Length

​Presentations must be no longer than 15 minutes.

Slide Format and Content

• English is the official language for the APS Plant Health 2020 annual meeting.
• All slides must be in 16:9 widescreen format.
• Prepare slides that support and supplement, not simply duplicate, what you are saying.
• Design slides specifically for an oral presentation. Slides prepared for journal or book publication are seldom effective and oft​en not legible.
• No commercial activities or any advertising may be included in the presentation.​
  

Resolution

​​Maximum resolution is 1920x1080 pixels.

Color

A high contrast between the lettering and the background is important. Use a blue background with white or yellow text. Other color combinations are possible but generally less successful. Where two or three graphs or block diagrams are presented on one side, contrasting colors are helpful.

Fonts

Fonts should not be less than 1/40th of the height of the effective area of the slide. Limit the number of words and lines to a maximum of 6 words in the title, 6 lines in height, and up to 7 words in each line.

Select and Simplify

Each slide should cover one or two points. The slides should be cleared of data not pertinent to the presentation. Arrange the data to fill the projection field. Keep the content of a slide simple, clear, and readily understandable. For clarification of a complex item use a series of slides to explain the idea step by step. A series of such slides is also used in summarizing the presentation and adds to the impact of the conclusion.

Text

Text slides are appropriate for introducing the objectives of a study, definitions or quotations, chemical formulae, and the summary.

Tables and Figures

Tables and figures designed for publication are typically unsuitable for projection. Details are often too many and too complicated to be recognized by an audience in the limited length of time a slide is shown. Parts of the lettering and drawing often become illegible when projected. Prepare your data specifically for slide projection. Limit the number of columns to 4 and lines to 7.

Graphics

Choose the type of graphic most suitable for the variables concerned. There are numerous alternatives. Include statistics when relevant. Use the same design and labeling in all related charts or diagrams. The uniformity in layout helps the audience to reach rapid orientation and understanding.

• Pie charts illustrate the division of a whole into parts.
• Column or bar charts illustrate comparisons between groups. Limit the number of columns to 5-7.
• Use colors or shadings to differentiate columns. Columns should not be separated by the same space as their width.
• Line graphs express changing relations, especially changes against time. Limit to 2-3 curves.
• Scatter diagrams illustrate the degree of co-variation or distribution in compared groups.
• Flow charts illustrate successive stage of an experimental procedure or the interaction and balance of several variables in processes.

• Select and arrange the major points in logical order
• Avoid excessive technical details and extensive literature citations; the presentation should explain the work in simple, general terms wherever possible
• Avoid the use of abbreviations
• Avoid the use of too many numbers and statistics

In general, the presentation should explain:

• The purpose of the work
• A brief review of the methods of investigation used
• The results obtained
• The conclusions drawn
• Suggestions as to further work​

The presentation should not report:

• Historical information unless absolutely necessary
• Literature references
• Previous work or details of experimental procedures
• Intermediate results
• Details of negative findings unless they are absolutely essential to the argument