Oral presentations with slides

• Use a font without serifs (for example, Arial), at least 22–24 points and at most 5–6 lines of text per image.
• Make several images rather than cramming a lot of material on each image. One message per slide is best.

Suggestions

• When copying an image from an electronic publication, to make it sharper, enlarge the PDF file on the screen before copying the image or table to your document or PowerPoint presentation.
• Check the projector before your presentation.
• Guide the audience through figures: present the axis and explain all symbols.
• Stand to the side of the screen and face the audience.
• Use colour sparingly to highlight text or symbols. It quickly gets messy. Some colour combinations may be difficult to interpret for people who are colour-blind. Use at most 2–3 colours in the same slide.
• Use light and simple background for best readability.
• Be wary of pre-made templates and fancy effects in presentation programs. Too many animations will distract your audience.
• When copying a published figure, cut out the small print text and other details and print the axis explanations with larger fonts than the original. Cite the source under the image and use the same principles as in the reference list in a paper or report, but without the title and a shortened author list (if there are several authors, specify the first author followed by et al.).
  Example:
  Leggett JE et al. Scand J Infect Dis (Suppl). 1990; 74: 179-84
  Andes D and Craig WA. Int J Antimicrob Agents. 2002 Apr; 19 (4): 261-8.