A guide to academic presentations for first-timers and nervous novices

So, there I was, a newly minted “Dr” who had graduated with his doctorate in languages in the previous year. With some encouragement from my PhD supervisor, I was excited, to say the least, to share my “groundbreaking findings”. Giving a presentation at a local conference was a long-awaited opportunity to introduce myself as a promising young scholar. 

The preparations began. My first (and massive) mistake was to compile a long and exhausting 70-slide presentation. I would have probably needed an entire week, at least, for a thorough rehearsal of such a PowerPoint presentation, time I did not have. 

Then, conference anxiety and procrastination kicked in, and the inevitable panic mode was triggered. This meant going through the presentation in the airport waiting area, inside the aircraft, the night before the presentation, during the keynote, and in the moments before the delivery. This is the worst-case scenario for any first-time presenter. 

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During the delivery, I shook uncontrollably and I was mentally exiled – that is to say, physically in the venue but mentally absent. I spent too much time on non-essential details, and before I realised it, 20 minutes had elapsed with only the introduction covered. Thanks to the chair’s kindness, five or so additional minutes were granted. But these too were hastily and ineffectively spent. That was it. It was done, with almost nothing significant communicated. This was a harsh and brutal realisation. So much money and time invested in vain. 

However, not all was lost. My participation yielded important lessons. 

First, I learned that much of what we worry about, more especially novice researchers, is insignificant. The only goal of a conference presentation is to share research findings in the shortest time possible. The point is not to sound intellectually astute nor to prove the “groundbreakingness” of your findings or your capabilities as a scholar. It is simply to communicate the results as quickly and clearly as possible. TED chairman Chris Anderson speaks about getting “rid of 90 per cent of what you think you want to talk about” when preparing for a time-constrained talk. 

Second, there is no need for extra elements such as images or audio clips, unless they serve a purpose and enhance the communication of the findings. 

And third when time is limited, it is best to cut any engagement aspirations off during the presentation; keep the main thing the main thing. It is better to finish under time and get the message across in a non-rushed manner. 

How to structure a presentation

Acting on the first lesson requires limiting the presentation to as few slides as possible, covering five research aspects, namely:

1. introduction, outlining the study title, the presenter’s name and institutional affiliation 
2. study background/rationale and setting
3. sampling and population, data collection and analysis details
4. study findings
5. implications and contributions of the study. 

Each aspect should stretch over two slides at most. Many times, we worry more about the aesthetics of a presentation than the content of the paper, an approach or perception that often leads to the overpopulation of content. This tempts the presenter to read from their presentation, as opposed to talking from it. To do the latter, the presenter needs to understand their study extremely well and in such a way that they can talk about it even without tools such as PowerPoint slides. In essence, your content should “highlight” the paper, rather than rewrite it.

The second lesson means using a clean presentation template and conventional fonts, being economical with words, and using images and illustrations sparingly.

Efficient ways to engage an audience

The third lesson suggests embedding less time-consuming and more creative ways of drawing the audience’s interest in the presentation. Such techniques may include, as entrepreneur Dan Lok has outlined, earning the audience’s attention in the first minute of the introduction (tell them how the presentation will add value to their lives or profession, for example) or using light humour to engage them as well as put yourself at ease.

On nervousness or stage fright, unfortunately, it simply never vanishes. I always tell my education students that someone could have plenty of years of teaching experience but that whenever they stand before students, the nerves always hit. It appears, therefore, that this is a self-consciousness we are all born with and which we can only manage to a certain extent.

One of the effective ways I have found to manage nervousness is through thorough preparation. Although circumstances may vary from one person to another, you may need at least a week to prepare. Participating in internally organised conferences, institutional research festivals and competitions may also help in getting used to being on stage and understanding how you behave in tense environments. This can enhance confidence, creativity and familiarity with conference presentations and culture.

Equally significant is believing in your own capabilities in communicating a clear message. You may not be the best orator in the world, but as a researcher of a study, you are the best person – or are at least in a better position – to communicate your study’s findings. You can also motivate yourself through affirmations or reminding yourself of your “why”, the purpose of your presentation and how it aligns with your long-term career goals.

Even if the presentation does not go as planned, there is always something to learn from your experience and from other candidates’ studies and presentation styles. So, do not be too hard on yourself and do not place overly huge expectations on yourself, either.

A reflection of this nature was critical to ensure that I (and perhaps others who may find this piece of writing useful) do not make similar mistakes in future conferences and that conference experiences do not become anxiety triggers but rather enjoyable professional growth opportunities.

PraysGod Mhlongo is a lecturer in English at Cape Peninsula University of Technology, South Africa. 

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