Presenting at an academic conference is an essential and inevitable part of a researcher's life. In order to make a successful and effective conference presentation, knowing your research paper in its entirety is not enough. You must also be well-prepared in terms of of public speaking factors such as observing time limits, making eye contact, engaging the audience, etc. This Slideshare will equip you with 9 tips to help you effectively communicate your research at your next academic conference.

1. a
9 tips for presenting at an
academic conference

2. What will you learn from these slides?
Tips for presenting at an academic
conference
What not to do when presenting at
an academic conference

3. Common presentation mistakes you should avoid…
• 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
DON’T !

4. 9 tips for presenting at a conference
Know your
audience
Strictly follow
time limits
Rehearse in
front of a
friend
Check the room
in advance
Start
confidently
Maintain eye
contact
Use
transitions
Encourage
questions &
discussions
Ensure a
natural closing
Here’s what you should do….

5. 1. Know your audience (1/2)
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.
Conference papers
should be different
from journal articles.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

13. 2. Strictly follow the time limit (1/2)
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.
Always find out beforehand how much
time has been allocated to you and then
prepare your material accordingly.
Did you know ?
What you
should do

14. 2. Strictly follow time limits (2/2)
• Always be prepared to
improvise, in case of any
last-minute changes in
session timings.
• 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.
Be prepared for 2 types of last-minute changes:

15. 3. Rehearse in front of a friend
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.
Mentally reading you paper never corresponds to the time
it actually takes to read it aloud in front of an audience.
Here’s what you should do:
Did you know?
Don’t rehearse too much just before the actual
session, or your voice might sound dull and tired.

16. 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.
WHY?
• To ensure that you aren’t rushing across an unfamiliar
campus, trying to find the room you have been assigned.
• To be prepared in advance to move any furniture as per
your requirements.

17. 4. Check out the room in advance (2/2)
• 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.
Additional tips

18. 5. Start confidently (1/2)
• 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
Did you know?

19. 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.
“Good morning everybody! My name is Tom
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 …..”
Here is
an example:
*Image designed by Freepik.com

20. 6. Maintain eye contact with the audience (1/2)
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.
Audience engagement tips
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

21. 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

22. 7 . Use transitions (1/2)
What are
transitions?
While speaking, transitions are filler
words that are used as you move
from one idea to another.
These will ensure that your
presentation flows smoothly.
Some useful
transitions
• Furthermore
• In addition
• Consequently
• Meanwhile
• Finally

23. 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…”

24. 8. Encourage questions and discussions
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
of the paper. However, don’t worry if questions
aren’t raised even after you’ve asked a few times.
When questions are asked
If no questions
are asked

25. 9. Ensure that the closing is natural
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.
What you should do towards the end of the session

26. 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

27. • 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
Sources

28. www.editage.com/insights
@EditageInsights
Connect with us
For more useful resources and tips on publication,
visit our website: