Duke Writing Studio 2
• READING THE PAPER: It takes about 2 to 2.5 minutes to read one page (double-spaced, 12
point font), so if you plan to read your paper out loud, then it should take no longer to read it than
the maximum time allotted. (For example, for a 15 minute presentation, your paper should be
approximately 6 pages long).
This paper is to be heard, not read!
• When you are preparing your draft for the presentation, keep in mind that your audience will rely
on listening comprehension, not reading comprehension. That means that your ideas need to be
clear and to the point, and organized in a way that makes it possible for your audience to follow
you. Remember to do the following:
o Introduce yourself (unless you have already been introduced)
o State your thesis clearly
o Tell your audience why this topic is relevant
o Make sure you tell your audience what awaits them. Give them a roadmap of the talk,
even if it seems redundant to you. (For example: “First I will first consider AAA and its
relation to HHH, and then I will move on to UUU. I will conclude my discussion with JJJ
and GGG.”)
• While you may have incorporated a lot of quotes in your paper, it is much more difficult to cite
other scholars in a presentation. If possible, try to use your own words. When a quotation is
necessary to make your point, use a signal phrase to introduce the source to your audience. For
example, you can say: “As theorist Sandra Somebody states…” or “Theorist Sandra Somebody
has argued that…”
o If you want to convey a general opinion people in a scholarly field share—and especially
if you want to point out your scholarly intervention—it is important to let your audience
know that you understand the central argument the other scholars are making before
stating your own position. One way to address this kind of situation is the following:
“Scholars agree that ZZZ causes FFF. However, I propose that….”
• Don’t forget about the conclusion. Your audience has just listened to many of your arguments and
observations, but they may have already forgotten some of them. Make sure to remind them how
you came to your conclusion and why your scholarly intervention and analysis matter.
o For example, you can start your conclusion by stating: “As my presentation today has
shown, SSSS’s relationship to HHH is contingent on # factors (a,b,c). By way of
conclusion, I would like to argue that… (summarize your main points and give your
conclusion).”
Incorporating SLIDES/VISUAL material
Depending on your field of study or the nature of the conference, you will need to show some visual and
textual material during your presentation.
• A successful visual presentation should be in sync with the spoken part of your presentation. You
can coordinate your talking/reading points with your visual presentation by marking your paper
whenever you will show a next slide. There are countless ways to do so, but here is one example:
o “ZZZ stands in close to relation to HHH. (SLIDE) As a study from 2008 has shown…”