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Speaker's GuideSpeaking at International Test Conference is an important event in your professional career. You are one of a group of experts selected by the Program Committee to present a message of current importance directly to an audience of electronic test and design professionals. This guide offers suggestions and tools to help you to write your paper and to organize, illustrate and deliver your presentation. It provides criteria to judge and improve your performance and tells you what will happen on the day of your presentation. A companion publication, The ITC Electronic Presentation Guide, provides instructions for preparing PowerPoint files for your presentation. You may view the Electronic Presentation Guide portion here. YOUR TASK Before preparing your final manuscript, you must visit the ITC web site, view the review data for your submission, and make notes of the required and suggested comments of the reviewers. Your topic coordinator will work with you to prepare a final manuscript that adequately addresses all of the reviewer comments. Paper Awards Scheduling Your Paper and Presentation Key items are shown in bold. You will find deadline dates for key items in your acceptance letter. Talk preparation tasks are shown in italics. We suggest you write the deadline dates on this list. Then plan the dates when other tasks should be completed and write them on the list, forming your personal schedule for producing your paper and talk. Don't underestimate the size of this project. Keep ahead of the deadlines. Failure to meet them could result in withdrawal of your paper from the Conference. PRODUCTION TASKS Outline Paper Assign copyright to IEEE via author web site or if necessary send Copyright Form to ITC Office, Check Abstract on web for use in Conference guide by Deadline.
Paper Layout – Microsoft Word Template This document provides instructions for preparing your manuscript. Further information and examples are provided in the MS Word templates. Three templates are provided. Choose the one that corresponds to the employer of the author(s). If all authors are employed by the U.S. Government, use PaperTemplate_USGOV; if all authors are employed by a Crown Country (e.g., U.K., Canada, Australia, etc.) use PaperTemplate_CROWN; for all other papers use PaperTemplate_ALL_OTHER. Please read the template, even if you do not plan to use Microsoft Word to write your paper. Title Title and authors should be full page width. The abstract and body of the paper should be two-column format, with the possible exception of large diagrams. Font Selection For the body of your text, use single-spaced 10-point TimesNewRoman (or a similar typeface) with 12-point interline spacing in a two-column format. Make the title 14-point boldface upper and lower case, centered over both columns. For author name(s) and affiliation(s), use 12-point, non-boldface centered type. Section headings should be 12-point boldface type, flush left. Subsection headings should be 11-point boldface type, flush left. Please do not use any footers other than the ones prescribed in this document. Additional details are provided in the Word template. Abstract Illustrations, Graphs and Photographs Footnotes and References Page Limits Footer
Requirements *Every* page of your paper must include the
following three items: (See the appropriate Word template for an
example: PaperTemplate_USGOV,
PaperTemplate_CROWN,
or PaperTemplate_ALL_OTHER) 1. On the left side of the bottom margin area, the
session.paper number must appear. For
example, if your paper is the third paper in Session 26, then you should put
“Paper 26.3” in the bottom left corner.
Please *do* include the word “Paper”.
Please *do not* use the submission number assigned to the paper when
you originally submitted it. If you
are unclear about your session.paper number, please contact your Topic
Coordinator. When the Advance Program
is available, you can also check there to find out your session.paper
number. If you are a panelist and are
preparing a panelist position statement, please use the word “Panel” instead
of “Paper”. If you are the second
speaker on Panel #5, then use “Panel 5.2”.
If you are the organizer of Panel #5, then use “Panel 5”. Please contact your panel organizer or the
panel coordinators if you have questions about this issue. If you are
preparing a paper for a Lecture Series, please use the word “Lecture” instead
of “Paper.” If you are the second speaker
in Lecture Series #1, then use, “Lecture 1.2”. 2. On the right side of the bottom margin area, include
simple page numbers, 1, 2, 3, and so on.
Start your paper numbering at 1.
You must adhere to a maximum of 10 pages. If you use the Word template, the page numbering will be done automatically. 3. In the center of the bottom margin area, put the
string “INTERNATIONAL TEST CONFERENCE” in all capital letters. Again, this is done automatically in the
Word template file. On the *first* page of your paper only, flush left on the line below
your paper.session number, put the IEEE copyright notice string. The notice
used will depend upon the author’s employers. If all authors are employees of the U.S. Government use: U.S. Government work not protected
by U.S. copyright If all authors are employed by a Crown Government (e.g., U.K., Canada, Australia, etc.) use: 1-4244-4203-0/08/$20.00 ©2008 Crown For all other
papers use: 1-4244-4203-0/08/$20.00 ©2008
IEEE If you use the
appropriate Word template, this too will be done automatically. Please put all footer text in 12-point
non-boldface. Instructions for Submitting the
Electronic Version of Your Paper for the CDROM Proceedings of the
International Test Conference For final papers, ITC accepts only PDF
format. IEEE requires all conferences
to comply to certain PDF formatting requirements in order to be compatible
with the IEEE Xplore document provision service. In order to ensure this compliance, they provide the “PDF
eXpress” web-based PDF generation/checking utility. The URL for PDF eXpress is http://216.228.1.34/pdfexpress/log.asp. Click on the link “New Users – Click Here”
and fill in your information. You
will need the Conference ID which is:
itc08x Detailed instructions on the use of PDF eXpress are available at the following links. How does IEEE PDF eXpress work? Does IEEE PDF eXpress collect my submissions for the conference? How do I find out my conference ID? PDF eXpress provides two different services
– PDF generation from source files and PDF checking for author-generated PDF
files. ITC strongly recommends that
authors submit source files and use the PDF generation mechanism and not
attempt to generate PDF themselves.
There are two reasons for this recommendation: · Experience shows that most author-generated PDFs
fail the PDF checks. The primary
reason is lack of embedded fonts.
Many authors have experienced difficulty in finding fonts and changing
the Adobe settings to force it to embed the fonts. · PDF eXpress limits the number of uses of their
service. By default, users are
allowed 3 attempts to check PDF but 10 attempts to generate PDF. After having generated PDF using PDF eXpress, authors should check it thoroughly to make sure that it matches the source document and complies with page limits and other document preparation guidelines. If the document is prepared with Microsoft Word, please note that the appearance of the document can vary based on the type of printer selected when the document is being viewed. It is recommended that authors should choose a PDF printer option, since this selection is most likely to match the outcome from PDF eXpress file creation. The PDF printer option is provided by Adobe Distiller software. Alternatively, there are several free PDF creator options available via the web. Otherwise, choose from the printers available, but be sure to check the generated PDF for accuracy. Depending on the printer selected, the Word template may not look as intended when viewed in Microsoft Word. Authors using TeX/LaTeX are cautioned that
PDF eXpress sometime produces documents that are formatted as A4 size instead
of US 8.5x11 inch format. Authors
should ensure that the PDF is formatted to US 8.5x11 inch paper size. After successfully generating your PDF, please login to http://itcprogram.org/ and under the “Author” menu, under “Your Submission,” go to the the “Action” menu and choose “Submit Final Paper.” Also be sure to update to “Update Final Paper Info” to make sure that the title, author names, author order, speaking author, contact author, and short summary are all up to date. Also make sure that your IEEE acknowledgment and copyright forms are submitted to the ITC office by the date given in your paper acceptance notification. Copyright Form PRE-PUBLICATION After the conference, papers may be
released for publication in full, subject to the rules outlined on the IEEE
copyright form. CONVERTING A PAPER INTO A TALK Since your formal paper can be read in the
Proceedings, you should use your presentation as a "discussion"
rather than a "reading.” Verbal
presentations read from a technical paper come across as lifeless and boring.
Therefore you need to prepare a separate script for your talk. Your talk must be designed for listeners
who are watching you and your presentation ,
not for readers. Readers set their own pace, controlling the rate they
absorb input according to their individual needs. Listeners don't have
this advantage. You will control the pace at which your audience must
absorb your ideas. For this reason, printed paper and
technical presentation require different methods, different language,
different illustrations - different ways to present argument and proof. The precise language and style used in
written papers are not suited for oral presentation. Long sentences, when
spoken, cannot be followed. A listener can't pause to reflect on a complex
idea without falling behind the speaker. Nor can a listener look ahead to
anticipate what you will be saying next in order to place an idea in context.
Since there's no chance to look up definitions, unfamiliar terms may lose a
listener. Technical abstractions or complicated formulae can lead to complete
confusion. It follows that the script for a talk
requires a different approach from a paper. Because your paper has been
selected for ITC, your audience will grant that you are technically
proficient and that your work has a basic adequacy. Many of them will have
read your paper in the Proceedings. They will expect to hear you discuss
your techniques, talk about your approach, and support your conclusions. You should be less formal, less analytical
in speaking to your subject. Your voicing, gestures, and personality should
give life to your words. Emphasis and inflection become tools as important as
words. We do not converse the way we write: words fall in a different order; sentences
are simpler and shorter; words and points are repeated to aid memory and
understanding. An emphatic pause almost requires a listener to absorb the
preceding point. Organizing Your Talk You will have 30 minutes for your task.
About 22-25 minutes of this time is allotted for your presentation; the
remainder will be used for questions. Plan to use all of your allotted time.
A presentation that is too short is as undesirable as one that runs over.
Adjust and trim your timing in your rehearsals. Put Across a Few Key Points In your relatively short time at the
lectern, you can transmit only a few key points to the audience, so
concentrate on what is most significant. Hold to relatively simple
relationships. Your audience can confirm your more complex points by reading
your paper. Explain with familiar examples or analogies. Compare your new
material with existing technology that is well known to your audience. Resist
using jargon: your jargon may not be as widely used as you think. If you
must use a word that may not be familiar to the audience, define it. Follow a Simple Outline
Tell your story in a
straight line. Make one point lead to the next. Understanding is better when
the subject is simply organized. Planning Your Slides Plan a series of slides that progressively
disclose your subject, building from cause to effect, simple to more complex,
questions to answers. Don't bury your points in too much detail. Use your
slides to assist your words and to keep you on track. The text on your slides should be concise.
Each slide should express only a few closely related ideas, tersely stated.
Too much information prevents understanding! Too much detail prevents
reading! Words have limitations. Graphs, drawings
and photos can often explain what language cannot, so illustrate what you
can't verbalize. Illustrate what takes too long to describe. Illustrate what
you want to emphasize. How Many Slides? What to Illustrate Consider these graphic ways to make points
clearly and quickly when you plan your slides: Introduce Key Items - Outline slides focus attention on key ideas and
orient the audience. An outline of your major topics should be your third
slide, just after your purpose and title slides. Trends - Line graphs show trends or correlations effectively. Comparisons and Proportions - Bar graphs are best for comparing magnitudes. Pie
charts are good for showing relative parts of the whole. Symbols - Symbolic diagrams and flow charts are useful if
not too detailed. Use standard symbols if possible. Structure and Relationship - Simple schematic diagrams effectively convey the
structure of systems or relationships of objects. Show only what is necessary
to explain how a thing works. Tables - Don't use detailed tables. Tabular data are more legible and more
easily compared on graphs or charts. If you must use a table, keep it simple
and include only items that you will mention. Animation - Use simple animation when necessary to illustrate
an algorithm or data flow. Complex animation, or animation that does not
serve to illustrate your point, takes time and breaks the flow of your talk.
Remember that the PC on which your presentation will run may not be as fast
as your machine at home. Also, make sure sound effects are turned off for
your animation. When You Digress from the topic of the slide on the screen, use a
blank slide, colored and shaded, not white, to darken the screen. Never
say one thing orally and something else visually on the screen. It
confuses the audience. Duplicate Slides - Use duplicate slides when you need to refer to a
visual more than once. Company/University Logos Mandatory Slides Title Slide - The first slide in your presentation must contain
the title of the paper (as printed in the ITC Proceedings), and the author
name(s) and affiliation(s). Purpose Slide - The second slide should state the purpose of the
work you will describe (i.e., the problem you have addressed). Outline Slide - The third slide should present a concise outline
of your presentation. Conclusion Slide - The last slide in your presentation should state
your major conclusions. Slide Preparation Your slides must be made and reviewed using
PowerPoint XP/2003. Using other versions might lead to problems during your
presentation. Click on the appropriate link
below to download any of the following files: Author slide
guide/template (PowerPoint XP/2003) The slide guide
is a combination guide, template, and detailed instructions. More detailed
instructions appear in the notes pages which are not always displayed. It is
suggested that you first display the guide as a slide show to get a feel for
the overall guidelines. Then, select "Notes Page" under the
"View" menu and display each slide again to see the detailed info. The
detailed info font is a bit small on a laptop, but it's readable on a
15" monitor and prints well.
The following presentations are
available as examples. The first example demonstrates a rather traditional
presentation, while the second example makes more extensive use of the
PowerPoint capabilities. Simple example
(PowerPoint; 78848 bytes) Submitting Your Slides Electronically In 2007 we will be offering
a CD of ITC presentations. Submitting
your slides electronically requires two separate uploads – one for the
presentation that will be projected at the conference and another for the file
that will appear on the CD. Upload the file for
projecting at the conference by going to “Submit Presentation File for Conf”
under the Action menu that appears on the right side of the “Your Submissions” page. The file for projecting at the conference must be a Powerpoint file
(.ppt). Upload the file for the CD by
going to “Submit Presentation File for CD” under the same menu. The file for the CD may be in either pdf
or Powerpoint format. Please note
that version of the presentation for the CD need not be identical to the
version of the presentation for projecting at the conference. Topic Coordinator Review REHEARSING Plan to rehearse several times - alone,
with your spouse or friend, with coworkers, with your boss, and with your
department. In rehearsal, a primary task is to find out
how you sound. If possible, record and play back your talk. Listen for words
with fugitive sounds, words that are hard to say or difficult to comprehend.
Replace them with words that come through loud and clear. Practice varying your speaking level and
intonation. Let your voice emphasize key points. Don't speak in a monotone.
Practice with a microphone whenever possible. Rehearse your talk with your slides until
you can practically ignore your notes. One way to reduce dependence on your
script is to underline key words to recall ideas. Use a mirror to observe your gestures,
stance, and facial expressions. Use your hands to emphasize points. Pace your rate of speaking according to the
familiarity of your subject. When introducing something new, slow down. Remember that your talk is a combined
verbal/visual presentation. Let the slides carry the message visually
sometimes. But don't lean totally on the visuals. After the audience has had
time to comprehend a slide and you are elaborating on a subject, it is most
effective if you do not have the competition of the projected image. Use a
blank slide at those points. Rehearse in front of your associates at a
formal session. Rehearsals with an audience will help you discover how
listeners will react. They can tell you where to polish, where to put in
another visual, when to explain a little more. Time your rehearsals. Trim or extend as
required to keep your presentation within the time limits. Ask your rehearsal audience to think of
questions that may come up. Make a list of probable questions the conference
audience might ask. This will help you during the discussion period after
your talk. Keep in mind that you are speaking to an
audience. Imagine yourself in that audience. You would appreciate a
presentation that is clear and complete, communicated to you in
conversational language. The ITC audience will be a group of
professionals, all of them interested as proven by their presence. But many
of them may not be well-versed in your particular topic. They came to learn
from you. Address your talk to them, not to colleagues familiar with your
work. ON THE DAY OF THE CONFERENCE At ITC, the audience is typically about
1200 for the plenary session and ranges from 75 to 400 for formal paper
sessions. What Happens in Your Session? You will meet with your Session Chairperson
and the other speakers in your session at a breakfast, luncheon or dinner
meeting immediately preceding your session. Here you will meet the other
speakers in your session and will load your slides into the trays provided.
At this meeting, the chairperson will collect your biographical information,
answer any questions you might have, and apprise you of any last-minute
changes for your session. In your session, when it is your turn to
speak, the Session Chairperson will introduce you using the biographical
information you provide. The chairperson will time your talk and warn you if
you are running overtime. After the talk, the chairperson will open the floor
for discussion and recognize persons in the audience who are standing at the
floor microphone. When you get a question repeat it before answering. When
the discussion period is over, the chairperson will close the floor and
introduce the next speaker or close the session. Giving Your Talk If you have a fixed microphone, keep at a
uniform distance from it and face it as you speak. With a lavaliere mike, you
have more freedom of movement but you must remember to face your body in the
same direction as your head when you speak. Normally, of course, this is
towards the audience. If you talk while looking back at the screen, the mike
pickup will be poor. If you then look down at your notes and speak, you will
"blast" the mike. Face the audience, speak distinctly with normal
volume. Animate your voice; avoid a monotone. Don't use the optical pointer if you are
nervous. When you use a pointer, point to an object when first mentioning it,
then turn the pointer off. Otherwise it is a distraction to the audience. With a well-prepared, well-rehearsed talk,
supported by clear, readable slides, you can be confident of giving an
excellent technical presentation that will enlighten and educate your
audience at ITC. Your presentation and your paper in the Proceedings of
International Test Conference will enhance your professional reputation
and bring credit to your company or university. Revised Aug 2004
..SD Revised May 2006 .. AG and KB Revised slightly June
2007 DW Revised May 2008 DLD Revised June 2008 NT |
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