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Oral Presentation Guidelines

Abstract Guidelines

Abstracts must be 250 words or less and be written using complete sentences in a single paragraph without headings or bulleted lists.

Abstracts must provide sufficient contextual background for the reader. The content will vary depending on the discipline, but in general should include:

  • The purpose or objectives of the study.
  • A summary of the methods used to collect data or the theoretical basis of the research.
  • The qualitative or quantitative results based on the data or the outcomes of the theoretical analyses.
  • Conclusions or a summary of research outcomes and implications.

Abstracts must be clear, concise, and complete.

Oral Presentation Guidelines

Each UL System University is invited to select five oral presentations for undergraduate research and 5 for service-learning.

  • Undergraduate research presentations must be made by undergraduates enrolled for spring 2024. Faculty coauthors are permitted; faculty presenters are not.
  • Service learning presentations may be made by undergraduates enrolled for spring 2024 but may include faculty presenters and coauthors.
  • Team presentations are allowed in both categories.

The title of the presentation should be appropriate and informative.

Oral presentations must be 10 minutes or shorter.

  • A minimum of two additional minutes will be allowed for questions and room changes.
  • Moderators are instructed to adhere strictly to the time schedule.
  • Moderators are responsible for ensuring talks start and end on time.
  • Moderators may continue accepting questions for a speaker during the room change period.

Each presentation room will have a projector, PC format computer, and projection screen. The presentation computers do not have the ability to display presenter notes in PowerPoint.

Personal laptops cannot be connected to the projector for oral presentations; however, presenters may use a laptop to follow their presenter notes.

Presentations must be saved as a Microsoft PowerPoint file using one of the following extensions (.ppt, .pptx, .pps, .ppsx).

  • Prezis are not appropriate.
  • Embed any videos rather than depending upon internet access.
  • Bring a copy of your presentation on a thumb drive/jump drive to your assigned presentation room 10 to 15 minutes before the start of your session (not before the start of your presentation).
  • If your project included research on human participants, include your Institutional Review Board approval on one of your slides. This may be on the first slide after your title slide, on a slide in your Method section, or a slide at the end of your presentation.

The following websites (and many others) provide additional tips for creating and giving oral presentations, but please follow the guidelines listed above.