Oral Presentations Guidelines
Guidelines for oral short presentation of 6 minutes
Detailed guidelines for preparing PowerPoint presentations
Visuals should support your presentation. They should be related to what you are saying, clearly visible, well organized, and emphasize the most important points. A visual that is overloaded or difficult to read or understand will only distract. The goal is to get your message across (not to show off the features of PowerPoint). Keep it simple for maximum impact!
Your presentation should be prepared in PowerPoint, with a slide format for 16:9 screen.
Please name your PowerPoint file according to the following example: oral-session-number.firstauthor.name.ppt (example: O21.martin.ppt) and then save the file in PowerPoint or PDF format: only these two formats will be accepted for the oral presentation. Further technical information will be provided on how to upload your file to a platform.
Your presentation should be prepared in PowerPoint, with a slide format for 16:9 screen.
Please name your PowerPoint file according to the following example: oral-session-number.firstauthor.name.ppt (example: O21.martin.ppt) and then save the file in PowerPoint or PDF format: only these two formats will be accepted for the oral presentation. Further technical information will be provided on how to upload your file to a platform.
Your short oral presentation should not exceed 6 minutes
(4 additional minutes will be allowed for questions)
(4 additional minutes will be allowed for questions)
Basic rules
- Create a title slide to introduce your presentation and set the scene. Show it when you are ready to start to get people's attention. This is the only slide in your presentation that may have a logo.
- Headings should be short. Keep your other messages short as well. Do not write your text in sentences. Instead, use keywords and bullets to focus attention. Illustrations can help emphasize your messages.
- What to include? Think about the main points you want to convey to the audience, and then divide your slides to make them as concise and clear as possible. It is recommended to keep the "Methods" section to the essentials, since the audience will have your full paper in advance. Prefer to go straight to the main results for maximum clarity and impact.
- Headings should be short. Keep your other messages short as well. Do not write your text in sentences. Instead, use keywords and bullets to focus attention. Illustrations can help emphasize your messages.
- What to include? Think about the main points you want to convey to the audience, and then divide your slides to make them as concise and clear as possible. It is recommended to keep the "Methods" section to the essentials, since the audience will have your full paper in advance. Prefer to go straight to the main results for maximum clarity and impact.
Too many slides?
You should have about one slide for every minute of your talk (6 minutes = more or less 6 slides). Be prepared to omit slides if time is against you. The most important slides are often at the end, i.e. the conclusions and implications. Plan your presentation so that there is no risk of having to leave out the most important slides!
Not too much information!
- Keep it simple. It is difficult for audiences in long sessions to absorb complex information from one slide (most slides are up for less than 90 seconds). NO animated slides as the file used for the presentation is a pdf file.
- Tables– if you have more than four rows by four columns it will be difficult to read. Tables taken directly from a journal or your paper may be impossible to read and understand on a slide. Rounding numbers can help with clarity. Use graphs to show a trend or make a comparison.
- Graphs and charts. Do not use too many lines on a line graph, or bars on a chart. It may be easier for the audience to quickly see what a line represents: prefer to put a label next to each line (instead of legends outside the graph). Using colours or shading will help distinguish lines, bars etc. Remember that the axes should be quantified and named.
- Pictures and photos will add impact and help illustrate, but they can be overused. Ask yourself if they really help the talk.
Avoid small font sizes!
Font size 24 is usually a minimum size for the text, but it can preferably be larger for both in text and headings. Use fonts that have been widely used for many years, such as Arial, Verdana, Calibri... This will reduce problems that may occur if the presentation is viewed on a different PC than the one which it was produced. Another option is to save the file by using “Pack and go”. Words written in lowercase letters (or with an initial capital) are easier to read than words written in uppercase.
Colours
- Colour can make visuals more appealing, but too much colour on a slide can distract from your message. Text and charts are usually best viewed against a solid background.
- Create a good contrast between text and background, such as dark text on a light background. Although it is not recommended, if you use a dark background, make the text white or yellow (and preferably bold)
- Avoid relying solely on red vs. green; people who are colourblind may miss it.
- Choose colours, contrasts and font sizes that maximise the possibility of keeping the room lights on during your presentation. Lights in the room help you connect with your audience and helps keep them awake!
Test
Test your presentation in a room to make sure it is clear for those sitting at the back of the room. However, as a first test, you can check that your slides are easy to read in PowerPoint’s “Slide Sorter View” (select zoom 100%).
Upload onsite & check
You will have to upload your presentation in the Speaker´s Preview Room at least 2 hours before the session starts where you will have the opportunity to check your slides.
Important Dates
- 4 December 2023
Call for prepoposal - 26 January 2024
Registration open 31 January 20248 February 2024
Deadline for prepoposal submission- 1 February 2024
Call for communications - 29 February 2024 7 March 2024
Deadline for communication submission - 31 May 2024
Notification of acceptance/rejection of communications - 2-4 October 2024
WRC 2024