Introduction > Presenting Science > Audience Questions

Audience Questions Although giving a presentation is nerve-wracking, some people find that taking questions from the audience afterwards is more daunting. You should, however, be able to address most questions by preparing well in advance and thinking ahead to the types of questions you think the audience may ask. Knowing your topic inside out is the best way to prepare for questions. This may seem like common sense, but you may find that you present research you conducted over a year ago, and therefore you may not be as familiar with your work as you should be. It's a good idea to practice your presentation in front of colleagues and ask them what questions they've come up with. Write them down and prepare answers. Anticipating questions that you think are likely to come up is also a good idea. Make sure you've fully understood the question being asked, and if necessary re-phrase so the rest of the audience can hear you. Don't feel pressurised into giving an answer straight away - there's nothing wrong with pausing to contemplate your answer. Avoid 'forgetting' about the rest of the audience when you're answering questions - it's easy to be drawn into a one-way conversation. Don't be drawn into a public confrontation, even if you think the question is not sensible! At the end of the day, it's not the end of the world if you're asked a question you can't answer, and there are a few phrases you can use if you're stuck, such as: "we did consider that aspect of the research, but had to concentrate our time on X instead" "we're looking into the feasibility of including that in our research" "that's a good point - perhaps we can discuss it further after this session".

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