Short presentation on the basics of a good presentation. Do as I say, not as I do. Emphasis on conferences, and bioinformatics.

1. Surviving Scientific Presentations
Iddo Friedberg

2. 2
CONTEXT: Know your Audience
Lay? Some general knowledge?
Specialize in the field?

3. 3
Conference Do’s and Don’ts
DO DON’T
Practice assiduously Not practice enough
Dress appropriately Underdress
Test-drive the A/V and your presentation Curse when your animation doesn’t work
Provide your presentation ahead of time “Anyone has a thumbdrive?”
Show up for before the session starts Show up for your talk only
Check in with the chairperson Have them look for you
Stay on time “I only have 5 more slides”
Obey chair’s instructions “But I still have time”
Use humor, if so inclined Make lame jokes

4. 4
CONTEXT: Know your Setting
Student seminar? Prelim? Defense? Conference talk?
Job talk? Outreach?

5. 5
CONTEXT: Know your Goals
Teach? Recruit? Get funding? Get hired?

6. 6
THE TALK: Introduction
Length depends on how much your audience
knows.
Gauge your audience: “if you don’t know what this is,
raise your hand”
Bring everyone here
Make sure they go there

7. 7
THE TALK: Introduction
EXCITEMENT “spider juice reverses solid tumors”
CONTEXT Cite research that brought you to this
point. Where does your work fit? “Spider juice has
been used to kill Silly Cells in vitro
FRAME THE PROBLEM: “Spider juice did not stop
melanoma in mice. But nobody tried massaging it
in”

8. 8
THE TALK: Preamble
TELL THEM
what you are going to tell them, then TELL
THEM, then TELL THEM what you just told them

9. 9
THE TALK: Methods
Cartoons >> bullet points
21 3
Bioinformatics is a methods-oriented discipline. Invest in the Methods!

10. 10
More Cartoons

11. 11
Bullet Points are the Devil
Bullet points are a last resort solution
Reading off bullet points make you look
unprepared
It is also boring
Especially when you try to tell a story
See how terrible this is?
So don’t use them

12. 12
Avoid the Distracting Slide

13. 13
CLOSING
TELL THEM what you are going to tell them, TELL
THEM, then TELL THEMwhat
you just told them

14. 14
Closing
“ I want you to THINK about...”
“ How do you think this will affect...”
“Future work...”
“My first grant will be...” (Faculty job talk)

15. 15
Acknowledgements
THANK PEOPLE throughout talk, and/or at end
THANK FUNDERS at end
Too many THANKS == NO THANKS
Oops, I used BULLET POINTS

16. 16
QUESTIONS
DO DON’T
Repeat the question for
the audience
Say: “I don't know, I will
have to look into that”
Say: “Seems like we
disagree. Let’s talk about
this later”
Let the chair select questions
Improvise answers
Insult the questioner
Argue
Select questions
yourself (unless chair
allows)