83270_book_item_83270.pdf

325
14
PRESENTING YOUR
RESEARCH
CHAPTER OUTLINE
Presenting Your Findings
to an Audience
Identify the Main Points
Rank Your Topics
Tell a Story
Literature, Hypotheses,
Methodology, and Findings
Visual Aids
Practical Tips
Applying to Conferences
Publishing an Article
Relevance of the Problem
Writing Style
Study’s Design
Quality of the Literature
Review
Sample Size
Summary
WHAT WILL YOU LEARN TO DO?
1. Explain how best to present your study to an audience
2. Discuss how to apply to regional and national conferences
3. Describe how to get an article published in a peer-reviewed journal
Copyright ©2018 by SAGE Publications, Inc.
This work may not be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means without express written permission of the publisher.
D
r
a
f
t
P
r
o
o
f
-
D
o
n
o
t
c
o
p
y
,
p
o
s
t
,
o
r
d
i
s
t
r
i
b
u
t
e

326 Introduction to Research Methods
PRESENTING YOUR
FINDINGS TO AN AUDIENCE
You have done everything you can to conduct the best research study possible, but

something is amiss if no one is aware of what you discovered. Presenting your study is
perhaps as important as conducting it, because this is how most people will be able to
understand your procedures, discuss results, offer feedback, and take your work a step
further. You are probably familiar with presenting in front of your classmates by now,
but your presentations have likely focused on presenting others’ ideas or research results.
When it comes to your own studies, you will have the exciting opportunity to tell the
world about what you did, how you did it, and the contribution you made.
Your classmates are the first audience
for your work. Although you may feel
comfortable with them, you should still
take their presence seriously. Envision
your friendly classmates as unfamiliar
academics who will ask questions, evalu-
ate your research, and provide feedback.
They are not familiar with your topic,
nor have they read your report. Since
they have no idea how you conducted
your research, your presentation is your
opportunity to describe this process in a
10- to 15-minute time frame.
Presentations are crucial in spreading
the word about your work and, if done
well, can open the door to additional
opportunities, such as presenting at regional or national conferences, publishing a journal
article, or even pursuing related topics in your graduate work. For the moment, let us
return to the topic of preparing the best presentation possible in the time allotted. How
do you convert your potentially uninterested audience to one that is fully invested? How
can you involve and engage them, encourage questions, and even inspire them? Since you
have limited time, the details need to be thoroughly thought out.
Identify the Main Points
When you are presenting your research, think about the entire project first rather than
immediately creating PowerPoint slides. Consider what this project is really about.
Presenting our findings to an audience is our chance to bring attention to the
importance of our findings. It is our tool to communicate our study to the world.
©
iStockphoto.com/Rawpixel
D
r
a
f
t
P
r
o
o
f
-
D
o
n
o
t
c
o
p
y
,
p
o
s
t
,
o
r
d
i
s
t
r
i
b
u
t
e

Chapter 14 ■ Presenting Your Research 327
You will provide information about its background, the literature review, the method-
ology, results, and discussion points, but which of these are most important to focus
on? In order to attract the audience’s attention, which of these areas deserve your time
and focus? Your findings may be most important, but you may also want to focus on
data collection or an aspect of the analysis. Whatever your main ingredients, identify
and record them. This will help clarify your central points before you begin planning
your presentation.
Rank Your Topics
Three to four points will define your research. Consider how much time you want to
spend on each aspect. Is one point more important than the others and therefore war-
rants more time? Remember that you will need to provide background information to
put the study and its concepts in context. However, do not provide too many details of
the literature review when you should be focusing on the study’s findings. Otherwise,
your audience will wait and wait and suddenly someone will start snoring in the back of
the room. You must know how to manage your time, so you can quickly move through
your presentation to the most exciting part of the study—the part that makes you feel
interested and alive. In other words, rank your key points so that you know in advance
exactly where you’ll spend your time.
Tell a Story
From an early age, storytelling fascinates all of us. Our attention is naturally captured by
the details of any good story. If you give people a list of statistics, they may nod and smile,
but they will never be as engrossed and involved as when they hear a human-interest
story. Put this tip to good use and incorporate a relevant story that captures the essence
of your study. This works wonders at the beginning of the presentations, but it will grab
the attention of the audience at any time.
The first time I ever presented my work, I assumed I would appear credible by opening
with statistics. “Ten percent of U.S. children under 15 years old take psychiatric medi-
cation to control their behavior!” I claimed. I encountered blank stares and could sense
the audience’s indifference. “So what?” they were thinking, “We all take medication in a
form or another, and 10% is not that high anyway.” I was puzzled as to why the audience
did not seem to care about the numbers I was presenting, but I should not have been.
Numbers are truly powerful, but they are not emotional and do not touch us as powerfully
as true stories.
The next time I had a chance to address a large audience, I did not repeat this mistake.
I told them about a 4-year-old girl who passed away while on Ritalin, a methylphenidate
D
r
a
f
t
P
r
o
o
f
-
D
o
n
o
t
c
o
p
y
,
p
o
s
t
,
o
r
d
i
s
t
r
i
b
u
t
e

prescribed to children to control their attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)-like
behaviors. A brief video of 20 seconds of the 911 call of the mother about her
daughter’s
sudden death made all the people in the room freeze. The audience immediately responded
with compassion, sadness, concern, and, most importantly, close attention to the impor-
tance of my message. I had proven that the psychiatric medications we give to children may
be really dangerous. Now the statistic of U.S. children who take medications had a much
more powerful effect than in my previous presentations.
I had a valid topic of study, and the audience was eager to know more about how I
conducted my research. Some topics lend more drama than others, but I am certain you
can find your own story to tell. You were probably attracted to your research because of a
personal story or connection to the topic. You should tell that story or connection; what-
ever it is, you should illustrate it so that everyone who is listening can somehow relate to
your story and become drawn to your topic and presentation.
Although we want the audience to gain interest in our study and sympathize with our cause, we also want
to be careful about the ethical standards of research. It is our responsibility to accurately present data
and not mislead the audience on our findings or study details. Clearly, we want to present our work in the
best light possible and we are not violating any ethical standards if we present the same information in
the most attractive way. We simply need to be extra careful to not misrepresent the information or depict
an inaccurate picture of events.
Furthermore, we need to make sure that we are not harming anyone or violating anyone’s privacy
through our presentation. The death of the four-year-old girl using Ritalin was widely publicized in the
media and was also featured in the PBS movie Medicating Kids. If this case had been kept away from
social media because of her parents’ personal wishes, it would have been a violation of their rights
to make it public through a presentation. In other words, we cannot find and use personal cases that
may work to draw attention from an audience, but will violate their anonymity or any other ethical
agreements.
ETHICAL CONSIDERATION
ACCURATE PRESENTATIONS AND ANONYMITY
Literature, Hypotheses, Methodology, and Findings
Now that you have the audience’s attention, you need to show them that you are a profes-
sional. While your story is attention-grabbing, you also need to establish that your work
is professional, ethical, and thoughtful. Keep it brief, but mention what the literature
offers. What do other studies say about the topic? What were some of the gaps in the
literature? How did the literature drive your hypotheses and study?
D
r
a
f
t
P
r
o
o
f
-
D
o
n
o
t
c
o
p
y
,
p
o
s
t
,
o
r
d
i
s
t
r
i
b
u
t
e

Briefly state your hypotheses and the relationship you were trying to investigate. Then,
be succinct about your methodology, starting with ethical considerations and safeguards
to protect the anonymity of participants. Discuss how the data was collected, the num-
ber of participants, and participant demographics, including race and ethnicity, gender,

religiosity, sexual orientation, and single parent versus two parent families,.
It naturally flows if you address the findings following the discussion on data collection.
You will revisit the hypotheses and state whether you rejected or failed to reject the null
hypothesis. Did you find something more about the relationship between the variables of
interest? Was there something you missed? Did you discover something new? What were
the limitations of your study? Be as professional as possible. This is the time for specific
and factual descriptions, so the audience will know exactly how your study was conducted.
Visual Aids
It is not by chance that this discussion of visual aids comes at the end of the section.
Visual aids are not the focus of your presentation. They are your aids and will help convey
what you want the audience to learn from your study. They are not a goal in themselves,
although they are powerful attention grabbers. Whether you use a short video clip, an
animation, slides, or another kind of visual representation, it should fit the needs of your
study. It is typically helpful to use a visual aid, but remember that what you are say-
ing should be the focus of the presentation. If you have text on your slides, keep it to a

minimum. Fewer words equal a better presentation. You would be wise to show tables,
graphs, figures, or other visual illustrations of your findings rather than any words at all.
Practical Tips
The tone of your voice and your body language when you address the audience are impor-
tant in making an effective presentation. When you are in front of a group of people,
everyone is looking at you. It is necessary to make eye contact with them. It is not only
polite, but makes for a more effective presentation. Have you ever met someone who does
not look you in the eye when you talk to them? It can make you feel uncomfortable and a
bit ill at ease, right? If you start looking people in the eye when you talk, it will build con-
fidence and increase your ability to incorporate humor, tell stories, convey your research,
and otherwise have a great time. If you avoid looking at your audience, you will transmit
your insecurities, make everyone feel uncomfortable, and quickly lose their attention. It
goes without saying that if you read your slides verbatim you are almost saying, “I have
no desire to look at you, so I am reading these to you.”
Another important rule is to keep your voice in check. A calm yet strong voice, paus-
ing as you speak, allows for two crucial things to occur: (1) it will show you are confident
D
r
a
f
t
P
r
o
o
f
-
D
o
n
o
t
c
o
p
y
,
p
o
s
t
,
o
r
d
i
s
t
r
i
b
u
t
e

about your study, and (2) it will allow you to formulate the next sentence before you
speak. Rushing your presentation makes the audience jittery and inattentive; going too
slow may cause them to lose track of your point. Practicing a good speed and tone of voice
is the key to finding a perfect rhythm.
Humor can be engaging in a presentation, but forced humor can be disastrous, so use
caution and think about whether it is right thing for your presentation or not. Dry humor
or sarcasm usually works best. Be comfortable with who you are as a person before decid-
ing on whether you would use humor in your presentation. Stand-up comedians direct
a good amount of their jokes at themselves, which may work well for you too. Humor is
delicate, so unless you have experience with it and feel confident using it, it needs to be
treated carefully.
Finally, dress appropriately and stand up straight. Your audience wishes to feel appre-
ciated and putting effort into your appearance is one way of saying, “I am showing you
respect.” Slouching, hiding behind a podium, or touching your face or hair shows fear and
insecurity. You must present the best version of yourself and if it feels uncomfortable for
the first few seconds, you will see how quickly you will get accustomed to it. Some pre-
senters are good at using their hands. Learn how to use your hands skillfully, and you will
have an engaging presentation. Think about it. Dramatic people are the ones we listen to
the most because they do not simply talk with their mouths, but with their entire bodies.
There is much information available on the topic of presenting. If you want to learn
more about how to become an excellent presenter, see The Art of Public Speaking by Stephen
Lucas; Resonate: Present Visual Stories That Transform Audiences by Nancy Duarte; and The
Naked Presenter: Delivering Powerful Presentations with or without Slides by Garr Reynolds.
APPLYING TO CONFERENCES
When you started your first research study, you may not have considered the outcome
or what to do with your findings once the work was completed. Presenting your work to
your classmates is a fulfilling endeavor and helps you practice this skill. You should strive,
however, to present your findings at regional or national conferences in your field. Many
organizations and universities organize their own annual conferences, but it is perhaps
advisable to consider applying to a smaller conference first.
Local universities will likely host conferences open to undergraduate students. Start
browsing to see whether your topic fits within the focus of one such conference. Some
professors create student email lists to publicize articles, conferences, local jobs, and other
events. Approach your professors and ask whether you might be included in their lists
or whether they have information about regional conferences where you might present.
Conferences that target undergraduate research are the most
beneficial because you can
D
r
a
f
t
P
r
o
o
f
-
D
o
n
o
t
c
o
p
y
,
p
o
s
t
,
o
r
d
i
s
t
r
i
b
u
t
e

present your research in front of an
audience, listen to feedback, get used
to answering questions, and network.
Regional conferences help to hone
your presentation skills and prepare
you for the next step: national confer-
ences. A national conference is more
competitive and usually only accepts
poster presentations from undergrad-
uate students. You may be thinking
that presenting a poster isn’t fulfilling,
but, in fact, becoming familiar with
researchers in your field, participating
at the conference, talking to professors
from various universities, and listen-
ing to other research presentations are all extremely beneficial. You may be able to add the
poster presentation into your curriculum vitae.
Poster presentations are located in a separate area at prescheduled times and are very
well attended. They afford an excellent opportunity to network with other students who
are also invested in research, as well as professors from other universities. It is a great
way to meet others who are interested in your topic. Students who are interested in pur-
suing graduate degrees should take advantage of this networking opportunity. Students
interested in an academic career may also take advantage of the many opportunities and
resources available at national conferences.
Conference presentations help us reach out to larger audiences, strengthen our
communication skills, and pave the way to networking.
©
iStockphoto.com/kasto80
Most national and regional conferences have calls for abstracts that often circulate among faculty
or other email lists. It may be worthwhile to explore some of these conferences, look at their web-
sites, and become a member to receive their newsletters. This will guarantee that when the call
for abstracts is open, you will receive an email notification. Nationally recognized conferences may
be easy to find, but the regional ones may require more digging. If you live in an area with a few
RESEARCH WORKSHOP 14.1
APPLYING TO CONFERENCES
(Continued)
D
r
a
f
t
P
r
o
o
f
-
D
o
n
o
t
c
o
p
y
,
p
o
s
t
,
o
r
d
i
s
t
r
i
b
u
t
e

PUBLISHING AN ARTICLE
One of the goals of research is to make the findings available to the scientific commu-
nity. Presenting at conferences is one way of doing this. Another way of reaching the
scientific community is to publish your study in a journal specific to your field. Many
journals are open to undergraduate students who have conducted excellent research and
are willing to go the extra mile in publishing their paper. Table 14.1 shows some of
the common journals available to undergraduate students from different disciplines. In
addition to these journals, many universities have their own research journals dedicated
to undergraduate research.
Most of the journals in this table are peer-reviewed, which indicates a higher quality
of article with a sound methodology. A peer review guarantees the quality of research.
For example, if you are conducting research that focuses on people who have an alcohol
universities, they may be the first place to start looking. Many universities organize small confer-
ences that provide undergraduate students in their school and adjacent schools an opportunity to
present a paper or a poster. These are golden opportunities to get to know and network with others
and to learn more about universities that you might attend for your graduate degree. To find these
regional conferences, it may be helpful to talk to professors in your field of study. They will know
what types of small conferences take place in the area and the approximate time when these calls
come out.
Once you know the conference you are applying to, all you need to do is prepare your abstract.
In most cases, you only need to submit an abstract for a paper or poster presentation. Keeping
organized and submitting your abstract by the deadline is necessary, but submitting a high qual-
ity abstract is just as important. It may be helpful to have a professor read over your abstract and
give you feedback. You need to make sure that it truly represents the poster or the paper you have
prepared, that it is clear, that it has an engaging style, and that it is within the word limit indicated
in the call for abstract.
Once you submit the abstract, it goes to a committee of conference organizers, who read these
abstracts closely, discuss their importance, and approve or reject them. National conferences are
more competitive because more people apply to them, so their deciding committees are inundated
with interesting and engaging abstracts. If you apply to a national conference and are rejected, you
should not become discouraged, but try again the coming year. The chances of being approved is
slightly better for regional or university conferences, and they can be a good starting point if you
have never applied to one before.
(Continued)
D
r
a
f
t
P
r
o
o
f
-
D
o
n
o
t
c
o
p
y
,
p
o
s
t
,
o
r
d
i
s
t
r
i
b
u
t
e

Curriculum Vita TABLE 14.1 ■ Common Journals Dedicated to Undergraduate Research
Discipline Journal, information, and website
Multidisciplinary American Journal of Undergraduate Research is a national, peer-reviewed,
multidisciplinary, independent journal that publishes four times per year.
Website: http://www.ajuronline.org/
Anthropology Anthrojournal is an open source journal in anthropology that shows mostly
scholarly work of undergraduate and graduate students.
Website: http://anthrojournal.com/
Exercise Science The International Journal of Exercise Science is a peer-reviewed journal that
engages undergraduate and graduate students as authors and reviewers in the
area of exercise science.
Website: http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/ijes/
Mathematics Involve is a peer-reviewed journal that aims to show cutting-edge research
from undergraduate and graduate students in mathematics and related
disciplines.
Website: http://msp.org/involve/about/journal/about.html
Sociology, Anthropology The Journal of Undergraduate Ethnography is an online international journal
focused on ethnographic research studies conducted by undergraduate
students. This journal publishes two issues per year.
Website: http://undergraduateethnography.org/
Social Sciences The Journal of Integrated Social Sciences is a peer-reviewed journal
dedicated to disciplines, such as political science, psychology, sociology,
and gender studies.
Website: http://www.jiss.org/
Multidisciplinary The Journal of Student Research is an interdisciplinary peer-reviewed journal,
entirely online and freely accessible.
Website: http://www.jofsr.com/index.php/path
Biology The Journal of Young Investigators: The Undergraduate Research Journal
is a peer-reviewed journal accepting research manuscripts from various
disciplines, such as biology, physics, mathematics, engineering, and
psychology.
Website: http://www.jyi.org/
Education Learning and Teaching: The International Journal of Higher Education in Social
Sciences is a peer-reviewed journal dedicated to teaching methods in higher
education through social science lenses.
Website: http://journals.berghahnbooks.com/ltss/index.php?pg=home
D
r
a
f
t
P
r
o
o
f
-
D
o
n
o
t
c
o
p
y
,
p
o
s
t
,
o
r
d
i
s
t
r
i
b
u
t
e

dependency, you will need the opinion
of experts in addiction to truly under-
stand the quality and impact of your
study. Someone who is investigating
cognitive development of children
would likely not have the expertise to
evaluate the quality of your research.
We depend on researchers who work
in related areas to critique and evalu-
ate our work. This way, the quality of
a study is evaluated prior to publica-
tion. In practice, article submissions are
received by the journal’s editor. Keeping
in mind the journal’s needs and space
for publication, the editor chooses
among the available articles that are the best fit and that are highly likely to succeed in the
review process. Then, the article is sent to experts on the same research topic who review,
critique, and make recommendations to the editor. To avoid potential biases and prefer-
ences, this process is typically anonymous. Once reviews are completed, the editor decides
whether the article is suitable for publication.
There are writing standards to keep in mind when you are trying to publish your work.
Start by considering what reviewers look for when they evaluate an article for publication.
Hoogenboon and Manske (2012) have prepared the following list of reviewers’ priorities
when considering a study: (1) the relevance of the problem, (2) the writing style, (3) the
study’s design, (4) the quality of the literature review, and (5) the sample size. Let us take
a look at each of these specific characteristics of the article.
Relevance of the Problem
Our family members may be the most intriguing, inspiring, and interesting subjects for
us. We may want to conduct study after study on them. However, the world may not
share our enthusiasm—they have their own family members to worry about. In other
words, the focus of our study should be of interest to a broad audience. Is the study
attempting to solve or offer insights on a problem that concerns our world today?
A topic that starts as a personal issue is in fact relevant to the scientific community.
For example, if we were to investigate the impact of divorce on children because our own
parents went through a divorce, our study will likely be relevant in today’s world because
of the increasing number of children in similar situations. Although it is important to find
Being able to publish our study and findings is more than simply an effective
way to build our resumes. It shows that the strength of our study and its appeal
to the research community.
©
iStockphoto.com/Piotr_roae
D
r
a
f
t
P
r
o
o
f
-
D
o
n
o
t
c
o
p
y
,
p
o
s
t
,
o
r
d
i
s
t
r
i
b
u
t
e

a topic that is relevant to a lot of people—a hot topic—it is even more important to stay
true to your own areas of passion and interest because you will produce the highest quality
of research when you invest your time into something you truly love to do.
Writing Style
Writing is a learned skill. The more experience and practice you have with it, the better
you will become. There are many excellent guides available about approaches to scientific
writing, but the following are some simple practices to improve your writing style:
1. Read as many scientific articles and books as possible to familiarize yourself with
different styles, commonly used phrases and words, and writing with clarity.
2. Write every day, even for just 15 minutes. Think of writing as a muscle in your
body that needs constant exercise.
3. Think ahead about the design of the study and the presentation of your work.
4. Avoid unnecessary information and words.
Study’s Design
Reviewers consider the type of methodology used and whether it is appropriate for a
study. As you have repeatedly read throughout this book, the design should serve the
study, not the other way around. This is what reviewers will notice. Did your design
selection truly fit the study or was it guided by convenience? Were you ethical in your
data collection, and what measures did you take to protect your participants’ confidenti-
ality? If you conducted interviews, how did you handle the data afterward? How did you
transcribe and code your interviews? If you conducted surveys, what were the steps taken
to clean and code them? How many people were involved in the analysis? What is the
level of sophistication you bring to this study? Having a strong methodology with a good
rationale is your protective shield in the review process. There is nothing more satisfying
than a study that is accepted and praised by the scientific community.
Quality of the Literature Review
Your familiarity with the work of other researchers in the field will be apparent in your
literature review section. If you have scrutinized and systematically organized the litera-
ture in your area of interest, you will understand the implications. You will know not
only how many studies were conducted on the topic, but the types of methodologies used,
D
r
a
f
t
P
r
o
o
f
-
D
o
n
o
t
c
o
p
y
,
p
o
s
t
,
o
r
d
i
s
t
r
i
b
u
t
e

RESEARCH IN ACTION 14.1
ILLUSTRATION OF A PRESENTATION
Source: In the eye of the beholder: Reports of autism symptoms by Anglo and Latino mothers by Blacher, J., Cohen, S. R.,
and Azad, G. (2014). Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 8, 1648–1656.
The following is an excellent example of a
clear, simple, and straightforward presen-
tation of an entire study. To read the actual
publication, please visit the journal Research
in Autism Spectrum Disorders, Volume 8, and
look for the title of this article. The articles
subheadings are presented here, which pro-
vides a good example to follow when writ-
ing an article or paper for your study. Look
at how the writers have slowly and logically
presented their literature review, methodol-
ogy, findings, and discussion.
Title: In the eye of the beholder: Reports of
autism symptoms by Anglo and Latino mothers
INTRODUCTION
1.1. Cultural beliefs about child develop-
ment and disability
1.2. Autism diagnosis and Latino children
1.3. Research question and hypotheses
METHODS
2.1. Measures
2.1.1. Intake form
2.1.2. Autism Diagnostic Observation
Schedule
2.1.3. Autism Diagnostic Interview
Revised
2.2. Procedure
2.3. Data analysis
From the title, we can directly see
what the article is about without
reading it. We can see how this research
is organized around the headings and
subheadings before reading it. The
introduction or the literature review seems
to be logically structured. It first presents
the cultural beliefs about childhood, then
specifically discusses the prevalence of
autism and how it is diagnosed among
Latino children. At the end of the
literature review, the researchers
present us with their questions
and hypotheses.
In the methodology section, the
researchers discuss how they
measured their concepts and how
participants were interviewed
or surveyed. We see that the
researchers revised their autism
diagnostic interview, which they
explain in this section. There is
information on how the study was
conducted, and how the data was
handled and analyzed.
D
r
a
f
t
P
r
o
o
f
-
D
o
n
o
t
c
o
p
y
,
p
o
s
t
,
o
r
d
i
s
t
r
i
b
u
t
e

RESULTS
3.1. Ethnic differences on the intake form
3.2. Ethnic differences on the ADI-R
3.3. Ethnic differences on the ADOS
3.4. ADOS classification and mother-report
measures: differences by ethnicity
DISCUSSION
4.1. Limitations
4.2. Conclusions
Now, we move to the
results sections. The researchers
discuss various ethnic differences
among participants, ethnic
differences in the autism
diagnostic observation and the
revised interview. These ethnic
differences seem to appear on
mothers’ self-reports as well.
The researchers then discuss
their findings, describe the limitations
of the study, and conclude their work.
There are likely details we are missing
without reading the actual research
report, but the subheadings help
us glean a good idea what this work
is about. This kind of elegance and
simplicity is what makes any study
great, which should be your ultimate
goal in reporting your work.
the demographics of the populations explored, and the theoretical perspectives adopted.
You will also know the gaps in the literature and can identify the missing areas in your
review. A great literature review sets the tone for a great study because the reader can see
you have mastered the topic and are well-acquainted with the literature.
Sample Size
Having only a small number of participants can limit the impact of any study. If you
surveyed only your classmates, for example, you would lack diversity in demographics,
D
r
a
f
t
P
r
o
o
f
-
D
o
n
o
t
c
o
p
y
,
p
o
s
t
,
o
r
d
i
s
t
r
i
b
u
t
e

such as diversity of opinion, age, education, and socioeconomic status. Your findings
may not be as informative as a larger sample that includes more participants from various
backgrounds.
A larger sample size results in a study with stronger validity and reliability. Therefore,
it is not surprising that reviewers consider the sample size to be one of the most important
characteristics of great research. Sample size is not only important for quantitative studies.
It is also a characteristic to look for in qualitative research, though it will depend on the
topic of the study and how difficult it is to recruit the population of interest.
Summary
Conducting the best study possible is a researcher’s aim in all circumstances, but being able to present
the work to the entire world requires additional skills. Being able to present your best self to an audience
is something that can be learned and improved with practice. Making your work public and presenting it to
an audience is necessary in today’s world. Presenting in front of your classmates is just the first step that
is meant to whet your appetite for attending conferences, presenting in larger audiences, and, ultimately,
publishing your work in a journal.
First, after presenting to your classmates, applying to regional conferences or conferences organized by local
universities in your area may be the next logical step. It will provide you insight into the audience’s response
to your study and also help you network. Networking with people who are interested in the same topic opens
the door for future endeavors, from attending the graduate school of your choice and getting help with future
research to furthering your career in a specific area. Regional conferences can be less intimidating than
national conferences, although as an undergraduate you are likely to be limited to poster presentations.
However, national conferences allow for a large range of opportunities, including meeting researchers and
scientists in your field (i.e., people who have written articles in your literature review) and becoming familiar
with universities you may want to attend for your graduate studies.
Whether you are presenting a paper or poster, there are some best practices to keep in mind. Having a
simple, easy-to-follow presentation is a great benefit. Identifying the main points of your presentation and
maintaining focus on these points will give the audience a good sense of the study. You have done a great
job when you interest people in your topic and they ask questions to learn more. If you are presenting a
paper, rank your topics in such a way that you spend most of your time on the most interesting and engaging
points of your study.
Capture the attention of your audience by either telling a story, maybe using humor, or adding a personal
touch to your presentation. Meanwhile, stay professional and never forget to say something about the

literature review, your hypotheses, your methodology, and the findings. While visual aids work best for
large audiences, they should serve the study and not the other way around. If you are using slides, make
sure that your slides have the fewest words possible and you make eye contact with the audience.
D
r
a
f
t
P
r
o
o
f
-
D
o
n
o
t
c
o
p
y
,
p
o
s
t
,
o
r
d
i
s
t
r
i
b
u
t
e

Writing an article that is suitable for publication in a scientific journal is another way to make your work
available to larger audiences. There are many scientific journals available to undergraduate students
and having an article published by the time that you graduate with a bachelor’s degree will put you in
the yes pile for most graduate programs. Most of the scientific journals for undergraduate students are

peer-reviewed. The peer-review process means that your study is read and critiqued anonymously by
scientists who are experts in the topic of interest. Some common aspects of your study that most review-
ers pay attention to are (1) the relevance of the problem, (2) the writing style, (3) the study’s design, (4) the
quality of the literature review, and (5) the sample size. Though being accepted for publication is a longer
more rigorous procedure, it ensures that published articles are of the highest quality.
Taking a step further
1) What are some techniques we use to capture audiences in our presentations?
2) What are some ethical considerations we need to pay attention to when presenting our study to an
audience?
3) What are some best practices in using visual aids to our advantage?
4) What are some important practical tips to keep in mind when applying to a journal for publication?
5) What makes for a high quality of literature review?
6) What is the relevance of your topic and what elements do you want considered when applying to a

journal for publication?
D
r
a
f
t
P
r
o
o
f
-
D
o
n
o
t
c
o
p
y
,
p
o
s
t
,
o
r
d
i
s
t
r
i
b
u
t
e

D
r
a
f
t
P
r
o
o
f
-
D
o
n
o
t
c
o
p
y
,
p
o
s
t
,
o
r
d
i
s
t
r
i
b
u
t
e

83270_book_item_83270.pdf

More Related Content

83270_book_item_83270.pdf