How to Give a Presentation

1
How to Give a Presentation
Not

• Alex Montgomery
• POL 373 Global Ecological Politics
• 2007-04-17

2
Outline

• Organizing
• The Outline
• Information Flow
• Style Tips
• Presenting Yourself
• PowerPoint Your Worst Enemy
• Things to Do
• Things to Avoid
• Summary

3
I.a) Organizing The Outline

• should look something like this
• Your Puzzle (Your Answer)
• Current Perspectives (No Straw Men)
• Theoretical Basis (assumptions, actors,
  processes, structures, etc.)
• Empirics
• Conclusions/Further Research/Implications

4
I.b) Organizing Information Flow

• Assess audience knowledge
• Introduce key concepts, terms early on
• Have additional slides ready (and slides that can
  be cut)
• Divide information between slides notes
• Signpost throughout the talk

5
I.c) Organizing Style Tips

• Outlines dont have to be boring
• Talks are not books Repeat yourself
• Fit your organization to your subject
• Handouts?

6
II. Presenting Yourself (1/2)

• First impressions are important
• Speak clearly (loosen tie speak up)
• Face Audience ( make eye contact)
• Practice, practice, practice
• Dont read your talk
• Sound interested
• Slow down

7
II. Presenting Yourself (2/2)

• Standing or Sitting?
• Laser Pointers and Other Bad Things
• Covering up Your Slides
• Have Something to Drink
• Supporters in the Audience?
• When to Take Questions

8
III.a) PowerPoint Things to Do (1/2)

• Have a backup
• Do a test-run before the presentation
• Boot computer before presentation
• Bring your own cables

9
III.a) PowerPoint Things to Do (2/2)

• Full Sentences v. Fragments
• One to Three points Per Slide
• One to Three minutes Per Slide
• Dont Read off your Slides
• Consistent Slide Design

10
III.b) PowerPoint Things to Avoid

• Miniscule Text
• Annoying Animations
• Ugly Themes
• Irritating Backgrounds
• Complicated Slides
• Unclear Plots

11
Centrifuge Uranium Enrichment the Poor Man
Approach to Obtaining Clandestine Fissile Uranium
Supplies

• Centrifuge Uranium Enrichment Uniquely Suitable
  to Obtaining Clandestine Supplies of Fissile
  Uranium by Industrializing Third World Nations,
  Since
• - Centrifuges Demonstrate High Separation Factor
  per Machine. Thus Require Relatively Small
  Number of Centrifuges, Stages in the
  Enrichment Cascade for a Given Plant Throughput
• - Centrifuges Require Low Energy Consumption per
  Machine. Thus No Need to Dedicate a Large
  Electric Generating Plant to Supply Power to a
  Uranium Enrichment Plant
• - Centrifuges Represent Medium Sophistication
  Technology, That Can be Implemented by
  Industrializing Third World Country
• Laser Uranium Enrichment Technology Achieves
  Higher Separation Factors per Machine, Relatively
  Low Electricity Consumption, However, It
  Represents High-Tech Venture, Beyond the
  Technical Capabilities of Most Industrializing
  Countries
• Magnetic Separation Technology Demonstrates Low
  Separation Factor per Machine, and High Energy
  Consumption Requirements, Thus Requiring Large
  Number of Separation Stages Operating Over a
  Longer Period, for a Given Production Level, and
  Increasing the Likelihood of Discovery. On The
  Other Hand, Magnetic Separation Represents a
  Low-Tech Option That Can be Mastered by
  Industrializing Third World Nations

12
III.b)PowerPoint Things to Avoid

• Miniscule Text
• Annoying Animations
• Ugly Themes
• Irritating Backgrounds
• Complicated Slides
• Unclear Plots

13
III.b) PowerPoint Things to Avoid

• Miniscule Text
• Annoying Animations
• Ugly Themes
• Irritating Backgrounds
• Complicated Slides
• Unclear Plots

14
III.b) PowerPoint Things to Avoid

• Miniscule Text
• Annoying Animations
• Ugly Themes
• Irritating Backgrounds
• Complicated Slides
• Unclear Plots

15
(No Transcript)
16
Process Tracing
17
MDS plot of IGO co-membership
18
Clustering by Structural Equivalence
8
10
19
Missile Network Structure
20
Nuclear Network Structure
21
Iran Nuclear Buildup, 1960-2002
1987
1990
1960
1991
1993
1985
1995
1984
1997
1975
2000
2002
1999
22
IV.Summary

• Organize your thoughts
• Practice personal presentation
• PowerPoint is a means, not an end