format and style are secondary.
2. Use the following format: Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion, Conclusions, Further Directions. This is slightly different from the format of the written project paper.
3. PowerPoint slides should have light lines and text on dark background. The background should be a solid color, and the text font should be plain and consistent throughout. Use a large enough font so that your audience can read what you’ve written.
4. Keep writing on the slides or overheads short—a maximum of eight lines of text and 50 words per slide. Use the writing to outline your main points for your audience and to remind you what to cover in your talk.
5. Do not use flashy transitions between projected slides.
6. If possible, include a picture of the study organisms.
7. Avoid superfluous clip-art, animated gifs, movies, etc. Ony include items that truly illustrate the content of your presentation.
8. Pronounce everything, including scientific names, correctly.
9. The presentation should be 12 minutes long.