Designing Science Presentations

Matt Carter is an Associate Professor of Biology at Williams College where he teaches courses in neuroscience and physiology. His research program focuses on how the brain regulates food intake and sleep and is funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation. In addition to primary scientific publications, he is also the author of Designing Science Presentations (Academic Press). He is a recipient of the Walter Gores Award for Excellence in Teaching from Stanford University and the Nelson Bushnell Prize for Excellence in Teaching and Writing from Williams College.

"Each chapter begins with an introduction to the material and contains a succinctly done and well-illustrated main body, followed by a listing of dos and don’ts for the type of material covered. The text is recommended for the novice presenter as well as the seasoned instructor looking for ways to improve delivery and, perhaps, student (or cohort) evaluations." --IEEE Pulse, July/August 2014"This volume guides researchers and graduate students in the creation of compelling science communication…This clear, readable volume…provides visually intensive guidance at every step-from the construction of original figures to the presentation and delivery of those figures in papers, slideshows, posters, and websites." --Anticancer Research 34, 2014

• Part 1: Designing Exceptional Science Presentations1. Scientists as Designers2. Design Goals for Different Presentation Formats3. Twenty-One Characteristics of Exceptional PresentersPart 2: Visual Elements in Science Presentations4. Color5. Typography6. Words7. Tables8. Charts9. Diagrams10. PhotographsPart 3: Written Presentations11. General Strategies for Scientific Writing12. Research Articles13. Review Articles14. Research ProposalsPart 4: Slide Presentations15. The Use of Slides in Oral Presentations16. The Structure of a Slide Presentation17. Visual Elements in Slide Presentations18. Slide Layout19. Animation Techniques and Transitions20. Delivering a Slide Presentation21. Using Technology to Deliver Like a Professional22. Considerations for Different Categories of Slide PresentationsPart 5: Oral Presentations Without Slides23. Presenting Without Slides24. Considerations for Different Categories of Oral PresentationsPart 6: Poster Presentations25. The Structure of a Poster Presentation26. The Design and Layout of a Poster27. Presenting at a Poster SessionAppendix 1: Recommendations for Further ReadingAppendix 2: Learning to Use Illustration and Presentation SoftwareAppendix 3: Thoughts on How to Create a Presentation from ScratchAppendix 4: Thoughts on Using Design Principles to Market Yourself