Oral Report

Oral presentation of the results of the study is considered effective, particularly in cases where policy recommendations are indicated by project results. The merit of this approach lies in the fact that it provides an opportunity for give-and-take decisions which generally lead to a better understanding of the findings and their implications. But the main demerit of this sort of presentation is the lack of any permanent record concerning the research details and it may be just possible that the findings may fade away from people’s memory even before an action is taken. In order to overcome this difficulty, a written report may be circulated before the oral presentation and referred to frequently during the discussion.

Oral presentation is effective when supplemented by various visual devices. Use of slides, wall charts and blackboards is quite helpful in contributing to clarity and in reducing the boredom, if any. Distributing a board outline, with a few important tables and charts concerning the research results, makes the listeners attentive who have a ready outline on which to focus their thinking. This very often happens in academic institutions where the researcher discusses his research findings and policy implications with others either in a seminar or in a group discussion.

Thus, research results can be reported in more than one ways, but the usual practice adopted, in academic institutions particularly, is that of writing the Technical Report and then preparing several research papers to be discussed at various forums in one form or the other. But in practical field and with problems having policy implications, the technique followed is that of writing a popular report. Researches done on governmental account or on behalf of some major public or private organisations are usually presented in the form of technical reports.

Principles:

Well-Planned

Before presenting something, there should be proper planning regarding the audience, topics to be delivered, timing and other factors: So, a person must be well-prepared to deliver his speech.

Clear pronunciation

To make oral messages meaningful to receivers, words should be clearly and correctly pronounced. There should not be any lack of clarity, otherwise, the communication would be a confusing one.

Brevity

Effective oral communication desires that a message should be brief. If the sender took a long time for talking, his message may not get the attention of the receiver.

Precision

Precision is needed to make oral communication effective. There should not be any confusing words rather message to be delivered should be specific so that there is no misunderstanding.

Natural voice

Any sort of unnatural voice may distort the message. Natural voice can do a lot to make oral communication effective.

Logical sequence

Ideas should be organized in a sequential way to make the message communicative and attractive. Unorganized ideas do not provide clear sense while a logical sequence of ideas gives clear sense.

Suitable words

Words have different meanings to different people in different situations in oral communication, a speaker should use the common, simple and familiar words so that receiver can react to the message without any problem.

Courteous

Courtesy costs nothing but can earn many things. So, a speaker should be courteous while addressing listeners. It helps create a good impression in the mind of listeners regarding the speaker.

Attractive presentation

It is another principle to make oral communication effective. A speaker should deliver his speech in a very nice and sweet language so that receiver is attracted to take part in the communication.

Avoiding Emotions

Speaker must control his emotions to make oral communication effective. Too much emotion will take the speaker away from the main subject.

Emphasis

The speaker must be knowledgeable regarding the portion of the speech where he should give emphasis. Giving emphasis on respective points will help draw the attention of the audience.

Controlling Gesticulation

Speaker at many occasions, consciously or unconsciously, gesticulates for expressing his ideas or thoughts. This is a habit and should be avoided. Otherwise, application of such habit may lead to % disinterest of the audience.

Besides, objective information, the capacity of the listener, interesting language, proper fluency should be considered also as the principles of oral communication.

Guidelines for Oral Presentations:

1. As with poster presentations, students are required to submit an abstract of their oral presentation.
2. If you have PowerPoint slides, you will need to get a copy of those slides to the director of SOURCE at least 48 hours in advance. You must also bring a flash drive copy of your slides as a backup on the day of the presentation.
3. Practice your presentation in advance so that you know it will be within the 10-minute mark.
4. A good rule of thumb is that it takes two minutes to read one page, so your paper should be no longer than six standard, double-spaced pages.
5. Although you are not expected to memorize your presentation, you should be familiar enough with the material to make frequent eye contact with your audience.
6. Handouts are not required, but if you choose to bring handouts to your presentation, you should bring 10 copies.
7. A good oral presentation will:

• Summarize your research succinctly: stating your thesis, argument, purpose, and research methods
• Present the evidence that supports your thesis
• Point out any conclusions you have reached
• Explain the larger significance of your research for your field

8. Finally, students should consult with their faculty sponsor about the best way to present their material. Your faculty sponsor has probably made many such presentations and can give you some good tips.