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Designing Science Presentations
A Visual Guide to Figures, Papers, Slides, Posters, and More
- 1st Edition - December 31, 2012
- Author: Matt Carter
- Language: English
- Paperback ISBN:9 7 8 - 0 - 1 2 - 3 8 5 9 6 9 - 3
- eBook ISBN:9 7 8 - 0 - 1 2 - 3 8 5 9 7 0 - 9
Designing Science Presentations guides researchers and graduate students of virtually any discipline in the creation of compelling science communication. Most scientists never rec… Read more
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Request a sales quoteDesigning Science Presentations guides researchers and graduate students of virtually any discipline in the creation of compelling science communication. Most scientists never receive formal training in the creation, delivery, and evaluation of such material, yet it is essential for publishing in high-quality journals, soliciting funding, attracting lab personnel, and advancing a career.
This clear, readable volume fills that gap and provides visually intensive guidance at every step—from the construction of original figures to the presentation and delivery of those figures in papers, slideshows, posters, and websites. It provides pragmatic advice on the preparation and delivery of exceptional scientific presentations; demonstrates hundreds of visually striking presentation techniques, giving readers inspiration for creating their own; and is structured so that readers can easily find answers to particular questions.
- Clear heading for each section indicates its message, highlighted with graphic illustrations
- Two summary paragraphs that complement the visual images and clearly discuss the main point
- Numerous examples of high-quality figures, page layouts, slides, posters, and web pages to help stimulate readers' ideas for their own presentations
- Numerous "before and after" examples to illustrate the contrast between poor and outstanding presentations
Researchers and graduate students in virtually all scientific disciplines, including life science, physical science, and chemistry
Foreword
Acknowledgments
Goals of This Book
Part 1: Designing Exceptional Science Presentations
1. Scientists as Designers
Necessary Ingredients in any Science Presentation
Doesn’t Good Scientific Content Speak for Itself?
Any Scientist Can Be a Designer
What is Design?
What Design Is Not
Design Is Ultimately about the Audience
Embrace Simplicity
About “The Rules”
Appreciate the Design around You
Appreciate the Presentations of Other Scientists
Design Is a Continuous Process
Summary: Don’ts and Dos
2. Design Goals for Different Presentation Formats
Defining the Goals of Presentation Formats
Advantages and Disadvantages of Presentation Formats
Reasons for Success and Failure
Design a Presentation with Your Format in Mind
Summary: Don’ts and Dos
3. Twenty-One Characteristics Shared by Exceptional Presenters
1 Choose to Design a Presentation
2 Present to Communicate a Message
3 Know Your Target Audience
4 Demonstrate Care and Respect for Your Audience
5 Declare the Question or Goal that Drives Your Science
6 Inspire Interest in Your Subject
7 Demonstrate Expertise
8 Introduce Your Background and Methods with Clarity
9 Balance Details with the Big Picture
10 Highlight One to Three Take-Home Points
11 Follow Time Restrictions
12 Radiate Enthusiasm
13 Demonstrate Accessibility and Friendliness
14 Read and Respond to Your Audience
15 Design Visual Elements with Care
16 Present Information One Piece at a Time
17 Let Your Narrative Lead Your Visuals
18 Master Your Presentation Technology
19 Master the Written English Language
20 Be Yourself
21 Transform Anxiety into Positive Energy
Summary: Don’ts and Dos
Part 2: Visual Elements in Science Presentations
4. Color
Why We Use Color
Color Gone Wild
Describing Color
The Color Wheel
Choosing Color Combinations Using a Color Wheel
Warm and Cool Colors
Using Color to Highlight
Emotional Associations of Different Colors
Background Colors and Contrast
Color in a Colorless Environment
Black and White are Colors, Too
How Computers Specify Color
What You See Might Not Be What You Get
Summary: Don’ts and Dos
5. Typography
Decisions about Text Matter
Dissection of a Font
Personality of Fonts
Sizing Up a Font
Casing
Legibility
Typesetting
Bullets
Numbers
Summary: Don’ts and Dos
6. Words
Words Matter
Avoid Wordiness
Colloquialism and Slang
Singular versus Plural
Active versus Passive Verbs
Verb Tense
Commonly Misused Words
Understand the Distinctions between Similar Words
The Burden of Proof
Latin Abbreviations
Writing about Numbers
Summary: Don’ts and Dos
7. Tables
Anatomy of a Table
When to Use a Table
Tables Differ among Different Presentation Formats
Logically Formatting a Table
Text and Number Alignment
Gridlines on Tables
Summary: Don’ts and Dos
8. Charts
When to Use a Chart
Categories of Charts
Anatomy of a Chart
The Best Chart Titles are Conclusions
About Figure Legends
2D Charts are Almost Always Better than 3D
General Design Considerations for Charts
Designing a Line Chart
Designing a Bar Chart
Designing a Histogram
Designing a Scatterplot
Designing a Pie Chart
Help Your Audience Visualize What is Most Important
Reduce Clutter Wherever Possible
Summary: Don’ts and Dos
9. Diagrams
When to Use a Diagram
Clearly Define the Purpose of a Diagram
General Design Considerations for Diagrams
Considerations for Labeling Diagrams
Designing Venn Diagrams
Designing Flowcharts
Designing Tree Diagrams
Designing Timelines
Designing Pictorial Diagrams
Designing Maps
Designing Sequence Maps
Designing Network Diagrams
Designing Pathway Diagrams
Designing Procedural Diagrams
Summary: Don’ts and Dos
10. Photographs
Why Show a Photo?
Assume That Representative Photographic Data Will Be Harshly Judged
Adjust Data Images Ethically
Labeling Photographic Images
Be Picky about Finding Images
Crop Photos to Emphasize What Is Important
Use the Rule of Thirds to Improve Your Images
Adjust Image Settings to Your Needs
Image File Formats
Ideal Image Resolutions for Presentation Formats
Summary: Don’ts and Dos
Part 3: Written Presentations
11. Ten Techniques for Improving Scientific Writing
1 Clearly State Your Scientific Topic and Goal
2 Only Write Statements That Can Be Interpreted in a Single Way
3 Order Information Consistently
4 Use Strong Topic Sentences
5 Use Transitions to Unite Your Paper
6 Avoid Wordiness
7 Own and Use a Style Guide
8 Avoid Reader Turn-Offs
9 Know That Good Writing Is Great Editing
10 Seek Feedback
Summary: Don’ts and Dos
12. Research Articles
The Purpose of a Research Article
The Structure of a Research Article
The Title Should Emphasize What is Most Important
The Abstract
The Introduction
Materials and Methods
The Results
Marrying Figures with Text
The Discussion
Common Reasons for Rejection
Summary: Don’ts and Dos
13. Review Articles
The Purpose of a Review Article
Different Methods of Presenting the Literature
Help Your Readers
Advice on the Writing Process
Summary: Don’ts and Dos
14. Research Proposals
The Purpose of a Research Proposal: To Justify
Pleasing Your Reviewers
The Structure of a Research Proposal
The Logic of Your Experimental Design
Enhance the Visual Design of Your Proposals
Summary: Don’ts and Dos
Part 4: Slide Presentations
15. The Use of Slides in Oral Presentations
The Purpose of Slides as Presentation Tools
Slides are for the Audience, Not the Speaker
Design a Slide Presentation from an Audience’s Perspective
Know Your Audience
Create Ideas, Not Slides
The Relationship Between Slides and Oral Delivery
How Many Slides?
Exceptional Presentations Require Time and Effort
Summary: Don’ts and Dos
16. The Structure of a Slide Presentation
A Good Scientific Talk Is a Good Scientific Story
Set the Tone of Your Talk with a Title Slide
Start a Talk by Progressing from General Questions to Specific Goals
Clearly State Your Scientific Goal and Why It Is Worth Pursuing
Prepare for Inevitable Shifts in Attention
Organize the Presentation of Data into Individual Segments
Unite Sections of a Talk Using a “Home Slide”
Deliberately Emphasize One to Three Take-Home Messages
End a Talk by Transitioning from Specific Details to a Broader Scientific Context
Acknowledgments
Answer Questions While Showing a Summary Diagram
Outline of a Structured Scientific Talk
Summary: Don’ts and Dos
17. Visual Elements in Slide Presentations
Visual Elements on Slides
Add Design Instead of Decoration
Backgrounds
Color Considerations for Slides
Assemble a Unifying Tone Using a Color Palette
Fonts Must Be Legible
Keep Text to a Minimum
Minimize the Use of Lists and Outlines
Use Slide Titles to Make a Point
Optimize Tables and Charts for Slides
Try to Only Present One Table or Chart per Slide
Animate Information in Tables and Charts for Maximum Impact
Diagrams in Slides
Photographs in Slides
Video: The Ultimate Presentation Tool
Summary: Don’ts and Dos
18. Slide Layout
The Importance of Slide Layout
Avoid Universal Slide Templates
Design a Natural Flow of Information
Emphasize Important Elements
Align Visual Elements for Harmony
Align Elements Using a Grid
Embrace Simplicity
Split Busy Slides into Many Slides
Achieve Harmony with Photographs
Summary: Don’ts and Dos
19. Slide Animations and Transitions
The Benefits of Using Slide Animation Effects
Don’t Be an Animation Show-Off
Use Animation to Introduce Concepts at a Time of Your Choosing
Use Animation to Relate the Big and the Small
Animate Movements Naturally
Animate Diagrams to Bring Dynamic Processes to Life
Use Animation to Direct the Audience’s Attention
Use Slide Transitions Minimally for Emphasis
Use Transitions to Create Scenes and Panoramas
Summary: Don’ts and Dos
20. Delivering a Slide Presentation
To Seem Like a Natural, Design and Rehearse
Be Present
Be Visible and Audible
Cater to a Specific Audience
Eliminate Verbal Distractions
Don’t Use Slides as Presentation Notes
Soliciting and Answering Audience Questions
Dealing with Anxiety
Summary: Don’ts and Dos
21. Using Technology to Present Like a Professional
Know How to Control Your Presentation
Bring Your Own Power and Projection Cords
Calibrating a Laptop with a Projector
Alternate Display Settings
Learn the Light Switch
Keeping Track of Time
Using a Laser Pointer
Using a Remote Slide Advancer
Considerations for Presenting While Traveling
Considerations for Presenting with Someone Else’s Computer
Prepare for the Worst
Summary: Don’ts and Dos
22. Considerations for Different Categories of Slide Presentations
The Research Seminar
The Symposium Talk
The Data Blitz
The Course Lecture
The Lab Meeting Presentation
The Journal Club
Summary: Don’ts and Dos
Part 5: Oral Presentations Without Slides
23. Presenting Without Slides
You Never Needed Slides in the First Place
Communicating Structure without Slides
Plan Figures Ahead of Time
Maintaining an Audience’s Attention
About Presentation Notes
Summary: Don’ts and Dos
24. Considerations for Different Categories of Oral Presentations Without Slides
The Chalk Talk
The Round Table Presentation
The Elevator Speech
The Speaker Introduction
Summary: Don’ts and Dos
Part 6: Poster Presentations
25. The Structure of a Scientific Poster
The Purpose of Poster Presentations
The Paradoxes of a Scientific Poster
The First Step: Writing an Abstract
The Sections of a Poster
The Importance of Reducing Text
Advice on Composing the Content of a Poster
Summary: Don’ts and Dos
26. The Design and Layout of a Poster
There is No Single Way to Design a Poster
An Initial Consideration: The “Old-School” Poster
Design an Intuitive Order of Information
Use Borders to Segregate Sections
Make Your Words Easy to Read
Let Your Text and Figures Breathe
Background Colors
Align Elements for Harmony
Eliminate Extraneous Elements
Choosing Glossy versus Matte Prints
Summary: Don’ts and Dos
27. Presenting at a Poster Session
Posters are for Personal Interactions
Preparing for the Presentation Venue
Displaying Your Poster
Bring a Poster Repair Kit
Giving a “Walkthrough”
Knowing Where You Stand
Looking (and Smelling) Good
Supplementary Information
Summary: Don’ts and Dos
Appendices
Appendix A. Recommendations for Further Reading
Appendix B. Learning to Use Illustration and Presentation Software
Appendix C. Thoughts on How to Design a Presentation from Scratch
Appendix D. Thoughts on Using Design Principles to Market Yourself
Index
- No. of pages: 384
- Language: English
- Edition: 1
- Published: December 31, 2012
- Imprint: Academic Press
- Paperback ISBN: 9780123859693
- eBook ISBN: 9780123859709
MC
Matt Carter
Matt Carter is an Associate Professor of Biology at Williams College where he teaches courses in neuroscience and physiology. His research program focuses on how the brain regulates food intake and sleep and is funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation. In addition to primary scientific publications, he is also the author of Designing Science Presentations (Academic Press). He is a recipient of the Walter Gores Award for Excellence in Teaching from Stanford University and the Nelson Bushnell Prize for Excellence in Teaching and Writing from Williams College.
Affiliations and expertise
Assistant Professor of Biology, Williams College, Williamstown, MA, USARead Designing Science Presentations on ScienceDirect