Effectively presenting original research is a challenge, and requires a good deal of thought and care. Preparing your presentation will require you to take a highly specialized subject that you've been immersed in for months and communicate it to an audience that is seeing it for the first time. Fortunately, you do not have to take on this challenge alone! In this section, we will share a variety of resources that will help you create a presentation to be proud of.
Campus Resources
As you're working on your research project and gearing up to present it at URES, don't forget that Loyola has many different resources to help you through the process. Asking for support is an important part of any academic effort! Here are a few to keep in mind as you go.
Libraries - The Loyola University Chicago Libraries are full of resources to assist students in their research. As well as having online guides, the libraries offer research assistance, including the ability to request an appointment with a subject specialist or to participate in a workshop on research skills.
Writing Center - Make an appointment online or in-person to work with a tutor to develop and hone your presentation.
Information Technology and Research Support - This group can help provide resources on the technological side of research, providing guidance, software, workshops, and more.
Digital Media Labs - Explore the resources and support offered for digital and technological needs, including printing posters.
Institutional Review Board - If your research will involve human participants in any way, consult these resources for guidance on how to receive IRB approval.
Undergraduate Research
If you have explored this far, you probably already have a motivation and a plan for producing your own research. Even so, here are some resources that share some new perspectives on the fundamentals of undergraduate research.
Loyola Libraries: Research Guides - An extensive database of guides on various research subjects.
The Benefits of Undergraduate Research: The Student's Perspective - Here are some specific reasons why it's helpful for undergraduates to get involved with research, as well as some thoughts on the role of the advisers, mentors, and faculty in preparing undergraduates for the research experience.
Abstracts
Your abstract will be the first introduction many people have to your research. Rather than a full summary of your project, it is intended to highlight key points, and to describe the significance of the research to a wider audience. You must imagine a scholar looking through a booklet full of abstracts and asking themself, "Why should I care about this?" You, as the researcher, have an answer to this. The abstract is your chance to articulate that answer. These resources will help you get started.
Writing An Abstract - What makes an abstract interesting, and how can you convince the reader to check out your presentation? This post, provided by the University of Wisconsin-Madison, provides detailed information and examples of strong abstracts.
How to Write an Abstract - This short article shares a "checklist" of sections to include in an abstract, as well as some additional tips.
Poster Presentations
Poster presentations create a visual display of your research or community engagement project that is appealing, well-organized, and representative of your research or project experience. Posters should prompt dialogue for audience and community members. These resources will help you understand how to design, develop, print, and finally present your poster.
Poster Creation & Submission Instructions for LUROP 2023 - A practical guide to creating posters in PowerPoint, and additional tips for a successful poster.
Loyola Libraries: Poster Presentations - This guide will help you develop effective poster presentations, and includes links to sample research posters, as well as slides from a workshop on poster presentations.
Poster Presentations: Tips and Tools - Slides from a Loyola Libraries workshop on poster presentations, sharing a range of guidelines on designing a poster.
Accessibility Instructions for Poster Design - Don't forget to take the extra steps that will make your poster accessible to all of your audience. These instructions include information on designing a poster and presentation that will be accessible to participants with different levels of visual impairment, Deaf or Hard of Hearing individuals, and more.
Including Audio in Presentations - Some guidelines for the audio component of your presentation; how is verbally describing your research different than writing about it?
Creating Effective Academic Posters - A discussion of the purpose of an academic poster, and some tips on getting started.
Poster Presentation as Visual Rhetoric - Slides from a workshop on poster presentations, including practical information on the poster design process, with details on the differences between humanities and STEM posters.
Poster Presentation: Seven Simple Ingredients - Seven basic guidelines for creating an audience-friendly poster.
