Instructions for Paper and Symposium Presenters and Moderators

Technology Included in the Conference Room

  • A MacBook Laptop connected to LCD projector
  • 2 large screens with audio system
  • Table with microphone
  • WIFI in the room
  • A clicker (for advancing PowerPoints)

Loading your presentation into the computer 
ALL PowerPoint presentations must be transferred to the conference computer prior to the sessions.
If you are using PowerPoint, please store your presentation on a flash drive and give it to the conference organizers by 8:30 am on the day of your presentation (or the day before if possible). Label your presentation file with your last name and presentation date. We will load the presentations onto our conference computer. This will make the transition from one talk to the next go most smoothly.

Paper Presentations

Paper sessions will last 55 minutes. Within each 55-minute session, there will be several presenters and a moderator. The moderator will help to ensure that each presentation does not go over their time limit. For paper presentations, you will have 10 minutes to speak. This will allow time for Questions and Answers after the presentation. The Moderator will facilitate the question-and -answer period.

Speakers may want to present a PowerPoint presentation for their talk. See text above for provided technology. If you want handouts distributed, you are responsible for bringing them (80 copies).

TIPS FOR PRESENTING YOUR PAPER AT THE CONFERENCE
Arrive a few minutes prior to your session start to introduce yourself to the session moderator and to become familiar with the audio/visual equipment and ensure that your Power Point presentation (if using) has been loaded onto the computer. During the session, the moderator will be keeping time. Be alert for the signals from the timer. The session timer will give a warning so that you can begin to wrap up. Your presentation should end promptly at the allotted mark.

SUGGESTIONS WHEN PREPARING YOUR PAPER PRESENTATION
In designing your paper presentation, consider the following tips for PowerPoint presentations:

  • Use font size large enough to be seen from the back of the room where the presentation will be held. A font size of 20-point or larger is recommended
  • Use contrasting colors for the text and the background so the text will be easy to read.
  • Avoid cluttering the slides with too much text, text effects or graphics. Your audience should hear what you have to say and not be distracted by a busy screen.
  • We suggest using bulleted short phrases and sentences to convey your message on slides instead of lengthy sentences. You can read text to accompany each bulleted phrase in your PowerPoint.

Structure your presentation so your main points are clear and concise. You could adhere to the general “traditional” order of presentation of a study. An example of such format and timing is below:

  • Brief introduction (statement of problem, relevant background literature, research questions and hypotheses) (3 minutes)
  • Concise description of intended or expected procedures and methods (1 minute)
  • Presentation of key or expected results (5 minutes)
  • Discussion of Conclusions and/or Implications/Future Directions (1 minute)

Focus on a few main themes and avoid unnecessary details and the presentation of too many ideas and conclusions. Your audience can lose your most important findings if you present a large volume of details.

Assume that your audience is broadly familiar with psychology but assume that your audience is NOT necessarily familiar with the particular area you are discussing. Therefore, be careful that you are not using key terms, jargon, or acronyms without explaining them clearly, but concisely.

Be sure to rehearse your presentation several times prior to presenting at the conference to assure that you will complete the presentation in the allotted presentation time. Adhering to the presentation time limit is essential to allowing sufficient time for questions and discussion and keeping the conference events on schedule. The moderator will have to end your talk if you go over your time limit.

Symposia and Roundtable Presentations

All symposia and roundtable sessions generally are 55 minutes in length. It is up to the Symposium/Roundtable Chair’s discretion to divide the time among the individual presentations and to allow time for audience discussion and questions. Please stay within the time allotted by the Symposium Chair, as each session is under strict time limits. Please see the suggestions above for PowerPoints.

Instructions for Moderators

The primary task of moderators is to announce/introduce each speaker and to make sure the session runs on time.

You should arrive at the conference room in advance of your session. If the room is clear, proceed to the front table and make sure that the a/v equipment is in working order. Individuals with PowerPoints should have their presentations loaded on the computer in a folder for your session. Please click on this folder so all presentations are visible. It will make the transition from one talk to the next run more smoothly if people don’t need to search for their presentations between speakers.

The moderator should either contact speakers prior to the conference or should speak to them before the session starts to ensure they understand how to pronounce the speaker’s name, institution, and location. This is an essential part of welcoming a speaker. Please feel free to ask for a phonetic pronunciation if that would be helpful. Names are important and being respectful of others’ names is something we consider core to a sense of belonging.

Start the session on time. Introduce each speaker and the title of the paper. Keep the papers on time. You should offer warnings to let people know when they have five minutes and two minutes remaining on their time block. Do not permit people to go past their time period, and do not permit questions if the time limit has been reached. The conference organizers will provide paper signs with 5 minutes, 2 minutes, and STOP printed on them.

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