AHRD 2013 Conference Presenter Guidelines
While many of you are experienced presenters, please take a moment to consider your
audience in preparing your presentation slides. Unlike previous AHRD research
conferences, everyone will be able to access and read your full paper from the online
conference proceedings before the conference even begins. Consequently, please do not
attempt to present your entire paper. Depending on the type of session in which you are
presenting, you will have between 7 - 15 minutes to present your work. Please keep in
mind that the power of the conference is in the scholarly exchange among attendees; we
can learn as much from our audience as our audience can learn from us!
If you require further assistance after reviewing this information please email your
questions to the Program Chair, Julie Gedro at Julie.Gedro@esc.edu or at 315-380-3260.
Guidelines for Full Papers and Abstract Presentation Types: In an effort to enhance
the opportunity for vigorous scholarly exchanges and to encourage idea sharing, we ask
that all presenters follow the guidelines outlined below. We hope that each presenter
engages the audience using the six to eight slide format proposed below. For each slide,
we offer possible discussion points for your consideration.
Six to Eight Slide Presentation Format
1. Title of your manuscript and author(s)
2. What was your main research question? Discussion: a. Why does this interest you? b.
Why is it important for the development of the HRD profession? What impact
will the research have on HRD research and practice?
3. How did you try to answer your question? Discussion: a. What are the main
characteristics of the method you chose?
b. What problems did you encounter
while carrying out the project?
Note: Details of the design and data collection
should be assembled into a handout (not a PPT slide).
4. What was most exciting about the information you collected? Discussion: a. What
did you expect to find and what did you actually find? b. You can reference
tables and other complex information in your handout.
5. How does this material (the data collected and analyzed) help you to answer your main
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question? Discussion: a. Did you find support for an answer?
b. How did
aspects of the data collection and analysis affect your ability to answer the
research questions?
6. What do you conclude? What limitations do you put on the conclusion? Discussion: a.
What would you like your audience understand about your findings?
b. What in
your research findings is especially interesting to you?
c. To make progress in
the area you investigated, what additional research is needed?
Tips for Creating PowerPoint Slides for your Presentation
 Provide a title for each slide
 Use 32 point font size or larger
 Use upper and lower case letters (not all caps)
 Create clean, concise slides and refrain from using paragraphs
 Stand to one side of the projection screen
 Refrain from reading your slides
 Present to your audience (avoid turning your back to your audience)
 Avoid too many special effects
 Use quality graphics to support your presentation
Prior to the conference, please: 
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Provide your Session Chair with a short (3-4 sentence) bio
Read all papers in your assigned session
Create your presentation following the guidelines above
Provide the Session Chair with 1 or 2 questions related to your presentation
and 1 or 2 questions related to the other presentations. [The Session Chair may
use some of these questions to spark conversation and discussion.] During the session, please:
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Arrive to the room 15 minutes before scheduled start time
Agree on the order of presentation and Q&A format
Stay within your allotted time (depending on # of presentations assigned to the
session, between 7 and 15 minutes per presenter)
Thoughtfully discuss the papers of other presenters and their underlying
theories/issues. Always remember this is a scholarly exchange— reasoned
questioning, doubting, and not knowing are okay and can be downright
scholarly! Details for Refereed Full Manuscript Sessions: Approximately 10-15 minutes will be
allotted for each presenter to deliver his/her paper. The main purpose is to allow
presenters the opportunity to engage the audience in their research. Attendees are
encouraged to bring questions, curiosities, and positive energy! Sessions should leave
enough time for attendees to thoughtfully consider the studies, ideas, and implications of
the research presented. A key goal for full manuscript sessions is to allow participants to
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analyze the information provided by the presentations.
Details for Refereed Abstract Sessions: Approximately 7 -10 minutes will be allotted
for each presenter to deliver his/her research in a PPT presentation. Unlike full paper
sessions, refereed abstract sessions should be focused more on idea generation than idea
analysis. But like full paper sessions, these sessions are designed to stimulate dialogue,
raise questions, and encourage engagement among members.
Details for Symposium Sessions: A panel or paper symposium is a fully developed
and carefully organized session that brings together a group of panelists or paper authors
who share similar or differing views on a scholarly topic. The session format should
engage the panelists and audience in formal interactive discussion. Both presenters and
audience members are encouraged to engage one another!
Details for Research Roundtable Sessions: These interactive sessions are aimed at
building a community of scholars who support, challenge, and collaborate. Unlike the
other session categories, the roundtable sessions are designed for scholars, students, and
practitioners who are in the early stages of research or who have not yet completed data
collection and analysis. In these sessions, table groups are formed and the entire session
is devoted to discussing the research projects represented at each table. There are no
PowerPoint presentations, but handouts can be distributed. It is anticipated that between 3
and 6 projects will be discussed at each table. Participants should ask clarifying questions,
offer suggestions, and help each other address hidden assumptions and potential study
challenges. Each participant should come prepared with a 3-5 minute overview of their
project or study, and a short list of two to three questions that illustrate the best thinking
to date. By the end of the session, all participants should come away with concrete action
steps for continuing or improving their study.
Presentation Room Setup: Except for the Research Roundtable sessions, each session
room will come equipped with a standard audio-visual projector that will support a
PowerPoint presentation. However, a laptop from one of the presenters will need to be
utilized to connect to the projector. Please come prepared with a laptop, or make
arrangements with the other presenters in your session to ensure a laptop will be provided.
Concluding Thoughts
The overall intent for the AHRD conference is to lead Human Resource Development
through research. These scholarly presentations are the product and the future of our
collective work to continue developing a reflective and relevant Human Resource
Development profession.
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