A succinct but catchy title: Not too long List authors names here Institutional Affiliations listed here Acknowledgements Repetition is useful in some instances, but use it strategically. For instance, recap your main Contact Renata Phelps School of Education Southern Cross University PO Box 157, Lismore NSW, Australia 2480 ph. 02 66 203792 fax 02 66 221833 Renata Phelps School of Education Southern Cross University PO Box 157, Lismore NSW, Australia 2480 ph. 02 66 203792 fax 02 66 221833 Aim There is no doubt that an ability to speak clearly and to communicate effectively with an audience is one of the key characteristics of a successful researcher, no matter what stage of their research career they are in: postgraduate research students may need to apply these skills to the presentation at conferences, faculty seminars and viva voca examinations; early career researchers will need good public speaking skills for conference presentations and job interviews; and established researchers will inevitably be called upon to give keynote addresses, media interviews and perhaps pitches for large research grants or commercial partnerships as part of their role. Introduction Postgraduate research students are frequently required to present their work to others in an oral form, either as part of their course requirements (e.g. some universities require an oral defence of the thesis); through departmental seminars; or at conferences, seminars or other functions. For maximum impact, such oral presentations require effective public speaking skills, good preparation and plenty of practice. At times your may also be in a position to talk to or write for the popular media. Visual supports (including the integration of graphs, diagrams, photographs, sounds and video) can assist greatly in engaging your audience and conveying your ideas clearly, succinctly and effectively. Poster presentations and self- running displays are examples of alternate presentation formats where a few extra skills can enhance your impact considerably. While presentation technologies offer many possibilities to increase the effectiveness of your presentations, it is important to be aware of their traps and ways they can be misused. Method Tips for making a successful poster… Control nerves before you start by taking a few deep slow breaths (rather than a few stiff drinks). Know the exact words you are going to start with. It makes for a confident start which can clear the nerves. Make an initial impact: Consider starting the presentation in a novel way – a funny or engaging story, an image or a question to the audience can be effective. Acknowledge your audience. Thank them for coming; acknowledge any people who have supported your work who are present; and recognise the expertise that is present. Be confident. Your audience are there because they are interested in what you have to say. Focus on them, not yourself. Know your strong points and work to those. If you make an error, correct it, and continue; there is no need to make excuses or apologise profusely. Keep your talk very simple with a few main points. Don’t try to present too much information. Plan which parts you might leave out if time is short. Results Work from the basis of ‘what does the audience want to know’ rather than ‘what do I want to tell them’. What is it that will be new in your talk for them, and what will they already know? Find out as much as you can about their background knowledge and interests and shape your presentation accordingly. Notes about graphs… For simple graphs use MS Excel, or do the graph directly in PowerPoint. Graphs done in a scientific graphing programs (eg. Sigma Plot, Prism, SPSS, Statistica) should be saved as JPEG or TIFF if possible. For more information see MIU. Findings and Conclusions Once you have completed your poster, bring it down to MIU for printing. We will produce a A3 size draft print for you to check and proof read. The final poster will then be printed and laminated. Note: Do not leave your poster until the last minute. Allow at least 5 working days before you need to use it. Simply highlight this text and replace. Cost… For poster-printing and laminating charges contact to MIU Acknowledge your audience. Thank the m for coming; acknowledge a ny people who have supported your wo rk who are present; and recognise the expertise that is present. Captions to be set in Times or Times New Roman or equivalent, italic, 18 to 24 points, to the length of the column in case a figure takes more than 2/3 of column width. Captions to be set in Times or Times New Roman or equivalent, italic, between 18 and 24 points. Left aligned if it refers to a figure on its left. Caption starts right at the top edge of the picture (graph or photo). any people who have supported your work and expertise that is present. Captions to be set in Times or Times New Roman or equivalent, italic, 18 to 24 points, to the length of the column in case a figure takes more than 2/3 of column width. Incorporat e some humour or narrative. Stories are great for engaging your audience. Insert your university here Insert a research Project logo here Text here Text here Text here Text here Text here Text here Text here Text here