Public Speaking Tip: Presenting the Research Based Speech

At one time or another, you will be asked to present a speech or presentation based on research such as a survey of the current landscape of your industry, for instance.

Presenting a speech on research is not as simple as showing the results of your analysis, you also need to prove that you used solid methods and your data is sound.

Here are the elements that you must incorporate into your speech to present a solid argument for your case.

1. Your Executive Summary

What is your presentation about and why did you want to do a research on this topic?  For the example above on the industry landscape, it could be because your company is looking to expand its business into a new city.  What is the demand/supply in that city for your products or services and level of competition?

2. Citation of Sources

Citation of sources is very important in a research paper.  It goes towards the integrity of your data.  If you are citing a previous research done by someone else, it is not only important to cite the names of the researchers, you should also cite their credentials.  Again, this will show that your data is obtained from good sources.  So instead of saying, "In a research conducted by Researcher A and Researcher B", you can say, "In a research conducted by Researcher A and Researcher B, Professors of (their field) from Harvard University that they published in the American Journal of (Science, Economics, etc)..."

You don't have to go into an entire litany of your researchers' history.  A short introduction like the above is sufficient because it shows that they are experts in their field and their research was published in a credible journal, meaning their findings are groundbreaking enough for people to pay attention to.

3. Research Methodology

How you obtained your data is important.  Otherwise, your conclusions will be nothing  more than heresay.  Did you use a questionnaire to survey your pool of samples?  So how many people were in your pool and did they represent a broad spectrum of people from all walks of life, or did you just concentrate on a particular segment of the population?

4. Your Findings

You need to know the distinction between findings and conclusion.  Findings are the data obtained from your research.  They will then form your conclusions.  You need to present your findings to your audience so that they understand where your conclusion comes from.

5. Conclusion

Finally, you derive your conclusion from the findings of your research.  Based on the data you presented, you can confidently state your conclusion.

Incorporate the elements above and your research presentation will be more solid and you will show people that you did your homework.

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