Student Research Day

Student Research Day is your chance to showcase a scholarly or creative projects. It’s a celebration of student achievement across all faculties, schools and disciplines at MacEwan.

Presenting helps you do the following:

• Build presentation and communication skills.
• Strengthen your graduate school and job applications.
• Share your work with peers, faculty and the greater community.
• Contribute to MacEwan’s culture of research and creativity.

You’re eligible to present at Student Research Day if these criteria apply to you:

• You are a current or recently graduated (within the past 18 months) MacEwan student.
• You have worked with a faculty mentor on your project.
• Your project was completed at MacEwan (through coursework, research grants, honours projects, capstone projects, independent studies or other faculty-mentored work).
• Your application to Student Research Day was accepted.

Important: You must be listed as the first author on your project.

Projects can take many forms, including:

• honours theses, capstones or independent studies
• course-based projects and research papers
• research assistant work (paid or volunteer)
• community-based research or service learning
• business cases or applied research
• creative work in art, music, theatre or design
• scientific experiments and clinical research

Tip: Your presentation should highlight the purpose of your project and why your results or outcomes matter.

You can choose the format that best fits your project.

Oral presentations

• Share your work in a short talk followed by a Q&A.
• Use PowerPoint, visual aids or other creative tools to support your talk.
• Time limits vary by department. Ask your faculty mentor for guidance.

Poster presentations

• Present your research using a poster format during a dedicated session.
• Stand by your poster, explain your project and answer questions.
• Posters must be no larger than 36” tall by 48” wide.

Creative installations or performances

• Showcase original work in art, design, theatre or music.
• Include details like dimensions, technical requirements and space needs in your application.
• Check with your mentor before submitting.

Project displays and other showcases

• Present your work in a format that best suits the content, such as displays or interactive exhibits.
• Provide details about dimensions, setup and equipment needs in your application.

All presentations must recognize the following:

• faculty mentors
• community or industry partners
• funding sources such as USRI, SSHRC, NSERC or the Alberta Arts Council
• ethics approvals (if your project involved human or animal research)

Tip: Remember that your name goes first on all posters, slides or other materials.

You can submit your application through the online form on the Student Research Day website. Applications must include an abstract or artist’s statement that clearly describes your project. You don’t need to have your project fully finished when you apply, but it must be ready to present on event day.

If you have questions about the application process, need to make changes to your abstract or artist statement, or have technical requirements to discuss, email srd@macewan.ca.

When writing an academic abstract, consider the following.

1. Know the purpose: Abstracts summarize or propose research. A summary explains what you studied, and how and what you found. A proposal highlights what you plan to study, how you’ll approach it and why it matters.
2. Keep it short: Most abstracts are 150–300 words. Always check word count and submission guidelines. The word limit for abstract submissions for Student Research Day is 250 words.
3. Style matters: Write in one clear paragraph (unless specific headings are required). Avoid jargon unless addressing a highly specialized audience; proofread carefully before submitting.

Check the MacEwan Library site for more tips and tools for writing an academic abstract.

MACEWAN LIBRARY ABSTRACTS

When creating a poster presentation, consider the following.

1. Know your audience: Think about who might see your poster. Specialists may want details, while a general audience needs clear, simple explanations.
2. Make it easy to read: Use a short, eye-catching title. Organize your poster into sections (intro, methods, results, conclusion). Keep sentences short and use bullet points so people can understand your main points quickly.
3. Use visuals wisely: Choose high-quality images and figures. Keep fonts big and readable, and use contrasting colours with enough white space for a clean look.
4. Plan ahead: ;Double-check size requirements before designing, and save your file as a PDF for printing. Practice a short one-to-two-minute pitch so that you’re ready to explain your work.

Check the MacEwan Library site for more tips and tools for giving a poster presentation.

MacEwan Library Poster Presentations

When planning an oral presentation, consider the following to ensure you communicate effectively.

1. Know your audience: Adjust your language and level of detail to fit who’s in the room. Specialists may want more depth, while a general audience may connect better with big-picture takeaways.
2. Structure your talk: Start strong—capture attention with a question, fact or story. Move through your problem, method and results in a clear order, then wrap up with key takeaways and why your work matters.
3. Design your slides: Use bullet points or short phrases to keep text minimal. Add visuals (charts, images, infographics, etc.) to explain complex ideas. Stick to consistent fonts, colours and layouts for a professional look.
4. Practice your delivery: Rehearse so that you stay within your time limit and avoid reading directly from slides. Focus on clarity over cramming in details.
5. Be ready for questions: Think ahead about what you might be asked. Keep answers clear and concise, and don’t be afraid to admit if you need to follow up.

Check the MacEwan Library site for more tips and tools for giving an oral presentation.

MACEWAN LIBRARY ORAL PRESENTATIONS