Oral presentations with slides
- Use a font without serifs (for example Arial), at least 22–24 points, at most 5–6 lines of text per image.
- It is better to have more slides than to have too much information on each slide. One message per slide is best
Suggestions
- When copying an image from an electronic publication, to make it sharper, enlarge the PDF file on the screen before copying the image or table to your document or PowerPoint presentation.
- Check the projector before your presentation.
- Guide the audience through figures; present axis and explain all symbols.
- Stand to the side of the screen and face the audience.
- Use colour sparingly to highlight text or symbols. It easily gets messy. Some colour combinations may be difficult to interpret for people who are colour blind. Use at most 2–3 colours in the same slide.
- Use a light and simple background for best readability.
- Be wary of pre-made templates and flamboyant effects in presentation programs. Too many animations will distract your audience.
- When copying a published figure, cut out the small print text and other details and print the axis’ explanations with larger fonts than the original. Cite the source under the image and use the same principles as in the reference list in an paper or report, but without the title and a shortened author list (if there are several authors, specify the first author followed by et al.).
Example:
Leggett JE et al. Scand J Infect Dis (Suppl). 1990; 74: 179-84
Andes D and Craig WA. Int J Antimicrob Agents. 2002 Apr; 19 (4): 261-8.
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Last modified: 2021-06-16