The 12 Minute Talk

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  Structure

   Organize your talk along the following lines:

   Tell the audience what your talk is about and where you aim to take them.

   Introduce the subject by posing the problem in the context of what is already known.

   Describe your approach and methods minimally

   Present the results, focussing on no more than three key ideas. Bring each idea to closure.

   Criteria for success - a talk will be considered successful if

   the talk does not exceed the time of twelve minutes.

   the subject is well introduced with the scope set and the objectives clearly stated.

   the talk is focussed on no more than three major points with supporting data and argument.

   there is minimal information provided on materials and methods

   the aspects of the studied discipline or applications are clearly stated.

   the talk, and each of the ideas, are brought successfully to closure -- the audience is not
   left thinking "so what"?

   textual overheads/slides do not exceed 12 in number.

   overheads/slides are clearly legible from the back of the room

   the talk is presented in a clear voice, audible from the back of the room

   the speaker is clearly excited by his or her topic.

   questions are addressed without evasion and answers demonstrate deep understanding of the
   research topic and key issues that relate to it.