HISTORY
Dr. David Kilroy, Professor
In your experience, what is the purpose of a conference? The purpose of a conference in my opinion is to bring together scholars to explore themes or issues in a given academic field or discipline. It is an opportunity for scholars to stay connected and network. Conferences offer opportunities for scholars to share their research with their peers with a view to receiving critical feedback and insight on their work. Conferences also allow participants to learn from peer presentations about new research and thus enable scholars to take the pulse of their field or their particular area of specialty. While research in a filed like history is largely a solo endeavor, conferences provide the forum for a gathering of community of scholars with the shared goal of advancing knowledge about the past.
In your field, is it typical to deliver Poster Presentations or Oral Presentations? In the field of history, conference presentations are almost exclusively given orally. In my experience poster presentations are extremely rare at history conferences.
In your field, do panelists typically read papers or speak without notes? Both are common forms of delivery at history conferences.
In your experience, what is the responsibility of an audience member? In my opinion the responsibility of the audience member is to be attentive and willing to engage the presenter with relevant questions and constructive feedback. As a presenter one of my expectations at a conference is to learn from audience members about areas of my project that might require further research or clarification or about new lines of inquiry that might strengthen my research.
How would you describe your presentation persona? (or What is an effective presentation persona?) I would describe my presentation persona as semi-formal - not too casual, but not overly stuffy. That is my goal at least. I try to remain relaxed (easier said than done), and I try as much as possible not to read directly from my paper but rather to present without notes. I think it is important to make eye contact with the audience and try to inject a little humor into the presentation now and again. In history papers, interesting anecdotes or asides that may not be central to the thesis or main thrust of a presentation help, at least in my opinion, to keep the audience members engaged and the atmosphere relaxed.
How do you handle performance anxiety? The best way to address performance anxiety is to be prepared. As long as you know your material and have done a little preparation to make sure you can present it in the time frame allotted, you should be fine. The key is always to remember that you are the expert on your research and that most of the audience is there to learn. Also, keep in mind that the Q&A session is not something to be feared, but rather an opportunity for you to expand on any aspects of your paper or research that you were not able to be address in the time allotted.
How do you 'network'? I always find that asking questions at panels or approaching speakers after their presentation is the best way to begin networking. You may want to follow up with people who demonstrated an interest in your work by asking questions or making comments during your presentation after your panel session is over. Contacts you make in panel presentations can then be pursued further during events like coffee hours or lunch breaks. Shared areas of research or common educational backgrounds can often provide a good platform for introduction at such events.
Any tips you normally give to first-time goers? Go in with open mind and embrace this opportunity to immerse yourself in a scholarly community. A good conference experience is one where you walk away inspired by the research of others and reinforced and energized to continue your own work.