Presenting Science
A practical guide to giving a good talk
Published on 17. December 2009
Book
Hardback
132 pages
978-0-19-954908-5 (ISBN)
Description
'Giving a talk' is one of the most important ways in which we communicate our research. The 'talk' covers everything from a ten-minute briefing on progress to a handful of colleagues, to a keynote address to a major international conference with more than a thousand delegates. Whatever the occasion, the aim is the same - to get the message across clearly and effectively. At the same time, presentational skills are becoming more important in all walks of life - and presenting science has particular issues. Our aim is to equip the reader with the basic skills needed to make a good presentation, and our approach is pragmatic, not dogmatic. We emphasise four points:
- The goal is to communicate the science to the audience.
- The speaker is responsible for everything that appears, and does not appear, on each slide.
- The structure and appearance of the presentation are part of the communication process.
- There is no standard way of doing things.
Giving a good talk on science is a skill that can be learnt like any other: in this book we take the reader through the process of presenting science to a wide variety of audiences.
- The goal is to communicate the science to the audience.
- The speaker is responsible for everything that appears, and does not appear, on each slide.
- The structure and appearance of the presentation are part of the communication process.
- There is no standard way of doing things.
Giving a good talk on science is a skill that can be learnt like any other: in this book we take the reader through the process of presenting science to a wide variety of audiences.
Reviews / Votes
Issever and Peach deserve high praise not only for producing this book, but also for recognizing that communication skills are important enough to be taught to science students: their book is based on a course they deliver at the University of Oxford. * CERN Courier * Even if you don't struggle with presentations, this book will help you get better and that's never a bad thing. [...] The writing is informative, friendly and fuss-free. It covers every aspect of presenting - from informal meetings to project/grant proposals and conferences. It gives nice little quotes and relevant examples as food for thought throughout. Most importantly, it gives definitive advice on what makes a good (or bad) PowerPoint slide. * Times Higher Education Supplement * It does offer many valuable pointers to help the reader objectively prepare and deliver presentations, develop the necessary soft skills and find the style that works for them. * Chemistry World *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
20 b/w line figures, 16 colour plates
Dimensions
Height: 253 mm
Width: 177 mm
Thickness: 13 mm
Weight
472 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-954908-5 (9780199549085)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Book
12/2009
Oxford University Press
€49.51
Shipment within 15-20 days
Persons
After completing her Ph.D in Dortmund, Germany, Cigdem Issever worked as a Post-doctoral researcher at University of California Santa Barbara, and as a Departmental Lecturer at the University of Oxford before being appointed University Research Lecturer in 2007 with the University of Oxford.
After completing his Ph.D. in Edinburgh, Ken Peach worked as a University Demonstrator, Post-doctoral researcher, SERC Advanced Fellow and Research Officer at Edinburgh before being appointed Reader in 1992. In 1996 he was awarded a Personal Chair in Particle Physics Experiments, and moved to CERN as Deputy Leader of the Particle Physics Experiments Division, CERN. Two years later, he became Director of Particle Physics at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire, and in 2004 also assumed responsibility as Director of e-Science. In 2005, he moved to the University of Oxford and Royal Holloway University of London, as Director of the John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science.
After completing his Ph.D. in Edinburgh, Ken Peach worked as a University Demonstrator, Post-doctoral researcher, SERC Advanced Fellow and Research Officer at Edinburgh before being appointed Reader in 1992. In 1996 he was awarded a Personal Chair in Particle Physics Experiments, and moved to CERN as Deputy Leader of the Particle Physics Experiments Division, CERN. Two years later, he became Director of Particle Physics at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire, and in 2004 also assumed responsibility as Director of e-Science. In 2005, he moved to the University of Oxford and Royal Holloway University of London, as Director of the John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science.
Content
1. Introduction ; 2. Structure of the Presentation ; 3. Identifying the Context of the Presentation ; 4. Style ; 5. Preparation and Presentation ; 6. Concluding Remarks ; Appendix A: Presenting Complicated Equations - A Worked Example ; Appendix B: Some Powerpoint Tips ; Appendix C: Meeting the Media