Academic thinking and writing is structured as a conversation. No
academics operate in a vacuum and even the most brilliant research emerges from both the work of previous scholars and those currently working in the field. Aside from publication, the most common form of research collaboration in academia is the conference presentation. Here,
researchers within a field, or across fields, gather to present their research, receive feedback, and share ideas with other like-minded scholars. The main benefit of the conference talk is that it forces you to put your ideas down in words and share them. While this can be scary—few love public speaking—it can also be extremely productive. I’ve done a good dozen conference presentations now and, while I initially hated the Question and Answer Session that followed presentations, I’ve since grown to appreciate the questions I get from others. These allow me to talk about my work and to communicate to others why I think it’s interesting and valuable.
In the last couple of decades, a new form of conference talk has emerged, the main point of which is to streamline the process and get more new ideas out faster, and in simpler, more easily digested form. These new short presentations are called ‘lightning talks’ and they usually last no more than 5
minutes. The benefit of the lightning talk is that it forces a speaker to focus on what’s important and to keep moving, rather than getting bogged down in details.
So, what will you need to do?
First, you need to make sure you have a basic handle on the purpose of the project. This does not mean you need to know exactly what you’re arguing yet. Think of your lightning talk as a check-in,
with me and the class, on where you are now and where your research is headed. We have not started writing yet, so I urge you to not think of this as a ‘finished’ piece of thinking or writing.
Second, you need to organize This means understanding:
What your research question is and why you’re asking it
What your tentative thesis/claim is and why you think it’s valid
Any sub-claims you have currently developed (these will be claims within the main claim that need
to be made so that the main claim makes sense)
What support you have for your claim(s), and what questions you still have.
You might also consider introducing a counter-argument, but only if you have time.
Third, you need to create a visual aid that is simple but informative. Don’t overcrowd slides with tons of information, but don’t rely too heavily on visuals and tricks either. Think less on the slide,
more in the talk.
Fourth, you need to think about your audience. You will not be presenting to specialists or experts in
the field, so you should tailor your talk (visual and spoken) to the general level of understanding your
the audience is likely to possess
Some tips for creating an effective lightning talk:
Make your point, and make it quickly. Think about what you are trying to get your audience to discover and get to the point concisely. No over labored setup, no tricks or gimmicks. You don’t have time.
Don’t sweat the details: if in doubt, go with less. Lightning talks exist to communicate basic ideas quickly. Don’t get bogged down in specific details or evidence. Mention things briefly, and then move
on.
Simplify your visuals—use large images and as little text as possible.
A timed talk is never the right length the first time. Get a draft talk done and then practice, timing yourself and, if it helps, speaking into a mirror while standing up. You can also consider recording yourself so that you can hear what you sound like to others. Practice, Practice, Practice. It
always takes longer than you think to do a talk.
Use note-cards or some other kind of memory-aid so that you don’t either A) try to wing it from
memory (hard) or B) read off your slides (boring)
Treat this as though it were real, as though you really did want to share this information with others
and receive feedback. Solicit questions at the end of your talk and maybe even provide an email
address so that anyone interested can get a hold of you later to find out more.
Assessment:
I’m going to assess this assignment based on two metrics:
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You doing your part.
You being there for your peers.
As I see it, this assignment should be low-stakes, meaning it should be possible to do without fear of sinking your grade. I’m going to be very understanding when it comes to presentation style, but I
will want to see that you’ve put in some effort to make your talk clear, organized, and effective.
So, your talk itself will be assessed on a 30-point scale. If you come, present to the expected time limit, and put in a good faith effort (even if it’s not perfect), you’re going to get your 30 points. Any
talk receiving less than thirty will be given an explanation.
However, there is also an audience participation component to this. You will be required to take notes on each talk. At the end of class, I will collect those notes and, assuming they are complete,
I’ll give you another 20 points for being an engaged audience member.
Possible Lightning Talk Outline:
Title Slide – Includes the tentative title of your paper (See backside for sample academic titles)
Slide 2 – Background to your issue, part 1
Slide 3 – Background to your issue, part 2
Slide 4 – Research Question and any minor, sub-questions
Slide 5 – Tentative Thesis (i.e. you argument as you see it right now)
Slide 6 – Sub claim #1
Slide 7 – Sub claim #2
Slide 8 – Sub claim #3
Slide 9 – Limitations you’re aware of, or questions you still have
Slide 10 – Final slide: Any Questions (from the audience)?
Sample Solution
