Writing a thesis is a challenging task on its own. Before you start writing, you must decide on the topic, research what has been studied, and collect and present your data. You also have to explain the findings. Additionally, there is a specific format you need to observe to make the arguments in your thesis coherent. Furthermore, you need to polish the work before submitting it for grading.
Then comes the next part – preparing a thesis defense PowerPoint presentation. The PPT defense is a summarized version of the thesis in the form of PowerPoint presentation slides – it should cover all the crucial parts of your thesis. You’re likely to get it wrong if you make mistakes such as:
- Work on it in a hurry.
- You don’t follow your supervisor’s instructions.
- Leave out vital details.
Creating the presentation could be challenging, but it can be made easy with elaborate preparation. Here are the best practices for preparing an effective thesis defense PowerPoint presentation.
Understand the Presentation’s Requirements
When writing the thesis, if you fail to understand the guidelines, you may find yourself wondering, “Should I pay someone to write my paper for me?” Similarly, if you do not get the guidelines right when creating the defense presentation, you may wonder what aspects you should include in the PPT to make it powerful. You may find yourself adding extra irrelevant information in your slides that does not enhance the credibility of your defense. Thus, the first measure should be to understand the particular requirements of the thesis defense.
Your supervisor is the person to consult in this regard. Get guidelines on the content to include and the volume of each section of the presentation. The goal is to ensure you have the right slides to strengthen the defense.
Also, try to understand the needs of the defense audience, which is the committee. It will enable you to customize the defense content to meet their specifications. For example, you can try to predict the questions the committee members are likely to ask. You can then incorporate the answers into your presentation slides.
Stick to the Right Presentation Outline
The presentation should flow smoothly. So, you should use the right outline to help give the right information. Here are some key sections to include in the PPT.
Thesis Title Slide
The first slide of the PPT is where you let the committee know who you are and what you intend to deliver. Include your name, the course details, and the thesis topic. In some cases, you may be expected to include the name of your supervisor in this part of the slide.
The Introduction Section of the Defense
In the next slide, explain to the committee what the thesis is about. For instance, you should restate the thesis topic and explain why you chose it for your research. In simple terms, explain why the research topic is important – how does the research contribute to the area of study?
Literature Review Slides
In the lit review slides, add context to the research. For instance, you explain to the committee how your research fits the already existing knowledge body. Mention the previous works related to yours, their findings, their weaknesses, and what your research adds to them. Also, expound on the key concepts of your thesis.
Research Questions Section
After providing background information on the research, present your research questions. State the questions your research intends to answer. Make the slides short and direct since you only state your research questions.
Research Methodology Slide
In the slides presenting your research approach, explain to the committee how you handled the data or the information you used in answering your research questions. For instance, you should specify whether you used qualitative, quantitative, or a mix of both research designs. Moreover, explain how you analyzed the data. If you used specific analysis tools, this is the section where you mention them.
The Results Section
In the next few slides, the findings of the research are presented. Illustrations using graphs, charts, and tables come in handy in this section. You want to make it as easy as possible for the committee to understand your research findings.
Discussion and Conclusion Section
Lastly, present the implications of your findings. You can also mention the limitations of the study. Also, mention what future research can focus on.
Make It Neat
The committee should be glued to the presentation from the beginning to the end – you can entice them by making it attractive. For instance, choose a contrasting font and background color to make it easy for the panel to read the content in the slides. Other tips to make your PowerPoint presentation more magnificent include:
- Incorporate whitespaces.
- Use a minimalist presentation design.
- Add high-quality images where necessary.
- Use graphs and charts to present your data.
Refine the Content of Your Slides
Try to picture yourself presenting slides that are full of grammatical and structural mistakes to the committee. While these may be mere oversights, the committee may consider them as a sign of a lack of attention to detail and laziness. That is why you should professionally polish the content and make sure that you have perfect slides for the presentation.
How should you go about this review process? After you prepare the slides, take a break. You then begin reading each section of your presentation. Ensure the spelling and punctuation are correct. Also, make sure words are used in the right contexts. The same applies to the format of the slides.
Upshot
The PowerPoint presentation slides for your thesis defense should demonstrate that you are a competent student. Begin by reviewing the requirements of the thesis defense. As you create the slides, ensure you include all the requisite sections and be concise. The defense may only take around 30 minutes, so don’t create a long presentation.
