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.

Part 1: Designing Exceptional Science Presentations1. Scientists as Designers2. Design Goals for Different Presentation Formats3. Twenty-One Strategies Shared by Exceptional Presenters

Part 2: Visual Elements in Science Presentations4. Color5. Typography6. Words7. Tables8. Charts9. Diagrams10. Photographs

Part 3: Written Presentations11. Ten Techniques for Improving Scientific Writing12. Research Articles13. Review Articles14. Research Proposals

Part 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 Presentations

Part 5: Oral Presentations Without Slides23. Presenting Without Slides24. Considerations for Different Categories of Oral Presentations without Slides

Part 6: Poster Presentations25. The Structure of a Scientific Poster26. The Design and Layout of a Poster27. Presenting at a Poster Session

AppendicesA. 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