How to Present a Scientific Article

Topics we’ll discuss Getting started

Displaying text

Displaying graphics

Animating

Presenting

Critiquing sample slides

Getting Started

• Create a slide show that is an outline, not a script

• Use the slide show... to select important information and visuals

to organize content

to create a hierarchy

Getting Started

• Set up Slide Master Allows you to design the “look” of your

slide show

• Browse design templates or create your own

Getting Started

To select a design, ask yourself:

In what type of room will I give my talk?

• Well-lit room: use light background / dark text and visuals

• Dimly-lit room: use dark background / light text and visuals

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Selecting Content

• Consider your audience!

• State problem/question clearly & early (title, abstract, intro)

• Include significance

• Include background: organism/system

• Concisely state the “point of departure” for work

Selecting Content, Part 2

• Results: include the how & the why!

Hypothesis

Method (remember audience)

Show figures and guide audience through them

State authors’ conclusions; your agreement or disagreement

• Summarize paper’s overall conclusions

• Suggest areas for improvement; future investigations

Displaying Text

• Remember that your audience... skims each slide

looks for critical points, not details

needs help reading/ seeing text

• Help your audience by… Projecting a clear font

Using bullets

Using content-specific headings

Using short phrases

Using grammatical parallelism

Project a Clear Font

• Serif: easy to read in printed documents Times New Roman, Palatino, Garamond

• Sans serif: easy to see projected across the room Arial, Helvetica, Geneva

Use Bullets

• Bullets help your audience to skim the slide

to see relationships between information

organize information in a logical way

• For example, this is Main Point 1, which leads to... Sub-point 1

• Further subordinated point 1

• Further subordinated point 2

Sub-point 2

Use Content-Specific Headings

• “Results” suggests the content area for a slide

• “Substance X upregulates gene Y” (with data shown below) shows the audience what is observed

Use Short Phrases

• Be clear, concise, accurate

• Write complete sentences only in certain cases:

Hypothesis / problem statement

Quote

???

Difficult to read

DNA polymerase catalyzes elongation of DNA chains in

the 5’ to 3’ direction

Better

DNA polymerase extends 5’ to 3’

Use Grammatical Parallelism• Use same grammatical form in lists

• Not Parallel: Cells were lysed in buffer

5 minute centrifuging of lysate

Removed supernatant

• Parallel: Lysed cells in buffer

Centrifuged lysate for 5 minutes

Removed supernatant

Use Grammatical ParallelismHow would you revise this list?

Telomeres

• Contain non-coding DNA

• Telomerases can extended telomeres

• Cells enter senescence/apoptosis when telomeres are too short

Displaying Visuals

• Select visuals that enhance understanding Figures from paper: evidence for argument

Figures from other sources (web; review articles):

• Model a process or concept

• Help explain background, context

• Design easy-to-read visuals Are the visuals easy to read by all members of

your audience?

• Draw attention to aspects of visuals

Simplify and Draw Attention

http://www.indstate.edu/thcme/mwking/tca-cycle.html

Displaying Visuals

Harvey et al. (2005) Cell 122:407-20

Choose Color Carefully

Cite Others’ Visuals

http://www.bioc.rice.edu/~shamoo/shamoolab.html

Harvey et al. (2005) Cell 122:407-20

Animating

• Allows you to add text, visuals, or line work sequentially to the slide

• Should be used purposefully (and sparingly!) To aid in the audience’s ability to

comprehend your message

Not solely for aesthetic purposes

Animating

Use professional animation methods for text (avoid fly in, typewriter, etc.)

Presenting

• Delivery

• Handling questions

Delivery

• Physical Environment

• Stance

Body language

Handling notes

• Gestures

• Eye contact

• Voice quality

Volume

Inflection

Pace

Handling Questions

• LISTEN

• Repeat or rephrase

• Watch body language

• Don’t pretend to know

Samples

Features to consider:

• Text Fonts, use of phrases, parallelism

• Visuals Readability, drawing attention

• Slide design

• Organization/ hierarchy Titles, bullets, arrangement of information, font

size

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The Calcium IonThe Calcium Ion

Calcium is a crucial cell-signaling moleculeCalcium is a crucial cell-signaling molecule

–Calcium is toxic at high intracellular concentrations because of the phosphate-based system energy system

–Intracellular concentrations of calcium are kept very low, which allows an influx of calcium to be a signal to alter transcription

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MicroarraysMicroarrays

Phillips G. (2004) Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine.

Use Grammatical ParallelismOne possible revision…

Telomeres

• Contain non-coding DNA

• Are extended by telomerase

• Cause senescence/apoptosis when shortened too much