PowerPoint for Windows training
Find out how to set up, animate and present your PowerPoint, including slides and layout, text and tables, pictures and graphics.
Download a customisable template
Microsoft offers a number of customisable PowerPoint design templates for download.
There are often 2 parts to a conference paper:
- a written paper, often submitted to a conference committee or review panel before the conference. Your conference paper may be published in the conference proceedings.
- a short talk or oral presentation. Most conferences will allow 10 to 20 minutes for your talk.
Check with the conference organiser about their specific requirements and guidelines. Each conference may have its own rules for the length and format of the written paper, as well as the duration and style of the oral presentation. Confirm these details to ensure your submission meets all necessary criteria.
The conventions for academic papers and oral presentations may be helpful when you are writing your conference paper.
Oral presentations
Learn how to prepare a talk or lead a discussion live in class.
Academic writing
Discover referencing, formatting and editing styles of academic writing, including how to construct an argument and write an abstract.
Articles
Discover how to write and publish articles.
Initial planning
Consider the type of talk you will be expected to give:
- Is it an informal chat, seminar discussion or formal presentation?
- Will you present new concepts to the audience or build on their prior knowledge?
- Are the audience specialists or generalists?
How much time is allotted for your talk? The longer the talk, the more freedom you will have to explore the topic. A short talk needs to be clear and address the topic directly.
Presenting your conference paper
Decide on a structure for presenting your talk
- Chronological – an arrangement where there is a procedure to follow. One step must come before another step to make sense.
- Thematic – identify central themes in your talk and group your points according to the theme. Prioritise the themes. Present the most relevant first and the least relevant last.
- Cause-effect relationship – identify factors then show how they effect a situation.
- Problem-solution – useful for persuading the audience.
Have clear objectives, issues and points. Highlight the links between them.
Briefly outline what you will cover in your talk at the beginning. Clarify or define any key concepts early to avoid confusion.
State your objectives at the start of your talk and repeat them at the end. In your talk, discuss how your material relates to these objectives. Be mindful of any questions or problems the audience could raise about the information you will present and attempt to address these issues in the talk.
Use short sentences with simple constructions. Decide what aspects of your talk would benefit from being presented as a visual aid.
Move from each section, issue or point in your talk to the next in a way that helps your audience follow the links. For example:
- pose a question to introduce another point
- explain your own discovery of the link's existence
- briefly highlight the similarities between what was covered before and what is coming up.
Conclude your talk with a summary of your main points
Signal the start of the summary or conclusion with phrases like 'in summary' or 'in conclusion'.
Summarise the main concepts you've discussed and affirm that you have demonstrated what you set out to do.
Length
It is crucial to keep within the time limit you've been given. To ensure you keep to time:
- Estimate a rate of 100 words per minute – this is slow.
- Support each concept with 3 to 4 statements – each statement requires 12 words on average, so expect to spend about half a minute on each concept.
A single A4 typed page, using normal margins and 12-point font, is about 500 words or 5 minutes of talking at a moderate pace.
Shorten your talk by removing details, concepts and information, not by eliminating words. If you need to give details, supplement your presentation with a printed handout. Print about 10% more handouts than you think you'll need.
Visual aids
You may choose to support your talk with a PowerPoint, video, diagram or other visual aid. If you wish to use visual aids, consider:
- What will get your message across most effectively?
- What are the time constraints? PowerPoint involves set-up time and extra resources like a laptop and HDMI connection.
- What if it goes wrong? The more technology you use, the more chance things can go wrong or are outside your control. Make a hard copy back-up if you are using PowerPoint.
Tips for fine-tuning your talk
Practise your talk as many times as you can. Read out loud and vary your voice pitch. Use silence effectively.
Do a mock presentation in front of others. If possible, practise in the same room you will make your presentation. Pay attention to any feedback you get and make changes accordingly. You may have to take out information if your talk is too long. Otherwise, you may have to rush through it. It is better to finish with plenty of time for questions than to say too much and go over the time limit.
Make sure you're familiar with the equipment.
Check that any accessories you need are available, such as whiteboard markers or a pointer. If you need a microphone, organise it the day before.
Articles – varieties of publication
Articles may be written for and referenced in a variety of publications, including:
- presentations within your school
- national and international conference papers, occasional papers and research reports
- newsletters, magazines and newspaper items
- book reviews
- reference works, refereed and non-refereed journals, monographs and books.
You may be required to write or critique articles as part of your undergraduate or postgraduate assessments at Massey University.
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