Guidelines for Presentations
Attending Meetings: If your paper or session is accepted for presentation, please adhere to the following expectations:
• Presenters will pay their registration and/or membership dues at least 30 days before the meetings.
• Presenters will be in attendance on the day of the scheduled session/presentation as their appearance on the program means people will be coming to hear that presentation.
• Presenters will review the preliminary program and notify the program chair at edscheel@stcloudstate.edu (AACS in the subject line) of any necessary changes or errors by the deadline.
• Presenters will notify the program chair if there is an emergency that makes it impossible for you to meet your obligations at the earliest possible time.
Presentation Formats: Presentation formats are decided upon by the program chair based on the proposal, room space, schedule, other presentations, and other organizational guidelines. We encourage innovative formats and we encourage interactive presentations. To help you better prepare your presentation, please note the following suggestions for each type of presentation:
Single Papers: Presentation of research findings.
• Present a summary of your research and findings; DO NOT read a paper. Focus on central issues and findings and make use of visual aids.
• Give an opening statement to acquaint the audience with the nature and purpose of your presentation (research, practice example, critical analysis, etc.)
• Limit yourself to the time allotted, leaving time for questions.
• Rehearse your presentation beforehand. Actual delivery often takes longer than rehearsal and use of visuals adds to the time.
PowerPoint Tips
• Microsoft PowerPoint is a tremendous tool for presentations. It is also a tool that is sometimes not used effectively. If you are using PowerPoint, use these tips to enhance your presentation.
• Use a large font. As a general rule, avoid text smaller than 24 point.
• Use a clean typeface. Sans serif typefaces, such as Arial, are generally easier to read on a screen than serifed typefaces, such as Times New Roman.
• Use minimal text. Use bullet points, not complete sentences. The text on your slide provides an outline to what you are saying. If the entire text of your presentation is on your slides, there is no reason for the audience to listen to you. A common standard is the 6/7 rule: no more than six bulleted items per slide and no more than seven words per item.
• Use contrasting colors. Use a dark text on a light background or a light text on a dark background. Avoid combinations of colors that look similar. Avoid red/green combinations, as this is the most common form of color blindness.
Student Roundtables, Posters or Panels: A forum for students to present their research or practice experiences with other student presenters. It is a great way for faculty to get ideas for their classrooms and for students to share their work. Consider proposing a student session for your students.
Roundtables: Presentations of works in progress, innovative teaching discussions, interactive sessions for practitioners to discuss current issues in the field, etc.
Poster Presentations: Visual displays of research or innovative practices/organizations that allow people to have one-on-one dialogues with you about your research. Poster presentations are typically easier to prepare and are well suited for works in progress and this is also a good opportunity for community organizations and students and faculty working in the community to present their work. Please consider presenting a poster or soliciting students you work with to present a poster.
Types of Posters
Research Poster: A poster presentation of empirical research that is in process or completed. These posters should emphasize the findings and interpretation/connection of these findings to the literature and theory.
Clinical, Applied or Practice Academic Poster: A poster presentation that highlights faculty or student work in an applied setting and the “sociological lessons” learned from this setting. This can include reports on internship experiences, service learning classes, field projects, etc.
Applied, Practice or Clinical Organization Poster: A poster presentation by an organization that uses sociology in their work. The poster will focus on some aspect of what the organization does or how its employees use sociology in their work. This poster provides an opportunity for organizations to network with faculty, students and other organizations, as well as to develop partnerships for service learning, volunteer work, internships, and/or joint projects.
Undergraduate Topics Poster: A poster presentation that summarizes the important sociological literature on a given topic. This would be similar to a literature review, but emphasizing the “state of the research” on the given topic. This could focus on theoretical developments and/or empirical knowledge that answers the fundamental “who,” “what,” “where,” “when,” “how,” and most importantly “why.” This could include the literature review of students preparing for senior projects/theses, posters of class research papers, and other investigations of sociological issues by undergraduate students.
Graduate Topics Poster: A poster presentation that allows graduate students who are in the beginning stages of developing a thesis or dissertation project and would like the opportunity to get feedback on their hypotheses, direction, or other aspects of the project. Focus of the poster would depend on the stage in the research. Completed works would fit under the research poster.
Poster Tips: Try to develop a simple, uncluttered design. For example, plan to:
• Use contrasting and complementary colors
• Leave sufficient space between elements to make the layout readable
• Use only one or two fonts
• Avoid all capitals, which are more difficult to read
• Include a title, institution or organization name, and a brief topic summary.
• Make the text readable at 5 inches or more. Use bullets for main points. You can provide further details in conversation or on a handout.
• Use color, graphics, photos, and other visuals to illustrate your topic.
• If you plan to augment your session using a laptop, make sure participants can read the laptop display (no projector or screen will be provided). Poster presenters are responsible for bringing a laptop with wireless capacity if a computer is needed for their presentation.
Session Organizers: It is important for session organizers to keep the group on schedule. Here are some guidelines for presiding over a session:
• Start the session on schedule
• Keep the order listed in the program if at all possible as many people like to come in and out of sessions to hear particular presentations
• Introduce each presenter (name and affiliation).
• Limit each presenter to their allotted time. This will guarantee each participant gets their allotted time and the session does not run over.
• If you are going to comment on the papers, note points of similarity and differences in the approaches.
• Leave a minimum of 10 minutes for Q&A after the presentations, although we encourage more interactive presentations if possible. Presiders/moderators should repeat questions so the entire audience can hear the question.
• Make yourself familiar with the set up of the room and any technology in the room prior to the start of the session so that all visual aids can be set up before the presentations begin.