presentation of research feelings

Research Posters and Presentations

Research Presentations

• Plan your presentation

Know your audience

• Presentation Guidelines and Outline

Presentation Slides

• More Tips on Presentation Slides:

Finalize your slides

Use ihp presentation template.

• Research Posters
• Resources for Research Presentations and Posters

You will probably engage with research studies throughout your professional journey as a faculty member or student. After extensive work on the study, one of the main goals is to showcase what you did and what are the results of your study in order to either be an inspiration for others to do the investigations in that topic area or you want to inform people about the results that are important in the clinical practice and future research studies.

For this purpose, turning your research paper into a visual presentation is essential. You can prepare a visual presentation with different free or paid programs like Microsoft PowerPoint.  But before everything let’s organize what we have to do from the start to the end.

Research Presentation Steps 

• Determine the purpose of your presentation
• Identify your objectives
• Double-check your research presentation guidelines
• Make an outline for your presentation
• Prepare the content for each section of the outline
• Choose the presentation program
• Create presentation slides
• Practice your delivery

In this LibGuide, we will explore some of these steps to learn about practical actions in order to prepare a perfect research presentation.   

Who is your audience?  

Understand who will be attending your presentation and their primary backgrounds. Some audiences may share similar traits, while others may have diverse perspectives.

How familiar are they with your topic?  

Assess the audience’s exposure to your subject. Is this topic common knowledge for them, or is it likely to be new information?

What questions might they have?  

Anticipate the questions your audience may ask about your subject. Preparing answers in advance helps you maintain their engagement and avoid getting sidetracked by unexpected issues.

Double-check your research presentation guidelines and make an outline

Before starting your presentation, ensure you have checked any specific guidelines provided. If there are no specific guidelines, the following outline can serve as a helpful guide (chartier. 2023). This outline assumes a presentation length of 10-15 minutes, but you can adjust it if you have more time.

• Title Slide (1 slide) - This is a placeholder to give some visual interest and display the topic until your presentation begins.   
• Short Introduction (2-3 slides) - This is where you pique the interest of your audience and establish the key questions your presentation covers. Give context to your study with a brief review of the literature (focus on key points, not a full review). If your study relates to any particularly relevant issues, mention it here to increase the audience's interest in the topic.  
• Hypothesis and/or research questions (1 slide) - Clearly state your hypothesis or research questions.  
• Description of Methods (2-3 slides) - Clearly, but briefly, summarize your study design including a clear description of the study population, the sample size and any instruments or manipulations to gather the data.  
• Results and Data Interpretation (2-4 slides) - Illustrate your results through simple tables, graphs, and images. Remind the audience of your hypothesis or research questions and discuss your interpretation of the data/results.  
• Discussion/Conclusion (2-3 slides) - Further interpret your results. If you had any sources of error or difficulties with your methods, discuss them here and address how they could be (or were) improved. Discuss your findings as part of the bigger picture and connect them to potential further outcomes or areas of study.  
• Closing (1 slide) - If anyone supported your research with guidance, awards, or funding, be sure to recognize their contribution. If your presentation includes a Q&A session, open the floor to questions.

From: Chartier, M. (2023). How to Present Your Research (Guidelines and Tips) . Fourwaves. https://fourwaves.com/blog/how-to-present-research/

Additionally, the American College of Physicians (ACP) offers comprehensive guidelines for research presentations that are beneficial to review.

- Research Presentation – Generic Outline

-  Preparing the Research Presentation Checklist

Organize content for each slide and b ased on the time and the type of the presentation, make engaging slides.

This is ten simple rules for effective presentation slides by Naegle (2021):

• Include only one idea per slide
• Spend only one minute per slide
• Make use of your heading
• Include only essential points
• Give credit where credit is due
• Use graphics effectively
• Design to avoid cognitive overload
• Design the slide so that a distracted person gets the main takeaway
• Iteratively improve slide design through practice
• Design to mitigate the impact of technical disasters

You can refer here for a complete description of each rule. 

Naegle, K. M. (2021). Ten simple rules for effective presentation slides. PLoS Computational Biology , 17 (12), e1009554. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009554

More Tips on Presentation Slides

There are no rules for how to build a slide, but here are a few suggestions to keep in mind:.

• Tell your story simply

Remember that you want to tell a story, not lecture people. The oral presentation as a whole should be the work of art, and the slides should be supplementary to the story you are trying to convey. When laying out content and designing slides, remember that less is more . Having more slides with less content on each will help keep your audience focused more on what you are saying and prevent them from staring blankly at your slides.

• Consider the billboard

Marketers try to use only three seconds' worth of content, the same amount of time a driver has to view a billboard. Your audience may not be driving cars, but you want them to stay engaged with your story, and this makes the three-seconds rule a good one to apply when building a slide. If it takes more than three seconds to read the slide, consider revising it.

• Keep it clean

White space will help the slide appear cleaner and more aesthetically appealing. It is important to note that white space may not always be white. Each presentation should have its own color palette that consists of approximately three complementary colors. Try not to use more than three colors, and be aware of the emotion certain colors may evoke. For example, blue is the color of the sky and the ocean and is typically a soothing and relaxing color; red, on the other hand, is a bold, passionate color that may evoke more aggressive feelings.

• Don't get too lively

Animation is another customizable option of presentations, but it may not be worth the effort. Animation can be distracting, making it difficult for the audience to stay with the story being told. When in doubt about animation, remember to ask what value is being added. There may be times when you really want to add emphasis to a specific word or phrase. If this is the case, and you deem it necessary, animation may be an acceptable choice. For example, the "grow" feature may be useful for adding emphasis to a word or phrase.

It is important to have highly readable slides with good contrast between the words and background. Choose a font that is easy to read and be aware that each font has a different personality and sends a different message. 

From: Chambers, R. (2014). Presenting your research effectively . Https://Www.Apa.Org. https://www.apa.org/gradpsych/2014/09/presenting-research

Practice in front of friends

• Get their feedback and revise your slides or delivery styles based on the feedback

Practice presentation considering the time

• Practice more to manage to deliver the presentation based on the dedicated time
• Be strict about time management

Don’t have much time to explain everything about your research

• Focus on the highlights
• Identify a single compelling research question that your work addressed
• Craft a succinct but complete narrative around it

Practice more

Don't forget:

• Use some of the presentation skills you learned from others
• You are not going to expert your audience in less than half an hour timeframe
• Be passionate and show your audience your work is worth it

At the end of this section, I would like to share these three great videos from Harvard Catalyst website about the impact of slide design, strategies for fostering audience engagement, and helpful ways to approach the scope and focus of your presentation.  

The Impact of Visual Slide Design

Presenting Your Science to a Diverse Audience

Presenting the Big Fish

IHP provides a specific presentation template that must be used for any presentation representing IHP.

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• Last Updated: Oct 21, 2024 12:35 PM
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Psychology in Action

Presenting psychology: 10 ways to polish up your research presentation.

Gone are the days in which promising scholars could conduct brilliant scientific work, write compelling and cogent articles and books, and be forgiven by all for having no clarity or articulation when attempting to talk about it in person! …If those days existed at all.

Scientific communication takes many forms, but virtually all graduate students, faculty, and other related roles must present about their research at some time. Psychological research (or any research for that matter!) can be complicated enough when working alone in a dark office in the basement floor of your building. Explaining complex phenomenon in front of crowds, conference goers, or even your own lab can be even more difficult. For many, public speaking can be a scary and messy process which often leaves presentations feeling cluttered, unorganized, and confusing to audience members. Alas, there are a few things you can do to tighten up your speeches and presentations to help communicate effectively. While there are many ways in which to polish your speech, included below are 10 tips that can help some of the most common issues when presenting.

1. Use a preview Dropping a line in the beginning of your presentation that previews the structure of your presentation is a great way to help the audience know what’s in store for them. Stating something simple, such as “Today we will be looking [A], [B], and [C] in an effort to explore [SUBJECT]” can be really helpful for an audience member to know what to expect. Further, it can keep the presenter focused.

Side Note: This can be especially helpful if you are very passionate about a subject and spent your life studying one phenomenon. When you know a lot, it’s easy to get derailed with so much knowledge that you can a come off as distracted or omnipresent. Have a goal for what you want your audience to learn, and build structure around that so you can first, get them up to speed with what they need to know, and then drop some seriously research on them.

For a great example of preview use, check out Ashton Kutcher’s “3 Things” about life  speech he gave at the Teen Choice Awards.

2. Use sign posting As a presenter of often complicated and cool research, it’s easy to rush into the details in order to get to the good stuff (“microwaving the soufflé” as Ariel Gore once said). However, if you drag your audience by the scruff of the neck through your presentation, they will likely be distracted and confused before you can even get to that good stuff. Instead, [metaphorically] take them gently by the hand, and guide them. At every point of change, try to recall where you are, and how you got here. Use sign posting!

Sign posting essentially means calling out to the audience when you are transitioning to a new point, so that everyone is aware a change in direction is coming. It’s sort of like holding a big sign in front of someone so obviously that they can’t miss it. For example, let’s say you are presenting on a study you conducted. If you just talked about your methodology, and are transitioning to the results part of your presentation, refrain from saying something like “Then we did a 2 X 3 ANOVA and found significance.” In one brief sentence, you have ripped the reader’s attention away from the intricate nature of your carefully crafted methodology and shoved them straight into analysis mode. Instead, try something like, “Now that we know what this phenomenon is, and how we measured it in our sample, let’s look at what we found.” Using language like this, you can effectively transition your audience along with you.

3. Use your body to signal changes Just like sign posting can help your readers to prepare for a quick shift in the presentation, your body can signal to the audience that you are moving on. Try using what’s called the “Speaker’s Triangle” in which you move between points on an imaginary triangle.

In one example of the speaker’s triangle, the speaker begins their presentation in the middle of the stage. Once the introduction and preview is given, such as “Today we will be looking [A], [B], and [C] in an effort to explore [SUBJECT]” the speaker moves to one side of the room to talk about their first point (From Introduction to Point A in the figure above). When using sign posting to transition to the second point (e.g. “Now that we understand the history of this phenomenon, let’s look at the current research”), move to the other side of the room (Point B). In similar fashion, continue on back to the center for your third point (Point C) and you can end your conclusion here, or take a few steps forward for your conclusion.

It may not seem like a big deal, but physically watching a speaker move when transitioning points cues the audience to know that you are moving on. Over in one corner you talked about Point A, but now that you are in the other corner, you are clearly talking about Point B. The same thing goes for Point C, use your sign posting language to move. I often liked to end in the middle of the room, so that when I am ready to give a conclusion, I am already center stage.

Side note: Often furniture dictates how and where a speaker can move, as large tables and awkwardly placed podiums are already in place. If you arrive early to a room, move the furniture to your liking. If you can’t move it, try to move around it in your presentation if you are able. You can even joke about the obstacle in front of you during your presentation (see tip #5 on humor)!

Additionally one more word of caution: light . If you are asked to give a presentation in front of a window or have any sort of light source behind you, make sure to move during the presentation. Not only does moving help your audience understand your transitions, but moving around protects their eyes from staring at one stationary object (you) with a blinding light behind it for a whole presentation.

4. Review Just like a preview helps audience members to know what’s coming, reviewing what you talked about at the end of your presentation helps them to remember. Try using a line like, “Today we talked about A, B, and C.” right before your final message. It’s simple, but effective!

5. Use humor One of the best feelings of public speaking is turning a bored looking audience into a room full of chuckles and smiles. It relieves stress, you feel good about where you stand, and it’s a nice break for the audience. But even more than that, even the best speakers can get bored. If you happen to give the same presentation over and over again, you will find that if you build in a few light moments or bits of humor, you look forward to them while speaking. It also brings back wandering attention of audience members.

If you are someone who struggles with using humor, give your presentation to your peers and ask if they see room for an easily joke or light-hearted comment. In my experience, someone always sees an opportunity for a bit of humor, somewhere.

For a great example of how various types of humor (stories, sarcasm, comedic timing) can be utilized to keep audiences engaged, check out this video of  Shawn Achor: The happy secret to better work

6. Visual aids, not paragraphs If you are giving a talk, a lecture, or a presentation—whatever, people want to see you speak and present information. What they don’t want to do is watch you attempt to read three paragraphs of information in 11 point font off a PowerPoint slide. They can do that at home. To clean up your presentation, use bullet points to highlight subtopics you are talking about, but make sure you do the talking, and not your slide.

One common exception for this guided rule is sharing quotations from other people. You can have that one.

In terms of visual aids, there are often two unique benefits when using them. The first is that good visual aids enhance the understanding of the audience. For example, if you are giving a presentation about the temporal lobe of the brain, it would probably help the audience to see a picture of the brain, with the temporal lobe area highlighted. A visual aid that would not be helpful in this case, is say something like a cute clipart picture of a brain. Although it might be related, it does not help further the audience’s understanding.

The second benefit of using good visual aids is that if you suffer from anxiety or are a very nervous public speaker, visual aids get the audience’s eyes off of you and onto your visuals. This can help ease your stress while presenting, and help your audience’s understanding too!

7. Avoiding talking “at” the audience Some of the most boring lectures and presentations are given by individuals who would give the same performance whether the room was full of students or empty chairs. They tend to be the ones who rant, don’t ask the audience questions, hardly make eye-contact, and ultimately fail to acknowledge the audience is there. Put simply, they talk at the audience, rather than talking with the audience.

This isn’t to say that you need to stop during your presentation to incorporate group activities. But what you want to do is acknowledge your audience is there by giving them your energy— don’t give it to your PowerPoint, your notes, or the floor. To do this, keep your body posture facing and open to the audience. Make eye contact with various people. You can even try giving an occasional smile or nod to a few audience members. Humor can also help accomplish this, as it’s an exchange between the audience and you. If the audience feels that you are acknowledging them and are engaged with them, you will hold more of their attention.

8. Video record yourself beforehand This is a hard one, but it’s worth it. If you have a big talk or lecture coming up, and you want to be as polished as you can be, give the talk to an empty room with your cell phone or video recorder rolling, and watch it. No one I have ever met likes doing this exercise, as most people HATE listening to themselves talk. But it can save you from things that unknowingly, will distract your audience. Let’s illustrate this point with a personal example.

I was forced to do this exercise in a class years ago, and I hated every second of it. BUT I learned a very valuable personal lesson for me about public speaking— I can never wear my hair down when I talk in front of people. 

After presenting and thinking I did a good job in class, I went home and watched the recording of my presentation. But that feeling of confidence was soon replaced by a feeling of extreme embarrassment. I watched myself saying the same words I remembered speaking, but I also saw myself repeatedly reaching across my face to tuck my hair behind my ear. When I kept talking, the stray section of hair would slowly loosen over my ear, and when it finally escaped over my ear, I would causally reach my hand across my face again, and idly push it back.

Over, and over, and over, I pushed that strand of hair back. Watching the tape, I didn’t even hear what I was saying. I just was so focused on how long it would take for my rebellious hair to break free again. It was so distracting, and I had no idea I was doing it!

Other students I spoke with in that class had similar experiences, and for the first time noticed things like awkward shifts in weight, nervous gestures (such as fiddling with clothing), and bad posture. Most of us have these nervous or unconscious distractions. Which one do you have? Time to find out, and take care of it in advance!

9. Get the bad one out For the big talks, the big presentations, give the presentation twice that day. The first one should be at home or in your hotel room the morning of, and the real one later. The purpose? To get the bad one over with. The first time you give a presentation is often the one that feels more clunky and is a bit more jumbled. So don’t give the clunky speech to the audience, sacrifice it to an empty room that morning and be done with it. You’ll thank yourself later!

10. Remember how lucky you are! Although it may not seem like strong advice for a solid presentation, this last piece might just change the way you think about public speaking.

I was told by someone a long time ago that when you are in front of an audience, the audience is giving you something that is truly wonderful—their time. Even if it’s 10 minutes, each person is in that room to hear you speak, and they are giving you a piece of their day that could have been spent in many other productive and fun ways. Even if that person somehow got trapped in your presentation and they actually don’t think your presentation is worth 10 minutes of their time, change their minds. You’ve got them there anyways! You get one chance to make an impression, so cherish the time, understand the sacrifices of the audience, and make it worth it.

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Reflections: The Emotional stages of a Research Journey

Posted on July 16, 2015 June 15, 2016 1 Comment

Every research project passes through eight important phases : Euphoria, Realisation, Shock, Disillusionment, Acceptance, Depression, Revival, and Completion. The following narrative is dedicated to all my friends, colleagues, and students who are currently engaged with some kind of research – be it an MPhil dissertation, PhD thesis or monograph writing and are struggling to comprehend the volatility and psychological diversity of changing scenarios which come natural to any research process.

Euphoria is characterised by passionate involvement of a researcher with his/her research. This stage presents an idealistic vision of what one can achieve with hard work and commitment. At this initial stage all ideas seem original, all propositions unprecedented, and all perspectives fool proof. Very soon, however, it dawns upon the researcher that despite his or her unquestionable trust in the quality and potential of his/her research and supervisors’ initial approbation, there are fault lines which if not bridged in time can create serious obstacles in the research process. More often than not, students associate this problem with a lack of understanding on the part of their supervisors or with issues that exempt them of any fault on their part. However, the burden of this realization – of faults in the perfect proposal – can be too heavy and leads to a state of shock . In cases where the researcher possesses prior expertise or/and experience in teaching or guiding other people, the realisation of one’s deficiencies and ignorance can sometimes be extremely intolerable and emotionally painful.

At this stage disillusion sets in. The initial euphoria evaporates in the air like steam and the researcher is left with plenty of work, no sense of direction, anger, and annoying fear of failure and subsequent embarrassment. These feelings continue to haunt the researcher for some time, triggering eonian internal dialogues, which if ever come to an end makes the researcher blame everything and everyone else associated with the research rather than one’s self. John Burroughs thoughts neatly sum up implications of such scapegoating: ‘ A man can fail many times, but he isn’t a failure until he begins to blame somebody’ . Human mind, nevertheless, cannot nurture the same feeling for long. Besides, the critic that sits inside the researcher’s mind soon begins to argue about the practicality and reality of his/her narcissist thought processes, compelling him/her to conduct a thorough self-analysis.

At this stage, the researcher realises that s/he has been overly and unduly justifying her/himself. This is termed as the acceptance stage.  It is important to note that by this time the researcher should have already integrated him/herself in the dynamic research environment, establishing useful links with peers and imbibing the subtle but helpful suggestions coming from senior researchers. Therefore, the feeling of being an active member of a research community infuses a new spirit and taking full advantage of this new state of awareness the researcher formulates new research strategies, revise ideas, and starts working with overhauled vigour.

This newly conceived exuberance helps the researcher achieve plenty in terms of research and writing up – preliminary drafts are made, previous notes are updated, and fresh perspectives are formulated. As a general rule, every emotionally elevated stage, however, heralds a period of depression . After some productive and useful time the researcher too starts feeling low, unable to figure out how and when his words will become mature enough to go straight into the final draft. This is a crucial and emotionally dangerous stage. The researcher may also experience psycho-somatic symptoms such as palpitations, fluctuating blood pressure, and sinking heart along with feelings of futility, inadequacy and worthlessness of all s/he has remained involved with during her/his research journey. I would strongly advise my friends not to get upset by the appearance of these symptoms for there is nothing physiologically wrong with them. These are actually auspicious signs helping a researcher regain lost energy levels and boost creative thinking. Besides, in a more general sense this state is an ostensible evidence of how far and with how much effort you have covered your research journey. These apparently negative feelings are blessings in disguise for they emotionally prepare you to experience a wonderful sense of achievement in the times to come.

Struggling with one’s emotions is hard but after each effort one becomes stronger than before. The autoimmune capacity of the researcher gradually works to revive passion in research that helps the researcher swim through the troubled waters of psychological depression. Coming back to active and engaging research life has its own benefits as it sheds new light on the meaning and vicissitudes of life per se . This revival stage is imbued with fear, nervous expectations and excitement all at the same time. I used to get butterflies in my stomach during the final wrapping up of my thesis. Perhaps I was in love with my research the way people fall in love with human beings.

That feeling when you see yourself printing out the final draft or sending the final email to your supervisors or reviewers! The very act of submission gives you a fresh lease of life, a new hope for future and a wonderful sense of completion . The final count-down that entails waiting for viva after submission or for feedback on research is hard and demands plenty of patience. However, all hard times are forgotten once results are announced and glory is achieved.

Kudos to all my friends who have remained steadfast during all the stages of their respective research journeys. All the best.

About our writer – Dr Nadia Anwar has a PhD in Nigerian drama from   the University of Northampton, UK. She is a Senior Lecturer in English at the Education Department in Pakistan and is a visiting faculty member at the University of Management and Sciences. Her primary areas of interest are African literature in general, specifically focused on Nigerian theatre and drama.

If you enjoyed reading this article, please  share  and  subscribe  to our network! Would you like to share an article in The Hub? We would love to hear from you. Please get in touch –  [email protected] . 

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[Guide] How to Present Qualitative Research Findings in PowerPoint?

By: Author Shrot Katewa

As a researcher, it is quite pointless to do the research if we are unable to share the findings with our audience appropriately! Using PowerPoint is one of the best ways to present research outcomes. But, how does one present qualitative research findings using PowerPoint?

In order to present the qualitative research findings using PowerPoint, you need to create a robust structure for your presentation, make it engaging and visually appealing, present the patterns with explanations for it and highlight the conclusion of your research findings.

In this article, we will help you understand the structure of your presentation. Plus, we’ll share some handy tips that will make your qualitative research presentation really effective!

How to Create a Structure for your Qualitative Research Presentation?

Creating the right structure for your presentation is key to ensuring that it is correctly understood by your audience.

The structure of your Research Presentation not only makes it easier for you to create the document, it also makes it simple for the audience to understand what all will be covered in the presentation at the time of presenting it to your audience.

Furthermore, having a robust structure is a great way to ensure that you don’t miss out on any of the points while working on creating the presentation.

But, what structure should one follow?

Creating a good structure can be tricky for some. Thus, I’m sharing what has worked well for me during my previous research projects.

NOTE – It is important to note that although the following structure is highly effective for most research findings presentation, it has been generalized in order to serve a wide range of research projects. You may want to take a look at points that are very specific to the nature of your research project and include them at your discretion.

Here’s my recommended structure to create your Research Findings presentation –

1. Objective of the Research

A great way to start your presentation is to highlight the objective of your research project.

It is important to remember that merely sharing the objective may sometimes not be enough. A short backstory along with the purpose of your research project can pack a powerful punch ! It not only validates the reasoning for your project but also subtly establishes trust with your audience.

However, do make sure that you’re not reading the backstory from the slide. Let it flow naturally when you are delivering the presentation. Keep the presentation as minimalistic as possible.

2. Key Parameters Considered for Measurement

Once you’ve established the objective, the next thing that you may want to do is perhaps share the key parameters considered for the success of your project.

Every research project, including qualitative research, needs to have a few key parameters to measure against the objective of the research.

For example – If the goal of your project is to gather the sentiments of a certain group of people for a particular product, you may need to measure their feelings. Are they happy or unhappy using the product? How do they perceive the branding of the product? Is it affordable?

Make sure that you list down all such key parameters that were considered while conducting the qualitative research.

In general, laying these out before sharing the outcome can help your audience think from your perspective and look at the findings from the correct lens.

3. Research Methodology Adopted

The next thing that you may want to include in your presentation is the methodology that you adopted for conducting the research.

By knowing your approach, the audience can be better prepared for the outcome of your project. Ensure that you provide sound reasoning for the chosen methodology.

This section of your presentation can also showcase some pictures of the research being conducted. If you have captured a video, include that. Doing this provides further validation of your project.

4. Research Outcomes (Presenting Descriptive Analysis)

This is the section that will constitute the bulk of the your presentation.

Use the slides in this section to describe the observations, and the resulting outcomes on each of the key parameters that were considered for the research project.

It is usually a good idea to dedicate at least 1 or more slides for each parameter . Make sure that you present data wherever possible. However, ensure that the data presented can be easily comprehended.

Provide key learnings from the data, highlight any outliers, and possible reasoning for it. Try not to go too in-depth with the stats as this can overwhelm the audience. Remember, a presentation is most helpful when it is used to provide key highlights of the research !

Apart from using the data, make sure that you also include a few quotes from the participants.

5. Summary and Learnings from the Research

Once you’ve taken the audience through the core part of your research findings, it is a good practice to summarize the key learnings from each of the section of your project.

Make sure your touch upon some of the key learnings covered in the research outcome of your presentation.

Furthermore, include any additional observations and key points that you may have had which were previously not covered.

The summary slide also often acts as “Key Takeaways” from the research for your audience. Thus, make sure that you maintain brevity and highlight only the points that you want your audience to remember even after the presentation.

6. Inclusions and Exclusions (if any)

While this can be an optional section for some of the researchers.

However, dedicating a section on inclusions and exclusions in your presentation can be a great value add! This section helps your audience understand the key factors that were excluded (or included) on purpose!

Moreover, it creates a sense of thoroughness in the minds of your audience.

7. Conclusion of the Research

The purpose of the conclusion slide of your research findings presentation is to revisit the objective, and present a conclusion.

A conclusion may simply validate or nullify the objective. It may sometimes do neither. Nevertheless, having a conclusion slide makes your presentation come a full circle. It creates this sense of completion in the minds of your audience.

8. Questions

Finally, since your audience did not spend as much time as you did on the research project, people are bound to have a few questions.

Thus, the last part of your presentation structure should be dedicated to allowing your audience to ask questions.

Tips for Effectively Presenting Qualitative Research Findings using PowerPoint

For a presentation to be effective, it is important that the presentation is not only well structured but also that it is well created and nicely delivered!

While we have already covered the structure, let me share with you some tips that you can help you create and deliver the presentation effectively.

Tip 1 – Use Visuals

Using visuals in your presentation is a great way to keep the presentations engaging!

Visual aids not only help make the presentation less boring, but it also helps your audience in retaining the information better!

So, use images and videos of the actual research wherever possible. If these do not suffice or do not give a professional feel, there are a number of resources online from where you can source royalty-free images.

My recommendation for high-quality royalty-free images would be either Unsplash or Pexels . Both are really good. The only downside is that they often do not provide the perfect image that can be used. That said, it can get the job done for at least half the time.

If you are unable to find the perfect free image, I recommend checking out Dreamstime . They have a huge library of images and are much cheaper than most of the other image banks. I personally use Dreamstime for my presentation projects!

Tip 2 – Tell a Story (Don’t Show Just Data!)

I cannot stress enough on how important it is to give your presentation a human touch. Delivering a presentation in the form of a story does just that! Furthermore, storytelling is also a great tool for visualization .

Data can be hard-hitting, whereas a touching story can tickle the emotions of your audience on various levels!

One of the best ways to present a story with your research project is to start with the backstory of the objective. We’ve already talked about this in the earlier part of this article.

Start with why is this research project is so important. Follow a story arc that provides an exciting experience of the beginning, the middle, and a progression towards a climax; much like a plot of a soap opera.

Tip 3 – Include Quotes of the Participants

Including quotes of the participants in your research findings presentation not only provides evidence but also demonstrates authenticity!

Quotes function as a platform to include the voice of the target group and provide a peek into the mindset of the target audience.

When using quotes, keep these things in mind –

1. Use Quotes in their Unedited Form

When using quotes in your presentation, make sure that you use them in their raw unedited form.

The need to edit quotes should be only restricted to aid comprehension and sometimes coherence.

Furthermore, when editing the quotes, make sure that you use brackets to insert clarifying words. The standard format for using the brackets is to use square brackets for clarifying words and normal brackets for adding a missing explanation.

2. How to Decide which Quotes to Consider?

It is important to know which quotes to include in your presentation. I use the following 3 criteria when selecting the quote –

• Relevance – Consider the quotes that are relevant, and trying to convey the point that you want to establish.
• Length – an ideal quote should be not more than 1-2 sentences long.
• Choose quotes that are well-expressed and striking in nature.

3. Preserve Identity of the Participant

It is important to preserve and protect the identity of the participant. This can be done by maintaining confidentiality and anonymity.

Thus, refrain from using the name of the participant. An alternative could be using codes, using pseudonyms (made up names) or simply using other general non-identifiable parameters.

Do note, when using pseudonyms, remember to highlight it in the presentation.

If, however, you do need to use the name of the respondent, make sure that the participant is okay with it and you have adequate permissions to use their name.

Tip 4 – Make your Presentation Visually Appealing and Engaging

It is quite obvious for most of us that we need to create a visually appealing presentation. But, making it pleasing to the eye can be a bit challenging.

Fortunately, we wrote a detailed blog post with tips on how to make your presentation attractive. It provides you with easy and effective tips that you can use even as a beginner! Make sure you check that article.

7 EASY tips that ALWAYS make your PPT presentation attractive (even for beginners)

In addition to the tips mentioned in the article, let me share a few things that you can do which are specific to research outcome presentations.

4.1 Use a Simple Color Scheme

Using the right colors are key to make a presentation look good.

One of the most common mistakes that people make is use too many colors in their presentation!

My recommendation would be to go with a monochromatic color scheme in PowerPoint .

4.2 Make the Data Tables Simple and Visually Appealing

When making a presentation on research outcomes, you are bound to present some data.

But, when data is not presented in a proper manner, it can easily and quickly make your presentation look displeasing! The video below can be a good starting point.

Using neat looking tables can simply transform the way your presentation looks. So don’t just dump the data from excel on your PowerPoint presentation. Spend a few minutes on fixing it!

4.3 Use Graphs and Charts (wherever necessary)

When presenting data, my recommendation would be that graphs and charts should be your first preference.

Using graphs or charts make it easier to read the data, takes less time for the audience to comprehend, and it also helps to identify a trend.

However, make sure that the correct chart type is used when representing the data. The last thing that you want is to poorly represent a key piece of information.

4.4 Use Icons instead of Bullet Points

Consider the following example –

This slide could have been created just as easily using bullet points. However, using icons and representing the information in a different format makes the slide pleasing on the eye.

Thus, always try to use icons wherever possible instead of bullet points.

Tip 5 – Include the Outliers

Many times, as a research project manager, we tend to focus on the trends extracted from a data set.

While it is important to identify patterns in the data and provide an adequate explanation for the pattern, it is equally important sometimes to highlight the outliers prominently.

It is easy to forget that there may be hidden learnings even in the outliers. At times, the data trend may be re-iterating the common wisdom. However, upon analyzing the outlier data points, you may get insight into how a few participants are doing things successfully despite not following the common knowledge.

That said, not every outlier will reveal hidden information. So, do verify what to include and what to exclude.

Tip 6 – Take Inspiration from other Presentations

I admit, making any presentation can be a tough ask let alone making a presentation for showcasing qualitative research findings. This is especially hard when we don’t have the necessary skills for creating a presentation.

One quick way to overcome this challenge could be take inspiration from other similar presentations that we may have liked.

There is no shame in being inspired from others. If you don’t have any handy references, you can surely Google it to find a few examples.

One trick that almost always works for me is using Pinterest .

But, don’t just directly search for a research presentation. You will have little to no success with it. The key is to look for specific examples for inspiration. For eg. search for Title Slide examples, or Image Layout Examples in Presentation.

Tip 7 – Ask Others to Critic your Presentation

The last tip that I would want to provide is to make sure that you share the presentation with supportive colleagues or mentors to attain feedback.

This step can be critical to iron out the chinks in the armor. As research project manager, it is common for you to get a bit too involved with the project. This can lead to possibilities wherein you miss out on things.

A good way to overcome this challenge is to get a fresh perspective on your project and the presentation once it has been prepared.

Taking critical feedback before your final presentation can also prepare you to handle tough questions in an adept manner.

Final Thoughts

It is quite important to ensure that we get it right when working on a presentation that showcases the findings of our research project. After all, we don’t want to be in a situation wherein we put in all the hard-work in the project, but we fail to deliver the outcome appropriately.

I hope you will find the aforementioned tips and structure useful, and if you do, make sure that you bookmark this page and spread the word. Wishing you all the very best for your project!

Home Blog Presentation Ideas How to Create and Deliver a Research Presentation

How to Create and Deliver a Research Presentation

Every research endeavor ends up with the communication of its findings. Graduate-level research culminates in a thesis defense , while many academic and scientific disciplines are published in peer-reviewed journals. In a business context, PowerPoint research presentation is the default format for reporting the findings to stakeholders.

Condensing months of work into a few slides can prove to be challenging. It requires particular skills to create and deliver a research presentation that promotes informed decisions and drives long-term projects forward.

Table of Contents

What is a Research Presentation

Key slides for creating a research presentation, tips when delivering a research presentation, how to present sources in a research presentation, recommended templates to create a research presentation.

A research presentation is the communication of research findings, typically delivered to an audience of peers, colleagues, students, or professionals. In the academe, it is meant to showcase the importance of the research paper , state the findings and the analysis of those findings, and seek feedback that could further the research.

The presentation of research becomes even more critical in the business world as the insights derived from it are the basis of strategic decisions of organizations. Information from this type of report can aid companies in maximizing the sales and profit of their business. Major projects such as research and development (R&D) in a new field, the launch of a new product or service, or even corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives will require the presentation of research findings to prove their feasibility.

Market research and technical research are examples of business-type research presentations you will commonly encounter.

In this article, we’ve compiled all the essential tips, including some examples and templates, to get you started with creating and delivering a stellar research presentation tailored specifically for the business context.

Various research suggests that the average attention span of adults during presentations is around 20 minutes, with a notable drop in an engagement at the 10-minute mark . Beyond that, you might see your audience doing other things.

How can you avoid such a mistake? The answer lies in the adage “keep it simple, stupid” or KISS. We don’t mean dumbing down your content but rather presenting it in a way that is easily digestible and accessible to your audience. One way you can do this is by organizing your research presentation using a clear structure.

Here are the slides you should prioritize when creating your research presentation PowerPoint.

1.  Title Page

The title page is the first thing your audience will see during your presentation, so put extra effort into it to make an impression. Of course, writing presentation titles and title pages will vary depending on the type of presentation you are to deliver. In the case of a research presentation, you want a formal and academic-sounding one. It should include:

• The full title of the report
• The date of the report
• The name of the researchers or department in charge of the report
• The name of the organization for which the presentation is intended

When writing the title of your research presentation, it should reflect the topic and objective of the report. Focus only on the subject and avoid adding redundant phrases like “A research on” or “A study on.” However, you may use phrases like “Market Analysis” or “Feasibility Study” because they help identify the purpose of the presentation. Doing so also serves a long-term purpose for the filing and later retrieving of the document.

Here’s a sample title page for a hypothetical market research presentation from Gillette .

2. Executive Summary Slide

The executive summary marks the beginning of the body of the presentation, briefly summarizing the key discussion points of the research. Specifically, the summary may state the following:

• The purpose of the investigation and its significance within the organization’s goals
• The methods used for the investigation
• The major findings of the investigation
• The conclusions and recommendations after the investigation

Although the executive summary encompasses the entry of the research presentation, it should not dive into all the details of the work on which the findings, conclusions, and recommendations were based. Creating the executive summary requires a focus on clarity and brevity, especially when translating it to a PowerPoint document where space is limited.

Each point should be presented in a clear and visually engaging manner to capture the audience’s attention and set the stage for the rest of the presentation. Use visuals, bullet points, and minimal text to convey information efficiently.

3. Introduction/ Project Description Slides

In this section, your goal is to provide your audience with the information that will help them understand the details of the presentation. Provide a detailed description of the project, including its goals, objectives, scope, and methods for gathering and analyzing data.

You want to answer these fundamental questions:

• What specific questions are you trying to answer, problems you aim to solve, or opportunities you seek to explore?
• Why is this project important, and what prompted it?
• What are the boundaries of your research or initiative? 
• How were the data gathered?

Important: The introduction should exclude specific findings, conclusions, and recommendations.

4. Data Presentation and Analyses Slides

This is the longest section of a research presentation, as you’ll present the data you’ve gathered and provide a thorough analysis of that data to draw meaningful conclusions. The format and components of this section can vary widely, tailored to the specific nature of your research.

For example, if you are doing market research, you may include the market potential estimate, competitor analysis, and pricing analysis. These elements will help your organization determine the actual viability of a market opportunity.

Visual aids like charts, graphs, tables, and diagrams are potent tools to convey your key findings effectively. These materials may be numbered and sequenced (Figure 1, Figure 2, and so forth), accompanied by text to make sense of the insights.

5. Conclusions

The conclusion of a research presentation is where you pull together the ideas derived from your data presentation and analyses in light of the purpose of the research. For example, if the objective is to assess the market of a new product, the conclusion should determine the requirements of the market in question and tell whether there is a product-market fit.

Designing your conclusion slide should be straightforward and focused on conveying the key takeaways from your research. Keep the text concise and to the point. Present it in bullet points or numbered lists to make the content easily scannable.

6. Recommendations

The findings of your research might reveal elements that may not align with your initial vision or expectations. These deviations are addressed in the recommendations section of your presentation, which outlines the best course of action based on the result of the research.

What emerging markets should we target next? Do we need to rethink our pricing strategies? Which professionals should we hire for this special project? — these are some of the questions that may arise when coming up with this part of the research.

Recommendations may be combined with the conclusion, but presenting them separately to reinforce their urgency. In the end, the decision-makers in the organization or your clients will make the final call on whether to accept or decline the recommendations.

7. Questions Slide

Members of your audience are not involved in carrying out your research activity, which means there’s a lot they don’t know about its details. By offering an opportunity for questions, you can invite them to bridge that gap, seek clarification, and engage in a dialogue that enhances their understanding.

If your research is more business-oriented, facilitating a question and answer after your presentation becomes imperative as it’s your final appeal to encourage buy-in for your recommendations.

A simple “Ask us anything” slide can indicate that you are ready to accept questions.

If you need a quick method to create a research presentation, check out our  AI presentation maker . A tool in which you add the topic, curate the outline, select a design, and let AI do the work for you. Alternatively, check our tutorial on how to convert a research paper to presentation using AI .

1. Focus on the Most Important Findings

The truth about presenting research findings is that your audience doesn’t need to know everything. Instead, they should receive a distilled, clear, and meaningful overview that focuses on the most critical aspects.

You will likely have to squeeze in the oral presentation of your research into a 10 to 20-minute presentation, so you have to make the most out of the time given to you. In the presentation, don’t soak in the less important elements like historical backgrounds. Decision-makers might even ask you to skip these portions and focus on sharing the findings.

2. Do Not Read Word-per-word

Reading word-for-word from your presentation slides intensifies the danger of losing your audience’s interest. Its effect can be detrimental, especially if the purpose of your research presentation is to gain approval from the audience. So, how can you avoid this mistake?

• Make a conscious design decision to keep the text on your slides minimal. Your slides should serve as visual cues to guide your presentation.
• Structure your presentation as a narrative or story. Stories are more engaging and memorable than dry, factual information.
• Prepare speaker notes with the key points of your research. Glance at it when needed.
• Engage with the audience by maintaining eye contact and asking rhetorical questions.

3. Don’t Go Without Handouts

Handouts are paper copies of your presentation slides that you distribute to your audience. They typically contain the summary of your key points, but they may also provide supplementary information supporting data presented through tables and graphs.

The purpose of distributing presentation handouts is to easily retain the key points you presented as they become good references in the future. Distributing handouts in advance allows your audience to review the material and come prepared with questions or points for discussion during the presentation. Also, check our article about how to create handouts for a presentation .

4. Actively Listen

An equally important skill that a presenter must possess aside from speaking is the ability to listen. We are not just talking about listening to what the audience is saying but also considering their reactions and nonverbal cues. If you sense disinterest or confusion, you can adapt your approach on the fly to re-engage them.

For example, if some members of your audience are exchanging glances, they may be skeptical of the research findings you are presenting. This is the best time to reassure them of the validity of your data and provide a concise overview of how it came to be. You may also encourage them to seek clarification.

5. Be Confident

Anxiety can strike before a presentation – it’s a common reaction whenever someone has to speak in front of others. If you can’t eliminate your stress, try to manage it.

People hate public speaking not because they simply hate it. Most of the time, it arises from one’s belief in themselves. You don’t have to take our word for it. Take Maslow’s theory that says a threat to one’s self-esteem is a source of distress among an individual.

Now, how can you master this feeling? You’ve spent a lot of time on your research, so there is no question about your topic knowledge. Perhaps you just need to rehearse your research presentation. If you know what you will say and how to say it, you will gain confidence in presenting your work.

All sources you use in creating your research presentation should be given proper credit. The APA Style is the most widely used citation style in formal research.

In-text citation

Add references within the text of your presentation slide by giving the author’s last name, year of publication, and page number (if applicable) in parentheses after direct quotations or paraphrased materials. As in:

The alarming rate at which global temperatures rise directly impacts biodiversity (Smith, 2020, p. 27).

If the author’s name and year of publication are mentioned in the text, add only the page number in parentheses after the quotations or paraphrased materials. As in:

According to Smith (2020), the alarming rate at which global temperatures rise directly impacts biodiversity (p. 27).

Image citation

All images from the web, including photos, graphs, and tables, used in your slides should be credited using the format below.

Creator’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of Image.” Website Name, Day Mo. Year, URL. Accessed Day Mo. Year.

Work cited page

A work cited page or reference list should follow after the last slide of your presentation. The list should be alphabetized by the author’s last name and initials followed by the year of publication, the title of the book or article, the place of publication, and the publisher. As in:

Smith, J. A. (2020). Climate Change and Biodiversity: A Comprehensive Study. New York, NY: ABC Publications.

When citing a document from a website, add the source URL after the title of the book or article instead of the place of publication and the publisher. As in:

Smith, J. A. (2020). Climate Change and Biodiversity: A Comprehensive Study. Retrieved from https://www.smith.com/climate-change-and-biodiversity.

1. Research Project Presentation PowerPoint Template

A slide deck containing 18 different slides intended to take off the weight of how to make a research presentation. With tons of visual aids, presenters can reference existing research on similar projects to this one – or link another research presentation example – provide an accurate data analysis, disclose the methodology used, and much more.

Use This Template

2. Research Presentation Scientific Method Diagram PowerPoint Template

Whenever you intend to raise questions, expose the methodology you used for your research, or even suggest a scientific method approach for future analysis, this circular wheel diagram is a perfect fit for any presentation study.

Customize all of its elements to suit the demands of your presentation in just minutes.

3. Thesis Research Presentation PowerPoint Template

If your research presentation project belongs to academia, then this is the slide deck to pair that presentation. With a formal aesthetic and minimalistic style, this research presentation template focuses only on exposing your information as clearly as possible.

Use its included bar charts and graphs to introduce data, change the background of each slide to suit the topic of your presentation, and customize each of its elements to meet the requirements of your project with ease.

4. Animated Research Cards PowerPoint Template

Visualize ideas and their connection points with the help of this research card template for PowerPoint. This slide deck, for example, can help speakers talk about alternative concepts to what they are currently managing and its possible outcomes, among different other usages this versatile PPT template has. Zoom Animation effects make a smooth transition between cards (or ideas).

5. Research Presentation Slide Deck for PowerPoint

With a distinctive professional style, this research presentation PPT template helps business professionals and academics alike to introduce the findings of their work to team members or investors.

By accessing this template, you get the following slides:

• Introduction
• Problem Statement
• Research Questions
• Conceptual Research Framework (Concepts, Theories, Actors, & Constructs)
• Study design and methods
• Population & Sampling
• Data Collection
• Data Analysis

Check it out today and craft a powerful research presentation out of it!

A successful research presentation in business is not just about presenting data; it’s about persuasion to take meaningful action. It’s the bridge that connects your research efforts to the strategic initiatives of your organization. To embark on this journey successfully, planning your presentation thoroughly is paramount, from designing your PowerPoint to the delivery.

Take a look and get inspiration from the sample research presentation slides above, put our tips to heart, and transform your research findings into a compelling call to action.

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How to not be nervous for a presentation — 13 tips that work (really!)

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Why do I get nervous before presenting?

How not to be nervous when presenting, 5 techniques to control your nerves, quotes for inspiration, speak with confidence.

If you feel nervous or scared about talking to someone new, giving a speech, or being on stage, rest assured: you’re not alone. 

Experiencing symptoms of performance anxiety like an increased heart rate, trembling hands, or excessive sweating is perfectly normal. In fact, people often fear public speaking . But the more you’re immersed in these types of situations, the more comfortable you’ll become . 

We’ll explore how to not be nervous for a presentation and offer inspirational quotes to help you step out of your comfort zone.

Based on data from the National Social Anxiety Center, fear of public speaking is the most common phobia . The official term for this fear is glossophobia, colloquially termed stage fright.

Stage fright typically arises from the perception that when you're in front of a group of people, they'll judge you. The brain’s frontal lobe aids in memory, and when we’re stressed, increased stress hormones temporarily shut that region down . This is what causes us to freeze up and stop talking. 

There’s nothing wrong with being nervous. We all have different social comfort zones, communication styles, and presentation skills. But we can expand and improve our skills if we’re cognitively flexible .

Cognitive flexibility plays a big role in our behavior and attitudes and impacts our performance. You can use your fears as a catalyst for growth and learning — including giving a great presentation.

The following techniques will help you shift your thinking from reactive to proactive to combat nerves throughout the presentation experience:

Before the presentation:

1. Know your topic

Don’t wing it when it comes to presenting any topic. The better you understand your subject matter, the more confident you’ll feel. You can answer questions right away and won’t have to rely on your notes.

If there are a few points or any information you think might arise during the presentation or Q&A, research it and become comfortable speaking to the subject.

Here are a few ways to study: 

• Break down concepts onto notecards
• Practice answering questions  (especially the hard ones you hope no one asks)
• Explain complex information to peers and colleagues

2. Be organized

Take time to thoroughly plan each aspect of the presentation. Often, that means designing PowerPoint slides or other visual aids like videos. Clarify with the organizer what format and technology you’ll be using.

If it’ll be virtual, get your background and room organized, too. This ensures the presentation will go smoothly, in turn reducing stress.  Consider the following preparations:

• Invite your support network to the event
• Arrive early to set up tech and get comfortable in the space
• Practice timing your presentation with the time tracker you’ll use day-of
• Bring a water bottle and a snack
• Contact your manager or venue staff to discuss any accessibility or tech concerns

3. Practice, practice, practice

Whether you’re rehearsing in front of a mirror, family member, or pet, you can never practice enough. Ask for feedback about your body language , eye contact , and how loudly you project your voice.

If you’ll be giving the presentation on a video conference, record it on the platform to see how you look and sound.

4. Visualize your success

Thinking through possible outcomes is a great way to prepare — but it can also backfire on you. If you obsess over negative what-ifs, this failing mentality might become a self-fulfilling prophecy. 

The more often you fill your mind with positive thoughts and visualize your success, the more automatic they’ll be. Positive self-talk can make a big difference to your confidence. Run through the presentation — successfully — in your head.

During the presentation:

5. Focus on your material, not the audience

Your audience is there for your presentation — not to assess you. They’ll be looking at your colorful slides and listening to what you’re saying. Don’t let your mind fill with insecurities . 

6 . Don't fear silence

If your mind suddenly goes blank, that’s okay. It may seem like an eternity to you as you try to figure out what to say next, but it’s only a few seconds at most. 

Pausing isn’t a bad thing, anyway. You can use dramatic breaks advantageously to draw attention before the most important bits. 

7 . Speak slowly

Presentation anxiety often causes nervous energy, so we speak faster than normal. This might make you fumble your words or forget important details.

Slow down. Audience members will be thankful since they can understand you , and drawing out your speech will give you time to calm down, ground yourself , and stay organized.

8 . Take deep breaths and drink water

Breathing delivers oxygen to your brain, allowing you to think more clearly. Drinking water ups your energy, and also gives you a moment to pause. 

Smiling is a simple yet effective way to soothe your nerves. Doing so releases endorphins, helping you physically feel more confident. And a friendly face will make the audience more open to what you’re saying. 

10 . Remember the three "audience truths"

These include: 1) for the duration of the presentation, the audience believes you’re the expert, 2) they’re on your side, and 3) they don’t know when you make a mistake. 

After the presentation:

11. Recognize your success

Giving a presentation is something worth being proud of — celebrate it! In addition to family, friends, and coworkers, you deserve a high five from yourself, too.

1 2. Collect feedback

Feedback is a wonderful gift if you use it as a tool to help you do even better next time. Ask some of your audience members what they liked and what they didn’t. Remember, you can learn a lot from your mistakes . 

1 3. Don't beat yourself up

You did the best you could, and that’s all anyone — including you — can ask for. 

Nervousness is perfectly normal, but sometimes our symptoms hold us back from doing — and enjoying — scarier tasks. Here are five tips for overcoming nerves:

1. Practice impression management

Impression management requires projecting an image that contradicts how you actually feel. It’s essentially a “fake it ‘til you make it” strategy.  Let’s say you’re about to make a corporate-wide presentation and feel worried you’ll forget important information. You’ll counteract this worry by imagining yourself remembering every detail and delivering it entertainingly.

Learn from this practice by noting the information chosen in your hypothetical and how you expressed it effectively. 

2. Talk to someone

Emotions are contagious. We absorb others’ positive vibes . Chatting with people who are excited about and confident in our presentation abilities rubs off on us. 

Before a presentation, call a cheerleader in your life — someone who’s on your side and understands your nerves. Be specific, discussing which parts of presenting are nerve-wracking and what you need from them.

3. Do breathing exercises

Mindful breathing is when you pay attention to the sensation of inhaling and exhaling while controlling and deepening breath length. Breathwork has several health benefits, including reducing stress and anxiety and improving memory, attention, and focus. 

Before the presentation, find a quiet and solitary space. Breathe deeply for at least a minute, focusing on sensation and depth. This practice brings you into your body and out of your mind (away from nerve-wracking thoughts).

4. Practice reframing 

Reframing is a technique used in cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) to improve negative automatic thought patterns over time. One such pattern is viewing certain emotions as bad, and others as good. Nervousness feels the same in the body as excitement. Instead of panicking even more when realizing you’re nervous, reframe your impression of nerves as excitement for what you’re about to do.

This excitement will propel you forward with confidence and pride for stepping out of your comfort zone and doing something scary.

Here are seven inspirational quotes to help you feel confident and excited when doing something you’re nervous about:

“You can speak well if your tongue can deliver the message of your heart.” John Ford

“ When speaking in public, your message — no matter how important — will not be effective or memorable if you don't have a clear structure. ” Patricia Fripp

“The most precious things in speech are the pauses.”  Sir Ralph Richardson

“The way you overcome shyness is to become so wrapped up in something that you forget to be afraid.” Lady Bird Johnson

“It’s what you practice in private that you will be rewarded for in public.” Tony Robbins

“The worst speech you’ll ever give will be far better than the one you never give.” Fred Miller

Like any other skill, learning how to not be nervous for a presentation takes time and practice. Acknowledging this hurdle is the first step to making a change in the right direction.  Facing your fears will empower you to take on scarier — and more fulfilling — goals and enjoy the experience along the way. You don’t have to start with a TED Talk. Tackle small challenges like presenting an idea to your manager or practicing a short speech with a friend.  We won’t sugarcoat it — it’s hard to change our minds and habits. But if you’re willing to put in the effort, you’ll be rewarded with increased confidence and new experiences.

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Elizabeth Perry, ACC

Elizabeth Perry is a Coach Community Manager at BetterUp. She uses strategic engagement strategies to cultivate a learning community across a global network of Coaches through in-person and virtual experiences, technology-enabled platforms, and strategic coaching industry partnerships. With over 3 years of coaching experience and a certification in transformative leadership and life coaching from Sofia University, Elizabeth leverages transpersonal psychology expertise to help coaches and clients gain awareness of their behavioral and thought patterns, discover their purpose and passions, and elevate their potential. She is a lifelong student of psychology, personal growth, and human potential as well as an ICF-certified ACC transpersonal life and leadership Coach.

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7 Best Practices to a Standout Research Presentation

After months of rigorous analysis, interpretation, and synthesis, your research findings are ready to change the world (or at least your corner of it). 

Now comes the next challenge: how do you translate your complex insights into a compelling research presentation that not only informs but captivates your audience? 

Keep reading for tips and best practices to create a research presentation as confident as your findings.

Pro tip : Get your free Piktochart account before you scroll down. This way, you can immediately put our tips to practice as you read along. Alternatively, you can hop over to our AI presentation maker and find more examples of professional research presentation decks.

Keep your pen and paper handy so you can take notes!

What exactly happens during a research presentation? 

When you present your research, you share what you’ve been working on and what you found out. 

You start by explaining why your topic matters, then walk your audience through how you went about investigating it. Then, you share your results, often with visuals to make things clear. You wrap up by recapping your main points, talking about what your findings and their relevance, and pointing out any questions that still need to be answered. 

In a nutshell, your research presentation is a way to get your work out there, get people talking, and maybe even gain new perspectives.

How long is a typical research presentation? 

The ideal length of a research presentation depends on the specific context, audience, and purpose. Here’s a general guideline:

• Short and sweet (10-15 minutes): Perfect for giving your audience a taste of your research and sparking their interest.
• Standard fare (20-30 minutes): Enough time to dive deeper into your methods and findings, ideal for most academic settings.
• Deep dive (45-60+ minutes): A comprehensive look at your work. This is best for specialized audiences who want all the details of your research.

How about an AP research presentation? How long should it be?

The official time limit for an AP (Advanced Placement) Research presentation is 15 to 20 minutes. But here’s a quick tip: you won’t want to use every second of that. Effective presenters often aim for the lower end of this range because shorter yet well-organized presentations hold attention and leave room for questions.

Aim for an AP research presentation that’s around 12-15 minutes, leaving a few minutes for questions or discussion. This keeps things engaging and shows you respect your audience’s time. As you’ll see later below, some of the best winning presentations we’ve found online are just 3 minutes long!

Speaking of, let’s get into the nitty-gritty of designing successful, effective research presentations.

Beyond bullet points: How to create research presentations that stand out

First time presenters often fall into the trap of relying on endless bullet points and dry recitations of data. As tempting as this sounds to effectively organize your presentation, it can often look like you’ve just copied and pasted your paper into the slides, and you’ll end up reading off them verbatim.

Here are some best practices with accompanying research presentation examples to help you go beyond bullet points and leave a lasting impression the next time you present your research. 

1. Develop a narrative for your research.

Let’s be honest, nobody wants to sit through a data dump disguised as a presentation. Instead, think of your research as a compelling story. Every good story has the following elements:

• Exposition: Set the scene for your research. What’s the problem you’re tackling? Why is your topic important? Use this section to create a compelling rationale that resonates with your audience’s interests or the broader implications of your work.
• Rising action (The challenge): Build tension and intrigue. What challenges did you face? What unexpected twists and turns did your research take? This is where you describe your research approach and the obstacles encountered, giving you a chance to inject some excitement into the research while demonstrating your problem-solving skills.
• Climax (Results): Reveal your findings! This is the moment your audience has been waiting for. This is the best time to use visuals to make your results memorable.
• Falling Action (Unpacking the results)): Help your audience make sense of your results. What are the broader implications? Are there potential applications, policy impacts, or do the results advance the theoretical understanding in your field?
• Resolution: Wrap it up with a satisfying conclusion. What are the next steps? What questions remain unanswered? End your presentation on a high note. Summarize your key takeaways, offer a call to action, or pose thought-provoking questions for future research. This leaves your audience wanting more.

A great example of a research presentation following a narrative arc is this 3-minute presentation by Shannon Lea Watkins of the University of California San Francisco. It won 1st place (Poster Presentation category) for APPAM’s (Association for Public Analysis and Management) 2017 Fall Research Conference.

The presentation skillfully introduces the research question, “Does initiating tobacco use with flavored products predict current smoking status? An examination by race, gender, and sexual identity,” and builds anticipation for the findings. The subsequent discussion of the research’s implications also effectively engages the audience and highlights its significance. 

In just 3 minutes, the presenter communicated the core message using clear language and highlighted the key takeaways.

2. Use a font size that is legible from a distance.

Imagine your grandmother sitting in the back row. Would she be able to read your slides comfortably?

If not, it’s time to bump up your presentation slide’s font size. A good rule of thumb is to use a minimum font size of 24 points for body text and 36 points for headings.

In addition, white space is your friend. Don’t overcrowd your slides with too much text. Instead, use concise bullet points, phrases, or keywords to guide your narrative. This will keep your audience focused on your story and not squinting to read tiny texts. 

Dr. Oliver Hauser’s presentation of his winning paper on “Minority Report: A Modern Perspective on Reducing Unethical Behavior in Organizations” is a good example of a presentation with legible text. The black text on a white background also creates excellent contrast which makes the text easily readable.

3. Choose your fonts carefully. 

Now that you’ve taken care of your presentations’ font size, let’s talk about font types. So what’s the best font for research presentations? 

When choosing the right font for your research presentation, consider the “personality” of different fonts and choose ones that align with your research’s tone and topic. For example, serif fonts are traditional and classic, while sans serif fonts are modern and clean. 

It also helps to prioritize legibility over style, especially for body text. Finally,  don’t be afraid to mix and match fonts for visual interest.

Here’s a pro tip from Stephanie Lee , Lead Designer at Piktochart: 

“An important factor to consider when choosing fonts to use is to ensure it has good readability. Roboto is a good font to consider for presentations, it’s a reliable font that’s versatile in that it can be used for both headings and body copy. It’s a great option if you need your design to look professional & modern.”

If you want to get creative, consider exploring less common fonts that still maintain readability. Some popular choices include:

• Futura : A geometric sans serif font with a modern feel.
• Raleway : A versatile sans serif font that works well for both headings and body text.
• Libre Baskerville : A classic serif font with excellent readability.
• Poppins : A geometric sans serif font with a friendly and approachable vibe.

Recommended reading : 14 Fonts That Make Your PowerPoint Presentations Stand Out

How about font pairings for presentations?

Here are some general tips to help you with font pairings and create a professional and visually-appealing research presentation:

• Pair a serif font with a sans serif font: This classic combination offers a nice contrast between traditional and modern styles.
• Use a bold or decorative font for headings and a simple font for body text: This creates a clear hierarchy and helps your audience navigate your content.
• Limit your font choices to two or three: Using too many fonts can make your presentation look cluttered and unprofessional.

And here are some popular font pairings you can try when making your own presentation :

Classic and readable

• Heading: Georgia or Merriweather (serif)
• Body: Arial or Helvetica (sans-serif)

This combination is timeless and easy on the eyes. It works well for formal presentations and those with a lot of text.

Modern and clean

• Heading: Montserrat or Lato (sans-serif)
• Body: Open Sans or Roboto (sans-serif)

These fonts are sleek and contemporary. They are suitable for presentations with a minimalist design and those targeting a younger audience.

Creative and engaging

• Heading: Playfair Display or Lobster (serif)
• Body: Raleway or Oswald (sans-serif)

This pairing is visually interesting and can help capture attention. This combo is ideal for creative presentations and those focused on design or storytelling.

With Piktochart, finding the right font for your presentation is very straightforward. You’ve got many options right at your fingertips, and you can even upload your own if you want to make it more custom. This makes it easier to customize your research presentation slides and make them look sharp!

4. Choose a color palette that complements your presentation.

Your presentation slides’ color scheme sets the mood of your presentation and can even influence how your audience perceives your message. Here are some pointers to help you pick the righ t color palette :

Match it to your topic

The colors you choose should reflect the tone of your research. Calming blues and green palette combinations might work for a mental health presentation, while fiery reds and oranges could be better for discussing climate change.

Keep it simple

Don’t overwhelm your audience with a rainbow of colors. Following the rule of 3 is a safe approach; stick to a primary color, a secondary color, and maybe an accent color.

Consider color psychology

The color you choose for your presentation can evoke emotions. For example, blue often signifies trust while green can represent growth.

Here are some more examples to get you started:

• Scientific and academic: Use white, gray, black, with a pop of blue or green.
• Business and corporate: Use blues, grays, and a touch of gold.
• Creative and artistic: Go for vibrant colors like orange, yellow, or turquoise.
• Nonprofit and social Impact: Opt for earthy tones like brown or green, with a warm accent like orange.

If you’re still not sure if you can get your presentation’s color scheme right, Piktochart makes it easier for you with its Color Schemes feature. It allows you to apply a set of colors to your entire presentation slide in one click.

Piktochart offers two types of Color Schemes for your presentations:

• Suggested: These are pre-designed palettes curated by Piktochart’s designers and are available in most templates. Access them by clicking on the “Colors” option in the editor.
• Brand: Business plan users can create custom color schemes with up to six colors. These can be manually created or extracted from an image. To create a brand color scheme, go to “Brand” and click on “Create Brand Color Scheme”.

You can edit both types of color schemes by clicking the pencil icon. 

This AP research presentation by Madeline Hart showcases the link between birth order and overall creativity. 

Notice how Madeline incorporates vivid colors into her slides. Vivid colors like orange and yellow green are associated with creativity, energy, and enthusiasm. By using these colors, Madeline subtly reinforces her presentation’s theme and creates a visually stimulating experience for her audience.

In addition, while Madeline uses pops of color, her overall slide design likely remains clean and uncluttered. This allows her audience to focus on the content without being overwhelmed by excessive visuals or text. 

5. Guide your audience with smooth, engaging transitions

Transitions should enhance, not overpower, your presentation. Smooth transitions between slides can make your presentation feel polished and professional. Avoid abrupt jumps or jarring effects. Use subtle fades, slides, or dissolves to maintain a sense of flow and continuity.  It’s also worth noting that shorter transitions may feel energetic, while longer ones create a thoughtful atmosphere.

The good news is that Piktochart offers a range of slide transitions to improve the flow and visual appeal of your presentation. Here are some transition effects you can try:

• None: A simple, static transition with no animation.
• Default: Piktochart’s standard transition, usually a subtle fade or slide.
• Concave: A unique transition where the previous slide appears to bend inwards as the next slide takes its place.
• Fade: A gradual transition where the previous slide fades out as the next slide fades in.
• Linear: A simple, horizontal slide transition.
• Zoom: A dynamic transition where the next slide appears to zoom in from a distance.

Experiment with these transitions to find what best suits your research presentation. Learn more about these Piktochart transitions.

6. Remember the 5/5/5 Rule

The 5/5/5 Rule in presentation design is a simple yet powerful guideline designed to prevent your slides from becoming overwhelming walls of text. Here’s a breakdown of the rule:

• 5 lines of text: Aim to keep the text on each slide to a maximum of five lines. This helps prevent information overload and ensures that your key points are easily digestible.
• 5 words per line: Limit each line of text to approximately five words. This makes your slides easier to read and prevents your audience from getting lost in long sentences or complex ideas.
• 5 text-heavy slides: Avoid presenting more than five consecutive slides that are predominantly text-based. Break up the monotony with visuals, graphs, or interactive elements to maintain audience engagement.

Can you break the 5/5/5 Rule? Of course! It’s a guideline, not a law.

There may be times when you need to exceed these limits, such as when presenting complex data or detailed information. However, always strive for clarity and conciseness. If you must include a lot of text, consider using bullet points, breaking up the information into multiple slides, or providing handouts for your audience to reference later.

7. Test your presentation slides on different devices

Your meticulously crafted presentation might look flawless on your laptop screen, but that doesn’t guarantee it will translate well to other viewing environments like on a projector or smartphone.

Testing your slides on various devices is crucial because screen sizes, resolutions, and even operating systems can drastically alter how your presentation appears.

Here’s a quick checklist you can use:

• Your laptop/desktop
• Projector (if using)
• Smartphone (iOS and Android)
• Tablet (iPad or Android)
• Check in both standard and presentation modes.
• Zoom in and out to simulate different viewing distances.
• Test in different web browsers if you’re using online presentation software .
• Get feedback from others viewing your presentation on their devices.

Testing your research presentation on different devices is easy with Piktochart, thanks to its handy share URL feature. With just a few clicks, you can generate a unique link to your presentation and easily share it with colleagues, friends, or anyone else you’d like to get feedback from.

Here’s how it works:

• Create your presentation in Piktochart.
• Click the “Share” button.
• Select “Public on the Web” and click “Copy Link”
• Send the URL to your reviewers.

They can then access your presentation on their own devices and give valuable feedback on how it looks and functions across different screen sizes and platforms. It’s a simple, efficient way to ensure your presentation is polished and accessible to all audiences.

Make impactful research presentations slides with Piktochart

We’ve covered a lot of ground on how to turn your research into a presentation that’ll grab your audience’s attention and leave a lasting impact.

The takeaway here is it’s not just about the facts and figures—it’s about telling a story, being mindful of your fonts, smooth transitions, and keeping things concise. Testing your slides on different devices is a pro move too.

Don’t let your research findings go unnoticed—use Piktochart’s presentation maker to create impactful and thoughtful research presentations. Get your Piktochart free plan if you haven’t yet!

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Researchers' experiences of patient & public involvement

• Definition, purpose and values of patient and public involvement
• Reasons for involving patients and the public in research
• Finding people to involve in research
• Researchers’ examples of the value and impact of involvement
• Measuring impact of involvement
• Skills needed for involvement
• Training needs for involvement
• Learning from experience of involving patients and the public
• Colleagues’ attitudes to patient and public involvement
• Organisational support and leadership for patient and public involvement
• Doubts, worries and debates about involvement
• Practical advice for involvement
• Payment, expenses and funding issues in patient and public involvement
• Long-term involvement and ‘professionalisation’
• 'Representativeness' and diversity of people who get involved
• Embedding patient and public involvement in research

Feelings about involvement and emotional impact

• Messages for people who get involved in research
• Messages to researchers/colleagues about patient and public involvement
• Messages to the NHS, universities and research funders about patient and public involvement
• Clinical and medical scientific researchers
• Social scientists and health services researchers
• PPI coordinator roles
• Resources and Information

Involving people ‘makes you feel good about what you do’. Stuart finds it moving, enjoyable and useful.

Involving people ‘makes doing the research far more fun’ and ‘makes it all very real and meaningful’.

Fiona finds involvement ‘a very rich part of my life’ and never stressful.

Sarah A feels very responsible for the people who get involved and feels guilty if progress with the research isn’t as good as they hoped. It’s an ‘emotional burden’.

Catherine feels some of her colleagues have ‘pigeon-holed’ her as an expert in PPI but she’s often anxious about whether she’s doing it well.

Stuart has learned you have to be prepared to manage difficult conversations when you don’t agree with people, and to accept compromise.

People may have unrealistic expectations and may want to talk about topics that are emotionally important to them but not relevant for the research. Valerie finds managing this difficult.

Rebecca reflects on managing difficult conversations and emotions, and ensuring everyone gets a chance to speak. Junior researchers may lack confidence to manage conflict.

Researchers may feel upset listening to people’s stories, and scared that how they respond may come across either as too warm and patronising or too hard and distant..

Jo says PPI meetings can trigger unexpected emotional responses. Researchers feel a responsibility to take care of people and that can be ‘a very personal emotional cost’ for them too.

Marian worries about some of her more junior researchers listening to difficult stories about pregnancy. They had some training about bereavement and emotions.

Kristin feels researchers need to ‘be a bit matter of fact’ and not get over-emotional about individual stories. She is more upset by the way the system operates against people.

Suzanne disagrees that the ‘best’ patient contributor is always one who can be unemotional. Emotion may be precisely what they bring – but it needs to be treated with sensitivity.

Jim is mostly at ease talking about his wife’s cancer but it can upset others listening to his story. Both researchers and patients need to be aware that emotions can suddenly surface.

Alice recommends training in how to involve people, for whom the research may be a very emotional issue.

The assumption that researchers are ‘robotic, unfeeling people’ unless they have patient involvement can feel a bit insulting.

Kristin does not like the idea that ‘researchers are bad and people who are involved are good’. Involvement conferences can end up feeling ‘a bit researcher-bashing’.

Rebecca gets upset when she hears people dismiss all researchers as unable to talk to ‘real people’. She points out she’s a ‘real person’ too, even though she knows researchers need to use less jargon.

Patient involvement can make you think differently even if the impact is not huge. but alison sometimes feels under pressure to be more positive about it than she feels. she says ‘about sixty percent i want to do it.’.

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