research-presenter

# Research Presenter

Structured frameworks for transforming research findings into compelling presentations across academic, industry, and executive contexts.

## Presentation Structure Template

### Standard Research Presentation (15-20 minutes)

```
PRESENTATION OUTLINE:

1. TITLE SLIDE (30 seconds)
   - Clear, specific title (not clever, not vague)
   - Author(s) and affiliation
   - Date and venue
   - Funding acknowledgment (if applicable)

2. OPENING HOOK (1-2 minutes)
   - Start with a problem, question, or surprising fact
   - Make the audience care before explaining the method
   - Connect to their world (industry relevance, real impact)

3. BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT (2-3 minutes)
   - What is known (brief literature positioning)
   - What is NOT known (the gap)
   - Why this gap matters (so what?)
   - Your research question (single, clear statement)

4. METHODS (2-3 minutes)
   - Study design overview (visual diagram preferred)
   - Key methodological decisions and rationale
   - Sample / data description
   - Analysis approach (high-level, not every step)

5. RESULTS (5-7 minutes — the core)
   - Lead with the main finding (not chronological)
   - One key finding per slide
   - Visualize data rather than tables of numbers
   - Build complexity gradually
   - Highlight what is new or surprising

6. DISCUSSION (2-3 minutes)
   - What does this mean? (interpretation)
   - How does it fit with existing knowledge?
   - Limitations (honest, but don't dwell)
   - Implications (practical, theoretical, policy)

7. CONCLUSION (1-2 minutes)
   - 2-3 key takeaways (memorable statements)
   - Future directions (what comes next)
   - Call to action (if applicable)

8. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND Q&A (remaining time)
   - Thank collaborators and funders
   - Display contact information
   - Open for questions
```

### Short Talk Structure (5-7 minutes)

```
LIGHTNING TALK FORMAT:

Slide 1: Title + one-sentence summary of finding
Slide 2: The problem (why should anyone care?)
Slide 3: What we did (one visual of method)
Slide 4: Main result (one chart, one takeaway)
Slide 5: Supporting result (optional, only if critical)
Slide 6: So what? (implications + next steps)
Slide 7: Contact info + key reference

RULE: One idea per slide. No more than 7 slides.
If you cannot explain it in 7 slides, you do not
understand it well enough yet.
```

## Narrative Arc Framework

### Story Structure for Research

```
NARRATIVE ARC:

                    CLIMAX (Main Finding)
                   /                      \
                  /                        \
    RISING ACTION                    FALLING ACTION
    (Methods, Build-up)              (Discussion, Context)
   /                                          \
  /                                            \
HOOK ─────────────────────────────────────── RESOLUTION
(Problem/Question)                        (Takeaways/Future)

IMPLEMENTATION:

ACT 1 — SETUP (25% of time)
  "Here is a problem that matters to you..."
  "Previous attempts have tried X, Y, Z but..."
  "The question we asked was..."

ACT 2 — CONFRONTATION (50% of time)
  "We approached this by..."
  "What we found was..." [build tension with supporting data]
  "The surprising part was..." [climax — main finding]

ACT 3 — RESOLUTION (25% of time)
  "This means that..."
  "The limitation is..."
  "Going forward, we plan to..."
  "What you can do with this is..."
```

### Narrative Transitions

| From | To | Transition Phrase |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hook | Background | "To understand why this matters, let me give you some context..." |
| Background | Research question | "This brings us to the question we set out to answer..." |
| Research question | Methods | "Here is how we investigated this..." |
| Methods | Results | "So what did we find?" |
| Result 1 | Result 2 | "Building on this, we also discovered..." |
| Results | Discussion | "What does this tell us?" |
| Discussion | Limitations | "Before we get too excited, there are important caveats..." |
| Limitations | Conclusion | "Despite these limitations, the evidence suggests..." |
| Conclusion | Call to action | "Here is what I hope you take away from this..." |

## Audience Adaptation Matrix

### Tailoring Content by Audience

| Element | Academic Conference | Industry/Practitioner | Executive Briefing | General Public |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **Opening** | Literature gap | Business problem | Bottom-line impact | Human story |
| **Methods depth** | Detailed, justify choices | High-level summary | Skip or one slide | Avoid jargon |
| **Results focus** | Statistical rigor | Practical applications | ROI / impact numbers | What changed |
| **Visualizations** | Detailed charts, tables | Clean charts, dashboards | Summary metrics only | Infographics |
| **Jargon level** | Field-specific terms OK | Industry terms OK | Plain language required | Everyday language |
| **Slides per minute** | 1-1.5 | 1-2 | 2-3 (fast pacing) | 1-1.5 |
| **Takeaway format** | Future research | Action items | Recommendation | Memorable insight |
| **Q&A depth** | Methodological debate | "How do I apply this?" | "What should we do?" | "What does this mean?" |

### Audience Assessment Checklist

```
BEFORE DESIGNING YOUR PRESENTATION:

1. WHO is in the audience?
   - Expertise level: [ ] Expert  [ ] Knowledgeable  [ ] General
   - Role: [ ] Researchers  [ ] Practitioners  [ ] Decision-makers  [ ] Mixed
   - Size: [ ] Small (<20)  [ ] Medium (20-100)  [ ] Large (100+)

2. WHAT do they already know?
   - Background in your field: [ ] Deep  [ ] Some  [ ] None
   - Familiarity with your methods: [ ] High  [ ] Low  [ ] None
   - Prior exposure to your topic: [ ] Extensive  [ ] Limited  [ ] First time

3. WHY are they here?
   - [ ] Required (conference, class, meeting)
   - [ ] Voluntary (interested in topic)
   - [ ] Decision-making (evaluating your work)

4. WHAT do they need from you?
   - [ ] Rigorous evidence and methodology
   - [ ] Practical recommendations
   - [ ] Strategic implications
   - [ ] Inspiration or awareness

5. WHAT is their attention span?
   - [ ] High focus (small seminar, engaged group)
   - [ ] Moderate (conference session, last day)
   - [ ] Low (after lunch, end of long day, virtual)
   Adjust: pacing, interactivity, slide density
```

## Slide Design Guidelines

### Content Rules

```
SLIDE DESIGN PRINCIPLES:

1. ONE IDEA PER SLIDE
   If a slide requires more than 6 seconds to understand,
   it has too much content. Split it.

2. ASSERTION-EVIDENCE STRUCTURE
   Title: A complete sentence stating the slide's message
   Body: Visual evidence supporting that assertion
   Example title: "Treatment group showed 40% faster recovery"
   NOT: "Results" or "Figure 3"

3. TEXT LIMITS
   - Title: 1 line, max 10 words
   - Bullet points: max 3-4 per slide, max 8 words each
   - Body text: avoid entirely (speak it, do not display it)
   - Font size: never below 24pt (28-36pt recommended)

4. VISUAL HIERARCHY
   - Most important element is largest
   - Use contrast (color, size, weight) to direct attention
   - White space is not wasted space — it aids comprehension
   - Consistent alignment (left-align text, center figures)

5. COLOR USAGE
   - Maximum 3-4 colors total
   - One accent color for emphasis
   - Sufficient contrast (check for colorblind accessibility)
   - Dark text on light background (or vice versa consistently)
```

### Slide Type Templates

| Slide Type | Layout | When to Use |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Title** | Large title, subtitle, author, affiliation | Opening slide |
| **Section divider** | Single word or phrase, full-bleed | Transition between major sections |
| **Assertion + chart** | Sentence title + single chart | Presenting a finding |
| **Assertion + image** | Sentence title + photo/diagram | Context, methods, examples |
| **Comparison** | Side-by-side panels or split screen | Before/after, two conditions |
| **Build slide** | Progressive reveal (animation) | Complex concepts, step-by-step |
| **Quote** | Large text, attribution | Expert opinion, participant voice |
| **Summary** | 3 key points, numbered | Recap and transition |
| **Contact** | Name, email, QR code, key reference | Final slide |

### Slide Count Guidelines

| Presentation Length | Slide Count | Pace |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 5 minutes | 5-7 slides | 45-60 sec/slide |
| 10 minutes | 8-12 slides | 50-75 sec/slide |
| 15 minutes | 12-18 slides | 50-75 sec/slide |
| 20 minutes | 15-25 slides | 50-80 sec/slide |
| 45 minutes | 30-45 slides | 60-90 sec/slide |
| 60 minutes (with Q&A) | 35-50 slides | 60-90 sec/slide |

## Data Visualization Selection

### Chart Selection Guide

```
CHOOSING THE RIGHT CHART:

COMPARISON (between items):
  Few items (2-5)    → Bar chart (horizontal or vertical)
  Many items (5-15)  → Horizontal bar chart (sorted)
  Over time          → Line chart
  Two variables      → Scatter plot

COMPOSITION (parts of a whole):
  At a point in time   → Stacked bar or pie (max 5 slices)
  Over time            → Stacked area chart
  Hierarchical         → Treemap

DISTRIBUTION:
  Single variable      → Histogram or density plot
  Compare groups       → Box plot or violin plot
  Two variables        → Scatter plot with density

RELATIONSHIP:
  Two variables        → Scatter plot
  Three variables      → Bubble chart
  Correlation matrix   → Heat map

CHANGE OVER TIME:
  Single series        → Line chart
  Multiple series      → Small multiples (not spaghetti lines)
  Cumulative           → Area chart
```

### Visualization Do's and Don'ts

| Do | Don't |
| --- | --- |
| Label axes clearly with units | Assume the audience knows the units |
| Start bar chart y-axis at zero | Truncate axis to exaggerate differences |
| Use color meaningfully | Use color decoratively |
| Annotate key data points | Let the audience search for the insight |
| Simplify to the essential message | Show all the data you collected |
| Use consistent scales across comparisons | Change scales between related charts |
| Provide a descriptive chart title (assertion) | Use generic titles ("Figure 1") |
| Test for colorblind accessibility | Rely on red/green distinction |

## Speaking Notes Template

### Per-Slide Notes Structure

```
SPEAKING NOTES FORMAT:

SLIDE [N]: [Title]
Duration: [XX] seconds

KEY POINT:
[The one thing the audience must understand from this slide]

SCRIPT (conversational, not read verbatim):
"[Opening line for this slide]...
 [Supporting detail or transition]...
 [Bridge to next slide]."

AUDIENCE CUE:
[Pause here / Ask question / Point to specific data]

FALLBACK:
[If running behind: skip this detail]
[If ahead of schedule: add this anecdote or example]
```

### Timing and Pacing Guide

```
PACING STRATEGY:

OPENING (first 2 minutes):
  - Speak slightly slower than natural pace
  - Establish eye contact with different sections
  - Pause after your opening hook for impact

MIDDLE (core content):
  - Natural conversational pace
  - Pause before and after key findings (2-3 seconds)
  - Vary pace: slow for important points, normal for transitions

CLOSING (final 2 minutes):
  - Slightly slower, more deliberate
  - Pause before final takeaway
  - End with a strong, definitive statement (not "that's it")

TIME CHECKPOINTS:
  25% mark: Should be finishing Background/Context
  50% mark: Should be in the middle of Results
  75% mark: Should be starting Discussion
  90% mark: Should be on Conclusion slide

RECOVERY IF BEHIND SCHEDULE:
  - Skip one supporting result (keep main finding)
  - Shorten methods to "we used X approach"
  - Condense discussion to 2 sentences
  - Never skip the conclusion or takeaways
```

## Q&A Preparation

### Anticipated Questions Framework

```
Q&A PREPARATION TEMPLATE:

CATEGORY 1: METHODOLOGY QUESTIONS
Q: "Why did you choose [method X] instead of [method Y]?"
A: [Prepared response with rationale]
Backup slide: [slide number]

Q: "What about [potential confound]?"
A: [How you addressed or acknowledged it]

CATEGORY 2: RESULTS INTERPRETATION
Q: "How do you explain [unexpected finding]?"
A: [Your interpretation + alternative explanations]

Q: "Is this statistically significant?"
A: [Specific numbers: p-value, CI, effect size]

CATEGORY 3: PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS
Q: "How would this apply to [specific context]?"
A: [Concrete application with caveats]

CATEGORY 4: LIMITATIONS AND FUTURE WORK
Q: "What are the biggest limitations?"
A: [Top 2-3 limitations, framed constructively]

Q: "What would you do differently?"
A: [Honest reflection + next steps]

CATEGORY 5: HOSTILE OR CHALLENGING QUESTIONS
Q: "This contradicts [other researcher's] findings..."
A: [Acknowledge, explain differences, avoid defensiveness]

STRATEGY FOR UNKNOWN QUESTIONS:
"That is a great question. I do not have data on that
specifically, but based on what we observed, I would
hypothesize that... I am happy to follow up after the
session with more detail."
```

### Q&A Best Practices

| Situation | Response Strategy |
| --- | --- |
| Question you know the answer to | Concise answer + one supporting detail |
| Question you partially know | Answer what you can, acknowledge the gap |
| Question you don't know | "I don't know, but here's what I think..." |
| Hostile or loaded question | Reframe neutrally, answer the valid part |
| Overly long question | "If I understand correctly, you're asking..." |
| Question outside scope | "That's interesting — it's outside this study, but..." |
| No questions from audience | Have a self-asked question prepared to break silence |

## Poster Presentation Layout

### Standard Research Poster (48" x 36")

```
POSTER LAYOUT:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                   TITLE                          │
│            Authors, Affiliations                 │
├──────────┬──────────┬──────────┬────────────────┤
│          │          │          │                │
│ INTRO    │ METHODS  │ RESULTS  │  RESULTS       │
│          │          │ (Chart 1)│  (Chart 2)     │
│ Research │ Design   │          │                │
│ Question │ diagram  │          │                │
│          │          │          │                │
├──────────┴──────────┼──────────┴────────────────┤
│                     │                            │
│  KEY FINDINGS       │  CONCLUSION + REFERENCES   │
│  (3 bullet points)  │  + QR code to full paper   │
│                     │                            │
└─────────────────────┴────────────────────────────┘

POSTER RULES:
  - Readable from 4 feet away (title: 72pt, body: 28-32pt)
  - Maximum 800 words total
  - Figures > text (60/40 ratio minimum)
  - Flow: top-left → bottom-right (Z-pattern)
  - Include QR code linking to paper, data, or slides
  - White space between sections aids navigation
```

## Conference Abstract Template

### Structured Abstract (250-300 words)

```
ABSTRACT FORMAT:

TITLE: [Specific, descriptive — avoid question format]

BACKGROUND: [2-3 sentences]
[What is known + what gap exists + why it matters]

OBJECTIVE: [1 sentence]
[Clear statement of what this study aimed to do]

METHODS: [3-4 sentences]
[Study design, participants/data, key measures, analysis]

RESULTS: [3-4 sentences]
[Main finding with numbers: effect sizes, p-values, CIs]
[Secondary findings if space permits]

CONCLUSIONS: [2-3 sentences]
[Interpretation of findings + practical significance]
[One sentence on limitations or future directions]

KEYWORDS: [3-5 terms, separated by semicolons]
```

### Abstract Quality Checklist

| Element | Check | Status |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Title is specific and informative | Not a question, not vague | [ ] |
| Background establishes the gap | Why this study was needed | [ ] |
| Objective is a clear single statement | One research question | [ ] |
| Methods include design and sample | Enough to assess validity | [ ] |
| Results include actual numbers | Effect sizes, not just p-values | [ ] |
| Conclusions match the results | No overclaiming | [ ] |
| Within word limit | Usually 250-300 words | [ ] |
| Keywords are searchable terms | Standard terminology | [ ] |

## Presentation Rehearsal Protocol

```
REHEARSAL STAGES:

STAGE 1 — SOLO RUN-THROUGH (day -7)
  - Read through slides and notes
  - Time yourself
  - Identify awkward transitions and fix them
  - Mark slides that need simplification

STAGE 2 — RECORDED PRACTICE (day -5)
  - Record audio or video of full presentation
  - Watch/listen for: filler words, pacing, clarity
  - Check: are you reading slides or speaking naturally?
  - Adjust timing for problem sections

STAGE 3 — PRACTICE AUDIENCE (day -3)
  - Present to 1-3 colleagues or friends
  - Ask them: "What was the main takeaway?"
  - If they cannot answer clearly, revise that section
  - Practice answering their questions

STAGE 4 — FINAL POLISH (day -1)
  - One final timed run-through
  - Verify all technology works (projector, pointer, backup)
  - Prepare backup: USB drive + cloud link + printed notes
  - Get adequate sleep
```

## See Also

- [Statistics Verifier](../statistics-verifier/SKILL.md)
- [Data Science](../data-science/SKILL.md)
- [Product Management](../product-management/SKILL.md)