Pharmacology Journal Club (Pharm 811)
Tips on how to give a good J. Club Presentation

Paper Selection

Step 1: pick a good paper. What makes a "good" J. Club paper? Papers that present an important concept in a clear manner. Many excellent papers are published but the data does not lend itself well to a clear presentation. Overall features:

  • should clearly state WHY doing the problem in the first place (significance)--find in introduction, should be well referenced, shouldn't have to go to additional sources unless need to check specifics.
  • should clearly state WHAT is the problem to be solved--see introduction.
  • should clearly state HOW the problem is to be solved--see Experimental Procedures.
  • should clearly state the CONCLUSIONS of the paper--see Discussion.
  • Data should be relatively simplistic: papers with information all in gels, electromicrographs or immunofluorescence photos do not copy well. So, unless you obtain the color jpg or tiff files on-line, limit use. Line graphs are best--line graphs in combination with gels or photos to give variety, but do not want graphs with too many lines on the graph.
  • Data should answer the question from a variety of different directions, so that in the end, the conclusion is clear, not ambiguous (which means you need to know and understand the limitations of the techniques).
  • Data should include CONTROLS (which means you need to be able to identify controls and determine if they are appropriate controls for the experiment).

General Presentation Tips
Never Assume...

  • Never assume the audience understands the technique--always explain how each experiment is done and the limitations of the technique. 
  • Never assume the audience is thinking--always explain what question the experiment is going to answer, explain the conclusion of each experiment, the limits of interpretation and if the experiment answers the question.
  • Never assume the audience is listening--at the end of your presentation, again present the problem or question, the minimum relevant pieces of data that answered the question, the conclusion and if the data supports the conclusion.

Use the LARGEST font size possible (and nothing less than 24). Limit text to less than 10 lines. Avoid RED. Make figures large enough to read, which many times means cutting out individual panels. Relabel if necessary.

Organizational Tips

Identify the problem and place it in scientific context

  • Present overall model that is being addressed and identify which part of the model the paper you are going to present is addressing (in other words, you are presenting the introduction to the paper even before you tell them what paper you are going to be presenting).
  • Present background, but only enough so that audience can understand the question
  • Identify the paper title, authors and Journal.
  • Present only relevant data that supports model and present that data thoroughly.
  • You do not need to present every experiment in a paper. Once again, majority of the experiments are controls, you need to know how to identify the controls and present them as data that supports the relevant data. Eliminate any obviously redundant or irrelevant experiments.
  • If paper being presented is using a number of mutants, rename mutants so that they are easier to remember, color code them so they are easier to remember.

Figure Presentation Tips

Only present one experiment/transparency. Make sure figure is LARGE enough to be seen from the back of the room. Put all information, in moderation (too much information is distracting), on the transparency (chimera constructs, mutants, antibodies, peptides, etc.) that the audience needs to understand experiment. Never assume that they can remember from one transparency to the next. Color, in moderation, is always good. When you present the relevant data, remember:

  • to have all parts of the figured labeled clearly (use color)
  • Define abbreviations, and avoid too much jargon
  • to state what technique is being used
  • to explain clearly what this technique measures
  • to clearly explain the results
  • AND, last but not least, explain how the experiment answers the overall question, what limits there are on the interpretation of the result and how any limits were addressed in the paper (additional experiments, controls, etc.)

 Take Home Message!!!

At the end of J. Club everyone in the room should be able to answer three simple questions:

  • What was the question the authors were trying to answer?
  • What was the most significant piece of data the authors presented to answer the question?
  • Did the data conclusively answer the authors question?

If they can, you have given a good J. Club.