Outline / Slide Structure

Follow the same order in your presentation as in the submitted abstract, i.e., TITLE > BACKGROUND > OBJECTIVES > STUDY DESIGN > METHODS > RESULTS > CONCLUSIONS > IMPLICATION(S).

Do

Do Not

· Leave one square inch area free in the right upper corner of each slide for the 'TIMER' window.

· Use 1-2 slides per minute of your presentation.

· Write in point form, and not complete sentences.

· Include 4-5 points per slide.

· Avoid wordiness — use keywords and phrases only.

· Use too much text or too many words for a presentation slide.

· Make your audience to spend too much time trying to read your slide instead of listening to you.

· Use more than 1-2 slides for topic background, as it leaves little time for presenting your own work.

· Use distracting animations or go overboard with the animation.

FONTS

Do

Do Not

· Use at least an 18-point font.

· Use different size fonts for main points and secondary points, e.g., 36-point font for the Title, 28-point font for main points, and 24-point font for secondary points

· Use a standard font like Times New Roman, Anal, or Tahoma.

· Use a small font — your audience won't be able to read what you have written.

· CAPITALIZE, except when necessary. IT IS DIFFICULT TO READ CAPITALIZED.

· Use a complicated font.

COLOR

Do

Do Not

· Use a font color that contrasts sharply with the background, e.g., blue font on white background.

· Use color to reinforce the logic of your structure, e.g., light blue title and dark blue text.

· Use color to emphasize a point, but only occasionally.

· Use a font color that does not contrast with the background and is hard to read.

· Use color for decoration as it is distracting and annoying.

· Use a different color for each point — it is unnecessary.

· Use a different color for secondary points — it is also unnecessary.

· Try to be too creative — it can also be bad.

SLIDE BACKGROUND

Do

Do Not

· Use backgrounds that are attractive but simple.

· Use backgrounds which are light.

· Use the same background consistently throughout your presentation.

· Use backgrounds that are distracting or difficult to read from.

· Use inconsistent backgrounds.

GRAPHS

Graphs are a great way to present a great deal of information to your audience. It is much easier to view a graph than digest a series of numbers in a Table.

Do

Do Not

· Use graphs rather than just charts and words — data in graphs is easier to comprehend.

· Use PowerPoint for graphs — it has a fantastic graphing program all of its own, and the graphs produced are more pleasing to the eye, behave better, and fit into the look of your presentation.

· Always title your graphs

· Make your graphs in EXCEL and then import them into PowerPoint – It might mess up the graph.

· Show gridlines as they are unnecessary.

· Use too small fonts in the graph — your audience won't be able to read.

· Use illogical colors.

· Forget to add Title to each graph.

· Use shading – It is distracting.

SPELLING AND GRAMMAR

Do

Do Not

· Proofread your slides (in the normal window) for spelling mistakes and the use of repeated words.

· Have someone else check your final presentation.

· CAPITALIZE, except when necessary — by default the spell checker ignores spelling mistakes of capitalized words.

CONCLUSION

Do

Do Not

· Use an effective and strong closing as your audience is likely to remember your last words.

· Summarize the main points of your presentation.

· Suggest future avenues of research.

· End your presentation with an 'implications' or a simple question slide to provoke your audience to ask questions.

· Avoid abrupt ending of your presentation by overshooting the allotted time.

· Forget to show acknowledgements.

· Forget to thank your audience.