Effective poster and oral presentations

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Effective poster and oral presentations

• AJ Frew
• University of Southampton, UK

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Purpose of poster

• To show work and excite comment
• To generate advice for future work
• To obtain feedback for writing up
• To make a mark and solicit collaboration

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Horses for courses

• Different layout and content needed for
• Fully attended poster
• Poster discussion symposium
• Unsupported poster
• Consider providing paper copies
• Have the organisers arranged for electronic/CD
  collection of posters?

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Key components

• Abstract
• Title
• Context/ Introduction
• Figures
• Summary
• Discussion points

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Abstract

• Advertisement of work
• Basis of selection for display
• Attracts viewers
• May be citable and attract interest after meeting

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Title

• Also attracts viewers
• Must be legible from distance
• Clear message

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Context/Introduction

• Explains why study was done
• Limited amount of background
• Include hypothesis being tested
• Avoid excessive amounts of text

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Methods

• Use photographs where possible
• Essential detail only (unless purpose of poster
  is to show a new method)
• Use large font
• Use space

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Local Allergen Challenge
baseline
10 minutes
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Results

• Just key results
• Figures preferable to tables
• Supply full legends
• Logical sequence of experiments/data
• Consider summary with linking lines
• Logical layout, using board space to best effect

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Title Authors Institution
Summary
Abstract
Intro/ Context
Results 1
Results 3
Legend
Legend
Discn Points
Method
Results 2
Results 4
Funding
Legend
Legend
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Title Authors Institution
Abstract
Intro/ Context
Results 1
Results 3
Summary
Legend
Legend
Method
Results 2
Results 4
Discn Points
Funding
Legend
Legend
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Summary

• Cogent summary
• Fair accurate conclusions
• Discussion points
• to excite comments and interest
• to help with further experiments
• to help with writing up paper

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Role of presenter

• To engage with passers-by
• To answer queries
• To receive feedback
• Aim is to use time for discussion, not to explain
  methods repeatedly!

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What makes a good poster?

• Clarity of purpose
• Appropriate use of figures and legends
• Small amount of legible text
• Enthusiastic presenter

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Purpose of oral presentation

• To show work and obtain feedback for writing up
• To make a mark
• OPs are less useful than posters for
• getting comments and feedback
• getting advice for future work
• getting future collaborations
• Few questions, and usually simple ones

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Before starting

• How long have I got?
• How much time is allocated for discussion?
• Who is the audience?
• What are the main results/points?
• (one sentence summary)

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How many slides?

• Aim for one slide per minute
• More is possible but may appear rushed
• Two per minute will always be too many
• Audience need time to orient themselves
• You will usually remember some extra things that
  you want to say
• Allow time for changeover and thanks to
  organisers etc

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Key components of an oral presentation

• Context/ Introduction
• Method
• Results
• Summary
• Discussion points

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Context/Introduction

• One slide to explain why study was done
• Include hypothesis being tested
• Avoid excessive amounts of text
• Avoid long explanation of iconic cartoon
• Consider highlighting the area of interest

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Autocrine ligand
DEP
EGFR pro-ligand eg TGF?
EGFR
MMP
membrane
P
P
cell cytoplasm
TGFa heparin-binding-EGF amphiregulin
MAPK
NF-kB
Mucins
IL-8
nucleus
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Methods

• How much do you really need to show?
• Use photographs if appropriate
• Essential detail only
• (unless primary purpose of presentation is to
  show a new method)

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Which works better?
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Methods

• Diesel exhaust was generated from an idling Volvo
  engine (built 1993), diluted with filtered
  ambient air and pumped into an exposure chamber
  in the next room.
• On control days the engine was left running but
  only filtered air was supplied to the chamber
• Particulate and gas concentrations were measured
  on a continuous basis

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OR ...
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Diesel engine testbed (National Inst of Working
Life, Umeå)
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Diesel exposure chamber (National Inst of Working
Life, Umeå)
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Results

• Identify key results and stick to them
• Avoid data tables
• Avoid figures from papers
• Prepare figures to show key points

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Results -common faults

• This is a very busy slide, but if you look over
  here in the corner you can see..
• As you can clearly see..
• Im sorry. I made this slide for another meeting,
  but if you ignore this part of the graph
• Some of you at the back may not be able to read
  this

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Laser Pointers/Highlights

• Use laser pointer sparingly
• Support your wrist
• Dont hosepipe
• Consider using powerpoint features to draw
  audience to your key points e.g.
• ring highlights
• building up graphs

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Cytokine mRNA in BAL cells before and 24h after
Ag challenge
Pre
24h Post
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Allergy FarmingRiedler et al Lancet
20013581129-33
of children
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Try explaining ...
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T-cell
(via APC)
Ag
IL-4
B-cell
Mast cell
Epithelial damage
IgE
IgE
IL-5
IL-4
Tryptase
leukotrienes
Chemotaxis
Migration Activation
Recruitment
35
OR ...
36
Ag
Mast cell
Epithelial damage
IgE
IgE
Tryptase
leukotrienes
37
Ag
Mast cell
Epithelial damage
IgE
IgE
Tryptase
leukotrienes
Chemotaxis
Migration Activation
Recruitment
38
Ag
B-cell
Mast cell
Epithelial damage
IgE
IgE
Tryptase
leukotrienes
Chemotaxis
Migration Activation
Recruitment
39
T-cell
(via APC)
Ag
IL-4
B-cell
Mast cell
Epithelial damage
IgE
IgE
Tryptase
leukotrienes
Chemotaxis
Migration Activation
Recruitment
40
T-cell
(via APC)
Ag
IL-4
B-cell
Mast cell
Epithelial damage
IgE
IgE
IL-5
IL-4
Tryptase
leukotrienes
Chemotaxis
Migration Activation
Recruitment
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For complex built-up figures, make whole figure,
then make copies and delete parts
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Summary

• Bullet points only
• Discussion points
• to acknowledge weaknesses
• to compare with previous knowledge
• to excite comments and interest
• to help with writing up paper

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Acknowledgements

• Can take a long time
• Often excessive
• Often uses up a large proportion of discussion
  time
• especially if your presentation or the whole
  session is running late
• Consider giving acknowledgements at beginning (as
  part of title slide)

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Oral presentation

• Plan to use your time wisely
• Leave time for discussion
• Prepare clear figures to show results
• Use powerpoint features,
• but dont overdo it
• Speak slowly - Less is more
• Give audience some ideas for discussion
• Rehearse with an honest friend