Four Keys to Presenting Your Research

Are you presenting at conference in the near future? Read the following tips from four previous Graduate Research Forum presenters. These tips helped them prepare, practice and present and they may just be the trick for you!

Communication is the most important piece

• Have the story you want to tell ready before you present
• Define your “hook” to draw interest to your presentation
• Greet people that seem interested and engage them in conversation
• Strike a balance between being technical and being oversimplified

It’s all about attitude

• Don’t put a lot of pressure on yourself- It’s an opportunity to enjoy your work!
• Be aware of your body language
• Be confident when speaking to judges and other attendees
• Allow your passion to show in your presentation

Your poster is your visual story

• Focus on the organization of the poster so that its logical and visually appealing
• Use bullet points to make your highlights visible
• Your main points should be supported with graphs, tables, etc. where appropriate
• Keep the text on your poster concise

Prepare for success

• Start your poster early and leave plenty of time for printing
• Practice giving your “pitch” to others before the event
• Consider having a print out of the main takeaways your (if applicable)
• Arrive the day of the event with enough time to set up your poster neatly

And while this tip may not help you win, the participants suggested visiting other projects and learning more about the research happening at UCF. This is your chance to explore the work in and out of your department! Check out the Graduate Research Forum website for more resources related to presenting including workshops, examples, and presentation guidelines. For more information on the Graduate Research Forum visit our website or email researchweek@ucf.edu.

*The tips above were gathered from interviews with four winners at the 2014 Graduate Research Forum: Lindsay Dhanani (Psychology), Jarrad Plante (Education), Debarati Mukherjee (Biomedical Sciences), and Amy Van Newkirk (Opitcs).