How to Give a Presentation

Alex MontgomeryPOL 373: Global Ecological

Politics2007-04-17

Not

Outline

I. Organizinga) The Outlineb) Information Flowc) Style Tips

II. Presenting: YourselfIII. PowerPoint: Your Worst Enemy

a) Things to Dob) Things to Avoid

IV. Summary

I.a) Organizing: The Outline

…should look something like this:I. Your Puzzle (+Your Answer)II. Current Perspectives (No Straw

Men)III. Theoretical Basis (assumptions,

actors, processes, structures, etc.)IV. EmpiricsV. Conclusions/Further

Research/Implications

I.b) Organizing: Information Flow•Assess audience knowledge•Introduce key concepts, terms

early on•Have additional slides ready (and

slides that can be cut)•Divide information between

slides & notes•Signpost throughout the talk

I.c) Organizing: Style Tips

•Outlines don’t have to be boring•Talks are not books: Repeat

yourself•Fit your organization to your

subject•Handouts?

II. Presenting: Yourself (1/2)

•First impressions are important•Speak clearly (“loosen tie; speak

up”)•Face Audience (+ make eye

contact)•Practice, practice, practice•Don’t read your talk•Sound interested•Slow down

II. Presenting: Yourself (2/2)

•Standing or Sitting?•Laser Pointers and Other Bad

Things•Covering up Your Slides•Have Something to Drink•Supporters in the Audience?•When to Take Questions

III.a) PowerPoint: Things to Do (1/2)•Have a backup•Do a test-run before the

presentation•Boot computer before

presentation•Bring your own cables

III.a) PowerPoint: Things to Do (2/2)•Full Sentences v. Fragments•One to Three points Per Slide•One to Three minutes Per Slide•Don’t Read off your Slides•Consistent Slide Design

III.b) PowerPoint: Things to Avoid•Miniscule Text•Annoying Animations•Ugly Themes•Irritating Backgrounds•Complicated Slides•Unclear Plots

Centrifuge Uranium Enrichment – the ‘Poor Man’ Approach to Obtaining Clandestine Fissile Uranium Supplies

• Centrifuge Uranium Enrichment – Uniquely Suitable to Obtaining Clandestine Supplies of Fissile Uranium by Industrializing Third World Nations, Since:- Centrifuges Demonstrate High Separation Factor per Machine. Thus Require Relatively Small Number of Centrifuges, & Stages in the Enrichment Cascade for a Given Plant Throughput- Centrifuges Require Low Energy Consumption per Machine. Thus No Need

to Dedicate a Large Electric Generating Plant to Supply Power to a Uranium Enrichment Plant

- Centrifuges Represent Medium Sophistication Technology, That Can be Implemented by Industrializing Third World Country

• Laser Uranium Enrichment Technology Achieves Higher Separation Factors per Machine, Relatively Low Electricity Consumption, However, It Represents High-Tech Venture, Beyond the Technical Capabilities of Most Industrializing Countries

• Magnetic Separation Technology Demonstrates Low Separation Factor per Machine, and High Energy Consumption Requirements, Thus Requiring Large Number of Separation Stages Operating Over a Longer Period, for a Given Production Level, and Increasing the Likelihood of Discovery. On The Other Hand, Magnetic Separation Represents a Low-Tech Option That Can be Mastered by Industrializing Third World Nations

III.b)PowerPoint: Things to Avoid•Miniscule Text•Annoying Animations•Ugly Themes•Irritating Backgrounds•Complicated Slides•Unclear Plots

III.b) PowerPoint: Things to Avoid

Miniscule Text

Annoying Animations

Ugly Themes

Irritating Backgrounds

Complicated Slides

Unclear Plots

III.b) PowerPoint: Things to Avoid•Miniscule Text•Annoying Animations•Ugly Themes•Irritating Backgrounds•Complicated Slides•Unclear Plots

Fig. 1.—Narrative analysis showing conditions for the state breakdown in France (all pagenumbers are from Skocpol [1979]):

1. Property relations prevent introduction of new agricultural techniques (p. 55)2. Tax system discourages agricultural innovation (p. 55)3. Sustained growth discourages agricultural innovation (p. 55)4. Backwardness of French agriculture (esp. vis-a` -vis England) (p. 56)5. Weak domestic market for industrial goods (pp. 55–56)6. Internal transportation problems (p. 56)7. Population growth (p. 56)8. Failure to achieve industrial breakthrough (p. 56)9. Failure to sustain economic growth (p. 56)10. Inability to successfully compete with England (p. 56)11. Initial military successes under Louis XIV (p. 54)12. Expansionist ambitions of state (p. 54)13. French geographical location vis-a` -vis England (p. 60)14. Sustained warfare (pp. 54, 60, 63)15. State needs to devote resources to both army and navy (p. 60)16. Repeated defeats in war (pp. 54, 60, 61, 63)17. Creation of absolutist monarchy; decentralized medieval institutions still persist (pp. 52–53)18. Dominant class often exempted from taxes (pp. 60–61)19. State faces obstacles generating loans (p. 61)20. Socially cohesive dominant class based in proprietary wealth (pp. 56–59; 61–62)21. Dominant class possesses legal right to delay royal legislation (p. 62)22. Dominant class exercises firm control over offices (pp. 61–62)23. Dominant class is capable of blocking state reforms (pp. 61–64)24. Dominant class resists financial reforms (p. 62)25. Major financial problems of state (p. 63)26. State attempts tax/financial reforms (p. 64)27. Financial reforms fail (pp. 63–65)28. Recruitment of military officers from privileged classes (p. 65)29. Military officers hold grievances against the crown (p. 65)30. Military officers identify with the dominant class (p. 65)31. Military is unwilling to repress dominant class resistance (pp. 64–65)32. Financial crisis deepens (p. 64)33. Pressures for creation of the Estates-General (p. 64)34. King summons the Estates-General (p. 64)35. Popular protests spread (p. 66)36. Conflict among dominant class members in the Estates-General; paralysis of old regime (p. 65)37. Municipal revolution; the old state collapses (pp. 66–67)

Process Tracing

MDS plot of IGO co-membership

Clustering by Structural Equivalence

108

Libya

Iran

Syria

1980–1993

1980–88

1980

North Korea

Egypt

1974–1981

1974

Iraq

197>–2001

197>

1984–2001

1984

1987–2002

1987

1988

1988

1991–2000

1991

199<–2000

199<

61994–9

1994

Pakistan

1996–2002

1996

2000

2000

1992–96

1992

Missile Network Structure

Iraq

1990

19901987

Iran

Pakistan

1987-1995

1997

North Korea

Libya1997–2002

1997–2001

199~

Syria199~

Nuclear Network Structure

Iran: Nuclear Buildup, 1960-20021960 1987 1990

2000

1991 19931985 19951984 19971975

20021999

IV.Summary

•Organize your thoughts•Practice personal presentation•PowerPoint is a means, not an

end