Oral Report Guidelines

This is a condensation of a lengthier list prepared by John Spurrier for the undergraduate capstone course. The items are meant for a larger audience, a more formal speaking situation and a longer time format so some of them may seem odd; take them in the proper spirit. Send any questions to grego@stat.sc.edu

Page revised on 11/26/96

Presentation Goals

• Do you have clearly defined goals?

Ground Rules

• How much time is allocated for your presentation?

• What audio-visual equipment will be available?

Presentation Outline

• Have you developed an outline?

Presentation

• Do you establish a spirit of goodwill?

• Do you acknowledge the work of colleagues on the project?

• Do you give the goal of the presentation?

• Do you start with enthusiasm?

• Do you list the main topics of the presentation?

• Do you give the background needed to understand the data collection activity?

• Are you boring the audience with information they already know?

• Are visual aids used to explain products, complicated processes, key point of the design or results?

• Is your background presentation non-statistical?

• Do you explain the experiment?

• Do you summarize the analysis in language the audience will understand?

• Do you state the results in terms of the setting of the problem rather than in statistical jargon?

• Do you summarize the goal, the data collection activity and major results?

• Do you finish with enthusiasm?

Presentation Style

• What presentation style will you use? Speaking from notes is generally best.

• Do you keep an expressive face during your presenation?

• Do you maintain eye contact with the audience?

Oral Delivery

• Are you enthusiastic?

• Do you speak with enough volume to be heard at the back of the room?

• Do you clearly enunciate each word?

• Do you speak at a rate that can be comfortably understood?

• Do you speak to the audience or to the visual aid when refering to the visual aid?

Visual Aids

• Can the visual aids be seen by the entire audience?

• Are they legible?

• Can they be easily read at the back of the room?

• Can they be easily understood?

• Do you use phrases rather than complete sentences?

• Do you leave lots of white spaces?

• Do you effectively use color?

• Have you practiced with the projection equipment?

• Are the images aligned properly?

• Are your visual aids in proper order?

• Have you proofread your visual aids?

• Have you indicated on your speech notes where visual aids will be used?

Handouts

• What type of handout will you use?

Rehearsing

• Are you rehearsing well in advance of the presentation?

• Have you rehearsed your entire presentation in private?

• Have you given your presenation to a friend?

• Have you fine tuned your presentation to meet the time requirement?

Overcoming Fear

• Are you comfortable about making the presentation?
  • If not, have you analyzed your fears as specifically as possible?

  • Have you tried relaxation techniques?

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