9 tips for presenting at an

academic conference
a
What will you learn from these slides?

What not to do when presenting at

an academic conference

Tips for presenting at an academic

conference
Common presentation mistakes you should avoid…

DON’T !

• Use font that won’t be legible to people at the back of the room
• Use visual aids that you aren’t comfortable or haven’t rehearsed with
• Be unstructured (ensure that your points flow sensibly)
• Go over the time allotted to you
• Look continuously at the microphone or at your reference notes
• Skip practice sessions
• End abruptly
• Panic if you don’t know the answer to a question from the audience
 9 tips for presenting at a conference
Here’s what you should do….

Know your Maintain eye Use

audience contact transitions

Encourage
Strictly follow Start questions &
time limits confidently discussions

Rehearse in
Check the room Ensure a
front of a
friend in advance natural closing
 1. Know your audience (1/2)

Conference papers
should be different
from journal articles.

Understand the composition of your audience

and write your paper accordingly.

Example: Avoid basic content with experts, but provide

more background for a relatively general
audience or one that is multidisciplinary.
 1. Know your audience (2/2)
You paper is meant to be HEARD, not READ.
Remember
Audiences typically have limited attention
spans.

So what
should you do
 1. Know your audience (2/2)
You paper is meant to be HEARD, not READ.
Remember
Audiences typically have limited attention
spans.

Keep your content

simple & straightforward

So what
should you do
 1. Know your audience (2/2)
You paper is meant to be HEARD, not READ.
Remember
Audiences typically have limited attention
spans.

Keep your content

simple & straightforward

So what
should you do
 1. Know your audience (2/2)
You paper is meant to be HEARD, not READ.
Remember
Audiences typically have limited attention
spans.

Keep your content

simple & straightforward

So what
should you do
 1. Know your audience (2/2)
You paper is meant to be HEARD, not READ.
Remember
Audiences typically have limited attention
spans.

Keep your content

simple & straightforward

So what
should you do
Provide a quick recap of
points whenever
needed
 1. Know your audience (2/2)
You paper is meant to be HEARD, not READ.
Remember
Audiences typically have limited attention
spans.

Keep your content

simple & straightforward

So what
should you do
Provide a quick recap of
points whenever
needed
 1. Know your audience (2/2)
You paper is meant to be HEARD, not READ.
Remember
Audiences typically have limited attention
spans.

Keep your content

simple & straightforward

So what
should you do
Provide a quick recap of
points whenever
needed
 2. Strictly follow the time limit (1/2)

Did you know ?

It is unlikely that you will be the only
speaker scheduled for the day. Your
presentation session at a conference is
likely to last for around 20-30 minutes.

What you Always find out beforehand how much

time has been allocated to you and then
should do prepare your material accordingly.
 2. Strictly follow time limits (2/2)

• Always be prepared to
improvise, in case of any
last-minute changes in
session timings.

Be prepared for 2 types of last-minute changes:

• If you have been allotted 20 minutes, be ready with a short
outline, just in case the speaker before you has gone over
his/her time limit and you only get 10 minutes to present.
• Keep some extra material handy, in case you get 30 minutes
instead of 20.
 3. Rehearse in front of a friend
Mentally reading you paper never corresponds to the time
Did you know?
it actually takes to read it aloud in front of an audience.

Here’s what you should do:

Rehearse your content aloud a few times in front of a friend or in
front of the mirror.
Record a video of your practice sessions to view later, in order to
understand where you need to improve.
Practise along with any form of aids you intend to use, e.g., slides,
video clips.

Don’t rehearse too much just before the actual

session, or your voice might sound dull and tired.
 4. Check out the room in advance (1/2)

• Always visit the room you are

to make your presentation in,
before the actual session.
• This will give you a clear
picture of the room’s location
and size as well as its contents.

• To ensure that you aren’t rushing across an unfamiliar

WHY? campus, trying to find the room you have been assigned.
• To be prepared in advance to move any furniture as per
your requirements.
 4. Check out the room in advance (2/2)

Additional tips

• Ensure that there is water at the podium

It is likely the organizers will have made provisions for water, but
always carry your own bottle of water as insurance.
• Test the technology you intend to use in the assigned room
Make sure you are comfortable with using any form of technology
in the room before the actual session. This could include your
slides, the sound arrangements, a microphone, etc.
• Be prepared to improvise in case something goes wrong
Avoid using the time allocated to you to make technical
adjustments. This might create an air of anxiety within the room,
could distract your audience, or even make you look inept.
 5. Start confidently (1/2)

Did you know?

• Like most first impressions, how

you begin your presentation
matters a great deal.

• The first 10-20 seconds of your

session will mark whether or not
you are able to gain the audience’s
confidence and attention.

*Image designed by Freepik.com

 5. Start confidently (2/2)
Start off with a quick introduction about yourself. This will help establish
your credibility. Make sure you prepare for this in advance. Carefully
select a few highlights and be ready with a brief self-introduction.

Here is “Good morning everybody! My name is Tom

an example: Smith. I am a post graduate in medicine from
the University of Michigan, New York, and I have
spent the past five years working at the
Department of Internal Medicine, JJ Hospital.
Today, I am going to present a paper titled …..”

*Image designed by Freepik.com

 6. Maintain eye contact with the audience (1/2)

Audience engagement tips

As you begin your presentation, smile,
take a deep breath and be calm. This
will help you relax and dissolve any
awkwardness between you and the
audience.

Be aware of your posture. Always stand straight and hold your head up.
This will not only help you make eye contact with the audience but also
make you more audible.
Talk “to” your audience. Avoid continuously reading to the desk or
constantly looking into your reference material and slides . Be clear,
loud, and energetic when you address the audience.

*Image designed by Freepik.com

 6. Maintain eye contact with the audience (2/2)

Audience engagement tips

Use timely pauses to your advantage. Use these to give your audience
time to process and react to what you are saying, or to give yourself a
break to catch your breath.
Sweep your gaze around the room from time to time. This will help to
keep your audience’s attention and convey to them that you are
confident about what you are saying.
Maintain a steady speech pace.
Try not to be too fast. Be mindful of the
possibility that some people in the
audience may not have English as their
native language.

*Image designed by Freepik.com

 7 . Use transitions (1/2)

While speaking, transitions are filler

What are words that are used as you move
from one idea to another.
transitions? These will ensure that your
presentation flows smoothly.

• Furthermore
Some useful • In addition
transitions • Consequently
• Meanwhile
• Finally
 7 . Use transitions (2/2)
 In case you are using the same idea twice, you can
begin your statement with “A similar idea is…” or
“Another example is…,” etc.

 When giving a point-by-point explanation, you should

first mention the total number of points.
For example: “There are reasons for this. The first
reason is….; the second reason is; etc.”

 When introducing a new section or idea, you could

simply pause. Alternately, you could make a direct
statement:
“Let’s move to the next part of the presentation”
“To move on to another idea…”
 8. Encourage questions and discussions

When questions are asked

If you don’t understand a question, you could ask

the person to rephrase it. In cases where audience
members are excited, unprepared or are rambling,
help them reframe a question.

Don’t panic if you don’t know the answer to one or

two questions. Instead, thank the person for raising
the question, and say that you have not explored
this angle, but will definitely think about it.

Give the audience cues by pointing out a weakness

If no questions of the paper. However, don’t worry if questions
are asked aren’t raised even after you’ve asked a few times.
 9. Ensure that the closing is natural

What you should do towards the end of the session

When you feel that you have answered enough questions or

when you think that you are out of time:
• Ask the audience if there are any more questions (if there
are questions, answer them)
• Offer your contact information
• Convey to the audience that you are open to receiving
questions from them over email

If there are no more questions, then thank your audience for

attending the session and walk off the stage or podium.
 After your conference presentation
• Once your presentation session has
come to an end, do not leave the
room immediately.

• Take the time to interact further with

people who could still have
questions.

• It is also likely that some people

might have questions that occurred
to them after you concluded the
presentation or might want to talk to
you one-on-one.

• Ensure that you have handouts and

business cards ready for potentially
interested individuals.

*Image designed by Freepik.com

 Sources
• 8 Tips for presenting a paper at an academic conference
http://www.editage.com/insights/8-tips-for-presenting-a-paper-at-an-
academic-conference
• PRESENTING A CONFERENCE PAPER
http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/fass/organisations/canadian/general%20docum
ents%20not%20password%20protected/presenting%20a%20conference%2
0paper.pdf
• Conference Rules: Everything You Need to Know about Presenting a
Scholarly Paper in Public
https://cirt.gcu.edu/research/developmentresources/research_ready/prese
ntationready/conf_formats
• So you have been asked to speak at a conference
https://www.slideshare.net/benjaminball/so-you-have-been-asked-to-
speak-at-a-conference
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