phd research proposal presentation template

phd research proposal presentation template

Effective Presentation Strategies for PhD Research Proposals

1. Introduction to PhD Research Proposals

Despite the difference in expectations in various countries, a research proposal is an essential part of the whole PhD process. This research proposal is written at the beginning of the PhD research and examined at the end. It contains the state of the art of the PhD, the research question, the objective of the PhD, hypothesis building, a clear indication of the improvement in the state of the art, a plan for the data collection, and methods to be used. A research proposal contains a very essential feature in a doctoral thesis which should satisfy the supervisors. Supervisors (research proposal and thesis) become examiners of a PhD after the proposal finalisation and the PhD completion (thesis). They examine the validity, relevance, originality, the design, and the expected outcome of the studies. A well research proposal also secures the PhD scholarships and ensures the PhD quality.

Research proposals should clearly outline the objectives, methodologies, and time frame needed for completing the research. Submitted to doctoral committees, legislation, and ethical boards for subject informed consent to recruit, conduct the complete survey/semi-prototype development and validation, and closing an extension request. Even the PhD applicant presents his/her proposal and prototype semi-developed concept in front of the committee and then get ideas, comments, and suggestion to further enhance the research proposal; thus presentation skills enhancing and also the approval of the proposal is subject to a very good presentation. All these essential tips are presented in a modern and understandable way in this article.

2. Structuring Your Presentation

When presenting your PhD research proposal, the audience will undoubtedly appreciate a well-structured presentation. This section will take you through each of the components we consider essential elements for any presentation, regardless of content.

Your presentation is organized in three parts: the introduction, the main body, and the conclusion. Often, the introduction can be given explicitly to an audience; the numbering of slides can start with the main part. The main part of your presentation contains the description of your research. This is the part of the presentation that varies the most between disciplines. The main body is usually divided into parts according to the problem or sub-problem/issues you will want to address. Each sub-part should then have between three or four slides that describe in more detail the issue at hand. The conclusion of your presentation is given as a default title slide. In the conclusion, you summarize the main points/issues and address the wider implications of your research.

While the audience will be open-minded, they will expect a logical structure and a “story” which they can follow. Every single idea upon which your presentation is built should be apparent at the beginning of the presentation. Your presentation should give the audience a clear identification of the problem and your objectives, your research design and/or methodology, your plan of work and implications. Your audience should be able to see exactly how the parts of your research hang together, and what results are likely to emerge. Your introduction should give a roadmap for your talk. You should signal the structure of your presentation, either as a whole or after your introductory discussion of each main section. Navigating between the different sections of your presentation should be smooth. Transitions should be used when moving from one topic to another or when moving to the next main point. A transition can create a good, predictable rhetorical flow through a presentation. An effective transition can make your speech easy to follow. Each part or phase of your presentation will have a similar structure.

3. Engaging Your Audience

Most of us have had to sit through lectures, conference papers, and even presentations that have either sent us to sleep or have made time seem to pass very, very slowly. Few of us have enjoyed such experiences. When your own presentation is the focus, keeping your audience engaged is of vital importance if they are to understand and appreciate your research. Creating a dynamic and interactive environment that invites the participation of the audience is one way of keeping them on board with the argument you are attempting to make.

Engage in storytelling. Storytelling captures the audience’s imagination and attention: the listeners relate to one or more characters; they are transported from their usual surroundings to an exotic, or at least, different, location; there is a dramatic if unspoken conflict somewhere in the background or in the deep narrative. Use novel methods to open up your presentation to the audience. For example, begin your presentation with a short film clip, a dramatic reading, a transcript of a court trial, a well-chosen photograph, or a provocative opinion piece from a newspaper or other media. Such introductory activities will connect your audience to a real-life case study or issue; engage the audience by asking them to discuss 2–3 key themes or ideas to emerge from the material. You could use a ‘Think-Pair-Share’ approach with the audience; students might be invited to share with a partner, while in a conference you might be the one to introduce a set of ideas generated from the discussion to your paper. You could also use a short quiz on the material. The result is that you engage the student both at an intellectual level (‘What are the key themes here?’) and also at a more immediate, reflective level (‘What is it about the film or image that captures that idea?’).

Keep the audience interested using rhetorical strategies. Aristotle argued that the key components of any kind of public speaking or writing include Logos, Ethos, and Pathos. Logos refers to arguments based on reason; Ethos refers to arguments based on character and credibility; Pathos refers to arguments based on emotion. A good paper balances all 3 components. Even when presenting purely rational arguments, according to Aristotle, you should invoke an element of emotion and an element of character to demonstrate that you actually understand and are personally engaged with your topic. It is a matter of balance or, to use a more recent literature reference, moderation. Look professional, but do be engaging. Maintaining a certain amount of presence and formality is important, but it is possible to be professional and serious without being boring.

4. Visual Aids and Data Representation

Visual aids can enhance your message in several ways: they can emphasize underlying key points, enhance the appearance of data analysis, add a deeper visual dimension to your speech, and help the audience to understand quickly and easily what you are saying. There are, however, some general principles you should apply. Keep it simple – people should not have to be looking at the slides too long to understand them. Use the “glance test”. If a member of the audience should be able to see and understand your particular point within three seconds of seeing the slide, you are probably on the right track. Do not use too much text – emphasize the important points. Use legible graphs – use basic and clear bars, no extra complicated pictures.

In particular, representation of collected data is one form of visual aid. The reader already knows what the research question and problems are and this section should discuss only how they have been addressed and what the findings are. What is most critical for either visual dependent visual aids or text dependent visual aids (like tables) is clarity. You and your reader must both be able to understand the visual aid created. For data to inform the reader succinctly and accurately, the graphics must be:

– Only indicate the relevant factors that the reader needs/expect to see. – Represent the data in a way that is inherently diagnostic: when the reader sees it, it is instantly clear what the data represent, how things differ, and where changes occurred. – Clearly and directly related to the text or narrative/context.

5. Handling Q&A Sessions

The preparation for a Q&A session begins well before your talk; it encompasses both foreseeable preparation for possible questions and actions during the talk (as detailed above) and the emotional management during the process of answering questions. Your responses to questions during Q&A time may vary: some questions may be expected or standard and therefore easy to navigate, others may be out of your league, or said in a provocative manner. While some questions hold crucial theoretical contributions, others will more likely focus on technicalities and details.

The worst case scenario (a nasty question) can be assessed according to how you can best answer it: strategically (with listening skills and pausing, too), or more directly, following a strategy to prevent the problematic implications of the question. For instance, you may be asked several questions at once. An artful way to deal with this situation is to gently remind the person who posed the many-part question that due to the complexity of the components of the question, you will address them one by one. With asking for a clear reiteration of a long-winded question, you give the impression of meticulous handling, supporting your broader claims to academic rigor.

Remember also that the aim is not to spend too long answering questions: while questions can indeed aim at creating clearer understanding, they can also lead to obfuscation and serve as a distraction from the main body of the presentation. Our advice would be to cut the Q&A short should you have little time left (as they always tend to steal more time than you might expect or be comfortable with). You should gracefully decline to answer questions that you simply have not had the time, tools, or intellectual capabilities to address in your work. In saying this, first just try to be open and helpful, expressing your willingness to engage. There is an artful way of saying things, and this also applies to the suppression of doubt (a sensitive ethical issue). In general, the first impression is the one that usually lasts longer in our interlocutors’ minds. So handle these moments with care: sound as convincing as you can be without undermining the status of your doubts.