are there oral presentations in university

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Oral presentations

This resource describes what oral presentations are . It also suggests strategies for effective planning and presentation .  

What is an oral presentation?

Oral presentations , also known as public speaking or simply presentations, consist of an individual, or a group of people,  verbally addressing an audience on a particular topic. The aim of this academic exercise is to educate, inform, entertain or present an argument. Oral presentations are seen within workplaces, classrooms and even at social events such as weddings. An oral presentation at university assesses the presenter’s ability to communicate relevant information effectively in an interesting and engaging manner.  

You need to approach these assignments with the same academic rigour as an essay or a report. The information you will present is not based on personal knowledge or experience; it needs to be research-based and precise.  

In most cases, the information you present will need to be cited and appropriately referenced during the presentation, as part of the PowerPoint slides, for example in-text references at the end of a dot point and full reference list as your final slide.  

In other words, a presentation is:  

• Carefully prepared
• Judiciously structured
• Well researched
• Heavily scripted (though you must not read a script)
• Rarely improvised  

Group presentations

In some instances, you may be required to present as part of a group to test your ability to work as a member of a team. Working within a group can sometimes be a challenge, or a great success. To understand how to effectively work in a group, take a look at our Group Work resource.

• Divide the topic of your presentation into subtopics, and allocate one to each group member (according to people’s strengths, knowledge, experience and interest) . Doing this will ensure that the workload is evenly shared and that everyone takes part in the assessment.
• Rehearse together as a group. Although it may seem easy for each group member to go off and cover their own section alone, not having regular group meetings or rehearsals will cause your presentation to appear disjointed.
• Ensure the presentation is consistent by using a consistent style for your visual aids. If the visual aids your group uses are not consistent in format, colour and font styles, it will be clear to the marker that you have not been working as a team.
• Use a cloud-based service or platform to create your presentation. Most cloud-based services and platforms have functions that allow you to work on materials remotely from one another. Check out our digital presentation resources to learn more.

Planning and presenting an oral presentation

Planning your oral presentation.

 The most important factors for a successful presentation are: careful planning, lots of practice and engaging the audience. It's a good idea to watch some professional presentations online to get a sense of what good speakers do. Have a look at TED Talks, for instance.

• Review the subject outline . Look for all relevant detail that you will need to understand the requirements of the task, including when it is due, the weight of the assessment, and the length of time you have to present. Review the assessment criteria . What are you are being assessed on?
• Analyse the task . Determine the purpose of the presentation. Do you need to answer a specific question?
• Consider the audience . What are their expectations of your content and delivery?
• Brainstorm . Map out everything you already know about the topic. Write out any ideas you can use to interact with the audience, or engage them, and jot down what questions, explanations and information you want the audience to be provided with.
• Do the research . Find relevant material, take notes, and remember to keep the references you used.
• Organise your ideas . Create a logical presentation so the information flows well. In some ways this is more important when presenting orally, as your audience does not have the option of reading back over things that are not clear to them.  
• Pay attention to the language you are using . Presentations should be delivered in spoken or conversational language rather than written language. Therefore, try to avoid over-long sentences which will be difficult to follow by your audience. This being said, an academic presentation is still an academic exercise . You will need to remain precise, but make sure you explain and define complex terms, and provide illuminating examples. 

Audience interaction and engagement

Even if it is not a specific requirement, it is good practice to engage the audience and/or to have them interact during your presentation . Check the assessment description and marking criteria to understand what will be required . Examples of ways to ensure audience interaction are:

• Asking questions, testing the audience, providing a quiz
• Allowing the audience to ask questions
• Providing handouts – consider a ‘fill in the blank’ document that goes hand-in-hand with a slideshow or the information you are presenting
• Asking someone to volunteer if there are demonstrations

Using visual aids

In many oral presentation assessments you will be allowed or required to use visual aids, such as slides, images or props, to add an interesting feature and engage the audience. Keep your visual aids clear and to the point, and ensure that they are easily readable by your audience.   Make sure that all the visual elements you include are directly related to the topics you present.  

If you decide to include a chart, table or graph, make sure you comment on the figures during the presentation. In other words, do not expect the audience to synthesise the information.  It is the job of the presenter to extract and present the most relevant information in a succinct way.  

NOTE: Do not forget to save your visual material on a USB flash drive so that you can easily access it through the class computer (if applicable), and have a back-up if you need to submit it in class or print it out.  

Recorded presentations  

For some assignments you will be required to provide a recorded presentation (individual, or group recorded presentation). For a narrated PowerPoint presentation, your slides will give a structure to your presentation.  

• Start by thinking about the overall structure of your narrative (the skeleton), then base the slides on the main points you are discussing
• Make sure each slide has clear headings and sub-headings to orient the reader
• Include clear topic sentences to introduce the subject matter
• Make sure you define technical terms and explain what they mean
• Illustrate your points through carefully selected examples
• Use appropriate sources to support your argument and reference the sources on the PowerPoint slides
• Make sure you provide a reference list at the end
• Consider background: a busy background will be distracting
• Consider lighting: from the front, rather than behind you
• Composition: how large will you be in the frame?
• Minimise background noise.  

How many slides? How many words?  

For a PowerPoint presentation:  

• Aim for 1-2 slides per minute as a rough guide
• Avoid displaying too much information on any one slide: just provide the key points
• In your narration, explain or expand on the key points
• Make sure your text is between 14 - 20 point, with at least single spacing between lines
• Only use images that complement the text
• Do not use visuals for decoration purposes
• Aim for around 100 – 150 words (maximum) per minute, then practice to check your timing

Preparing to present

 Once you have completed writing your presentation – remember, this needs to sound like spoken language, not written language! – and have finalised your visual aids, it is time to practice the presentation. When practicing your speech consider these aspects:

• Speak slowly and clearly
• Demonstrate enthusiasm and keen interest in the topic
• Vary pitch, tone and speed to retain audience interest
• Do not read off your palm cards
• Maintain eye contact with the audience
• Maintain good posture so you can be clearly heard
• Use natural hand gestures
• Use a natural tone of voice
• Practice to improve your confidence
• Practice pronunciation of difficult words by breaking them into syllables
• Be mindful of your body language
• Time yourself to make sure you are within the time limits

It is also important that you use this time to make sure that you are fully prepared. Do you need to collect props? Have you thought about how you will access your visual aids?

On the day of your presentation

On the day of your presentation, you might feel anxious or nervous and that is completely normally. Have confidence in your ability, the presentation you have planned, and the preparation you have done!

Further resources

• Creating digital presentations
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Cloud computing

• Joyner Library
• Laupus Health Sciences Library
• Music Library
• Digital Collections
• Special Collections
• North Carolina Collection
• Teaching Resources
• The ScholarShip Institutional Repository
• Country Doctor Museum

Presentations: Oral Presentations

• Poster Design
• Poster Content
• Poster Presentation
• Templates & Examples
• Oral Presentations
• Printing & Archiving

Oral Presentations Purpose

An Oral Research Presentation is meant to showcase your research findings. A successful oral research presentation should: communicate the importance of your research; clearly state your findings and the analysis of those findings; prompt discussion between researcher and audience.  Below you will find information on how to create and give a successful oral presentation.  

                                Dr. Pamela Hopkins

                 Director, Center for Communication Excellence

Creating an Effective Presentation

Who has a harder job the speaker? Or, the audience?

Most people think speaker has the hardest job during an oral presentation, because they are having to stand up in a room full of people and give a presentation. However, if the speaker is not engaging and if the material is way outside of the audiences knowledge level, the audience can have a difficult job as well. Below you will find some tips on how to be an effective presenter and how to engage with your audience.

Organization of a Presentation  

Introduction/Beginning

How are you going to begin?  How are you going to get the attention of your audience? You need to take the time and think about how you are going to get started!

Here are some ways you could start:

• Ask the audience a question
• make a statement
• show them something

No matter how you start your presentation it needs to relate to your research and capture the audiences attention.  

Preview what you are going to discuss .  Audiences do not like to be manipulated or tricked. Tell the audience exactly what you are going to discuss, this will help them follow along.  *Do not say you are going to cover three points and then try to cover 8 points.

At the end of your introduction, the audience should feel like they know exactly what you are going to  discuss and exactly how you are going to get there.  

Body/Middle

Conclusion/End

Delivery and Communication

Eye Contact

Making eye contact is a great way to engage with your audience.  Eye contact should be no longer than 2-3 seconds per person.  Eye contact for much longer than that can begin to make the audience member feel uncomfortable.

Smiling lets attendees know you are happy to be there and that you are excited to talk with them about your project.

We all know that body language says a lot, so here are some things you should remember when giving your presentation.

• Stand with both feet on the floor, not with one foot crossed over the other. 
• Do not stand with your hands in your pockets, or with your arms crossed.
• Stand tall with confidence and own your space (remember you are the expert).  

Abbreviated Notes

Having a written set of notes or key points that you want to address can help prevent you from reading the poster. 

Speak Clearly

Sometimes when we get nervous we begin to talk fast and blur our words.  It is important that you make sure every word is distinct and clear. A great way to practice your speech is to say tongue twisters. 

Ten tiny tots tottered toward the shore

Literally literary. Literally literary.  Literally literary.

Sally soon saw that she should sew some sheets.

Avoid Fillers

Occasionally we pick up fillers that we are not aware of, such as um, like, well, etc. One way to get rid of fillers is to have a friend listen to your speech and every time you say a "filler" have that friend tap you on the arm or say your name.  This will bring the filler to light, then you can practice avoiding that filler.

Manage Anxiety

Many people get nervous when they are about to speak to a crowd of people.  Below are ways that you can manage your anxiety levels. 

• Practice, Practice, Practice - the more prepared you are the less nervous you will be.
• Recognize that anxiety is just a big shot of adrenalin.
• Take deep breaths before your presentation to calm you down. 

Components of an Oral Research Presentation

Introduction

The introduction section of your oral presentation should consist of 3 main parts.  

Part 1: Existing facts

In order to give audience members the "full picture", you first need to provide them with information about past research.  What facts already exist? What is already known about your research area?

Part 2: Shortcomings

Once you have highlighted past research and existing facts. You now need to address what is left to be known, or what shortcomings exist within the current information.  This should set the groundwork for your experiment.  Keep in mind, how does your research fill these gaps or help address these questions? 

Part 3: Purpose or Hypothesis

After you have addressed past/current research and have identified shortcomings/gaps, it is now time to address your research.  During this portion of the introduction you need to tell viewers why you are conducting your research experiement/study, and what you hope to accomplish by doing so. 

In this section you should share with your audience how you went about collecting and analyzing your data

Should include:

• Participants: Who or what was in the study?
• Materials/ measurements: what did you measure?
• Procedures: How did you do the study?
• Data-analysis: What analysis were conducted? 

This section contains FACTS – with no opinion, commentary or interpretation. Graphs, charts and images can be used to display data in a clear and organized way.  

Keep in mind when making figures:

• Make sure axis, treatments, and data sets are clearly labeled
• Strive for simplicity, especially in figure titles. 
• Know when to use what kind of graph
• Be careful with colors.

Interpretation and commentary takes place here. This section should give a clear summary of your findings. 

You should:

• Address the positive and negative aspects of you research
• Discuss how and if your research question was answered. 
• Highlight the novel and important findings
• Speculate on what could be occurring in your system 

Future Research

• State your goals
• Include information about why you believe research should go in the direction you are proposing
• Discuss briefly how you plan to implement the research goals, if you chose to do so.  

Why include References?

• It allows viewers to locate the material that you used, and can help viewers expand their knowledge of your research topic.  
• Indicates that you have conducted a thorough review of the literature and conducted your research from an informed perspective.
• Guards you against intellectual theft.  Ideas are considered intellectual property failure to cite someone's ideas can have serious consequences. 

Acknowledgements

This section is used to thank the people, programs and funding agencies that allowed you to perform your research.

Questions 

Allow for about 2-3 minutes at the end of your presentation for questions. 

It is important to be prepared. 

• Know why you conducted the study
• Be prepared to answer questions about why you chose a specific methodology

If you DO NOT know the answer to a question

Visual Aids

PowerPoints and other visual aids can be used to support what you are presenting about.

Power Point Slides and other visual aids can help support your presentation, however there are some things you should consider: 

• Do not overdo it . One big mistake that presenters make is they have  a slide for every single item they want to say. One way you can avoid this is by writing your presentation in Word first, instead of making a Power Point Presentation. By doing this you can type exactly what you want to say, and once your presentation is complete, you can create Power Point slides that help support your presentation. ​

Formula for number of visual aids : Length of presentation divided by 2 plus 1

example: 12 minute presentation should have no more than 7 slides.

• Does it add interest? 
• Does it prove? 
• Does it clarify?
• Do not read the text . Most people can read, and if they have the option of reading material themselves versus listen to you read it, they are going to read it themselves and then your voice becomes an annoyance. Also, when you are reading the text you are probably not engaging with the audience. 
• No more than 4-6 lines on a slide and no more than 4-6 words in a line.
• People should be able to read your slide in 6 seconds.
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• Last Updated: Oct 14, 2024 3:08 PM
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Oral presentations

Oral presentations are one of the most common forms of assessment at university along with written assignments. During your studies you will be asked to do several types of presentations such as providing a solution to a case study, presenting different research views of a topics, acting as an opponent on your fellow student’s paper or persuading your audience to a certain point of view.

Planning an effective presentation

The first step of planning an effective presentation includes defining a clear purpose and selecting relevant information. An effective presentation always has a clear objective. Some questions you may want to ask yourself are:

• what is the reason for giving the presentation?
• what is it that you want to achieve through your presentation? 
• what is the take-away message that you want the audience to walk away with?

Answering these questions in the planning phase will help you to organize your thoughts.  Once you know what the purpose is you can move forward with planning the presentation. 

Remember that in all assignments at university it is important to understand what is expected of you. Before you start working on any assignment take a few minutes to look at the command words that indicate what it is you are supposed to do. This is called ‘Interpreting the task’.  

Another aspect of the planning phase is to identify the main points of your argument. Often a presentation is broken down into three to five main points but this can vary. Once you identify the main points of your argument you can start selecting appropriate and relevant information to support your arguments. For example, you may use some illustrations or case studies to back up your point. As with all university assignments it is important to find relevant and credible sources. 

More about researching your material

Structuring an effective presentation

Having a clear structure provides a framework for your presentation. There are many similarities between a written assignment and an oral presentation. In both the written text and an oral presentation the basic structure is the same: there is an introduction, body and a conclusion.

The introduction is a very important part of your presentation. It gives you an opportunity to set the scene for your talk and get the audience interested in what you are going to talk about. The introduction should clearly state the purpose of the presentation and outline the structure of the presentation. This way the audience can envision what the presentation will look like.

An introduction can include:

• the subject/purpose of your talk
• brief background information
• a statement as to why the subject is relevant
• a clear outline of the main points

The body of the presentation is the core of your presentation. This is where you develop your main points. In the planning phase you identified the main points and in the body of the presentation you state clearly what the main points are and back them up with supporting information. You can share case studies, diagrams, appropriate data and other material to help support your argument and substantiate your claims.

The conclusion is an opportunity to sum up your main points and to leave the audience with a final impression of the subject. The conclusion is often an underdeveloped part of a presentation so make sure you allot enough time to end your presentation strongly.

Another aspect of an effective presentation is making sure that each part of the presentation is connected through using signposting language. In an academic text it is important to guide the reader along. This can be done through the use of signposting language. It is equally important in an oral presentation to guide the audience along so that the audience knows where the presentation is going. There are several words and phrases that you can use throughout your presentation to guide the audience along.

Delivering an effective presentation

An important part of giving a presentation is to be able to communicate your thoughts in an engaging and effective way. A well-written presentation in combination with an effective delivery style will keep the audience interested and entertained. One way to have an effective delivery is to be able to connect with the audience. You can connect with the audience through your body language, eye contact and through the pitch and tone of your voice. Visual aids are also an integral part of the delivery. Good visual aids help convey your message.

More thoughts on delivering your presentation

More on visual aids

Book individual consultation

You may book individual consultation at the Academic Skills Centre's main page: 

• Academic Skills Centre ASC staff members offer support in study skills, reading strategies, academic writing and oral presentation skills for undergraduate and master-level students.

Organizing Academic Research Papers: Giving an Oral Presentation

• Purpose of Guide
• Design Flaws to Avoid
• Glossary of Research Terms
• Narrowing a Topic Idea
• Broadening a Topic Idea
• Extending the Timeliness of a Topic Idea
• Academic Writing Style
• Choosing a Title
• Making an Outline
• Paragraph Development
• Executive Summary
• Background Information
• The Research Problem/Question
• Theoretical Framework
• Citation Tracking
• Content Alert Services
• Evaluating Sources
• Primary Sources
• Secondary Sources
• Tertiary Sources
• What Is Scholarly vs. Popular?
• Qualitative Methods
• Quantitative Methods
• Using Non-Textual Elements
• Limitations of the Study
• Common Grammar Mistakes
• Avoiding Plagiarism
• Footnotes or Endnotes?
• Further Readings
• Annotated Bibliography
• Dealing with Nervousness
• Using Visual Aids
• Grading Someone Else's Paper
• How to Manage Group Projects
• Multiple Book Review Essay
• Reviewing Collected Essays
• About Informed Consent
• Writing Field Notes
• Writing a Policy Memo
• Writing a Research Proposal
• Acknowledgements

Preparing for Your Oral Presentation

In some classes, writing the research paper is only part of what is required. Your professor may also require you to give an oral presentation about your study. Here are some things to think about before you are scheduled to give your presentation.

• What should I say?  If your professor hasn't explicitly stated what your presentation should focus on, think about what you want to achieve and what you consider to be the most important things that others should know about your study. Think about: do I want to inform my audience, inspire them to think about my research, or convince them of a particular point of view?
• Oral communication is different from written communication.  Your audience only has one chance to hear your talk and can't "re-read" it if they get confused. Focus on being clear, particularly if the audience can't ask questions during the talk. There are two well-known ways to communicate your points effectively. The first is to K.I.S.S. (keep it simple stupid). Focus on getting one to three key points across. Second, repeat key insights: tell them what you're going to tell them (Forecast), tell them, and then tell them what you just told them (Summarize).
• Think about your audience.  Yes, you want to demonstrate to your professor that you have conducted a good study. But professors often ask students to give an oral presentation to practice the art of communicating and to learn to speak clearly and audibly about yourself and your research. Questions to think about include, what background knowledge do they have about my topic? Does the audience have any particular interests? How am I going to involve them in my presentation?

Creating and Using Overheads . Writing@CSU. Colorado State University; Giving an Oral Presentation. Academic Skills Centre. University of Canberra; Lucas, Stephen. The Art of Public Speaking. 10th ed. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2008; Peery, Angela B. Creating Effective Presentations: Staff Development with Impact. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield Education, 2011; Peoples, Deborah Carter. Guidelines for Oral Presentations . Ohio Wesleyan University Libraries; Perret, Nellie. Oral Presentations . The Lab Report. University College Writing Centre. University of Toronto; Speeches . The Writing Center. University of North Carolina; Storz, Carl et al. Oral Presentation Skills . Institut national de télécommunications, EVRY FRANCE.

Organizing the Content

First of all, think about what you want to achieve and think about how are you going to involve your audience in the presentation.

• Brainstorm your topic and write a rough outline. Don’t get carried away—remember you have a limited amount of time for your presentation.
• Organize your material and draft what you want to say [see below]
• Summarize your draft into key points to write on overheads and/or note cards.
• Prepare your visual aids.
• Rehearse your presentation and get its length right. Ask a friend to listen and time you.

GENERAL OUTLINE

I.  Introduction (may be written last)

• Capture your listeners’ attention . Begin with a question, an amusing story, a startling comment, or anything that will make the audience think.
• State your purpose . For example, "I’m going to talk about..."; "This morning I want to explain…."
• Present an outline of your talk . For example, “I will concentrate on the following points: First of all…Then…This will lead to…And finally…"

II.  The Body

• Present your main points one by one in logical order .
• Pause at the end of each point . Give people time to take notes, or time to think about what you are saying.
• Make it clear when you move to another point . For example, “The next point is that...”; “Of course, we must not forget that...”; “However, it's important to realize that....”
• Use clear examples to illustrate your points and/or key findings .
• Consider using visual aids to make your presentation more interesting [e.g., a map, chart, picture, etc.].

III.  The Conclusion

• Leave your audience with a clear summary of everything that you have covered.
• Don't let the talk just fizzle out . Make it obvious that you have reached the end of the presentation.
• Summarize the main points again . For example, use phrases like: "So, in conclusion..."; "To recap the main points..."
• Restate the purpose of your talk, and say that you have achieved your aim : "My intention was ..., and it should now be clear that...."
• Thank the audience, and invite questions : "Thank you. Are there any questions?"

Creating and Using Overheads . Writing@CSU. Colorado State University; Giving an Oral Presentation. Academic Skills Centre. University of Canberra; Lucas, Stephen. The Art of Public Speaking. 10th ed. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2008; Peery, Angela B. Creating Effective Presentations: Staff Development with Impact. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield Education, 2011; Peoples, Deborah Carter. Guidelines for Oral Presentations . Ohio Wesleyan University Libraries; Perret, Nellie. Oral Presentations . The Lab Report. University College Writing Centre. University of Toronto; Speeches . The Writing Center. University of North Carolina; Storz, Carl et al. Oral Presentation Skills. Institut national de télécommunications, EVRY FRANCE.

Delivering Your Presentation

Pay attention to language!

• Keep it simple . The aim is to communicate, not to show off your vocabulary.
• Emphasize the key points . Make sure people realize which are the key points. Repeat them using different phrasing.
• Check the pronunciation of difficult, unusual, or foreign words beforehand . Write out difficult words phonetically in your notes.

Use your voice to communicate clearly

• Speak loudly enough for everyone in the room to hear you . This may feel uncomfortably loud at first, but if people can't hear you, they won't try to listen.
• Speak slowly and clearly . Don’t rush! Speaking fast doesn’t make you seem smarter, it will only make it harder for other people to understand you.
• Practice to avoid saying um, ah, you know, like. These words occur most at transitions from one idea to another and are distracting to an audience. The better you know your presentation, the better you can control these verbal tics.
• Vary your voice quality . If you always use the same volume and pitch [for example, all loud, or all soft, or in a monotone] your audience will stop listening.
• Speakers with accents need to slow down [so do most others]. Non-native speakers often speak English faster than we slow-mouthed native speakers, usually because most non-English languages flow more quickly than English. Slowing down helps the audience to comprehend your talk. 
• When you begin a new point, use a higher pitch and volume .
• Slow down for key points . These are also moments in your presentation to consider using body language such as hand gestures to help emphasize key points.
• Use pauses . Don't be afraid of short periods of silence. They give you a chance to gather your thoughts, and your audience a chance to think.

Use your body language to communicate too!

• Stand straight and comfortably . Do not slouch or shuffle about. If you appear bored or uninterested in what your talking about, the audience will be as well.
• Hold your head up . Look around and make eye contact with people in the audience. Do not just address your professor! Do not stare at a point on the carpet or the wall. If you don't include the audience, they won't listen to you.
• When you are talking to your friends, you naturally use your hands, your facial expression, and your body to add to your communication . Do it in your presentation as well. It will make things far more interesting for the audience.
• Don't turn your back on the audience and don't fidget! Neither moving around nor standing still is wrong. Practice either to make yourself comfortable.
• Keep your hands out of your pocket . This is a natural habit when speaking. One hand in your pocket gives the impression of being relaxed, but both hands in pockets looks too casual and should be avoided.

Interact with the audience

• Be aware of how your audience is reacting to your presentation . Are they interested or bored? If they look confused, ask them. Stop and explain a point again. 
• Check if the audience is still with you . "Does that make sense?"; "Is that clear?"
• Do not apologize for anything . If you believe something will be hard to read or understand, don't use it. If you apologize for feeling awkward or nervous, you'll only succeed in drawing attention to it and your audience will begin looking for it.
• Be open to questions . If someone raises a hand, or asks a question in the middle of your talk, answer it. If it disrupts your train of thought momentarily, that's ok because your audience will understand. Questions show that the audience is listening with interest and, therefore, should not be regarded as an attack on you, but as a collaborative search for deeper understanding. However, don't engage in a conversation with an audience member or the rest of the audience will begin to feel left out. If an audience member persists, kindly tell them that the issue can be addressed after you've completed the rest of your presentation and note to them that their issue may be addressed by things you say in the rest of your presentation [it may not but at least you can move on].
• Be ready to get the discussion going after your presentation . Professors often want a brief discussion to take place after a presentation. Just in case nobody has anything to say, be prepared with some provocative questions to ask or points for discussion for your audience.

Speaking Tip

Your First Words are Your Most Important!

Your introduction should begin with something that grabs the attention of your audience, such as, an interesting statisitic, a brief narrative or story, or a bold assertion, and then clearly tell the audience in a well-crafted sentence what you plan to accomplish in your presentation. Your introductory statement should be constructed so as to invite the audience to pay close attention to your message and to give the audience a clear sense of the direction in which you are about to take them.

Another Speaking Tip

Talk to Your Audience, Don't Read to Them!

A presentation is not the same as an essay. If you read your presentation as if it were an essay, your audience will probably understand very little about you say and will lose concentration quickly. Use notes, cue cards, or overheads as prompts that emphasis key points, and speak to the audience. Include everyone by looking at them and maintaining regular eye-contact (but don't stare or glare at people).

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• Last Updated: Jul 18, 2023 11:58 AM
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Presentation skills

• Managing presentation anxiety

Learning objectives

This resource will help you to: •    Approach in-class and recorded presentations more effectively and confidently.  •    Apply the principles of effective rhetoric, credibility, logic and emotion, to improve academic outcomes.  •    Understand how to plan, structure and research an academic presentation strategically.

What is an oral presentation?

“An oral presentation differs from a speech in that it usually has visual aids and may involve audience interaction; ideas are both shown and explained” (Williamson, 2023, p. 45).

Oral presentations are a common form of university assessment: in class or recorded; individual or in groups. This is because in addition to providing an alternative to written assessments and tests, they develop the graduate attributes future employers are looking for. In short, developing your presentation skills improves academic outcomes AND employment opportunities .

Presentations are usually extemporaneous speeches, where both the message and the communication of the message are being assessed. In this genre, you are the expert on your topic and are sharing this knowledge with your audience, so content and delivery matter.

In group presentations , all members are expected to participate in the preparation and delivery. Approaching the task strategically helps produce equitable outcomes and respectful collaboration produces the team synergy that results in higher grades.  For example, aim for seamless transitions between discussion points and speakers; format slides consistently; rehearse together (lots).

It is important to keep it REAL and use the time strategically, as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Relevant, eloquent, articulate and learned. Adapted from Scearce, J. (2014, October 2).  Your cheat-sheet to public speaking . LifeHack.

Developing a presentation

Generally, there are three stages to develop a presentation : 1.    Preparing the presentation. 2.    Delivering the presentation.  3.    Answering questions from the audience.  

As with any academic assessment, presentations enable students to demonstrate understanding of course concepts and critical thinking. This also helps the presenter(s) determine and prioritise research, content and structure.

Questions to ask when developing a presentation

•    What is the marker looking for?  •    How can you present this in a way that connects with the audience?  •    How can you share your knowledge about relevant course concepts convincingly by applying it to examples? 

Brainstorming ideas should happen well in advance. As a rule, there is an expectation that research drives the content process; this is usually evidenced by citations and a reference list.

Preparation AND rehearsal ensure the content is both delivered convincingly and relevant to the marking criteria. 

"Rehearsing a presentation will teach you more about how it is going to go than anything else you do before the actual event" (Nash, 2013, p. 145).

Presentation structure

Presentation structure is important: think of it as a journey where you are the leader (Figure 2).

Figure 2. Your presentation is a journey.  Adapted from Scearce, J. (2014, October 2). Your cheat-sheet to public speaking . LifeHack.

Like an academic essay, there should be an introduction, body and conclusion in your presentations, but what you share needs to be delivered in a way that connects with the audience AND the marker, so: 

Introduction

Introduce yourself and the topic in a way that gets the audience interested and gives a preview: What is your thesis and what are the main premises you will cover? The audience should know where this journey is taking them and why they should care about what they will learn. 

Body sections of an academic presentation need to demonstrate critical thinking by moving beyond simply summarising texts to provide: 

• Analysis: identify factors/examples/data from your own research and explain these by linking to course theory and literature.  
• Evaluation: explain and discuss your interpretation of factors raised and summarised.
• Synthesis: show the links and relationships between topics/key ideas, research and theory.
• Engagement: carefully plan how/when to reinforce main points cohesively.

Conclude with a succinct reminder of the main points and reiteration of your thesis: your takeaway message. If required, provide an opportunity for questions and reinforce the takeaway message to end the presentation.

“ Creating a presentation differs from writing an essay in that the information in the speech must align with the visual aid. Therefore, with each idea, concept, or new information that you write, you need to think about how this might be visually displayed through minimal text and the occasional use of images ” (Williamson, 2023, p. 46).    

What makes a convincing oral presentation?

A good academic presentation uses credibility, logic, and emotion to convince the audience that the speaker is trustworthy and knowledgeable, and they should care about the information being presented. Aristotle’s three modes of effective persuasion – Ethos, Logos, Pathos (Table 1) – are the foundation of a convincing delivery; critical thinking, preparation and rehearsal enhance ALL three of these elements.

Note. Adapted from "Logos, Ethos, Pathos" by McMurrey et al., 2023 ( https://oercollective.caul.edu.au/communication ).

Credibility, logic and engagement

Credibility (ethos): why should the audience believe you.

• Is the CONTENT researched from a range of credible, discipline-relevant sources and supported by citations ethically? 
• Well prepared and rehearsed to improve confidence (not read from a script or memorised without expression). 
• Material paraphrased to demonstrate the presenter’s understanding.
• Professional appearance (the presenter and the slides). 
• In group presentations, do the members demonstrate cohesive teamwork?

Logic (Logos): Why have you included the information and how is it presented? 

• Are the ideas RELEVANT to the course and the marking criteria? 
• Can the audience FOLLOW your discussion points from start to finish?
• Present your thesis and overview in the introduction.
• Body sections that progress clear sub-arguments: define key terms; provide examples to illustrate theory in practice; present strong data/evidence
• Summarise the main points at the end to conclude.

Engagement (Pathos): Why should the audience care and how can you keep them interested? 

• Enthusiasm for your topic is contagious and sharing it in an interesting way will keep them listening. 
• Do not read a script (or memorise it word for word): use palm-cards with bullet points as this will improve eye-contact, vocal expression and body language. 
• Well–prepared visual aids and relevant props add clarity and interest.
• Rehearsal is vital! A well-prepared, confident delivery adds life to the message and maintains a connection with the audience, but it will also enable you to adapt when required.    

“How you explain your evidence and its relationships to other claims and evidence is just as important a logical appeal as the information itself” (McMurrey et al., 2023 p. 39).  

Ultimately, these three modes of persuasion are interconnected, like three overlapping circles; if you can create something with credibility, logic and emotional engagement peppered throughout, you will have a much stronger argument. 

What Aristotle and Joshua Bell can teach us about persuasion - Conor Neill

This video (4:39 min) will teach you about Aristotle and his theory about persuasion.

Ethos, pathos and logos

This video (3:15 min) will teach you about ethos, pathos and logos.

Top public speaking tips

This video (3:27 min) will provide your with some great public speaking tips.

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Brophy, B., & Guerin, S. (2018). Stories in conversations and presentations: A comparative study. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 55(1) , 101–110. https://doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2016.1213652

Chiang, C.-T., Chiu, T.-W., Jong, Y.-S., Chen, G.-Y., & Kuo, C.-D. (2010). The effect of ice water ingestion on autonomic modulation in healthy subjects. Clinical Autonomic Research, 20(6) , 375–380. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10286-010-0077-3Links to an external site. 

Docter, P. H. (Director). (2015). Inside Out [Film] . Walt Disney Pictures; Pixar Animation Studios.

McMurrey, D., Pattson, K., & Hagstom-Schmidt, N. (2023). Logos, ethos, pathos. In In M. Cop (Ed.), Essentials of communication (pp. 38-44). University of Otago.

Nash, G. J. (2013). A guide to university assessment. John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd. 

Scearce, J. (2014, October 2).   Your cheat-sheet to public speaking. LifeHack.

Summers, J., & Smith, B. (2014). Communication skills handbook (4th edition.). John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Williamson, P. (2023). Oral presentations. In In M. Cop (Ed.), Essentials of communication (pp. 38-44). University of Otago.

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• Updated: Dec 19, 2024 10:42 AM
• URL: https://libguides.usc.edu.au/presentations
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Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper: Giving an Oral Presentation

• Purpose of Guide
• Design Flaws to Avoid
• Independent and Dependent Variables
• Glossary of Research Terms
• Narrowing a Topic Idea
• Broadening a Topic Idea
• Extending the Timeliness of a Topic Idea
• Academic Writing Style
• Choosing a Title
• Making an Outline
• Paragraph Development
• Executive Summary
• The C.A.R.S. Model
• Background Information
• The Research Problem/Question
• Theoretical Framework
• Citation Tracking
• Content Alert Services
• Evaluating Sources
• Reading Research Effectively
• Primary Sources
• Secondary Sources
• Tiertiary Sources
• What Is Scholarly vs. Popular?
• Qualitative Methods
• Quantitative Methods
• Using Non-Textual Elements
• Limitations of the Study
• Common Grammar Mistakes
• Writing Concisely
• Avoiding Plagiarism
• Footnotes or Endnotes?
• Further Readings
• Annotated Bibliography
• Dealing with Nervousness
• Using Visual Aids
• Grading Someone Else's Paper
• Types of Structured Group Activities
• Group Project Survival Skills
• Multiple Book Review Essay
• Reviewing Collected Essays
• Writing a Case Study
• About Informed Consent
• Writing Field Notes
• Writing a Policy Memo
• Writing a Research Proposal
• Bibliography

Preparing for Your Oral Presentation

In some classes, writing the research paper is only part of what is required. Your professor may also require you to give an oral presentation about your study. Here are some things to think about before you are scheduled to give a presentation.

1.  What should I say?

If your professor hasn't explicitly stated what your presentation should focus on, think about what you want to achieve and what you consider to be the most important things that members of the audience should know about your study. Think about the following: Do I want to inform my audience, inspire them to think about my research, or convince them of a particular point of view? These questions will help frame how you want to approach your presentation topic.

2.  Oral communication is different from written communication

Your audience has just one chance to hear your talk; they can't "re-read" your words if they get confused. Focus on being clear, particularly if the audience can't ask questions during the talk. There are two well-known ways to communicate your points effectively. The first is the K.I.S.S. method [Keep It Simple Stupid]. Focus your presentation on getting one to three key points across. Second, repeat key insights: tell them what you're going to tell them [forecast], tell them [explain], and then tell them what you just told them [summarize].

3.  Think about your audience

Yes, you want to demonstrate to your professor that you have conducted a good study. But professors often ask students to give an oral presentation to practice the art of communicating and to learn to speak clearly and audibly about yourself and your research. Questions to think about include: What background knowledge do they have about my topic? Does the audience have any particular interests? How am I going to involve them in my presentation?

4.  Create effective notes

If you don't have notes to refer to as you speak, you run the risk of forgetting to highlight something important. Also, having no notes increases the chance you'll lose your train of thought and begin relying on reading from the presentation slides. Think about the best ways to create notes that can be easily referred to as you speak. This is important! Nothing is more distracting to an audience than the speaker fumbling around with his or her notes as they try to speak. It gives the impression of being disorganized and unprepared. A good general strategy is to have a page of notes for each slide so that the act of referring to a new page helps remind you to move to a new slide.

Strategies for creating effective notes include the following:

• Choose a large, readable font [at least 18 point in Ariel ]; avoid using fancy text fonts or cursive text.
• Use bold text, underlining, or different-colored text to highlight elements of your speech that you want to emphasize. Don't over do it, though. Only highlight the most important elements of your presentation.
• Leave adequate space on your notes to jot down additional thoughts or observations before and during your presentation. This is also helpful when writing down your thoughts in response to a question or to remember a multi-part question [remember to have a pen with you when you give your presentation].
• Place a cue in the text of your notes to indicate when to move to the next slide, to click on a link, or to take some other action. If appropriate, include a cue in your notes if there is a point during your presentation when you want the audience to refer to a handout.
• Spell out challenging words phonetically and practice saying them ahead of time. This is particularly important for accurately pronouncing people’s names, technical or scientific terminology, or words in a foreign language.

Creating and Using Overheads . Writing@CSU. Colorado State University; Kelly, Christine. Mastering the Art of Presenting . Inside Higher Education Career Advice; Giving an Oral Presentation . Academic Skills Centre. University of Canberra; Lucas, Stephen. The Art of Public Speaking . 10th edition. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2008; Peery, Angela B. Creating Effective Presentations: Staff Development with Impact . Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield Education, 2011; Peoples, Deborah Carter. Guidelines for Oral Presentations . Ohio Wesleyan University Libraries; Perret, Nellie. Oral Presentations. The Lab Report. University College Writing Centre. University of Toronto; Speeches . The Writing Center. University of North Carolina; Storz, Carl et al. Oral Presentation Skills . Institut national de télécommunications, EVRY FRANCE.

Organizing the Content

Begin by thinking about what you want to achieve and how are you going to involve your audience in the presentation.

• Brainstorm your topic and write a rough outline. Don’t get carried away—remember you have a limited amount of time for your presentation.
• Organize your material and draft what you want to say [see below].
• Summarize your draft into key points to write on your presentation slides and/or note cards and/or handout.
• Prepare your visual aids.
• Rehearse your presentation and practice getting the presentation completed within the time limit given by your professor. Ask a friend to listen and time you.

GENERAL OUTLINE

I.  Introduction [may be written last]

• Capture your listeners’ attention . Begin with a question, an amusing story, a provocative statement, or anything that will engage your audience and make them think.
• State your purpose . For example, "I’m going to talk about..."; "This morning I want to explain…."
• Present an outline of your talk . For example, “I will concentrate on the following points: First of all…Then…This will lead to…And finally…"

II.  The Body

• Present your main points one by one in a logical order .
• Pause at the end of each point . Give people time to take notes, or time to think about what you are saying.
• Make it clear when you move to another point . For example, “The next point is that...”; “Of course, we must not forget that...”; “However, it's important to realize that....”
• Use clear examples to illustrate your points and/or key findings .
• If appropriate, consider using visual aids to make your presentation more interesting [e.g., a map, chart, picture, link to a video, etc.].

III.  The Conclusion

• Leave your audience with a clear summary of everything that you have covered.
• Don't let the talk just fizzle out . Make it obvious that you have reached the end of the presentation.
• Summarize the main points again . For example, use phrases like: "So, in conclusion..."; "To recap the main issues...," "In summary, it is important to realize...."
• Restate the purpose of your talk, and say that you have achieved your aim : "My intention was ..., and it should now be clear that...."
• Thank the audience, and invite questions : "Thank you. Are there any questions?"

NOTE : When asking your audience if anyone has any questions, give people time to contemplate what you have said and to formulate a question. It may seem like an awkward pause to wait ten seconds or so for someone to raise their hand, but it's frustrating to have a question come to mind but be cutoff because the presenter rushed to end the talk.

ANOTHER NOTE :  If your last slide includes any contact information or other important information, leave it up long enough to ensure audience members have time to write the information down. Nothing is more frustrating to an audience member than wanting to jot something down, but the presenter closes the slides immediately after finishing.

Creating and Using Overheads . Writing@CSU. Colorado State University; Giving an Oral Presentation . Academic Skills Centre. University of Canberra; Lucas, Stephen. The Art of Public Speaking . 10th ed. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2008; Peery, Angela B. Creating Effective Presentations: Staff Development with Impact . Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield Education, 2011; Peoples, Deborah Carter. Guidelines for Oral Presentations . Ohio Wesleyan University Libraries; Perret, Nellie. Oral Presentations. The Lab Report. University College Writing Centre. University of Toronto; Speeches . The Writing Center. University of North Carolina; Storz, Carl et al. Oral Presentation Skills . Institut national de télécommunications, EVRY FRANCE.

Delivering Your Presentation

When delivering your presentation, keep in mind the following points. They will help you remain focused and help ensure everything goes as planned.

Pay attention to language!

• Keep it simple . The aim is to communicate, not to show off your vocabulary. Using complex words or phrases increases the chance of stumbling over a word and losing your train of thought.
• Emphasize the key points . Make sure people realize which are the key points of your study. Repeat them using different phrasing to help the audience remember them.
• Check the pronunciation of difficult, unusual, or foreign words beforehand . Keep it simple, but if you have to use unfamiliar words, write them out phonetically in your notes. This is particularly important when pronouncing proper names. Give the definition of words that are unusual or are being used in a particular context [e.g., "By using the term affective response, I am referring to..."].

Use your voice to communicate clearly

• Speak loudly enough for everyone in the room to hear you . Projecting your voice may feel uncomfortably loud at first, but if people can't hear you, they won't try to listen.
• Speak slowly and clearly . Don’t rush! Speaking fast makes it harder for people to understand you and signals being nervous.
• Avoid the use of "fillers." Linguists refer to utterances such as um, ah, you know, like as fillers. They occur most often during transitions from one idea to another and, if expressed too much, are distracting to an audience. The better you know your presentation, the better you can control these verbal tics.
• Vary your voice quality . If you always use the same volume and pitch [for example, all loud, or all soft, or in a monotone] during your presentation, your audience will stop listening. Use a higher pitch and volume in your voice when you begin a new point or when emphasizing the transition to a new point.
• Speakers with accents need to slow down [so do most others]. Non-native speakers often speak English faster than we slow-mouthed native speakers, usually because most non-English languages flow more quickly than English. Slowing down helps the audience to comprehend your talk.
• Slow down for key points . These are also moments in your presentation to consider using body language, such as hand gestures or leaving the podium to point to a slide, to help emphasize key points.
• Use pauses . Don't be afraid of short periods of silence. They give you a chance to gather your thoughts, and your audience an opportunity to think about what you've said.

Use your body language to communicate too!

• Stand straight and comfortably . Do not slouch or shuffle about. If you appear bored or uninterested in what your talking about, the audience will be as well. Wear something comfortable. This is not the time to wear an itchy wool sweater or high heels for the first time.
• Hold your head up . Look around and make eye contact with people in the audience [or at least pretend to]. Do not just look at your professor or your notes the whole time! Looking up at your your audience brings them into the conversation. If you don't include the audience, they won't listen to you.
• When you are talking to your friends, you naturally use your hands, your facial expression, and your body to add to your communication . Do it in your presentation as well. It will make things far more interesting for the audience.
• Don't turn your back on the audience and don't fidget! Neither moving around nor standing still is wrong. Practice either to make yourself comfortable. Even when pointing to a slide, don't turn your back; stand at the side and turn your head towards the audience as you speak.
• Keep your hands out of your pocket . This is a natural habit when speaking. One hand in your pocket gives the impression of being relaxed, but both hands in pockets looks too casual and should be avoided.

Interact with the audience

• Be aware of how your audience is reacting to your presentation . Are they interested or bored? If they look confused, stop and ask them [e.g., "Is anything I've covered so far unclear?"]. Stop and explain a point again if needed.
• Check after highlighting key points to ask if the audience is still with you . "Does that make sense?"; "Is that clear?"
• Do not apologize for anything . If you believe something will be hard to read or understand, don't use it. If you apologize for feeling awkward and nervous, you'll only succeed in drawing attention to the fact you are feeling awkward and nervous and your audience will begin looking for this, rather than focusing on what you are saying.
• Be open to questions . If someone asks a question in the middle of your talk, answer it. If it disrupts your train of thought momentarily, that's ok because your audience will understand. Questions show that the audience is listening with interest and, therefore, should not be regarded as an attack on you, but as a collaborative search for deeper understanding. However, don't engage in an extended conversation with an audience member or the rest of the audience will begin to feel left out. If an audience member persists, kindly tell them that the issue can be addressed after you've completed the rest of your presentation and note to them that their issue may be addressed by things you say in the rest of your presentation [it may not be, but at least saying so allows you to move on].
• Be ready to get the discussion going after your presentation . Professors often want a brief discussion to take place after a presentation. Just in case nobody has anything to say or no one asks any questions, be prepared to ask your audience some provocative questions or bring up key issues for discussion.

Amirian, Seyed Mohammad Reza and Elaheh Tavakoli. “Academic Oral Presentation Self-Efficacy: A Cross-Sectional Interdisciplinary Comparative Study.” Higher Education Research and Development 35 (December 2016): 1095-1110; Balistreri, William F. “Giving an Effective Presentation.” Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition 35 (July 2002): 1-4; Creating and Using Overheads . Writing@CSU. Colorado State University; Enfield, N. J. How We Talk: The Inner Workings of Conversation . New York: Basic Books, 2017; Giving an Oral Presentation . Academic Skills Centre. University of Canberra; Lucas, Stephen. The Art of Public Speaking . 10th ed. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2008; Peery, Angela B. Creating Effective Presentations: Staff Development with Impact . Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield Education, 2011; Peoples, Deborah Carter. Guidelines for Oral Presentations . Ohio Wesleyan University Libraries; Perret, Nellie. Oral Presentations. The Lab Report. University College Writing Centre. University of Toronto; Speeches . The Writing Center. University of North Carolina; Storz, Carl et al. Oral Presentation Skills . Institut national de télécommunications, EVRY FRANCE.

Speaking Tip

Your First Words are Your Most Important!

Your introduction should begin with something that grabs the attention of your audience, such as, an interesting statistic, a brief narrative or story, or a bold assertion, and then clearly tell the audience in a well-crafted sentence what you plan to accomplish in your presentation. Your introductory statement should be constructed so as to invite the audience to pay close attention to your message and to give the audience a clear sense of the direction in which you are about to take them.

Lucas, Stephen. The Art of Public Speaking . 10th edition. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2008.

Another Speaking Tip

Talk to Your Audience, Don't Read to Them!

A presentation is not the same as an essay. If you read your presentation as if it were an essay, your audience will probably understand very little about what you say and will lose concentration quickly. Use notes, cue cards, or overheads as prompts that emphasis key points, and speak to your audience . Include everyone by looking at them and maintaining regular eye-contact [but don't stare or glare at people].

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• Last Updated: Jan 17, 2023 10:50 AM
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