“There are only two types of speakers in the world. 1. The nervous and 2. Liars.” – Mark Twain
Developing strong presentation skills is an integral part of becoming a successful scientist. In fact, it is likely that more people will listen to your talk than will actually read your scientific publication. Throughout your career, your scientific reputation will be enhanced (or harmed!) by your scientific presentations and public speaking skills. Sitting through a bad scientific talk is like sitting through a bad movie – being remembered for a “bad talk” is a far cry from being remembered as a brilliant scientist. To help you develop the skills to present a well organized, well delivered scientific talk, here are some helpful links.
Videos
- Designing effective scientific presentations – by Susan McConnell, Stanford University (42 minutes) – highly recommended
- Avoiding Death by Powerpoint– by Mark Gale, Athens State University
- Giving a Scientific Presentation – Hints and Tips – by James Clark, King’s College London (31 minutes)
- TED’s Secret to great public speaking by Chris Anderson, TED Studio (7:49 minutes)
Articles
- Ten Secrets to Giving a Good Scientific Talk – Mark Schoeberl and Brian Toon
- Dazzle ’em with Style: The Art of Oral Scientific Presentation – a brief summary of the book by the same name by Robert Anholt, 1994
- Giving Science Talks – by Colin Purrington
- How Not To Give a Scientific Talk – by Michael De Robertis
- How To Improve The Presentation Skills Of Ph.D. Students – by Susanne Ulm
- The Speaking Scientist – blog by Brad Wallace
Books
Dazzle ‘Em With Style: The Art of Oral Scientific Presentation
by Robert RH Anholt, 2005 (ISBN: 0123694523)
Communicating in Science: Writing a Scientific Paper and Speaking at Scientific Meetings
by Vernon Booth, 1993 (ISBN: 0521429153)
Designing Science Presentations: A Visual Guide to Figures, Papers, Slides, Posters, and More
by Matt Carter, 2013 (ISBN: 0123859697)
Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery
by Garr Reynolds, 2011 (ISBN: 0321811984)