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Results may also be interpreted or discussed in relation to what was found in the review of the literature, pointing out where your findings agree and where they disagree with current knowledge on the problem being studied May include discussion of the implications of the results, provide recommendations for future research, or recommendations for action on the problem that was studied References List of references contains all references cited in the text of the report All references are complete and formatted according to the standards you chose to use (those of your university, the American Psychological Association, etc.) Oral presentations Another way to communicate your research results is to present them orally in a seminar with classmates, to representatives of governmental or non-governmental organization, or to other groups. Preparing for an oral presentation is different from preparing a written report. Oral presentations depend primarily on persons hearing and understanding what you say. This is different from learning about results by reading a report. When reading, persons can go back and clarify a point that was not clear on first reading and pause to think about what they are reading. None of these can be done during an oral presentation. The speaker makes a point and moves on to the next. Some members of the audience may be ready to move on with the speaker; others may not. Unless persons show signs of confusion - frowns or disinterest - the speaker often is not aware that he or she has lost the audience. Preparation for any kind of talk, therefore, should be based on how persons listen and what they can absorb from hearing what you say. A few suggestions may help you make an effective oral presentation. First, plan your remarks to fit the time period you are given. Timing how long your remarks last is best way of knowing exactly how long your presentation is. Second, select a few key points you want to make and build your presentation around them. These should be the most important things you found and the ones you believe are most relevant to the audience you will be addressing. In a seminar with classmates, for example, the key points might be selected for their scientific value or significance. For a presentation to a governmental or nongovernmental organization, you might want to emphasize the practical implications of what you found. For most audiences, it is better to focus on results. Generally, this is what will interest persons the most, rather than details of the methods used. If someone wants details on methods, you can provide them in the question and answer period following your formal remarks. Third, present your remarks enthusiastically. If you are excited about what you found, your audience will sense this and pay more attention. Try to persuade them to accept what you think is important from your investigation. Fourth, practice your presentation before you make it. Rehearsals can have several important benefits. By actually giving every word of your talk, you will have an accurate idea of how long it is. You can then either shorten it or add material to fit the time span you will have. It is far better to make this adjustment before you speak. Audiences get very restless when the speaker says, "Oh, I will have to skip over this" or "Well, I guess I will have to shorten this, but you will get the idea." They also resent anyone who goes well beyond the expected time. Rehearsals can also build your confidence in your ability to give oral presentations. As a start, you may want to do a rehearsal just by yourself, with no audience, to develop some confidence and to get a "feel" for your material. As a follow up, it is a good idea to ask some persons to serve as an audience and to give you feedback on your presentation and its content. As we said with preparing draft material for a research report, getting criticism is not always pleasant, but it is the only way to be sure that what we want to say will be clear and understood by others. |