Oral Presentation Tips

The norms and guidelines for oral presentations can vary widely from discipline to discipline, or even from one conference to another. Consulting with a RSCA mentor or peer may be a good first place to start; practicing your presentation in front of peers or your RSCA colleagues can also help you improve the clarity and impact of your presentation and boost your confidence. 

Designing Your Presentation

  • Most oral presentations use PowerPoint, but other presentation software (Prezi, Keynote, Canva) can be used as well.
  • Use standard fonts  that are generally easy to read (e.g. Helvetica, Times New Roman, or Courier).
  • Text size on slides should be 16 pt or larger, depending on the size of the room where the presentation will occur.
  • Graphics files should be embedded into each presentation (not linked), scaled appropriately, and not be larger than 10MB and 800x600.
  • Motion graphics (videos) must also be embedded and playable directly on the presentation.
  • Use colors that are easy to differentiate and vision impairment-friendly

SDSU Resources

Logistics to Consider

  • How long do you have to speak?
  • Are you allocating an appropriate amount of time on each section of your talk?
  • Is there time allotted for questions after the end of the presentation or are audience members allowed to questions during the presentation?
  • Are you presenting in-person in front of an audience or virtually?
  • Will you be able to view any presenter notes while you are presenting? Be prepared to not be able to see your presenter notes depending on the in-room setup.

External Resources