When The Scientist Presents: An Audio And Video Guide To Science Talks (With Dvd-rom)

by Jean-luc Lebrun

Overview

This book looks at the presenting scientist from a novel angle: the presenter-host. When scientists give a talk, the audience (guests) expects the title of the talk to determine presentation content, they require understandable slides, and they demand visible and audible scientific authority. To each expectation corresponds a set of skills: personal (voice, host qualities, time control), technical (presentation tools and slide design), and scientific (Q&A, slide content). The author takes an original human factor view of the presentation delivery, in which the audience is easily distracted, rapidly forgetful, and increasingly impatient. Thus, insightful pointers are given on how to deliver the talk, how to craft the slides, and how to prevent the computer from rendering the presenting host-scientist into a ghost. In addition, the book goes in-depth over the treatment of questions by examining the motives and style of the questioners, and advising on how best to answer to each type of questioner. The book comes with a DVD for audio and video examples, and includes essential PowerPoint and Keynote techniques that a presenter cannot live without.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9789812839206
Publisher:	World Scientific Publishing Company, Incorporated
Publication date:	08/25/2009
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	264
Product dimensions:	6.50(w) x 9.70(h) x 0.60(d)

Table of Contents

Preface v

Part I Content Selection 1

Chapter 1 Paper and Oral Presentation: The Difference 3

The Spoken Word vs. The Written Word 4

Collective Audience but Individual Expectations 7

Captive Audience Trapped in Time and Space 14

Imposed Pace and Rigid Slide Sequence 17

You, Personality, Face, and Voice 19

Chapter 2 Content Filtering Criteria 24

The Audience Expects the Presentation to be About Its Title 27

All Contributors Expect to be Acknowledged 31

Novelty, Applicability, and Time to Explain are the Main Content Filters 33

Part II Audience Expectations 37

Chapter 3 General Audience Expectations 39

No Disconnect 39

No Strain 42

No Boredom 49

No Disregard 50

Chapter 4 Scientific Audience Expectations 53

Digestible Scientific Content 53

Believable Content and Credible Scientist 56

Useful Scientific Content 62

Part III The Slides 65

Chapter 5 Five Slide Types, Five Roles 67

Title Slide-The Name Card 68

Hook Slide-The Attention Grabber 73

Map Slide-The Head's Up Option 79

Story Slides-The Proven Claims 83

Conclusion Slide-The Promised Items 91

Chapter 6 Slide Design 97

Design for Slide Legibility 97

Design for Audience Attention 124

Design for Presenter Flexibility 135

Design for Persuasion 144

Part IV The Presenter 149

Chapter 7 The Master of Tools 151

Screen, Pointers, Mikes, and Lectern 151

Audio and Light Control 164

Presentation Software (Keynote and PowerPoint) 164

Chapter 8 Scientist and Perfect Host 169

The Attentive Host 171

The Visible Host (and the Co-Host) 173

The Hospitable Scientist 179

Chapter 9 The Grabbing Voice 182

Speak with Confidence 182

Speak for Intelligibility 187

Speak forAttention 194

Speak for Persuasion 196

Chapter 10 The Answerable Scientist 200

The Process of Answering Questions 204

Three Troublesome Questioning Styles and How to Deal with Them 217

Difficult and Dangerous Questions 222

Typical Questions from Specific Groups 237

Techniques for Fast Answer Support 239

Appendix 245

Index 249