A presentation session involves doing a 10-15-minute presentation of your work and then taking a few questions from the audience. Most presentations include some kind of visual but that is not required. You will have access to a computer and projector if using a slide show or other electronic visual. Be sure the visuals you share add to the presentation and help explain your research.
General Outline
The following general outline for your oral presentation may not be applicable to all students, so be sure to consult with your mentor for the proper format used in your discipline. Although the exact format is up to you and your mentor, the following information is recommended:
You are expected to give a PowerPoint presentation and your first slide should contain your title, name, your mentor's name, and department.
Your introduction should describe the research question you wish to answer (the project goal, hypothesis, thesis statement, or question), and a list of objectives (the specific steps you need to take, or the questions you need to answer, or what you need to learn or accomplish in order to reach your project goal, hypothesis, or question). Your introduction should summarize the current understanding of knowledge in the field, and on work directly related to your project. You may also want to include an outline of what will be presented and discussed in the body of your presentation.
What is the significance of your research question? Although you should be able to explain the expected impact on others within your academic discipline and on society in general, the broader potential impact may very well be speculative.
You should describe the specific methodology used in your research, or describe the detailed experimental or instrumental methods and/or techniques you employed. This may not be applicable to all presentations.
In this section, you should present and interpret your research findings. In some disciplines, it is strongly recommended that you use tables, figures, diagrams, pictures, or equations to supplement your oral presentation. You should explain either why this information is important to your work, and discuss the relevance of this information in providing an answer to your research question.
This section is typically a factual summary of how your research work supports (or does not support) your hypothesis, or whether your work has provided an answer to your research questions. It may be helpful to restate your specific project goals and objectives, summarize the main points or significant findings, and include a final statement to pull everything together.
If you intend to continue your work, what do you propose to do next and why?
Be sure to thank any individuals who helped you with your research (such as your mentor!), or who provided you with materials or information. As you received financial support from the National Science Foundation you are required to acknowledge LSAMP support.
In general, for oral presentations, a summary of your Bibliography or Literature Cited is included on the last slide.