Scientific Presentations
The Assertion-Evidence Approach

Step 1. Learn the key principles.

1. Build your talk on key messages.
2. Support each message with visual evidence.

The assertion-evidence approach makes you more focused and better understood. For an example, view the presentation to the right and download the accompanying slides.

Step 2. Download our template to create slides for an assertion-evidence talk.
Before opening the template on your computer, write down the main messages on your Engineering Ambassador talk (as mentioned, a message is a full sentence). Use these messages as the sentence headlines for the slides. Support those headlines with visual evidence and place secondary details into the notes pages of the slides. At the end, critique your slides using the following checklist.

Step 3. To boost your confidence, practice delivering your assertion-evidence talk.
Because there are no bulleted lists to read, the assertion-evidence structure demands more from the presenter. In essence, you use the visual evidence of the slides to tell the story of your work. This increased role for you the speaker increases your credibility because rather than reading from the slide, you engage the audience. To help you prepare, you should archive your speaking notes in the notes pages of the slides. In addition, you should seek feedback from colleagues on practice runs of the talk.