Research Paper: Presentation Instructions

Overview:

The purpose of this assignment is to help you develop the skills and knowledge necessary to convey complex ideas in a professional manner using a PowerPoint (ppt) presentation. Presentation software is one of the most common ways ideas are presented in the workplace, as well as academia. Although you will be presenting the same material in your final paper, the way it is presented in a ppt presentation will be specific to this format. For example, in a ppt presentation, you will be able to demonstrate how an operant procedure works with animated levers and food pellets, while in a paper you would simply describe it. In a presentation, you can take advantage of multimedia such as video clips of famous researchers explaining their own theories.

Requirements:

• At least 25 slides
• An appropriate image included on each slide
• Include at least 1 video
• Demonstrate at least 1 experimental method using animation
• Use a slide transition

Instructions:

Content: The basic content and structure of the presentation should mirror that of the paper but will not include the “Assessment of Research Paper Writing Process” (See the outline below). An abstract is also not included in a formal presentation.The content must be much more concise as compared to the paper. Summarize each of the main points of your paper into a bullet point. Avoid making a slide look like a paragraph. Use in-text citations in the slide on which the information appears.

Title Slide: The title slide includes the name of your presentation, your name, and the institution with which you are affiliated.

Images: Every slide should include an image that is relevant to the content on that particular slide. Avoid “crowding” the image by placing text too close to it. A good image will be high resolution (not pixelated), not distorted, and professional (proper lighting, contrast, etc.). If you use poor images, they will distract from the quality of your work. In order to avoid copyright infringement, all images must be copyright-free or “free-to-use”. There are a number of databases in which you can find copyright-free images, including using an advanced google image search with the usage rights set to “free to use or share.”

Style: Select a background, font, and color combination that is easy to read and visually complementary.

Video: The video should be a link to a YouTube video. If the video is a link to a file on the author’s computer it will not play when the ppt file is transferred to another person.

Animation: Use animation to demonstrate the methods of at least 1 experiment.

Slide Transitions: Select a slide transition that makes the presentation look polished but does not distract from the flow of the presentation.

Reference Slide: Current APA-formatted references of all sources cited in the presentation.

Narration: Write a narration in the notes section under each slide of how you would explain the slides. This should be the same information you would put on note cards if you were presenting your ppt at a meeting or in class.

Outline:

• Introduction
  • State your topic. (e.g. “This paper will examine the roles of spontaneous reinstatement of operant behavior in drug addiction.”)
    • State why this topic is important (e.g. “More than 80% of individuals who go through substance abuse treatment will relapse within 5 years.”)
    • State your initial research questions (e.g. “What are the critical variables that contribute to spontaneous recovery of operant responding for drugs of abuse?”)
  • Background information about the issue
    • Learning principle (e.g. “Spontaneous recovery was first reported by _______. Later research revealed that _____,_______, and ______ influence spontaneous recovery in animal studies.”).
    • Principle’s application to the problem or issue (e.g. “______ initially suggested that drug relapse may work through a similar mechanism.The methods used to study spontaneous recovery of drug seeking behavior are…”)
  • State your hypothesis. Your hypothesis is the main focus of the paper (e.g. “While stress is a critical factor in the reinstatement of operant behavior for drugs of abuse, its effects can be mitigated by an enriched environment”). Everything discussed in the paper must be related back to the hypothesis. Does a study support or contradict your hypothesis?
    • Define all terms in your hypothesis, referencing appropriate sources
    • Discuss any points of clarification
      • Point 1
      • Point 2
        • … (as needed)
        • …
• Literature Review
  • Theoretical literature pertaining to the learning principle
    • Overview and summary of each theory or explanation
    • Relevance of each theory/explanation to the issue
    • Application of the theoretical findings to the issue
  • Applied literature—Repeat for each study
    • Rationale of the study
    • Overview of the study
    • Methodology (key elements)
    • Key findings related to your hypothesis
    • Critique of the study
      • Design?
      • Appropriate methods?
      • How do the findings relate to your hypothesis/thesis?
• Discussion
  • Summary
    • Summary of all relative findings
  • Recommendations
    • What can be learned from this research?
    • What are the implications?
    • To whom are these recommendations relevant and why? (e.g. parents, government agencies, organizations, educational institutions, mental health professionals)
  • Future Research
  • Conclusions
    • Recap the importance of your topic (no new information)
    • Revisit your thesis statement (did you find support or no support?)
    • Conclusion based on information derived from the literature
• References
  • Reference 1
  • Reference 2
  • Reference 3
  • Reference 4
  • Reference 5
  • Continue as needed