Professional Development Workshop: Sharing Your Work Through Effective Presentations 

Creating effective presentations and promoting your research are both essential new skills in the scientific community—and technology offers new ways to share your findings with colleagues and the public.   

On March 6, 2024, APS—as a three-part professional development series—featured developmental psychologist Meltem Yücel of Duke University and Ted Schwaba, a personality researcher at Michigan State University. Both shared insights on preparing clear presentations and promoting scientific work. APS Scientific and Public Affairs Specialist Shoshana Jarvis joined them to share examples and cautionary tales about preparing an effective scientific poster. 

Yücel emphasized the importance of knowing your audience to help you shape your presentation. When presenting your work at a conference, using social media to share conference experiences and anecdotes is an important skill, Yücel said. She also shared tips on reaching a wider audience with the research you present at a conference. 

Strong visuals are essential to an effective presentation, Schwaba said. Some strategies he suggested included making one major point per slide, using figures rather than tables, and pausing between slides to give the audience time to process the information. 

APS members and registered attendees can view the full video to learn more about creating effective presentations.