This was an exciting week for the students at my university. It was symposium week and students present their research projects to the rest of the university-whether it was for a class, a senior project, or for some other purpose. There's much excitement around presenting research, whether at a campus event like the one I have described or, perhaps more commonly, at a conference. These kinds of presentations celebrate all the hard work that you have put in doing whatever it is you do. If you create project for a class or graduation requirement, the presentation format will have predetermined criteria. If you plan on submitting to a conference, however, you will need to decide which type of presentation to do when you submit your proposal.
Many types of presentations exist, and each has their different strengths and weaknesses. Just like how pie graphs better highlight percentages (like the market share of different companies in an industry) while bar graphs better elevate the comparison of nominal statistics (such as the profits of those companies expressed as an integer), each type of presentation has its strength and weaknesses. This article gives a brief explanation of the different presentation types you may encounter. For those with a predetermined format, this will help you gear your presentation towards those formats' strengths. For those who get agency in this decision, this article will aid you in deciding which format is best for your project.
Poster Presentations
As the most unique form of presentations, posters large size allows for a creative display of the details and findings of the research. Often the presenter stands nearby, ready to field questions the other participants may ask. Visually posters invite intrigue and perspective not easily conveyed in the verbal presentations that make up the rest of this article. Posters derive strengths and weaknesses from this. When there's much technical data to communicate, posters can provide a great way to sort and organize. If there are lots of key equations that viewers will want access to, then a poster that has that info displayed permanently is great.
The "wandering viewer" format also has some options for creativity. If there is a small demonstration (think baking soda volcano), having the space of the poster presentation in a hall is great for that. For those who dislike public speaking, poster presentations can be great options, though I recommend still developing that skill. Posters also offer great potential for some cool graphics. The downside of posters, however, is that a lot of info can be lost, since many people won't take the time to read blocks and blocks of text on a poster. Posters can also get lost in the crowd, and tend to not be as memorable as other presentations that demand the center stage.
Poster Presentations — Solo
A podium presentation details a standard verbal presentation. These presentations will often include a PowerPoint, though not always (and I recommend against it unless required or you have a really good reason). Though poster presentations are more obvious about it, there is still plenty of room for creativity with a speech. Podium presentations allow for incredibly versatility, and lend themselves to presenting almost anything. What verbal presentations lose in visuals, they make up in the presenter's ability to control the message direct attention and emphasis. Be sure to make sure you get your main message out there, and be conscious of your time limits — going over time, especially if you have other presenters in your session, is not courteous of others.
One disadvantage of podium presentations (and roundtables) is not all sessions are built equally. While posters have a nice block of reserved, shared times, presentation sessions have better and worse time blocks. You can imagine an antsy audience in the block just before lunch, for example. Be prepared for Q&A too — there's almost universally time for questions after these kinds of presentations. Similar to podium presentations, Panel Presentations will place you with others whose research has some major similarity with your own. The main difference will be in the Q&A session, where questions are often directed to the group as a whole rather than individuals. If you are on a panel, I highly recommend sharing your paper with your panel and doing some game planning before the presentation.
Roundtables
Round tables more naturally extend a panel discussion. There is often a short presentation given, but the real goal of a roundtable invites the other attendees to not only ask but offer answers to questions themselves. The "presenters" typically begin as the primary focus of attention, but will often shift their role into being a discussion facilitator. They may even bring their own questions along to ask attendees to stimulate discussion. I would not recommend leading a roundtable for your first big presentation, especially if you have never taken part in one as an attendee. Roundtables offer the opportunity for incredibly interesting discussion, and their biggest strength hinges on an ability to bring in a wide variety of viewpoints. Yet, becoming a good facilitator can be difficult and requires good interpersonal skills and confidence. Poorly attended roundtables can be awkward, and there's always the chance attendees may get emotional, and discussion gets out of hand. That being, said, when roundtables click, they can be some of the most memorable presentations.
