7 Tips To Help You Create A Good Thesis Defense Presentation
After you have finished your thesis and it has been approved by your supervisor and the committee members, the date of your public defense will be selected, and you will have to focus on creating a good presentation. This is your chance to share your research findings with experts in the field, your colleagues, and members of the local community. The following 7 tips are designed to help you develop an effective presentation without a hitch:
- Write down an outline of your defense presentation.
- Use your own words.
- Get the audience familiar with your topic.
- Avoid overloading your slides.
- Prepare a decent visual material.
- Keep your presentation design simple.
- Practice your presentation.
Having an outline helps a lot if you feel lost and want to procrastinate. A typical presentation consists of the goal and objectives of the study, the theoretical framework, methods and approaches, key findings, and recommendations for further research.
You should avoid the temptation to use complicated terms and concepts. Instead, explain what your study is about and why it is important by using your own words without relying on your speaker notes.
Everyone in the room will hardly be familiar with your research topic, so it makes sense to spell out your rationale for your results. Make sure to introduce your topic and do your best in order to help everyone understand what your work is about.
Nobody likes reading overloaded slides. The audience will appreciate if each of your slides contains one main idea and a short explanation. Remember that your findings and recommendations require more attention as compared to the literature review, for example.
Beautiful visual material makes a difference. If possible, you should build graphs, charts, and diagrams to support your statements and explain your points. Make your thesis defense presentation more user-friendly.
You will be using a different computer during your defense, so it is necessary to ensure that it does not change your slide design and their transition. To ensure that everything works fine, it is recommended to keep your presentation design simple.
If you are not comfortable with public speaking, you should practice your presentation at home. Ask your friends and family members to help you by asking questions and pointing to unclear information and poorly composed slides.
It makes sense to consult your thesis supervisor to find out what essential parts your presentation should contain, how to make effective transitions, and what common mistakes you should avoid.