dapper - 16-10-2007 at 06:25
As a course requirement I am scheduled to give a 20 minute presentation on a research article from a reviewed journal. It should be of appropriate
difficulty that it can be explained to undergraduates with 10 minutes for discussion of background material and 10 minutes to discuss the details of
the article. Small portions of above-level material can be omitted from the discussion, I think the primary task is to choose an article that is
interesting or at least relevant. I've been reading current issues of journals found in the periodicals section at the uni. library, and searching
through the online databases to which I have access. I'd really appreciate any suggestions or references for articles to which you find personally
interesting, as I generally find that I take interest in the discussions that occur here.. and our members.
Thanks..
Maya - 16-10-2007 at 13:43
learn powerpoint
most online journals if you have access allow you to download the figures, thats all you need if you make your own :
1. background information
2. relevance
3. hypothesis
4. results/ figures
5. dicussion/ conclusion
Slides
its that simple, attended any good seminars lately???
p.s. practice in front of your dog many times
Ozone - 16-10-2007 at 15:16
0. Be sure to pick a topic that you know or are interested in. It will show and the audience will always respond well to a well-informed and
enthusiastic speaker.
1. Be absolutely sure to clearly cite any material that you use!!! I prefer to footnote on the page that the reference is used.
1a. Know your audience.
2. Be aware that the professors will be there and that they will usually be trying to trip you up (at least it is this way during our divisional
seminars).
3. Make it look snappy. Avoid the "Homer Simpson web-page effect", but try to go for a smooth look that transitions well.
4. Do not read directly from the slides. It is far more impressive if you go mostly from memory with the powerpoint as a visual aid (and the audience
will be more responsive if you talk to them instead of talking at the screen).
5. Maya's traditional format will usually get you by, but do not forget a closing slide, perhaps with a cartoon or funny picture (I once used Kennedy
and McCain sleeping during the State of The union Address for this).
Good luck, especially if your prof. has a Mac
,
O3
Oh, and be sure to bring your seminar bingo (from my favorite comic site featuring the trials and tribulations of graduate school, www.phdcomics.com)
[Edited on 16-10-2007 by Ozone]
The_Davster - 16-10-2007 at 15:57
O3 covered most of it,
The 0th point is very important, if not even the speaker is enthusiastic and interested in what is being presented, everyone will be bored out of
their minds.
5) I have seen a presentation where the presenter was commenting on how easy and non-finicky the reaction is, and had a picture of it going on in a
glass beer stein/mug on his patio at home. (not me)
Can browse for interesting articles here, http://pubs.acs.org/about.html, and I am sure if you need a fulltext someone will be available to provide one in the ref section.
guy - 16-10-2007 at 16:09
That Bingo pic is so funny cuz its kinda true
chemrox - 16-10-2007 at 21:40
a lot of PP pages have blue backgrounds so the issue there is...?
********************************************************
anyway, if the topic is organic be especially well prepared and count on having to push e's and know who did anything vaguely related in the last year
or two
It's kind of a worn out trick but if you can get away with it have a clock reaction going near the podium .. and if its phosphorescent so it glows
when you turn the lights down for slides...
anyway O3 covered the salient points and most important, I believe, is your interest in the subject .. it will be infectious providing you practiced
enough to be at ease with the audience ... do whatever you can to stimulate questions ..
"When I started this research I ran into a problem .. can anyone see what that might have been..?" artificial? yes. still works though. It lets
everyone know you welcome participation. Then the questions take care of a lot of the format provding you're at ease enought to be flexible. I
usually end up way over my time 'limit' because of participation. The more your audience talks the smarter they think you are.
dapper - 17-10-2007 at 08:49
Thanks to everyone for the excellent information...and I'll be sure to print a couple copies of the bingo card. These are a lot of excellent tips and
considerations for presentations and will certainly help a lot. I'm lucky that the professor teaching the seminar is really a master presenter...and a
great teacher.
Either way, I was sort of hoping someone could suggest an article? That's really the trouble I'm having ... that is.. finding an interesting article
that could be presented at the undergraduate level (im an undergrad too, guys.)
Thanks again
Dapp
Nicodem - 17-10-2007 at 10:11
Just check the latest three issues of the top journals from the field your presentation is supposed to be. The article that attracted most of your
attention should be good for others to listen about as well - as long as you know how to present it which is more important (see above replies).
dapper - 17-10-2007 at 15:46
erhm... I can pick from the whole scope of chemistry's published reviewed journals. You can be sure I've got some reading to do.
Ozone - 17-10-2007 at 17:13
Try something from the journal of Chemical Education. Not only are these excellent, "smooth-reading" papers, they are designed to *educate*. Many of
these are timely, and will tickle the profs since pedagogy is as much a subject to learn as any other.
Practically every field of Chemistry will be represented in this journal at some time or another. Beware or obnoxious embargos, though 
.
This can also be an excellent opportunity to refresh your memory on topics that have gotten a little rusty
.
Cheers,
O3
dapper - 18-10-2007 at 07:10
Thanks for the great suggestion.
I'm just glad I have the rest of my life to learn all this stuff.
[Edited on 18-10-2007 by dapper]