How to write and publish a scientific paper - Barbara Gastel, Robert A. Day 2022

The audience
How to present a paper orally
Conference communications

The presentation of a paper at a scientific meeting is a two-way process. Because the material being communicated at a scientific conference is likely to be the newest available information in that field, both the speakers and the audience should accept certain obligations. As indicated earlier in this chapter, speakers should present their material clearly and effectively so that the audience can understand and learn from the information being communicated.

Almost certainly, the audience for an oral presentation will be more diverse than the readership of a scientific paper. Therefore, the oral presentation should be pitched at a more general level than a written paper would be. Avoid technical detail. Define terms. Beware of using acronyms that the audience does not already know. Explain difficult concepts. Repeat important points. Rehearsing a paper before the members of one’s own department or group (even just a few of them) can make the difference between success and disaster.

For communication to be effective, the audience also has a number of responsibilities. These start with simple courtesy. The audience should be quiet and attentive, no matter how compellingly a mobile device may beckon. Speakers respond well to an interested, attentive audience, whereas the communication process can be virtually destroyed when the audience is noisy, distracted, or, worse, asleep.

The best part of an oral presentation is often the question-and-answer period. During this time, members of the audience have the option, if not the obligation, of raising questions not covered by the speaker and of briefly presenting ideas or data that confirm or contrast with those presented by the speaker. Such questions and comments should be stated courteously and professionally. This is not the time (although we have all seen it) for windbags to vent their spleens or to describe their own erudition in infinite detail. It is all right to disagree, but do not be disagreeable. In short, the speaker has an obligation to be considerate to the audience, and the audience has an obligation to be considerate to the speaker.