Conference presentations are ideal for an introduction to the world of academia and research for young or beginning researchers. They are semi-formal presentations that allow you to introduce your research with an opportunity for feedback from peers and senior researchers in your field.
In addition, it allows you to practice writing and presenting research. Most conferences have two three segments — 1. The written conference paper, which is typically published in an academic book; 2. The oral presentation, which takes the form of a PPT representation; and 3. Scientific posters, which is a brief visual presentation with a chart or poster.Â
In this article, I focus on the tips that you should follow to present and even write a conference presentation or report.
What is a conference presentation?Â
A conference presentation is a formal oral presentation of research at a meeting. This involves usually using PPT slides to present research that has already been written in the form of a scientific or research paper. Besides the oral presentation, conferences also include other aspects, namely:
The Written conference paper
The scientific poster
The conference report
Conference representations provide researchers with the chance to share their work, engage with peers, receive feedback, and stay up-to-date with the latest developments in their field.
In some master's degree programs, especially for those that are business-related, part of the requirement of fulfilling the degree is qualifying to present your research at a conference. Therefore, an oral presentation may be your first time to present your research in a large crowd in a formal manner, as well as being a major milestone in your academic career.
What is a conference paper?
The conference paper is the written manuscript that must be written and submitted to qualify for participation in the conference. Therefore, participation in the conference does not end or begin with the oral presentation. You should complete and submit your report through the application system in response to a call for conference papers.
A conference paper is structured in the same way that a scientific paper is structured. It follows the IMRaD format, that is, it must have an introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion. The major difference between a conference paper and a scientific paper is the fact that the conference paper is not peer-reviewed.
Your conference paper may be published by the conference in the same form as a scientific paper. However, it will not be considered as primary literature. Instead, it will be considered "gray literature," that is, useful scientific information that does not have the same value or authority as scientific papers published in peer-reviewed journals.
How to write a conference paper
Writing a good conference paper depends on following a similar process to writing a scientific paper:
Select an appropriate topic
Use a well-prepared template or outline
Make use of credible sources
Follow the IMRaD format to write the paper
To learn more about this process, check out this prior article: How to Write a Scientific Paper: A Definitive Guide. Although a conference paper may not be subject to the same rigorous scrutiny as a peer-reviewed paper, you should nevertheless try as much as possible to follow the same standards.
Your introduction should clearly state the problem and its background and explain the research gap. Your methods should be easy-to-follow and reproducible. When presenting results, make sure you include all relevant information and leave out what is non-essential. Your discussion should state all the limitations of your study. This in particular is relevant as conference papers typically have lower standards than scientific papers.
Be prepared to explain and receive suggestions on how your research can be improved. Conference papers and presentations are opportunities to get rich and expert feedback that will improve your work. Eventually, after the appropriate corrections and adjustments, your work may qualify for scientific publication.
Example of a conference paper
Below is an example of an abstract from a conference paper: Hsu, J. L., & Antoine, M. (2021). Analytical Skills in Statistical Applications Based on End-of-Term Students’ Self-evaluations. In Innovative Technologies and Learning: 4th International Conference, ICITL 2021, Virtual Event, November 29–December 1, 2021, Proceedings 4 (pp. 389-396). Springer International Publishing.
With big data and crowd computing in the contemporary business environment, the minimum requirement for a business graduate to locate a job includes the ability to work on data and delivering some meaningful preliminary results for decision making in management. The objectives of this study are as follows: (1) reveal students’ end-of-term self-evaluations of statistical methods they feel comfortable in application; (2) categorize statistical models into various levels and then link students’ end-of-term self-evaluations to understand students’ confidence in statistical applications; and (3) evaluate the effects of problem-based learning (PBL) on student outcomes for the various subjects. Three courses are included in data generation: (1) Statistics (I) and (II), (2) Regression Analysis, and (3) Business Forecasting. In both Regression Analysis and Business Forecasting, PBL was applied, and term projects were required for students to practice their analytical skills in PBL exercises and projects. Results indicated that the more advanced the statistical courses students took, the more they perceive learning statistics as important. Moreover, students valued the importance of using statistical applications at work in the future higher if a more advanced course had been taken. Suggestions based on findings in this study are provided for instructors to enhance students’ analytical skills in undergraduate statistical courses.
Tips for an effective oral presentation at a conference
A successful oral presentation at a conference depends on preparation and a slide display that is easy to follow and understand. Below, we provide several tips to follow to make sure that you do just that.Â
1. Know your audience. You should gather intelligence on who you are presenting to. Some conferences include people who are leaders in their field. For all you know, your slide may include sources from people in the audience. Therefore, make sure you did the right research and are ready for questions.Â
2. Structure your content. Organize your presentation according to IMRaD. This stands for Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion. Include a slide that lays out this structure at the beginning.
3. Keep slides simple. Remember the acronym KISS when creating your slides. It stands for keeping it simple stupid. It might sound crude; however, it is a reminder to speak clearly and simply without using unnecessary jargon. This means using minimal text, clear fonts, and high-contrast colors.Â
Avoid clutter like the plague. This means most of the information should be in your head. The slides should provide only essential information and highlights. Of course, this means a lot of practice and deep familiarity with your work. Incorporating relevant images, charts, and graphs can also enhance understanding and help in keeping things simple.Â
4. Practice timing. Most conference presentations are brief — about ten minutes long. This means you should rehearse to ensure that you don’t go over the allotted time. After all, most conferences stipulate that you should leave time for questions.Â
5. Engage the audience. A conference presentation is not a written report and should not be treated as such. Bear your audience in mind when presenting. Keep them entertained. How do you do so? You can begin with a hook or an interesting story.
Keep a smile on your face, and maintain eye contact. Maintaining eye contact may be difficult in front of a huge crowd. How do you maintain eye contact with a massive crowd? Well, you follow the example of the best entertainers.Â
Pick one person at a time from the crowd to maintain eye contact for a few seconds at a time (5–10 s). You should also use body language intelligently and naturally. This means standing confidently and using natural hand gestures. It must be said the only way you can pull this off naturally is through constant rehearsal of your presentation.Â
6. Anticipate questions. If you are familiar enough with your research and its limitations or implications, you should be able to anticipate the questions that your audience may have. Therefore, prepare yourself to address potential questions, and be cool and professional while doing so. Â
What is the conference report?
A conference report is a formal analysis or summary of the key discussions and insights from a national or international conference. Sometimes, you aren't always the one presenting at the conference. You may be there on assignment as a reporter or consultant gathering information on the latest trends in the industry. You may even be a student who is given an assignment to give a summary of what you observed at the conference.
Usually, conference organizers nominate research students and early-career scholars to write conference reports. Therefore, as a conference report witer, you may not have much experience writing a report. Here are a few tips to follow.
1. Bear in mind your audience. Who is your target audience? Are they experts and professionals or are they a broader audience? For experts and professionals, it's fine to use highly technical jargon. However, for a broader non-expert audience, it would be best to use more ordinary language.
2. Avoid a long and dry list of items. It would be a bad idea to just give a sequential list of papers and presentations at a conference. This would quickly turn your report into a bore fest. You should instead focus on contributions that were interesting and keynote presentations. Come up with an overarching theme and narrative and arrange ideas and papers to suit that narrative.
3. Be polite and professional in your criticism. It's OK to criticize ideas. However, you should refrain from criticizing individuals. Remember many of the presentations will be carried out by young professionals at the start of their academic careers. Therefore, their presentations would be far from perfect.
4. Be concise. A typical report should include only essential information. Try to keep it between 500 and 1000 words. Although you might be tempted to include as much as possible to give a more accurate idea of what took place at the conference, this will not be practical.
How EminentEdit can help with your conference paper
At EminentEdit, we understand the importance of conference papers for your academic progress. We have editors who have published their own academic work and who are familiar with the process of conference reports and presentations.
So, we know exactly what it takes to prepare a great conference paper.Â
EminentEdit provides editing and proofreading services that are:
More importantly, we are adaptable to your specific needs. | Get in touch with one of our representatives for help in editing your manuscript We know what you want to say. We help you say it better. |
Our services don't just start with proofreading the final product. It also includes help from the very start, such as editing and double-checking your conference proposal. Our manuscript editing services include the following:
Developmental editing to make sure your proposal can be transformed into a thesis that can pass your defense or committee review
Substantive editing to improve the quality of your writing on a sentence level
Extensive commentary and recommendations to improve literature review, structure, and arguments
Proofreading to make sure your writing is grammatically correct with proper spelling and punctuation
Assistance in transforming your thesis into a published scientific paperÂ
Get in touch with one of our representatives through our contact page here: CONTACT US AT EMINENT EDIT. Good luck with your research writing!
Cite this EminentEdit article |
Antoine, M. (2024, November 23). Conference Presentations: A Comprehensive Guide. https://www.eminentediting.com/post/conference-presentations-a-comprehensive-guide |
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