Tips for Presenters

The Pink and Chum Workshop Steering Committee encourages potential contributors to visit Tips for Preparing and Delivering Scientific Talks and Using Visual Aids. This is an excellent resource for putting together and delivering effective oral or poster presentations

All potential contributors (both oral and poster presentations) are required to contact a Workshop Session Leader (listed below) and submit a one page abstract prior to the workshop by 23 January 2012.

Oral Presentations

Oral presenters at the Workshop are responsible for:

• Spell-checking their abstract.
• Having their presentation/abstract reviewed by their agency as appropriate.
• Transmitting the abstract in Microsoft Word via email to their respective Session Leader and one of the Workshop co-Chairs.  Please note that these abstracts will be included in the "Program" at the Workshop.

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Posters Contributors

Poster presenters at the Workshop are responsible for:

• Spell-checking their poster.
• Having their poster/abstract reviewed by their agency as appropriate.
• Transmitting the abstract in Microsoft Word via email to Joe Orsi.  Please note that these abstracts will be included in the "Program" at the Workshop.
• Being present during the main Poster/Social Session at the Workshop to discuss their poster and answer questions.
• Preparing 30+ copies of their poster presentation (on 8.5"x11" paper) for workshop participants interested in having a "copy" of their poster (not a firm requirement but desirable).

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Session Leaders

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Session Leaders are responsible for:

• Helping to solicit/organize an appropriate number of participants for their session (generally four participants; please discuss with one of the Workshop co-chairs).
• Ensuring that presentations fit in their session within the general topic area.
• Checking with participants in their session to help ensure that abstracts are e-mailed to one of the Workshop co-chairs by 23 January 2012.
• Introducing each of the participants in their session prior to their presentation.  Please find out the organization they are from, correct pronunciation of their name and any other pertinent details.  Advising the participants when there is 2 minutes left in their 15 minute (maximum) presentation.

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Guidelines for Contributors of Oral and Poster Presentations

All contributors are required to submit a one page abstract prior to the workshop.

Abstracts should include following:

1. Title
2. Authors’ name, affiliation, and contact info (for multiple authors, the first author should be a presenter).
3. Preference for oral or poster
4. Abstract

The abstract title should be descriptive but brief. The abstracts should list all authors, affiliations, and postal, phone, and e-mail addresses. The abstracts should be 300 words or less and should contain a statement of the problem, study objectives, summary of the methods, major findings and key conclusions.

Abstract example

Oral Presentations

The use of Windows compatible Power Point to present your "talk" is strongly encouraged.  A laptop will be available at the Workshop to facilitate making presentations.

All participants making oral presentations at the Pink and Chum Workshop must bring their presentation materials to the Workshop at least two hours before the start of the Session that they are in. Participants must bring their presentation materials at least one hour before their Session begins or if possible on the day before their presentation.

In addition to the “Tips to presenters” resource link provided above, below are recommendations from the American Fisheries Society (for their 2001 annual meeting) for making effective oral and poster presentations.

Please rehearse your presentation and be certain to stay within your allotted time, i.e. 20 minutes (15-minute presentation, 5-minute question period). Some of the main considerations for producing effective oral presentations are described below.

• Write your talk out in advance so that it is organized logically and the main points are clear.

• Prepare a detailed outline of your talk.

• Focus on the main points of your results and leave the detailed description of your "Methods" to your paper.

• Rehearse your presentation, preferably in front of your colleagues so that you can get valuable feedback on areas that should be discussed in greater detail and areas that should be omitted.

• Time your presentation; if it takes longer than 15 minutes, please eliminate lower priority material so that you can stay within the maximum time limit.

• Speak slowly and clearly, using simple words and short sentences.

• Your comments should reinforce the visual material that you are presenting.

• Use the microphone/audio system that will be provided and speak into the microphone while facing the audience.

• Use the pointer that will be provided to emphasize the most important elements on your visual aids.

• Tables-You should not use more than four vertical columns, and five rows in tables (or vice versa) because the readability of slides deteriorates substantially with greater numbers of columns or rows. Ruled vertical or horizontal lines should also be omitted since they may clutter the slide.  Present data using bar charts or graphs instead of tables wherever appropriate since they are usually easier to understand.

• Graphs-Generally, do not use more than two curves on graphs or more than three or four lines. You should use fewer lines in cases where they are close together. Additionally, the axis and curves should be labeled (rather than using symbols and/or a legend). Avoid showing data points unless scatter is important to the point that you are making.

Poster Presentations

• Poster presenters will have a total maximum area of approximately 4 feet by 4 feet to display their poster at the Workshop.

• Text font should generally be about 14 -16 in size to allow viewers to read your poster easily.