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Present
Welcome to Week 3 of the Paper Trail. This week’s topic is Present, where the focus is on mastering the art of academic presentation. Week one (Introduce) described the process of introducing a new research idea and getting the word out. Week two (Build) focused on how to take your idea to the next phase through writing. You might have noticed an interesting development on our graphic for this week: a dashed line that goes back and forth between weeks two and three. We want you to consider that the path might not be completely linear at this point. You might be presenting while building or even moving from presenting back to building. This acknowledges that everyone’s path might be different and that walking the path a bit out of order is entirely likely.
Be yourself; everyone else is already taken. ~ Oscar Wilde
Presentations are a vital part of academic success. Whether you’re pitching a new idea, presenting research findings, or leading a class, the ability to present effectively can set you apart. But delivering a compelling presentation isn’t just about sharing information; it’s about engaging and inspiring your audience.
To offer some helpful advice on this topic, we have esteemed author, mentor, presenter, Dr. Paul Fyfe with us. Dr. Fyfe is an Associate Professor at NC State University in the Department of English and program faculty in the Communications, Rhetoric, and Digital Media program. He earned a PhD from the University of Virginia and developed specialties in Victorian literature as well as book and media history. At NC State, he teaches courses in nineteenth-century British literature, technologies of texts and writing, and digital humanities. He is often asked as a guest lecturer/presenter and has written numerous books and articles. Paul is a mentor to many and has received the NC State University’s Alumni Association Outstanding Teacher Award.
Dr. Fyfe recently talked with me about the importance of prioritizing your time, building connections to your academic community, emulating presentation styles that you admire and the challenges of keeping presentations simple and engaging at the same time. In this post, presentations are organized into five main topic areas with tangible objectives to consider: preparing, designing, practicing, delivering, and post-presentation.
Preparing Objectives
- Understand your audience set clear goals
- Define the Purpose: Clearly define the purpose of your presentation. Having a clear goal will help you structure your content effectively.
- Research and Gather Content
- Create an Outline: Organize your content into a logical flow. Start with an introduction that outlines what you will cover, followed by the main body where you delve into details, and conclude with a summary and call to action.
Think about your presentation not just as a script, but also as a story. Be the engaging storyteller, not necessarily giving the audience all your information, details and data points to absorb, but creating a narrative to which they will assimilate new information. Select conferences where you can present and engage with fellow academics in your field and other similar fields. Making connections with the academic community is important, especially when you need advice or looking for inspiration. ~ Paul Fyfe
Designing Your Presentation Objectives
- Choose the Right Tools: PowerPoint, Keynote, and other presentation tools offer various features to help you design your slides. Choose a tool that you’re comfortable with and that suits your presentation style.
- Create Visually Appealing Material
- Use Images and Graphics: Visuals can make your presentation more engaging and help illustrate your points.
- Consistent Design: Use a consistent color scheme, fonts, and layout. This creates a professional look.
- Minimal Text: Avoid cluttering your slides with too much text. Use bullet points to highlight key information.
Incorporate some blank slides into your presentation, as a way of signaling the audience’s attention back to you. Less is more, motto is a great approach. Try to design 20 slides or less, with 20 seconds per slide, and 5 words or less on each slide to help connect more with your audience. If you don’t know how to create visually appealing material, that’s ok, as for help from the library or other fellow colleagues, as they may know of someone for assistance. ~ Paul Fyfe
Practice Objectives
- Rehearse Thoroughly: Practice is key to a successful presentation. Rehearse multiple times, preferably in front of an audience, to get feedback and make improvements.
- Timing: Ensure your presentation fits within the allotted time. Practice with a timer to gauge your pacing.
- Technical Check: Familiarize yourself with the equipment and software you’ll be using. Check for any potential technical issues beforehand to avoid surprises.
Practice is very important, even if you know the material. Try to find someone who can watch your performance and give you honest feedback. Ask them, did they find anything difficult to follow, what could you eliminate or what is missing? ~ Paul Fyfe
Delivery Objectives
- Engage Your Audience including:
- Eye Contact: Establish a connection with your audience by making eye contact.
- Body Language: Use positive body language to convey confidence.
- Voice Modulation: Vary your tone and pace to maintain interest.
- Handling Nervousness: It’s normal to feel nervous. Techniques such as deep breathing, visualization, and positive affirmations can help calm your nerves.
- Q&A Sessions: Prepare for potential questions.
Approach and practice your presentation like you are a performer on a stage and make it memorable. Be honest if you don’t know answers immediately but offer to follow up with them later in an email. Help to turn the question back on the audience, by asking them why they felt a certain way and build dialogue off those questions. View the question-and-answer section of your presentation like an excellent opportunity to learn a different perspective on the topic. ~ Paul Fyfe
Post-Presentation Objectives
- Gather Feedback: After your presentation, seek feedback from your audience. This can provide valuable insights into areas for improvement.
- Reflect and Improve: Reflect on what went well and what could be improved. Continuous learning and practice are key to becoming a better presenter.
- Follow-Up Actions: Ensure you follow up on any promises made during the presentation, such as sending additional information or answering outstanding questions.
You never know who might be in your audience listening, first time researchers to veterans of education. Be ready to answer the question, what are you planning on doing with the research material that you just talked about? ~ Paul Fyfe
In conclusion, effective presentations are a blend of careful preparation, thoughtful design, and confident delivery. By understanding your audience, creating engaging content, and practicing thoroughly, you can deliver presentations that not only inform but also inspire. So, take these tips, apply them, and start mastering the art of presentations.
We hope this content was useful to you, and please know that we want to support you. You can leave us a comment (if you have an NC State ID), or we will be following this conversation on X at #NCStatePaperTrail and you can join us there. Looking forward to hearing from you!
If you would like to connect with Paul Fyfe, you can do so here. https://chass.ncsu.edu/people/pcfyfe/
Goodreads. (n.d.). Oscar Wilde quotes (author of the Picture of Dorian Gray). Goodreads. https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/3565.Oscar_Wilde
Fyfe, P. Digital Victorials: From the Nineteenth-Century Media to Digital Humanities https://www.sup.org/books/title/?id=37803
Paul Fyfe, Antony Harrison, David Hill, Sharon Joffe, and Sharon Setzer, Victoria’s Lost Pavilion: From Nineteenth-Century Aesthetics to Digital Humanities (Palgrave Macmillan, 2017). Chapter 5 pre-print: https://hcommons.org/deposits/item/hc:21341/
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