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.

"This is a well-organized, easy-to-read guide full of images and graphics for scientists in any discipline at any level of their careers. Whether you are a student who needs to present your research to your lab for the first time or a seasoned professor who has made several PowerPoint lectures, this guide provides useful examples for people to brainstorm and rethink how they want to communicate their ideas in a clear way. I have definitely been guilty of creating some of the "bad examples" (sometimes unknowingly), but the book gives many "good examples" that I hope to follow for future science presentations. Following this guide will definitely help people in the science and healthcare fields communicate their ideas to their target audiences more effectively." --© Doody’s Review Service, 2020, Lisa Lian, DMD, reviewer, expert opinion

• Part 1: Designing Exceptional Science Presentations1. Scientists as Designers2. Design Goals for Different Presentation Formats3. Twenty-One Strategies Shared by Exceptional PresentersPart 2: Visual Elements in Science Presentations4. Color5. Typography6. Words7. Tables8. Charts9. Diagrams10. PhotographsPart 3: Written Presentations11. Ten Techniques for Improving 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. Slide Animations and Transitions20. Delivering a Slide Presentation21. Using Technology to Present like a Professional22. Considerations for Different Categories of Slide PresentationsPart 5: Oral Presentations Without Slides23. Presenting Without Slides24. Considerations for Different Categories of Oral Presentations without SlidesPart 6: Poster Presentations25. The Structure of a Scientific Poster26. The Design and Layout of a Poster27. Presenting at a Poster SessionAppendicesA. Recommendations for Further ReadingB. Learning to Use Illustration and Presentation SoftwareC. Thoughts on How to Design a Presentation from ScratchD. Thoughts on Using Design Principles to Market Yourself