Presenting data analysis report in 10 minutes

Mahbubul Majumder, PhD
Dec 11, 2014

What to present

  • First thing first, present yourself or your team
    • presenting is a privilege not many people have
  • Start with a motivational example, something that describes your data
  • Describe the problem or the question that you are dealing
  • present the data and results
    • not everything is interesting. Just show the WOW part
    • use any media, animation, figure or plot that makes it easy to understand
    • 10 minutes is a long time to hold people's interest

  • Present your data product if you created one

    • just show what it is good for or why somebody should buy it

  • Talk about future direction or planning

  • Finally, be excited with your amazing work and let others be excited too

Talking about your team

  • What is interesting about you or your team ?

    • just get the audience ready to enjoy your talk
    • creates a new environment
    • you have only 15-30 seconds to do that

  • Interest about yourself can be grown by sharing exciting news

    • for example, give some information like the following while talking about you
      • this project helped you get a job
      • this project motivated you to pursue PhD
      • you forgot to go home one night while working with this project in the lab
      • or whatever

The first slide

  • Spare the first slide to draw attention

    • motivational picture or information related to your work

  • Think of the diverse audience you have

    • someone may just got a speeding ticket before getting here
    • someone may be thinking of their talk
    • get all of them on board and forget what they were supposed to think

  • Put a WOW picture

    • a good picture, with a nice description and your explanation goes a long way

Motivation example

What types of data you think about when you see this picture? picture source: https://assets3.thrillist.com/v1/image/1304687/size/tmg-slideshow_xxl

Motivation example

What type of thinking does this plot trigger?

plot of chunk unnamed-chunk-2

Good vs bad slides

The definition of a good slide or a bad slide is very simple


Good means interesting



Bad means boring

Example: bad slide

  • Suppose you want to talk about statistics. Go ahead with these bullets, you have the power to

    • annoy or irritate the audience
    • or give them a comfort to sleep

  • Statistics is the study of the collection, analysis, interpretation, presentation, and organization of data. In applying statistics to, e.g., a scientific, industrial, or societal problem, it is necessary to begin with a population or process to be studied. Populations can be diverse topics such as “all persons living in a country” or “every atom composing a crystal”. It deals with all aspects of data including the planning of data collection in terms of the design of surveys and experiments.

  • In case census data cannot be collected, statisticians collect data by developing specific experiment designs and survey samples. Representative sampling assures that inferences and conclusions can safely extend from the sample to the population as a whole. An experimental study involves taking measurements of the system under study, manipulating the system, and then taking additional measurements using the same procedure to determine if the manipulation has modified the values of the measurements. In contrast, an observational study does not involve experimental manipulation.

Example: bad slide

You don't expect people to read a slide like this in a 10 minute presentation

Example: bad slide

What is the point of showing a table like this?

mpg cyl disp hp drat wt qsec vs am gear carb
Mazda RX4 21.0 6 160.0 110 3.90 2.620 16.46 0 1 4 4
Mazda RX4 Wag 21.0 6 160.0 110 3.90 2.875 17.02 0 1 4 4
Datsun 710 22.8 4 108.0 93 3.85 2.320 18.61 1 1 4 1
Hornet 4 Drive 21.4 6 258.0 110 3.08 3.215 19.44 1 0 3 1
Hornet Sportabout 18.7 8 360.0 175 3.15 3.440 17.02 0 0 3 2
Valiant 18.1 6 225.0 105 2.76 3.460 20.22 1 0 3 1
Duster 360 14.3 8 360.0 245 3.21 3.570 15.84 0 0 3 4
Merc 240D 24.4 4 146.7 62 3.69 3.190 20.00 1 0 4 2
Merc 230 22.8 4 140.8 95 3.92 3.150 22.90 1 0 4 2
Merc 280 19.2 6 167.6 123 3.92 3.440 18.30 1 0 4 4
Merc 280C 17.8 6 167.6 123 3.92 3.440 18.90 1 0 4 4
Merc 450SE 16.4 8 275.8 180 3.07 4.070 17.40 0 0 3 3
Merc 450SL 17.3 8 275.8 180 3.07 3.730 17.60 0 0 3 3
Merc 450SLC 15.2 8 275.8 180 3.07 3.780 18.00 0 0 3 3
Cadillac Fleetwood 10.4 8 472.0 205 2.93 5.250 17.98 0 0 3 4

Turn a bad slide into good one

  • Is it really necessary to show this proof?
    • do you expect the audience to read it?

  • When you have to show equations, mark the place where people need to pay attention
    • explain why it is important
    • show a trick you made to prove
    • demonstrate the equation made your data analysis possible

Example: good slide

  • View the TED talk by H. Rosling. How excited are you when you talk?
  • A plot itself may not be interesting unless you point out the feature and talk in depth

plot of chunk unnamed-chunk-4

Talk about your data

  • Sources of data

    • observational
    • experimental
    • public?

  • Show some interesting summary

    • tables
    • graphics

  • Any anomaly in the data

Write your speech

  • Write your complete speech

    • explain bulletted points in your natural style. Don't just read them.
    • write what you intend to say on each bullet

  • Be in the domain of your write-ups

    • you have only 10 minutes !
    • don't try to say anything else other than what you intended to say
    • don't try to make up instant sentences

  • Use the slides as a guide only to remind you what to say in each bullet

    • bullets should not be more than a line

Transition between slides

  • Know your slides very well

    • prepare the audience about what is coming next
    • sometimes audience will be happy that the slide is exactly what they imagined

  • Pay special attention to write what you will say when

    • you will leave a slide
    • at the start of a new slide

Manage your time

  • Plan how much time you will spend on certain slide

    • writing your speech will help
    • smoother transition between slides will help to implement the plan

  • You don't have time to show everything

    • if you spend 1 minute in each slide, you can have only 10 slides to show
    • pick few important points you want to talk about
      • create a slide based on each point
      • create some other slides just to fill in the gaps
    • use your written report to explain little details

Practice before your talk

  • Even famous speakers practice a lot before a presentation
    • saves time
    • helps avoiding unnecessary speeches
    • can explain difficult concept in a natural way
    • makes transition between slides continuous
    • helps you not to rush


Practice, Practice and Practice

Reading assignment and references