• Your oral presentation should be between 10 and 12 minuteslong.  You will have 3 minutes after your presentation for Q & A.

• If you are working as a group, we recommended you select a maximum of 4 students to present.

• Presentationsshould be in English, unless you carried out your research for a course for which the main language of instruction was Arabic.

• You will need be able to access your visuals easily on a flash or online on the day of the conference.

• If you intend to use a Mac device (e.g. Macbook, iPad) to display your visuals, you must bring your own adapter in order to connect to the audio-visual system in the presentation room.

Prepare for Success: Planning

Presenting a research project that you have worked on for months in under 12 minutes is a challenge! Choose a limited number of main points you want your audience to understand and remember, including:

1. The problem/ issue that your research addresses

2. Your specific research aim

3. Your key finding(s)

4. The implications of your findings

Do not present all the procedural details of your study (e.g methods, data analysis). If the audience want to know more about these points, they will ask questions at the end of your presentation.

Prepare for Success: Audience Awareness

At the USRC, you will be presenting to a mixed audience. Your presentation should be easily understood by people from different academic backgrounds, not just specialists in your field. Take time to explain why your research is important within your field and how it is relevant or beneficial in the ‘real world’. Avoid using a lot of technical details or ‘jargon’.   

Prepare for Success: Oral Delivery

To hold the attention of your audience, you will need to speak loudly and clearly, and show enthusiasm for your topic. Speaking at a moderate pace is very important as well; if you speak too fast, the audience won’t have time to process and understand what you’re saying.

Do not memorise your presentation or read aloud to the audience. 

Speak directly to the audience and refer to your visuals only occasionally, e.g. when an image, diagram or chart needs explanation.

Make sure you can pronounce key words related to your project correctly with confidence.

To help you speak confidently and present your material within the allotted time, you must practice, practice and practice again!  Get feedback by recording your presentation and replaying it to friends and colleagues, and watch it yourself.

Prepare for Success: Effective Visuals

Your visuals should support your spoken delivery and enhance the audience’s understanding of your topic.

We recommend that you use Powerpoint for preparing your slide.  Other types of presentation software (e.g. Keynote or Prezi) may not work as efficiently.

Your introductory slide should include:

1. Conference logo (available to download from our website)

2. Your university/ college logo or name

3. Title of your research project

4. Names of the presenter(s), group members and project supervisor