JSMF - Presenter Guidelines

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Presenter Guidelines

Please note: The tips below are provided to help presenters attending JSMF sponsored meetings design their presentations for maximum effectiveness. They are based on years of meeting-planning experience. Certain JSMF meetings are not structured around a presentation-based format in which case you should follow the specific meeting guidelines provided.

JSMF-sponsored meetings bring together small- to medium-sized groups of investigators with overlapping interests, but diverse scientific perspectives. Presenters are likely to elicit the desired level of feedback from other meeting participants if they structure their talk to be of general interest, keeping the diversity of the audience in mind. Pitching your talk to the two or three other participants who may share your level of expertise in the details of what you are presenting will turn off those not versed in the methodological intricacies of your research – and rob you of the opportunity to garner some very valuable insights. The aim of the talks should be to generate discussion, much of which will occur over the course of the meeting in informal settings such as breaks and meals. All meeting participants, including those scheduled for presentations, are welcome (encouraged) to bring posters, which provide an additional venue for more detailed discussions. The following guidelines have been drafted to help you get the most of a JSMF program meeting – please use them when preparing your presentation. Thank you.

Time your presentation. A presentation scheduled for 20-25 minutes with an additional 10 minutes for discussion – means just that! Sessions chairs will cut off presentations that exceed the given time limit. Speakers will receive 10 and 5 minute warning notices. Do not squeeze a 40 minute talk into 25 minutes by speeding up your delivery or editing as you go. Everyone has sat through such a talk – it is annoying, distracting, and causes the audience to grow restless and inattentive. Exceeding your allotted time is unfair to fellow presenters, wearies the audience, diminishes discussion time, and makes you increasingly unpopular as the day grows late.
Maximize the impact of your presentation. Limit your talk to two or three major points. It is not necessary to give a complete overview of every aspect of your project. Please do not present the fine details of your methodology and the quantity of raw data you would provide at a laboratory seminar. Rather, present data in summary and provide schematics. Make certain you give some introductory material placing your presentation within a larger research question. There is ample informal discussion time during meals and breaks for interested participants to question you about details.
Simplify your audiovisual set up. Switching from slides to overheads to video to computer presentations increases the likelihood of a technical snafu. Certainly, use the tools you need to enhance the quality of your presentation, but try to minimize the number of devices you use. In general, we have found that video, unless professionally produced with high quality audio and lighting, rarely adds anything to a talk – while it often significantly detracts. Avoid slides (overheads) with irrelevant or extraneous information. It is too easy to produce slides (overheads)tailored specifically to the points you are making to excuse the use of slides (overheads) that are jumbled and confusing. View your slides (overheads) from a distance…if you can’t see them, neither can any one else. If you find yourself saying "I apologize for this slide (overhead)…" for whatever reason, it’s time to make a new one. If you will need a slide carousel please let us know when you arrive at the meeting.
Test your presentation equipment. We encourage the use of Power Point presentation software. We have an InFocus computer projection unit that displays high resolution. Please see the Foundation staff about testing your presentation with our system prior to your talk. Please be sure you know how to activate the simulscan, video mirror, or dual monitor function on your notebook computer.

The McDonnell Foundation encourages all presenters to use a computer generated slide presentation.



	Home > Meetings > Presenter Guidelines

	Presenter Guidelines Please note: The tips below are provided to help presenters attending JSMF sponsored meetings design their presentations for maximum effectiveness. They are based on years of meeting-planning experience. Certain JSMF meetings are not structured around a presentation-based format in which case you should follow the specific meeting guidelines provided. JSMF-sponsored meetings bring together small- to medium-sized groups of investigators with overlapping interests, but diverse scientific perspectives. Presenters are likely to elicit the desired level of feedback from other meeting participants if they structure their talk to be of general interest, keeping the diversity of the audience in mind. Pitching your talk to the two or three other participants who may share your level of expertise in the details of what you are presenting will turn off those not versed in the methodological intricacies of your research – and rob you of the opportunity to garner some very valuable insights. The aim of the talks should be to generate discussion, much of which will occur over the course of the meeting in informal settings such as breaks and meals. All meeting participants, including those scheduled for presentations, are welcome (encouraged) to bring posters, which provide an additional venue for more detailed discussions. The following guidelines have been drafted to help you get the most of a JSMF program meeting – please use them when preparing your presentation. Thank you. Time your presentation. A presentation scheduled for 20-25 minutes with an additional 10 minutes for discussion – means just that! Sessions chairs will cut off presentations that exceed the given time limit. Speakers will receive 10 and 5 minute warning notices. Do not squeeze a 40 minute talk into 25 minutes by speeding up your delivery or editing as you go. Everyone has sat through such a talk – it is annoying, distracting, and causes the audience to grow restless and inattentive. Exceeding your allotted time is unfair to fellow presenters, wearies the audience, diminishes discussion time, and makes you increasingly unpopular as the day grows late. Maximize the impact of your presentation. Limit your talk to two or three major points. It is not necessary to give a complete overview of every aspect of your project. Please do not present the fine details of your methodology and the quantity of raw data you would provide at a laboratory seminar. Rather, present data in summary and provide schematics. Make certain you give some introductory material placing your presentation within a larger research question. There is ample informal discussion time during meals and breaks for interested participants to question you about details. Simplify your audiovisual set up. Switching from slides to overheads to video to computer presentations increases the likelihood of a technical snafu. Certainly, use the tools you need to enhance the quality of your presentation, but try to minimize the number of devices you use. In general, we have found that video, unless professionally produced with high quality audio and lighting, rarely adds anything to a talk – while it often significantly detracts. Avoid slides (overheads) with irrelevant or extraneous information. It is too easy to produce slides (overheads)tailored specifically to the points you are making to excuse the use of slides (overheads) that are jumbled and confusing. View your slides (overheads) from a distance…if you can’t see them, neither can any one else. If you find yourself saying "I apologize for this slide (overhead)…" for whatever reason, it’s time to make a new one. If you will need a slide carousel please let us know when you arrive at the meeting. Test your presentation equipment. We encourage the use of Power Point presentation software. We have an InFocus computer projection unit that displays high resolution. Please see the Foundation staff about testing your presentation with our system prior to your talk. Please be sure you know how to activate the simulscan, video mirror, or dual monitor function on your notebook computer. The McDonnell Foundation encourages all presenters to use a computer generated slide presentation.