×

This page contains resources presented through various information sessions and workshops. The Office of Undergraduate Research sponsors workshops on topics such as applying for research fellowships, mentoring undergraduate researchers, and creating effective research presentations. Scroll down to find descriptions of, and resources from, these and other workshops.

Writing an Effective Research Abstract

It is important to be able to describe your research briefly, accurately, and compellingly for various audiences, whether you are applying for a conference, fellowship, or graduate school, preparing for an interview, or simply thinking about the significance of your work. One of the best ways to do so is by writing a research abstract, which is required for many types of applications. Some resources that will help with an abstract are strategies for writing an abstract, an example of one conference's abstract guidelines, and perhaps most importantly, an abstract rubric for evaluating, and helping you write abstracts.

Creating an Effective Research Poster Presentation

One way to present your research is through a poster presentation. More common among the hard sciences, poster presentations for conferences are often delivered in large rooms with many other posters, so it is important that your poster offers an attractive, clear, and engaging starting point for you to engage an audience in a discussion about your research. You can check out an evaluation rubric for research poster presentations and review these strategies for delivering a research poster presentation on conference day. 

Below is an excellent video by NC State professor George R. Hess, who gives an excellent overview of giving effective research poster presentations.

Creating an Effective Oral Presentation

Many research projects are best presented in an oral presentation, which has traditionally been more common in the humanities and some social sciences but could be used by anyone. Oral presentations at research conferences are generally delivered in classrooms, where presenters are given a short time to present, and grouped with two or three other presenters on similar topics. Sometimes a moderator or commentator who has read a draft of the presentations ahead of time delivered comments and questions based on all the presentations afterward. This format offers a chance for Q&A with the audience and a discussion about the overlap between the projects. You can check out an evaluation rubric for an oral presentation. You should also check out this Guide to an Oral Presentation Introduction.

Also, check out this video created by the Michigan State University Undergraduate Research Office.

Planning an Oral Presentation