Present Your Paper

Get ready to present your paper at a conference. A key part of the research and review process is presenting and defending your work in front of peers at a conference.

The first step in getting ready to present your paper is to determine what key message you want to communicate to your audience. Most conference presentations are 10-20 minutes long, so you will not have time to present all the details of your work. The objective of your presentation is to get people interested in your work, not to explain it to them fully.

Organize your talk with these tips:

1. Begin by stating the purpose or goal of your research. Tell the audience why your work is important.
2. Provide a very brief literature review. This will give the audience some context.
3. Move on to the main points of your own research.
4. Conclude by reiterating the importance of your research and emphasizing the key points.

Tips for Creating Presentation Slides

Remember that your slides do not have to tell the story on their own. Slides are meant to illustrate your work, not explain it entirely.

• Use graphics where possible. Limit text to phrases and bullet points, rather than full sentences.
• Once you have drafted your slides, record yourself practicing your talk with the slides so that you can identify areas for improvement.
• Be sure to stay within your time limit and leave time for questions from the audience.