What are the most common mistakes to avoid when presenting research?

1 Mistake #1: Not knowing your audience

One of the biggest mistakes you can make when presenting research is not knowing who you are talking to, and what they expect from you. Different audiences have different levels of knowledge, interest, and attention span, and you need to tailor your presentation accordingly. For example, if you are presenting to a technical audience, you might want to focus on the methods, data, and results, and use more jargon and graphs. If you are presenting to a non-technical audience, you might want to focus on the problem, the implications, and the recommendations, and use more stories and visuals. To avoid this mistake, you should research your audience beforehand, and ask yourself questions like: What is their background? What is their goal? What is their main question? What is their preferred format?

2 Mistake #2: Not having a clear structure

Another common mistake when presenting research is not having a clear and logical structure that guides your audience through your argument. A good structure helps you organize your thoughts, highlight your main points, and create a coherent flow. A bad structure can make your presentation confusing, disjointed, and hard to follow. To avoid this mistake, you should plan your structure before you start writing or designing your slides, and use a simple framework like: Introduction (what, why, how), Body (evidence, analysis, discussion), Conclusion (summary, implications, recommendations). You should also use signposts, transitions, and headings to help your audience navigate your presentation.

3 Mistake #3: Not using visuals effectively

Visuals can be a powerful tool to enhance your presentation, but they can also be a source of distraction or misunderstanding if used poorly. Some of the common mistakes when using visuals are: using too many or too few visuals, using irrelevant or low-quality visuals, using complex or cluttered visuals, using inconsistent or inappropriate visuals. To avoid these mistakes, you should use visuals that support your message, not replace it, and follow some basic principles like: use visuals only when they add value, use visuals that are relevant and clear, use visuals that are simple and clean, use visuals that are consistent and professional.

4 Mistake #4: Not engaging your audience

A presentation is not a one-way communication, but a dialogue between you and your audience. You want to capture their attention, interest, and curiosity, and make them feel involved and valued. However, many presenters fail to engage their audience, and end up talking at them, not with them. Some of the common mistakes when engaging your audience are: not making eye contact, not using gestures or expressions, not varying your tone or pace, not asking questions or feedback, not addressing concerns or objections. To avoid these mistakes, you should use techniques that make your presentation more interactive, such as: make eye contact with different people, use gestures and expressions to convey emotion, vary your tone and pace to emphasize key points, ask questions or feedback to check understanding and involvement, address concerns or objections to build trust and credibility.

5 Mistake #5: Not practicing or rehearsing

The final and perhaps the most important mistake to avoid when presenting research is not practicing or rehearsing enough. No matter how good your content or design is, if you are not prepared to deliver it, you will not be able to present it effectively. Practicing and rehearsing can help you improve your confidence, fluency, and clarity, and also help you identify and fix any potential problems or errors. Some of the common mistakes when practicing or rehearsing are: not practicing or rehearsing at all, practicing or rehearsing too late or too little, practicing or rehearsing only in your head or in front of a mirror, practicing or rehearsing without feedback or evaluation. To avoid these mistakes, you should practice and rehearse as much as possible, and follow some best practices like: practice and rehearse as early and as often as possible, practice and rehearse in a similar setting and format as your actual presentation, practice and rehearse out loud and in front of an audience, practice and rehearse with feedback and evaluation from yourself and others.

By avoiding these common mistakes, you can present your research more effectively and impress your audience with your analytical skills.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?