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Postgraduate Communication Skills

Postgraduate Communication Skills. 1. Oral Presentation Skills 2. Writing Scientific Papers and reports 3. Web Page Authoring and Publication 4. Poster Presentation Skills. Layout of Presentation. Poster Principles motivation, strategy & presentation Poster Composition

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Postgraduate Communication Skills

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  1. Postgraduate Communication Skills

  2. 1. Oral Presentation Skills • 2. Writing Scientific Papers and reports • 3. Web Page Authoring and Publication • 4. Poster Presentation Skills

  3. Layout of Presentation • Poster Principles • motivation, strategy & presentation • Poster Composition • aesthetics, techniques and layout • Computer Basics • some software and hardware issues • A Demonstration

  4. Acknowledgements: • Based on a workshop and set of slides first presented by • Bill Jenkins • Kate Davis • Phil Stanford • … in autumn, 1999

  5. Posters are Important Communication Tools • Especially for younger scientists • Not a consolation Prize: • More time to assimilate information • Interactive process (feedback) • Available for longer • You meet your audience • Often leaves a more lasting impression (good or bad)

  6. Presentation Etiquette • avoid spicy food, heavy drinking on the previous night • arrive early and composed • if you must leave for a bit, leave a sign such as “Back at 2:25” • Be prepared to stay the course • bring a bottle of water, and mints

  7. Practice Good Body Language • Avoid long conversations with pals • Don’t lounge, read newspapers, eat sandwiches, constantly check watch • Watch your position: don’t sit or block view of the poster • Use the aisle to allow unattended readers access to poster

  8. Maintain a Good Attitude • Don’t be too aggressive or too shy • Smile, keep your humour, be patient • Don’t invade other people’s space • Avoid saying “May I help you?” • Acknowledge waiting visitors • with eye contact or gesture • gently disengage “time-wasters” • Defer to later discussion • Refer to literature (or handouts)

  9. Logistics • Be sure to bring “the fixings” • Take poster in a waterproof carrier (ink is water soluble), hand carry on plane if possible • Set up and tear down at requested times • Use poster well in between (not just “show time” • Learn well: take time to observe others’ techniques (good and bad) • What works and what doesn’t?

  10. Provide Party Favours • Bring A4 colour miniatures • as a kind of business card • in an attached pouch for unattended viewing • if it’s too small to read on A4... • Have related materials handy • more detailed plots, etc • reprints • blank paper • specimens, etc?

  11. Planning Ahead • Think about your objectives • what do you want to accomplish? • who is the target audience? • Plan general layout • how big an area do you get? • Portrait or landscape? • Do A4 prints for gestalt • Don’t leave A0 printing to the last day (esp. before a big conference)

  12. Apply the KISS Principle • Keep titles short, but informative • Have an prominent, visible abstract • Use the “1 & 10 minute rule” • Avoid gratuitous • detail • colour • gimmicks • Promote a single coherent concept • what do you want them to remember?

  13. Three Most Important Points • Simplicity • Structure • Flow

  14. Combining text and images • Use a balanced approach • commonly 1/3 text, 2/3 image (not rigid) • Font point sizes and combinations • Use a heirarchy of sizes: • Headings 100pt • Sub-headings 40pt • Text 18pt • References 12-14 pt • Keep to one font e.g. Helvetica/Arial • choose one that is easy to read • avoid excessive bold, italics, underline

  15. Headings, labels, logos • Use headings and sub-headings • Keep main heading short, use total width • Sub-heads help to emphasize text blocks • Clearly label all images & figures • Provide links with text (by color, lines, and location) • Acknowledge/cite sources (if not yours) • Include logos (if appropriate) • For joint projects with others • To acknowledge sponsors

  16. Importing Graphics and Images • Layout programs are not word processors • text, equations • … and not spreadsheets • tables, charts • … nor stats/graphics packages • graphs, plots • … nor image processors • photos (from digital camera or scanned) • Also need to insert • maps, line drawings, schematic figures • images from the web

  17. Importing Graphics and Images • There are two basic kinds of files: • vector graphics: • e.g., postscript, windows metafile, HPGL • infinite resolution, scales up gracefully • produced by GMT, MATLAB, Illustrator, AutoCAD • smaller memory demands, smaller files • bit-mapped graphics • e.g., gif, tiff, bmp, jpeg, compressed (lossy) • fixed resolution, grainy on magnification • photos, web images, paint programs • large memory requirements if big • colour depth important • Determined by file endings • .gif /.jpg/.bmp/.ps .wmf

  18. Vector vs. Bitmap? • They may look similar until you “blow them up” • Vector Graphic • Bit Mapped

  19. Use Colour • Provides impact, draws immediate attention • Highlighting key elements • linking items, e.g. images, plots, or text • Colour within text • Draws attention to an important section • CAVEAT EMPTOR • But avoid clashes and over-use • Looks amateurish, cluttered, distracting • Ink or dye not the same as screen phosphor • experiment small before you “go to press

  20. Overall Composition • Use colour in plots, but consistently, not gratuitously (use a scheme!) • Use: • larger fonts • larger data points • thicker lines • Scale up as much as possible • Use vector graphics files rather than bit-mapped

  21. Overall Composition • Continuity of text • Obvious flow from 1 section to next • Consider length of lines for readability • Form should follow function • Equal distances between elements • Total layout becomes tidier & easier to look at • Consider balance and symmetry • Think of overall structure

  22. Overall Composition • Uncluttered simplistic approach • Applies to any presentation • Providing sufficient impact / Final review • Solicit comments from colleagues • Use the 1 Metre test

  23. Graphics packages • Composition/Drawing packages: • CorelDraw 9 (site licence) • Adobe Illustrator (bundle deal) • Freehand (Kate Davis) • Powerpoint (very limited) • Image editing and manipulation: • Adobe Photoshop • Corel Photopaint • + a host of other, less capable

  24. Graphics packages • Use composition/drawing software, which generate vector graphics, as bit-mapped graphics are hugely memory intensive • E.G., the bit content of an A0 (~1.2 x 0.8 m) plot at modest resolution (600 dpi) and reasonable colour (24 bit) requires a gargantuan • 1.67 Gigabytes! • Result: computer and printer choke and die...

  25. Graphics packages • Computer Systems need adequate memory • Particularly if editing images - eg Photoshop ideally needs 4 - 5 times as much RAM as the size of image that’s being edited. • Printing images • Better to print images from Illustrator or CorelDraw rather than Photoshop or PhotoPaint- makes more economic use of resources, smaller plot file.

  26. Plotting posters • Main large-format plotter at SOC is the Hewlett-Packard DesignJet 650C • Commonly known as the ‘A0 plotter’ • Located in Room 234/09 • A4 colour prints can be made in post-grad office • A3 colour prints can be made through graphics office (K. Davis)

  27. Plotting posters • Contact ITG if you are plotting on the A0 Plotter: • Is the queue “active” (this is the “place” where you submit your jobs)? • Is the plotter “up and running”? • Is the right paper loaded? • “draft” paper • Glossy paper

  28. Installing Printer Drivers • You need the printer drivers on your PC to use plotters • Acquisition, installation information on ITG web pages (“intranet”) • The DesignJet supports two plot formats: • HPGL and Postscript (for PC and UNIX) • Further installation information, etc on GSSOC web site

  29. A Demonstration using CorelDraw 9 • SOC site licence, therefore available • get CD from Tim Henstock • A capable software package • although a steep learning curve, fairly user friendly • growing base of expertise, books available • latest version • You could use PowerPoint… but it has limitations.

  30. A Demonstration using CorelDraw 9 • CorelDraw is a page composition program • Creates vector graphics • Embeds both vector and bit-mapped graphics • Outputs both vector and bit-mapped graphics • Comparable to Adobe Illustrator

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