Self Help for Writing & Oral Presentations
Looking for Writing Self-Help or help outside Writing Center hours? We recommend that you do work directly with your faculty member or a Writing Center tutor, but if self-help is a better fit for you, try these links.
Click here to go to Fintel Library. Our Roanoke College Librarians have created many practical guides to doing library research and writing. You should look around a bit to discover the types of help available. In particular, you might find these general guides helpful. About halfway down the page, you'll find a link called "How do I . . ." that gives informations related to many aspects of finding and using library information. Also look under "Research Guides" link for many discipline specific helps. Here you will also find help with Citations: Hover over the links at the top of the page to choose a citation style.
Purdue OWL is one of the best websites for self-help with any aspect of writing. Purdue OWL is so good that we will not attempt to duplicate their work. Visit them directly.
Looking for Oral Presentation Self-Help? Don't forget that your instructor and the Writing Center tutors can help with oral presentations. In addition, here are some self-help documents for oral presentations.
A good oral presentation shares many of the characteristics of a good paper. You must have something to say--a thesis. You must have evidence to support your ideas. You must acknowledge the sources of information. You must organize your ideas both to support your thesis and to engage your audience. You must have an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. The major differences between a paper and an oral presentation are adjustments we must make when we move from written words to spoken ones.
The short links below focus on these differences. You can view them separately, or download them all at once.
Finding clues to success in the assignment description
Important differences in organization, transitions, and content
Visual Aids, PowerPoint, and Handouts
Nerves are Normal. Here are some ways to tame them.
Yes, you should cite sources in a presentation. Here's how.
Special Settings: presenting research on campus or at a professional conference; poster sessions; group presentations