How (not) to give a thesis defense (or research talk)

HOW (NOT) TO GIVE AN
EFFECTIVE THESIS
DEFENSE (or research talk)
Kimberly A. Nicholas
@KA_Nicholas
Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies, Sweden
With input from Weston Dripps
Slides and all graphics designed by Theo Aalders, if not indicated
otherwise.
NOT
@KA_Nicholas

KEY POINTS
A. Content
• Focus on what’s important
B. Presentation Skills
• Addressing your audience
C. Slide Design
• Clear, consistent slides
@KA_Nicholas

Ideal: 1 slide = 2 minutes
Minimum: 1 slide = 1 minute
A. CONTENT
Focus on what’s important!
1. Title Slide 1 Slide
2. Introduction/Motivation 1 Slide
3. Research Questions 1 Slide
4. Materials, Methods, Field Sites 2 Slides
5. Results (1 per research question) 3-5 Slides
6. Discussion 2-4 Slides
7. Conclusion 1 Slides
A B C
@KA_Nicholas

A. CONTENT
Some specific suggestions
TITLE SLIDE (1 Slide)
Title, your name, institution,
and contact info.
Possibly nice p
A B C
@KA_Nicholas

Analysis of Urban Air Pollution:
Implication for Global Health
and Mortality in the Developed World
Dr. Jane Doe
Department of XYZ, University of ABC
jane.doe@abcde.edu
A. CONTENT
Example one
A B C
@KA_Nicholas

URBAN AIR POLLUTION: THE SILENT KILLER
Jane Doe / Department of XYZ / University of ABC
jane.doe@abcde.edu
A. CONTENT
Example two
@KA_Nicholas

A. CONTENT
Some specific suggestions cont.
A B C
and contact info.
Possibly nice p
@KA_Nicholas

A. CONTENT
Introduction
• Get audience excited
about the "issue”
• Put issue in context
• Provide statement of
hypothesis / question
A B C
and contact info.
Possibly nice p
@KA_Nicholas

A. CONTENT
Materials/Methods
• methods employed
• data collected, why?,
how?
• visuals of your case
Introduction
about the "issue”
A B C
and contact info.
Possibly nice p
@KA_Nicholas

A. CONTENT
Materials/Methods
how?
Introduction
about the "issue”
Results and Discussion
• show data collected
(graphically)
• highlight key trends and
findings
• explain findings
A B C
and contact info.
Possibly nice p
@KA_Nicholas

A. CONTENT
Materials/Methods
how?
Introduction
about the "issue”
Results and Discussion
• show data collected
(graphically)
• highlight key trends and
findings
• explain findings
A B C
and contact info.
Possibly nice p
Conclusions
• summarize key points
• Your contribution
• Future directions
@KA_Nicholas

A. CONTENT
Thesis Defense Reminders
Bring printed or
electronic copy
of your thesis for
reference
Keep answers
short and
concise
Prepare to justify
research
question,
methods,
relevance of
findings
Ask for
clarification: “Is
your question
…?”
A B C
@KA_Nicholas

B. PRESENTATION SKILLS
Addressing your audience
EYE
CONTACT
PROJECT
VOICE
OPEN BODY
LANGUAGE
FACE
AUDIENCE,
NOT SLDES
FIND THE
„NODDERS“
BA C
Face Silhouettes by freepik.com @KA_Nicholas

Excuses
I‘m just a
student…
I did this last night
(or 5 minutes
ago…)
I haven‘t
done this
before…
BA C
@KA_Nicholas

Common Thesis Presentation or
research talk is 20 minutes
20
MinutesNOT
MORE!
Based on image by:
https://www.shutterstock.com/g/Pretty+Vectors
@KA_Nicholas
Timing
BA C

TimingESSENTIALtogetthisright!
Put key points up
front, support
throughout,
summarize at the end
Rehearse fully at least
3 times
3 times
3 times
Have minute goals
for slides
NO EXCUSE
TO GO OVER
TIME!
BA C
@KA_Nicholas

Know thy Audience
Catch interest at
the beginning
Make relevant
and accessible to
them
Don‘t assume
overly
specialized
knowledge
BA C
@KA_Nicholas

From Todd Reubold, UMinn
C. SLIDE DESIGN
Clear, Consistent Slides
CA B
@KA_Nicholas

C. SLIDE DESIGN
Powerpoint Design
BACKWARD
POINT
S
FOCUS ON YOUR WORK
Minimize
background…
CA B
@KA_Nicholas

C. SLIDE DESIGN
Powerpoint Layout
Minimize txt
One key point
per Slide
Consistency in
font, colors,
stlyle
CA B
@KA_Nicholas

@KA_Nicholas

C. SLIDE DESIGN
People remember 10% of
what they hear…
… But 65% of what they
hear and see
CA B
Partly based on pictures by freepik.com@KA_Nicholas

The Amazon Rainforest
is being cleared at an alarming rate.
@KA_Nicholas

“The audience will either read your slides
or listen to you. They won’t do both.”
Nancy Duarte, Duarte Design
The slides are meant to support the
narration of the speaker,
not make the speaker superfluous.
C. SLIDE DESIGN
Powerpoint Layout
CA B
@KA_Nicholas

CA B
http://some.ly/GC2sDr
@KA_Nicholas

Avoid the use of a large block paragraph to
introduce your information. Attendees do not
like to have what is on the screen, read to
them verbatim. So, please use short, bulleted
statements and avoid typing out your whole
presentation on to the slides. It is difficult for
some to listen and read a large amount of text
at the same time.
C. SLIDE DESIGN
Avoid the “All Word” Slide!
CA B
@KA_Nicholas

C. SLIDE DESIGN
PowerPoint DOs and DONTs - 1
Don’t !
CA B
@KA_Nicholas

Keep it simple!
Do!
@KA_Nicholas

Limit the number of fonts
in your presentation!
• Don’t Sacrifice Readability for Style
C. SLIDE DESIGN
Fonts - 1
CA B
@KA_Nicholas

Arial
Century Gothic
Verdana
Choose 1 – 2 Sans Serif fonts
for your presentation
C. SLIDE DESIGN
Fonts - 2
CA B
@KA_Nicholas

Good title size (Century Gothic 40
point)
Good subtitle size (Century Gothic 32 point)
• Content text should be no smaller than Century Gothic 24
point
Remember, your slides must be readable,
even at the back of the room.
C. SLIDE DESIGN
Font Size - 1
CA B
@KA_Nicholas

Here is what Century Gothic 20 point looks
like …
Here is what Century Gothic 16 point looks like …
Here is what Century Gothic 12 point looks like …
You won’t be able to read these
from a distance:
C. SLIDE DEISN
Font Size - 2
CA B
@KA_Nicholas

C. SLIDE DESIGN
Use a Template!
Use a set font
and color
scheme.
Different
STYLES are
disconcert-
ing to the
audience
You want the
audience to
focus on what
you present,
not the way
you present.
CA B
@KA_Nicholas

Ideally Use the Same Background
on Each Slide
C. SLIDE DESIGN
Background
CA B
@KA_Nicholas

C. SLIDE DESIGN
Colors
Reds oranges
are high-energy
but can be difficult
to stay focused
on.
Greens, blues,
and browns are
mellower, but not
as attention
grabbing.
Reds and Greens
can be difficult to
see for those who
are color blind.HIGH
ENERGY
!
CA B
@KA_Nicholas

C. SLIDE DESIGN
Colors in Large Hall Events
Avoid white
Backgrounds!
The white screen
can be blinding in
a dark room.
Dark Slides
with Light
Colored Text
Work Best.
CA B
@KA_Nicholas

Colors with 2
or 4 degrees
separation
harmonize
(rectangle)
Colors directly
opposite one
another are
complementary
and highly
contrasting
Contrasting
colors provide
readability:
Orange on
Blue
C. SLIDE DESIGN
The Color wheel
Do!
CA B
@KA_Nicholas

This is a good mix of
colors. Readable!
This is a bad mix of
colors. Low contrast.
Unreadable!
This is a good mix of
colors. Readable!
This is a bad mix of
colors. Avoid bright
colors on white.
Unreadable!
C. SLIDE DESIGN
Background Colors
Remember: READABILITY, READABILITY, READABILITY!
CA B
@KA_Nicholas

C. SLIDE DESIGN
Graphs and charts: Use Color Consistently
Decide on a
color for each
unit (country,
group,
treatment…)
Keep the same
throughout
Explain what the
colors represent
in the first slide
Have a key that
shows it visually
for every single
slide
CA B
@KA_Nicholas

C. SLIDE DESIGN
Graphs and charts
Make sure that the
audience can
them
CA B
@KA_Nicholas

C. SLIDE DESIGN
Unreadable, busy graphs - 1
Don’t !
CA B
@KA_Nicholas

Don’t !
C. SLIDE DESIGN
Unreadable, busy graphs – 2
CA B
@KA_Nicholas

C. SLIDE DESIGN
Graphs and charts
Keep graphs clear and simple
Annotate graphs to help audience
State the main result in slide title
CA B
@KA_Nicholas

C. SLIDE DESIGN
Graphs and charts
From bad to great
CA B
@KA_Nicholas

CA B
C. SLIDE DESIGN
Graphs: How to NOT do it better - 1
@KA_Nicholas

CA B
C. SLIDE DESIGN
@KA_Nicholas

CA B
C. SLIDE DESIGN
Graphs: How to DO it better! - 1
@KA_Nicholas

CA B
C. SLIDE DESIGN
@KA_Nicholas

CA B
C. SLIDE DESIGN
@KA_Nicholas
Put key result that graph shows in title
Highlight key results

(This may require you to re-create
text in PowerPoint)
C. SLIDE DESIGN
Resolution - 1
CA B
@KA_Nicholas

Check out
“Search by
image”!
Low res Higher res
CA B
C. SLIDE DESIGN
Resolution - 2
http://some.ly/GC2sDr
@KA_Nicholas

Bam!
Don’t
CA B
C. SLIDE DESIGN
Limit Animation!
Use the same
animation
throughout the
presentation
Using more
than one can
be very
distracting
The audience
will only see
the animation
and not the
message.
@KA_Nicholas

Do!
CA B
C. SLIDE DESIGN
Limit Animation!
Use the same
animation
throughout the
presentation
Using more
than one can
be very
distracting
The audience
will only see
the animation
and not the
message.
@KA_Nicholas

KEY POINTS
A. Content
• Meet the requirements
• Focus on what’s important
B. Presentation Skills
• Addressing your audience
C. Slide Design
• Clear, consistent slides
@KA_Nicholas

YOU
Do not use the
media to hide
you!
The Audience
came to SEE
you.
If you are only
going to read
from the slides,
then just send
them the slides!
The media
should
ENHANCE the
presentation; not
BE the
presentation
Remember, only
you can prevent
“Death by
PowerPoint”
@KA_Nicholas

End with a Final Slide and make the last words you say
“Thank You” so the audience knows when to clap!
THIS IS MY FINAL SLIDE
@KA_Nicholas

How (not) to give a thesis defense (or research talk)

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