HSS 2010 Annual Meeting
Montréal, Quebec
4-7 November 2010
Some Guidelines to Presentations at the HSS
Those who are not familiar with the HSS annual meeting may wonder what kinds of papers should be presented. The answer is that this is not the place to try out an introduction to a topic from a seminar paper, nor is the meeting a workshop for you to explore preliminary ideas on a topic or to discuss the bibliography of a work in progress, nor is it the time to edit a paper during your presentation or read a densely packed paper, inaccessible to others. Rather, attendees at the annual HSS meeting expect polished and practiced presentations that end on time. You may read a paper, though that is often much less effective than talking through your ideas in a logical and coherent fashion. You may use Powerpoint, but too many people rely on images rather than words, thus weakening the impact of their argument. You must be aware of exactly how long it takes to present your ideas (15-20 minutes). A 20-minute slot translates into no more than 12 pages (large type size, double spaced) and 12 slides, and we insist that session chairs observe the allotted amount of time (practicing your presentation beforehand is always recommended). HSS conferences feature multiple, competing sessions, in which all papers are arranged to begin and end at the same time. Not only will audience members leave if you are not effective, if you go over your allotted time, you disrupt the schedule and curtail the time for co-presenters in your session. The best presentations make a clear point that listeners can remember and discuss later. The HSS Web site will have answers to FAQs to offer further guidance. By observing these guidelines, you will not only enhance your professionalism, you will elevate the quality of the annual meeting.
