Virtual CB Island Lab Manual

1. Determine and communicate your goals (i.e., what you want from the audience)

Highlight your goals and make them salient at the start of the lab meeting. This can be anything, but you need to make it explicit (which research question is more promising, how to position your research question, what studies to do next, which journal to address, etc.) 

Omit issues that you do not find particularly important or less relevant for your goal. If you focus on less relevant details (rather than on your overarching goals), the audience might get sidetracked, with an unsatisfying outcome as a result. Do not try to accomplish too much. Given the interactive nature of the lab meeting, presenters often run out of time.

Your goals are probably related to your presentation format. Structure your presentation in a way that you can achieve your goals. For instance, determining the positioning of a paper (in a more advanced stage of a research project) requires a different focus from the audience compared to determining the next data collection effort (in a more initial stage of a research project). Help the audience to focus on the most relevant aspects by carefully structuring your presentation (e.g., put the part of your project needing the most feedback as early in your presentation as possible). Feel free to remind the audience of your goals during your presentation, should the audience deviate from your objectives. You can raise questions or remind the audience of your goals at slide 5 or 15, not just at the end.

2. Determine and communicate your presentation format upfront

Discussion format (i.e., presentation and questions concurrently): More useful for more preliminary/ early stage work. 

Conference format (i.e., presentation followed by Q&A): More useful for more advanced work. Also useful if you want to have a discussion about an entire package of data. This format could also be useful if you want to avoid audience members sidetracking the discussion. Also useful if you find it difficult to handle the audience and finish “on time”.

Hybrid format (i.e., schedule two or more Q&A breaks during presentation, such as one Q&A break after the conceptual/theoretical part, and one after the empirical part or after each study)

Any other format, but please make it explicit right from the start, whether, when and how you want the audience to “intervene”. This will affect the kind of feedback you get.                                      

3. Try to solicit constructive feedback as much as possible

• Help the audience focus on what could be solutions rather than problems.
                                                                         
• Actively seek constructive input. For instance, instead of listing problems, list potential solutions and use the audience as a set of more experienced or naïve “consultants” that could inform you about the path you would like to follow. Steer the discussion in that direction.