presentation analysis and presentation of data

• SUGGESTED TOPICS
• The Magazine
• Newsletters
• Managing Yourself
• Managing Teams
• Work-life Balance
• The Big Idea
• Data & Visuals
• Reading Lists
• Case Selections
• HBR Learning
• Topic Feeds
• Account Settings
• Email Preferences

Present Your Data Like a Pro

• Joel Schwartzberg

Demystify the numbers. Your audience will thank you.

While a good presentation has data, data alone doesn’t guarantee a good presentation. It’s all about how that data is presented. The quickest way to confuse your audience is by sharing too many details at once. The only data points you should share are those that significantly support your point — and ideally, one point per chart. To avoid the debacle of sheepishly translating hard-to-see numbers and labels, rehearse your presentation with colleagues sitting as far away as the actual audience would. While you’ve been working with the same chart for weeks or months, your audience will be exposed to it for mere seconds. Give them the best chance of comprehending your data by using simple, clear, and complete language to identify X and Y axes, pie pieces, bars, and other diagrammatic elements. Try to avoid abbreviations that aren’t obvious, and don’t assume labeled components on one slide will be remembered on subsequent slides. Every valuable chart or pie graph has an “Aha!” zone — a number or range of data that reveals something crucial to your point. Make sure you visually highlight the “Aha!” zone, reinforcing the moment by explaining it to your audience.

With so many ways to spin and distort information these days, a presentation needs to do more than simply share great ideas — it needs to support those ideas with credible data. That’s true whether you’re an executive pitching new business clients, a vendor selling her services, or a CEO making a case for change.

• JS Joel Schwartzberg oversees executive communications for a major national nonprofit, is a professional presentation coach, and is the author of Get to the Point! Sharpen Your Message and Make Your Words Matter and The Language of Leadership: How to Engage and Inspire Your Team . You can find him on LinkedIn and X. TheJoelTruth

Partner Center

Data presentation: A comprehensive guide

Learn how to create data presentation effectively and communicate your insights in a way that is clear, concise, and engaging.

Raja Bothra

Building presentations

Hey there, fellow data enthusiast!

Welcome to our comprehensive guide on data presentation.

Whether you're an experienced presenter or just starting, this guide will help you present your data like a pro. We'll dive deep into what data presentation is, why it's crucial, and how to master it. So, let's embark on this data-driven journey together.

What is data presentation?

Data presentation is the art of transforming raw data into a visual format that's easy to understand and interpret. It's like turning numbers and statistics into a captivating story that your audience can quickly grasp. When done right, data presentation can be a game-changer, enabling you to convey complex information effectively.

Why are data presentations important?

Imagine drowning in a sea of numbers and figures. That's how your audience might feel without proper data presentation. Here's why it's essential:

• Clarity : Data presentations make complex information clear and concise.
• Engagement : Visuals, such as charts and graphs, grab your audience's attention.
• Comprehension : Visual data is easier to understand than long, numerical reports.
• Decision-making : Well-presented data aids informed decision-making.
• Impact : It leaves a lasting impression on your audience.

Types of data presentation:

Now, let's delve into the diverse array of data presentation methods, each with its own unique strengths and applications. We have three primary types of data presentation, and within these categories, numerous specific visualization techniques can be employed to effectively convey your data.

1. Textual presentation

Textual presentation harnesses the power of words and sentences to elucidate and contextualize your data. This method is commonly used to provide a narrative framework for the data, offering explanations, insights, and the broader implications of your findings. It serves as a foundation for a deeper understanding of the data's significance.

2. Tabular presentation

Tabular presentation employs tables to arrange and structure your data systematically. These tables are invaluable for comparing various data groups or illustrating how data evolves over time. They present information in a neat and organized format, facilitating straightforward comparisons and reference points.

3. Graphical presentation

Graphical presentation harnesses the visual impact of charts and graphs to breathe life into your data. Charts and graphs are powerful tools for spotlighting trends, patterns, and relationships hidden within the data. Let's explore some common graphical presentation methods:

• Bar charts: They are ideal for comparing different categories of data. In this method, each category is represented by a distinct bar, and the height of the bar corresponds to the value it represents. Bar charts provide a clear and intuitive way to discern differences between categories.
• Pie charts: It excel at illustrating the relative proportions of different data categories. Each category is depicted as a slice of the pie, with the size of each slice corresponding to the percentage of the total value it represents. Pie charts are particularly effective for showcasing the distribution of data.
• Line graphs: They are the go-to choice when showcasing how data evolves over time. Each point on the line represents a specific value at a particular time period. This method enables viewers to track trends and fluctuations effortlessly, making it perfect for visualizing data with temporal dimensions.
• Scatter plots: They are the tool of choice when exploring the relationship between two variables. In this method, each point on the plot represents a pair of values for the two variables in question. Scatter plots help identify correlations, outliers, and patterns within data pairs.

The selection of the most suitable data presentation method hinges on the specific dataset and the presentation's objectives. For instance, when comparing sales figures of different products, a bar chart shines in its simplicity and clarity. On the other hand, if your aim is to display how a product's sales have changed over time, a line graph provides the ideal visual narrative.

Additionally, it's crucial to factor in your audience's level of familiarity with data presentations. For a technical audience, more intricate visualization methods may be appropriate. However, when presenting to a general audience, opting for straightforward and easily understandable visuals is often the wisest choice.

In the world of data presentation, choosing the right method is akin to selecting the perfect brush for a masterpiece. Each tool has its place, and understanding when and how to use them is key to crafting compelling and insightful presentations. So, consider your data carefully, align your purpose, and paint a vivid picture that resonates with your audience.

What to include in data presentation?

When creating your data presentation, remember these key components:

• Data points : Clearly state the data points you're presenting.
• Comparison : Highlight comparisons and trends in your data.
• Graphical methods : Choose the right chart or graph for your data.
• Infographics : Use visuals like infographics to make information more digestible.
• Numerical values : Include numerical values to support your visuals.
• Qualitative information : Explain the significance of the data.
• Source citation : Always cite your data sources.

How to structure an effective data presentation?

Creating a well-structured data presentation is not just important; it's the backbone of a successful presentation. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you craft a compelling and organized presentation that captivates your audience:

1. Know your audience

Understanding your audience is paramount. Consider their needs, interests, and existing knowledge about your topic. Tailor your presentation to their level of understanding, ensuring that it resonates with them on a personal level. Relevance is the key.

2. Have a clear message

Every effective data presentation should convey a clear and concise message. Determine what you want your audience to learn or take away from your presentation, and make sure your message is the guiding light throughout your presentation. Ensure that all your data points align with and support this central message.

3. Tell a compelling story

Human beings are naturally wired to remember stories. Incorporate storytelling techniques into your presentation to make your data more relatable and memorable. Your data can be the backbone of a captivating narrative, whether it's about a trend, a problem, or a solution. Take your audience on a journey through your data.

4. Leverage visuals

Visuals are a powerful tool in data presentation. They make complex information accessible and engaging. Utilize charts, graphs, and images to illustrate your points and enhance the visual appeal of your presentation. Visuals should not just be an accessory; they should be an integral part of your storytelling.

5. Be clear and concise

Avoid jargon or technical language that your audience may not comprehend. Use plain language and explain your data points clearly. Remember, clarity is king. Each piece of information should be easy for your audience to digest.

6. Practice your delivery

Practice makes perfect. Rehearse your presentation multiple times before the actual delivery. This will help you deliver it smoothly and confidently, reducing the chances of stumbling over your words or losing track of your message.

A basic structure for an effective data presentation

Armed with a comprehensive comprehension of how to construct a compelling data presentation, you can now utilize this fundamental template for guidance:

In the introduction, initiate your presentation by introducing both yourself and the topic at hand. Clearly articulate your main message or the fundamental concept you intend to communicate.

Moving on to the body of your presentation, organize your data in a coherent and easily understandable sequence. Employ visuals generously to elucidate your points and weave a narrative that enhances the overall story. Ensure that the arrangement of your data aligns with and reinforces your central message.

As you approach the conclusion, succinctly recapitulate your key points and emphasize your core message once more. Conclude by leaving your audience with a distinct and memorable takeaway, ensuring that your presentation has a lasting impact.

Additional tips for enhancing your data presentation

To take your data presentation to the next level, consider these additional tips:

• Consistent design : Maintain a uniform design throughout your presentation. This not only enhances visual appeal but also aids in seamless comprehension.
• High-quality visuals : Ensure that your visuals are of high quality, easy to read, and directly relevant to your topic.
• Concise text : Avoid overwhelming your slides with excessive text. Focus on the most critical points, using visuals to support and elaborate.
• Anticipate questions : Think ahead about the questions your audience might pose. Be prepared with well-thought-out answers to foster productive discussions.

By following these guidelines, you can structure an effective data presentation that not only informs but also engages and inspires your audience. Remember, a well-structured presentation is the bridge that connects your data to your audience's understanding and appreciation.

Do’s and don'ts on a data presentation

• Use visuals : Incorporate charts and graphs to enhance understanding.
• Keep it simple : Avoid clutter and complexity.
• Highlight key points : Emphasize crucial data.
• Engage the audience : Encourage questions and discussions.
• Practice : Rehearse your presentation.

Don'ts:

• Overload with data : Less is often more; don't overwhelm your audience.
• Fit Unrelated data : Stay on topic; don't include irrelevant information.
• Neglect the audience : Ensure your presentation suits your audience's level of expertise.
• Read word-for-word : Avoid reading directly from slides.
• Lose focus : Stick to your presentation's purpose.

Summarizing key takeaways

• Definition : Data presentation is the art of visualizing complex data for better understanding.
• Importance : Data presentations enhance clarity, engage the audience, aid decision-making, and leave a lasting impact.
• Types : Textual, Tabular, and Graphical presentations offer various ways to present data.
• Choosing methods : Select the right method based on data, audience, and purpose.
• Components : Include data points, comparisons, visuals, infographics, numerical values, and source citations.
• Structure : Know your audience, have a clear message, tell a compelling story, use visuals, be concise, and practice.
• Do's and don'ts : Do use visuals, keep it simple, highlight key points, engage the audience, and practice. Don't overload with data, include unrelated information, neglect the audience's expertise, read word-for-word, or lose focus.

FAQ's on a data presentation

1. what is data presentation, and why is it important in 2024.

Data presentation is the process of visually representing data sets to convey information effectively to an audience. In an era where the amount of data generated is vast, visually presenting data using methods such as diagrams, graphs, and charts has become crucial. By simplifying complex data sets, presentation of the data may helps your audience quickly grasp much information without drowning in a sea of chart's, analytics, facts and figures.

2. What are some common methods of data presentation?

There are various methods of data presentation, including graphs and charts, histograms, and cumulative frequency polygons. Each method has its strengths and is often used depending on the type of data you're using and the message you want to convey. For instance, if you want to show data over time, try using a line graph. If you're presenting geographical data, consider to use a heat map.

3. How can I ensure that my data presentation is clear and readable?

To ensure that your data presentation is clear and readable, pay attention to the design and labeling of your charts. Don't forget to label the axes appropriately, as they are critical for understanding the values they represent. Don't fit all the information in one slide or in a single paragraph. Presentation software like Prezent and PowerPoint can help you simplify your vertical axis, charts and tables, making them much easier to understand.

4. What are some common mistakes presenters make when presenting data?

One common mistake is trying to fit too much data into a single chart, which can distort the information and confuse the audience. Another mistake is not considering the needs of the audience. Remember that your audience won't have the same level of familiarity with the data as you do, so it's essential to present the data effectively and respond to questions during a Q&A session.

5. How can I use data visualization to present important data effectively on platforms like LinkedIn?

When presenting data on platforms like LinkedIn, consider using eye-catching visuals like bar graphs or charts. Use concise captions and e.g., examples to highlight the single most important information in your data report. Visuals, such as graphs and tables, can help you stand out in the sea of textual content, making your data presentation more engaging and shareable among your LinkedIn connections.

Create your data presentation with prezent

Prezent can be a valuable tool for creating data presentations. Here's how Prezent can help you in this regard:

• Time savings : Prezent saves up to 70% of presentation creation time, allowing you to focus on data analysis and insights.
• On-brand consistency : Ensure 100% brand alignment with Prezent's brand-approved designs for professional-looking data presentations.
• Effortless collaboration : Real-time sharing and collaboration features make it easy for teams to work together on data presentations.
• Data storytelling : Choose from 50+ storylines to effectively communicate data insights and engage your audience.
• Personalization : Create tailored data presentations that resonate with your audience's preferences, enhancing the impact of your data.

In summary, Prezent streamlines the process of creating data presentations by offering time-saving features, ensuring brand consistency, promoting collaboration, and providing tools for effective data storytelling. Whether you need to present data to clients, stakeholders, or within your organization, Prezent can significantly enhance your presentation-making process.

So, go ahead, present your data with confidence, and watch your audience be wowed by your expertise.

Thank you for joining us on this data-driven journey. Stay tuned for more insights, and remember, data presentation is your ticket to making numbers come alive! Sign up for our free trial or book a demo ! ‍

More zenpedia articles

How to present a fundraising proposal?

The ultimate and effective presentation checklist: From planning to applause!

Tips to create the best elevator pitch presentation (with templates)

Get the latest from Prezent community

Join thousands of subscribers who receive our best practices on communication, storytelling, presentation design, and more. New tips weekly. (No spam, we promise!)

A Guide to Effective Data Presentation

Key objectives of data presentation, charts and graphs for great visuals, storytelling with data, visuals, and text, audiences and data presentation, the main idea in data presentation, storyboarding and data presentation, additional resources, data presentation.

Tools for effective data presentation

Financial analysts are required to present their findings in a neat, clear, and straightforward manner. They spend most of their time working with spreadsheets in MS Excel, building financial models , and crunching numbers. These models and calculations can be pretty extensive and complex and may only be understood by the analyst who created them. Effective data presentation skills are critical for being a world-class financial analyst .

It is the analyst’s job to effectively communicate the output to the target audience, such as the management team or a company’s external investors. This requires focusing on the main points, facts, insights, and recommendations that will prompt the necessary action from the audience.

One challenge is making intricate and elaborate work easy to comprehend through great visuals and dashboards. For example, tables, graphs, and charts are tools that an analyst can use to their advantage to give deeper meaning to a company’s financial information. These tools organize relevant numbers that are rather dull and give life and story to them.

Here are some key objectives to think about when presenting financial analysis:

• Visual communication
• Audience and context
• Charts, graphs, and images
• Focus on important points
• Design principles
• Storytelling
• Persuasiveness

For a breakdown of these objectives, check out Excel Dashboards & Data Visualization course to help you become a world-class financial analyst.

Charts and graphs make any financial analysis readable, easy to follow, and provide great data presentation. They are often included in the financial model’s output, which is essential for the key decision-makers in a company.

The decision-makers comprise executives and managers who usually won’t have enough time to synthesize and interpret data on their own to make sound business decisions. Therefore, it is the job of the analyst to enhance the decision-making process and help guide the executives and managers to create value for the company.

When an analyst uses charts, it is necessary to be aware of what good charts and bad charts look like and how to avoid the latter when telling a story with data.

Examples of Good Charts

As for great visuals, you can quickly see what’s going on with the data presentation, saving you time for deciphering their actual meaning. More importantly, great visuals facilitate business decision-making because their goal is to provide persuasive, clear, and unambiguous numeric communication.

For reference, take a look at the example below that shows a dashboard, which includes a gauge chart for growth rates, a bar chart for the number of orders, an area chart for company revenues, and a line chart for EBITDA margins.

To learn the step-by-step process of creating these essential tools in MS Excel, watch our video course titled “ Excel Dashboard & Data Visualization .”  Aside from what is given in the example below, our course will also teach how you can use other tables and charts to make your financial analysis stand out professionally.

Learn how to build the graph above in our Dashboards Course !

Example of Poorly Crafted Charts

A bad chart, as seen below, will give the reader a difficult time to find the main takeaway of a report or presentation, because it contains too many colors, labels, and legends, and thus, will often look too busy. It also doesn’t help much if a chart, such as a pie chart, is displayed in 3D, as it skews the size and perceived value of the underlying data. A bad chart will be hard to follow and understand.

Aside from understanding the meaning of the numbers, a financial analyst must learn to combine numbers and language to craft an effective story. Relying only on data for a presentation may leave your audience finding it difficult to read, interpret, and analyze your data. You must do the work for them, and a good story will be easier to follow. It will help you arrive at the main points faster, rather than just solely presenting your report or live presentation with numbers.

The data can be in the form of revenues, expenses, profits, and cash flow. Simply adding notes, comments, and opinions to each line item will add an extra layer of insight, angle, and a new perspective to the report.

Furthermore, by combining data, visuals, and text, your audience will get a clear understanding of the current situation,  past events, and possible conclusions and recommendations that can be made for the future.

The simple diagram below shows the different categories of your audience.

  This chart is taken from our course on how to present data .

Internal Audience

An internal audience can either be the executives of the company or any employee who works in that company. For executives, the purpose of communicating a data-filled presentation is to give an update about a certain business activity such as a project or an initiative.

Another important purpose is to facilitate decision-making on managing the company’s operations, growing its core business, acquiring new markets and customers, investing in R&D, and other considerations. Knowing the relevant data and information beforehand will guide the decision-makers in making the right choices that will best position the company toward more success.

External Audience

An external audience can either be the company’s existing clients, where there are projects in progress, or new clients that the company wants to build a relationship with and win new business from. The other external audience is the general public, such as the company’s external shareholders and prospective investors of the company.

When it comes to winning new business, the analyst’s presentation will be more promotional and sales-oriented, whereas a project update will contain more specific information for the client, usually with lots of industry jargon.

Audiences for Live and Emailed Presentation

A live presentation contains more visuals and storytelling to connect more with the audience. It must be more precise and should get to the point faster and avoid long-winded speech or text because of limited time.

In contrast, an emailed presentation is expected to be read, so it will include more text. Just like a document or a book, it will include more detailed information, because its context will not be explained with a voice-over as in a live presentation.

When it comes to details, acronyms, and jargon in the presentation, these things depend on whether your audience are experts or not.

Every great presentation requires a clear “main idea”. It is the core purpose of the presentation and should be addressed clearly. Its significance should be highlighted and should cause the targeted audience to take some action on the matter.

An example of a serious and profound idea is given below.

To communicate this big idea, we have to come up with appropriate and effective visual displays to show both the good and bad things surrounding the idea. It should put emphasis and attention on the most important part, which is the critical cash balance and capital investment situation for next year. This is an important component of data presentation.

The storyboarding below is how an analyst would build the presentation based on the big idea. Once the issue or the main idea has been introduced, it will be followed by a demonstration of the positive aspects of the company’s performance, as well as the negative aspects, which are more important and will likely require more attention.

Various ideas will then be suggested to solve the negative issues. However, before choosing the best option, a comparison of the different outcomes of the suggested ideas will be performed. Finally, a recommendation will be made that centers around the optimal choice to address the imminent problem highlighted in the big idea.

This storyboard is taken from our course on how to present data .

To get to the final point (recommendation), a great deal of analysis has been performed, which includes the charts and graphs discussed earlier, to make the whole presentation easy to follow, convincing, and compelling for your audience.

CFI offers the Business Intelligence & Data Analyst (BIDA)® certification program for those looking to take their careers to the next level. To keep learning and developing your knowledge base, please explore the additional relevant resources below:

• Investment Banking Pitch Books
• Excel Dashboards
• Financial Modeling Guide
• Startup Pitch Book
• See all business intelligence resources
• Share this article

Create a free account to unlock this Template

Access and download collection of free Templates to help power your productivity and performance.

Already have an account? Log in

Supercharge your skills with Premium Templates

Take your learning and productivity to the next level with our Premium Templates.

Upgrading to a paid membership gives you access to our extensive collection of plug-and-play Templates designed to power your performance—as well as CFI's full course catalog and accredited Certification Programs.

Already have a Self-Study or Full-Immersion membership? Log in

Access Exclusive Templates

Gain unlimited access to more than 250 productivity Templates, CFI's full course catalog and accredited Certification Programs, hundreds of resources, expert reviews and support, the chance to work with real-world finance and research tools, and more.

Already have a Full-Immersion membership? Log in

Unsupported browser

This site was designed for modern browsers and tested with Internet Explorer version 10 and later.

It may not look or work correctly on your browser.

• Presentations

How to Present Data & Numbers in Presentations (Like a Pro)

Data is more important than ever. But do you know how to present data? Your audience needs information in a way that's easy-to-follow. With charts and graphs, data comes to life.

In this tutorial, you'll learn how to present data. The intuitive presentation of data and information is essential so that your point comes across. With our tips, we'll help you take flat data tables and convert them to useful and explanatory charts.

Why Present Data and Numbers With Charts?

Often, you’ll find yourself presenting data in PowerPoint. It’s a useful tool to illustrate data and bring numbers to life. But if you go about it the wrong way, you’ll distract and confuse your audience. Remember, the goal of sharing data is to deliver insights.

When you think of how to present data, you've got several options. Words alone should be an automatic no-no. Clustering numerical data in text paragraphs will confuse an audience. Similarly, tables don’t go far enough.

Consider the example below. While this approach may work for a simple dataset, it’s hard to capture value insights at a glance. Keep in mind, you want a viewer to quickly grasp the fundamental meaning of the data instantly.

That’s why your best option is to present data and numbers with charts. These are two related ways to present data that take a truly visual approach. Charts and graphs are forms of infographics. An infographic is a visual illustration meant to show ideas. They look great, they're easy to read, and they work.

Recent research vividly shows their effectiveness. Infographics are read at a rate of 30:1 over text articles. Pair this with the fact that visual information represents 90% of what transmits to a reader’s brain . Clearly, these are tools to keep in your wheelhouse.

As you can see below, the table data above transforms from a complex table to a clear and concise visual. It’s the identical range of data! The magic happens in the display of it. Charts are the key to success in the presentation of data and information.

How to Present Data and Numbers in Presentations

We’ve learned that the best way to present data is with charts. Now that you’re armed with this knowledge, you've got many options to choose from.

Premium PowerPoint data presentation templates are your best friend. These take the hard work out of building and sharing data charts. They teach you how to present data in presentations with pre-built options. All you need is your dataset!

For our walkthrough tutorial, we’ll use the Chart Presentation template from Envato Elements. It’s a premium option with 24 custom slide designs inside. Each is easy to customize to meet your data presentation needs.

With the template downloaded and opened in PowerPoint, let’s get to work learning how to present data. Follow the principles below, and you’ll be ready to get started!

1. Assess Your Data

Charts come in all shapes and sizes. There are pie charts, column charts, line charts, and many more. All have many uses, but each is targeted towards different types of data. First, you’ll want to assess the data that you have, and how it would best be presented visually. Let’s work with a sample dataset like the one below.

As you can see, the data has several rows, each representing a different country. Beside these are three columns, each covering sales for a given year. In short, you’re looking at three years of sales forecasts for five countries.

Reading over the data, it’s tough to instantly gain any insights. Sure, if you look long enough, trends start to emerge. But this is a slow, manual process. And imagine if there were fifty countries and twelve years, for example!

Manual analysis would become nearly impossible in a presentation setting. But by using a chart, you can instantly illustrate trends and forecasts. Any viewer – even an untrained eye – can readily see all key points with a moment’s glance.

2. Choose a Visual

Now that you’ve analyzed your data, you can easily see that a chart is essential. But what kind? We briefly mentioned three styles of charts. When you think of how to present data in presentation form, the trick is to choose the style that best fits your data.

For our example, we’re looking at multiple data points for several categories. Here, these data points are three sales values, for five countries each. Keep these ideas for how to present numbers in mind:

• A logical visual would group each country together.
• Then, show each of the three sales figures side by side.
• You could also reverse it – group the years and show sales for all five countries.

In a case like this, a column chart is the ideal choice. These group data just as described.

But when might a different chart type be useful? Imagine if your data included details about Germany’s 2024 sales, for example. Suppose you’re presenting to your marketing team, and they’ve asked how sales of each individual product make up the total. Here, a pie chart would be the perfect option. These show how individual pieces form a whole.

But in this case, we’ve decided on a column chart. Find one in the deck, and let’s insert it. In our template, slide #15 contains a beautiful chart. It’s already built. All you need to do is add your own data.

To do that, click into the chart area, then right-click. From the menu, choose Edit Data. You’ll see an embedded Microsoft Excel spreadsheet launch right inside of PowerPoint. From here, you can simply replace the existing data with the table you already have. As you work, the chart instantly updates itself to match the new data.

In moments, you’ll be presenting data in PowerPoint with this beautiful chart!

3. Style Your Visual

With your chart placed on the slide, you now have an array of design options. Remember, the goal is to make the chart work perfectly for your own data. These options primarily live on the Chart Design menu, which you can find on PowerPoint’s ribbon. With the chart selected, click on Chart Design.

The template has a beautiful color palette, but you can add your own. It helps to choose a color profile with plenty of contrast. This makes your visual even clearer and easier to read.

To add a new palette, click on the Change Colors drop-down menu. You’ll see an array of color swatches display. Click on one, and it'll apply to your chart.

You can add a new background by launching the Chart Styles section in the center of the Chart Design menu. For example, you can choose one with a gray background to make the colors really stand out on the slide.

Also, it’s possible to add more context to the data. The horizontal axis in our example is clear enough, listing countries. But there isn’t any explanation of what the vertical axis represents, or the colorful bars. Follow these steps:

• Open the Add Chart Element dropdown near the upper left of the ribbon.
• Click  Axis Titles.
• Choose Primary Vertical.
• You’ll see Axis Title appear on the chart. This is a text box, which you can select and type into.

Finally, back on the Add Chart Element dropdown, choose Legend , and pick a location like Top . Three colorful squares listing the three years shown in the chart will be added to the drawing. These labels aid in the presentation of data and information.

It’s easy to see how to present numbers in chart form, using PowerPoint. Start with a premium template like this, and then customize the chart inside to fit your needs.

4. Add Notes Where Needed

You now know well that charts are the best way to present data. But they don’t have to stand on their own!

Often, it’s useful to add more context. Audiences may understand the data perfectly but have questions. For example: Why are sales for one country climbing, while they are falling in another?

By adding notes where needed, you can add supporting details. It’s best to keep these off of the chart itself. If you clutter up your visual, the value of it diminishes rapidly. Check out an improved example below.

On our slide example, the paragraph section on the left may become a series of quick bullet points. These add supporting details that more fully explain the data shown in the chart.

Again, you may not always need to do this. But never think that a chart must be all-encompassing, explaining every piece of information by itself. The trick is to boost understanding, while remaining clear and concise.

5. Consider an Appendix

You may have extra details that you need to include in your slides.

In our example, imagine that you've got three sales offices in each of the five countries featured. Each of the fifteen makes up a certain percentage of overall sales. This may be key data for your audience, but it would complicate the visual that you just created.

Here, it’s a good idea to add an appendix. An appendix (often at the end of your slide deck) includes more detailed data. You might not review it with a live audience, but they can look at it later in a handout or digital format.

To add an appendix, go to the end of your presentation, and click New Slide on the Home tab. Here, it might be appropriate to share the detailed data in the form of a table. Or, you can add a pie chart, suitable for this style of dataset.

To add a chart from scratch, go to the Insert tab, then choose Chart > Pie. The embedded Excel window will return, and again, you can insert your data.

An appendix may not always be necessary. But you should include one (or more) if you've got meaningful data that you aren’t placing into the main slide deck.

The Best Source for Data Presentation Templates (With Unlimited Downloads)

Envato Elements is the best place to find top data presentation templates . For a low monthly rate, you've got access to unlimited downloads of PPT chart templates. You can try as many as you want, finding those that work best for you.

Explore PowerPoint Chart Templates

And that isn’t all. As an Elements member, you also have unlimited access to stock photos, music, fonts, and more. These are digital assets that pair perfectly with your data presentation.

Elements is an unbeatable offer because of the unlimited flexibility. With premium templates, you gain access to powerful features not found in free designs:

• beautiful data visuals that are pre-built and ready to customize
• stylish, custom fonts to help text stand out
• media placeholders to add supporting images and videos
• fully flexible layouts that adapt to your data and other content

The advantages are many. You save hard work, by leaving the slide design tasks to experts. This gives you the time needed to refine your message. Plus, the finished product will wow any audience, thanks to the expertly-crafted graphics . Truly, Envato Elements is the best value for creatives today.

Need a template, but don't want an unlimited subscription? We've got you covered with templates from GraphicRiver . You'll pay-as-you-go, and these templates give you everything you need. They've got pre-made designs for the best way to present data with less work than ever before.

Now Practice the Best Way to Present Data in Presentations

You just learned new ways to present data. Essentially, you saw how to present data in presentations so that your audience  can understand it. Great presenters think of the audience first. They'll thank you for your thoughtful work in how to present numbers and more.

Now, it's your turn! Put these tips on how to present data in presentations to work. Take a flat table in a presentation and convert it with our tips for presenting data in PowerPoint. Just download a template and get started. 

We use essential cookies to make Venngage work. By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.

Manage Cookies

Cookies and similar technologies collect certain information about how you’re using our website. Some of them are essential, and without them you wouldn’t be able to use Venngage. But others are optional, and you get to choose whether we use them or not.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

These cookies are always on, as they’re essential for making Venngage work, and making it safe. Without these cookies, services you’ve asked for can’t be provided.

Show cookie providers

• Google Login

Functionality Cookies

These cookies help us provide enhanced functionality and personalisation, and remember your settings. They may be set by us or by third party providers.

Performance Cookies

These cookies help us analyze how many people are using Venngage, where they come from and how they're using it. If you opt out of these cookies, we can’t get feedback to make Venngage better for you and all our users.

• Google Analytics

Targeting Cookies

These cookies are set by our advertising partners to track your activity and show you relevant Venngage ads on other sites as you browse the internet.

• Google Tag Manager
• Infographics
• Daily Infographics
• Popular Templates
• Accessibility
• Graphic Design
• Graphs and Charts
• Data Visualization
• Human Resources
• Beginner Guides

Blog Data Visualization 10 Data Presentation Examples For Strategic Communication

10 Data Presentation Examples For Strategic Communication

Written by: Krystle Wong Sep 28, 2023

Knowing how to present data is like having a superpower. 

Data presentation today is no longer just about numbers on a screen; it’s storytelling with a purpose. It’s about captivating your audience, making complex stuff look simple and inspiring action. 

To help turn your data into stories that stick, influence decisions and make an impact, check out Venngage’s free chart maker or follow me on a tour into the world of data storytelling along with data presentation templates that work across different fields, from business boardrooms to the classroom and beyond. Keep scrolling to learn more! 

Click to jump ahead:

10 Essential data presentation examples + methods you should know

What should be included in a data presentation, what are some common mistakes to avoid when presenting data, faqs on data presentation examples, transform your message with impactful data storytelling.

Data presentation is a vital skill in today’s information-driven world. Whether you’re in business, academia, or simply want to convey information effectively, knowing the different ways of presenting data is crucial. For impactful data storytelling, consider these essential data presentation methods:

1. Bar graph

Ideal for comparing data across categories or showing trends over time.

Bar graphs, also known as bar charts are workhorses of data presentation. They’re like the Swiss Army knives of visualization methods because they can be used to compare data in different categories or display data changes over time. 

In a bar chart, categories are displayed on the x-axis and the corresponding values are represented by the height of the bars on the y-axis. 

It’s a straightforward and effective way to showcase raw data, making it a staple in business reports, academic presentations and beyond.

Make sure your bar charts are concise with easy-to-read labels. Whether your bars go up or sideways, keep it simple by not overloading with too many categories.

2. Line graph

Great for displaying trends and variations in data points over time or continuous variables.

Line charts or line graphs are your go-to when you want to visualize trends and variations in data sets over time.

One of the best quantitative data presentation examples, they work exceptionally well for showing continuous data, such as sales projections over the last couple of years or supply and demand fluctuations. 

The x-axis represents time or a continuous variable and the y-axis represents the data values. By connecting the data points with lines, you can easily spot trends and fluctuations.

A tip when presenting data with line charts is to minimize the lines and not make it too crowded. Highlight the big changes, put on some labels and give it a catchy title.

3. Pie chart

Useful for illustrating parts of a whole, such as percentages or proportions.

Pie charts are perfect for showing how a whole is divided into parts. They’re commonly used to represent percentages or proportions and are great for presenting survey results that involve demographic data. 

Each “slice” of the pie represents a portion of the whole and the size of each slice corresponds to its share of the total. 

While pie charts are handy for illustrating simple distributions, they can become confusing when dealing with too many categories or when the differences in proportions are subtle.

Don’t get too carried away with slices — label those slices with percentages or values so people know what’s what and consider using a legend for more categories.

4. Scatter plot

Effective for showing the relationship between two variables and identifying correlations.

Scatter plots are all about exploring relationships between two variables. They’re great for uncovering correlations, trends or patterns in data. 

In a scatter plot, every data point appears as a dot on the chart, with one variable marked on the horizontal x-axis and the other on the vertical y-axis.

By examining the scatter of points, you can discern the nature of the relationship between the variables, whether it’s positive, negative or no correlation at all.

If you’re using scatter plots to reveal relationships between two variables, be sure to add trendlines or regression analysis when appropriate to clarify patterns. Label data points selectively or provide tooltips for detailed information.

5. Histogram

Best for visualizing the distribution and frequency of a single variable.

Histograms are your choice when you want to understand the distribution and frequency of a single variable. 

They divide the data into “bins” or intervals and the height of each bar represents the frequency or count of data points falling into that interval. 

Histograms are excellent for helping to identify trends in data distributions, such as peaks, gaps or skewness.

Here’s something to take note of — ensure that your histogram bins are appropriately sized to capture meaningful data patterns. Using clear axis labels and titles can also help explain the distribution of the data effectively.

6. Stacked bar chart

Useful for showing how different components contribute to a whole over multiple categories.

Stacked bar charts are a handy choice when you want to illustrate how different components contribute to a whole across multiple categories. 

Each bar represents a category and the bars are divided into segments to show the contribution of various components within each category. 

This method is ideal for highlighting both the individual and collective significance of each component, making it a valuable tool for comparative analysis.

Stacked bar charts are like data sandwiches—label each layer so people know what’s what. Keep the order logical and don’t forget the paintbrush for snazzy colors. Here’s a data analysis presentation example on writers’ productivity using stacked bar charts:

7. Area chart

Similar to line charts but with the area below the lines filled, making them suitable for showing cumulative data.

Area charts are close cousins of line charts but come with a twist. 

Imagine plotting the sales of a product over several months. In an area chart, the space between the line and the x-axis is filled, providing a visual representation of the cumulative total. 

This makes it easy to see how values stack up over time, making area charts a valuable tool for tracking trends in data.

For area charts, use them to visualize cumulative data and trends, but avoid overcrowding the chart. Add labels, especially at significant points and make sure the area under the lines is filled with a visually appealing color gradient.

8. Tabular presentation

Presenting data in rows and columns, often used for precise data values and comparisons.

Tabular data presentation is all about clarity and precision. Think of it as presenting numerical data in a structured grid, with rows and columns clearly displaying individual data points. 

A table is invaluable for showcasing detailed data, facilitating comparisons and presenting numerical information that needs to be exact. They’re commonly used in reports, spreadsheets and academic papers.

When presenting tabular data, organize it neatly with clear headers and appropriate column widths. Highlight important data points or patterns using shading or font formatting for better readability.

9. Textual data

Utilizing written or descriptive content to explain or complement data, such as annotations or explanatory text.

Textual data presentation may not involve charts or graphs, but it’s one of the most used qualitative data presentation examples. 

It involves using written content to provide context, explanations or annotations alongside data visuals. Think of it as the narrative that guides your audience through the data. 

Well-crafted textual data can make complex information more accessible and help your audience understand the significance of the numbers and visuals.

Textual data is your chance to tell a story. Break down complex information into bullet points or short paragraphs and use headings to guide the reader’s attention.

10. Pictogram

Using simple icons or images to represent data is especially useful for conveying information in a visually intuitive manner.

Pictograms are all about harnessing the power of images to convey data in an easy-to-understand way. 

Instead of using numbers or complex graphs, you use simple icons or images to represent data points. 

For instance, you could use a thumbs up emoji to illustrate customer satisfaction levels, where each face represents a different level of satisfaction. 

Pictograms are great for conveying data visually, so choose symbols that are easy to interpret and relevant to the data. Use consistent scaling and a legend to explain the symbols’ meanings, ensuring clarity in your presentation.

Looking for more data presentation ideas? Use the Venngage graph maker or browse through our gallery of chart templates to pick a template and get started! 

A comprehensive data presentation should include several key elements to effectively convey information and insights to your audience. Here’s a list of what should be included in a data presentation:

1. Title and objective

• Begin with a clear and informative title that sets the context for your presentation.
• State the primary objective or purpose of the presentation to provide a clear focus.

2. Key data points

• Present the most essential data points or findings that align with your objective.
• Use charts, graphical presentations or visuals to illustrate these key points for better comprehension.

3. Context and significance

• Provide a brief overview of the context in which the data was collected and why it’s significant.
• Explain how the data relates to the larger picture or the problem you’re addressing.

4. Key takeaways

• Summarize the main insights or conclusions that can be drawn from the data.
• Highlight the key takeaways that the audience should remember.

5. Visuals and charts

• Use clear and appropriate visual aids to complement the data.
• Ensure that visuals are easy to understand and support your narrative.

6. Implications or actions

• Discuss the practical implications of the data or any recommended actions.
• If applicable, outline next steps or decisions that should be taken based on the data.

7. Q&A and discussion

• Allocate time for questions and open discussion to engage the audience.
• Address queries and provide additional insights or context as needed.

Presenting data is a crucial skill in various professional fields, from business to academia and beyond. To ensure your data presentations hit the mark, here are some common mistakes that you should steer clear of:

Overloading with data

Presenting too much data at once can overwhelm your audience. Focus on the key points and relevant information to keep the presentation concise and focused. Here are some free data visualization tools you can use to convey data in an engaging and impactful way. 

Assuming everyone’s on the same page

It’s easy to assume that your audience understands as much about the topic as you do. But this can lead to either dumbing things down too much or diving into a bunch of jargon that leaves folks scratching their heads. Take a beat to figure out where your audience is coming from and tailor your presentation accordingly.

Misleading visuals

Using misleading visuals, such as distorted scales or inappropriate chart types can distort the data’s meaning. Pick the right data infographics and understandable charts to ensure that your visual representations accurately reflect the data.

Not providing context

Data without context is like a puzzle piece with no picture on it. Without proper context, data may be meaningless or misinterpreted. Explain the background, methodology and significance of the data.

Not citing sources properly

Neglecting to cite sources and provide citations for your data can erode its credibility. Always attribute data to its source and utilize reliable sources for your presentation.

Not telling a story

Avoid simply presenting numbers. If your presentation lacks a clear, engaging story that takes your audience on a journey from the beginning (setting the scene) through the middle (data analysis) to the end (the big insights and recommendations), you’re likely to lose their interest.

Infographics are great for storytelling because they mix cool visuals with short and sweet text to explain complicated stuff in a fun and easy way. Create one with Venngage’s free infographic maker to create a memorable story that your audience will remember.

Ignoring data quality

Presenting data without first checking its quality and accuracy can lead to misinformation. Validate and clean your data before presenting it.

Simplify your visuals

Fancy charts might look cool, but if they confuse people, what’s the point? Go for the simplest visual that gets your message across. Having a dilemma between presenting data with infographics v.s data design? This article on the difference between data design and infographics might help you out. 

Missing the emotional connection

Data isn’t just about numbers; it’s about people and real-life situations. Don’t forget to sprinkle in some human touch, whether it’s through relatable stories, examples or showing how the data impacts real lives.

Skipping the actionable insights

At the end of the day, your audience wants to know what they should do with all the data. If you don’t wrap up with clear, actionable insights or recommendations, you’re leaving them hanging. Always finish up with practical takeaways and the next steps.

Can you provide some data presentation examples for business reports?

Business reports often benefit from data presentation through bar charts showing sales trends over time, pie charts displaying market share,or tables presenting financial performance metrics like revenue and profit margins.

What are some creative data presentation examples for academic presentations?

Creative data presentation ideas for academic presentations include using statistical infographics to illustrate research findings and statistical data, incorporating storytelling techniques to engage the audience or utilizing heat maps to visualize data patterns.

What are the key considerations when choosing the right data presentation format?

When choosing a chart format , consider factors like data complexity, audience expertise and the message you want to convey. Options include charts (e.g., bar, line, pie), tables, heat maps, data visualization infographics and interactive dashboards.

Knowing the type of data visualization that best serves your data is just half the battle. Here are some best practices for data visualization to make sure that the final output is optimized. 

How can I choose the right data presentation method for my data?

To select the right data presentation method, start by defining your presentation’s purpose and audience. Then, match your data type (e.g., quantitative, qualitative) with suitable visualization techniques (e.g., histograms, word clouds) and choose an appropriate presentation format (e.g., slide deck, report, live demo).

For more presentation ideas , check out this guide on how to make a good presentation or use a presentation software to simplify the process.  

How can I make my data presentations more engaging and informative?

To enhance data presentations, use compelling narratives, relatable examples and fun data infographics that simplify complex data. Encourage audience interaction, offer actionable insights and incorporate storytelling elements to engage and inform effectively.

The opening of your presentation holds immense power in setting the stage for your audience. To design a presentation and convey your data in an engaging and informative, try out Venngage’s free presentation maker to pick the right presentation design for your audience and topic. 

What is the difference between data visualization and data presentation?

Data presentation typically involves conveying data reports and insights to an audience, often using visuals like charts and graphs. Data visualization , on the other hand, focuses on creating those visual representations of data to facilitate understanding and analysis. 

Now that you’ve learned a thing or two about how to use these methods of data presentation to tell a compelling data story , it’s time to take these strategies and make them your own. 

But here’s the deal: these aren’t just one-size-fits-all solutions. Remember that each example we’ve uncovered here is not a rigid template but a source of inspiration. It’s all about making your audience go, “Wow, I get it now!”

Think of your data presentations as your canvas – it’s where you paint your story, convey meaningful insights and make real change happen. 

So, go forth, present your data with confidence and purpose and watch as your strategic influence grows, one compelling presentation at a time.

Discover popular designs

Infographic maker

Brochure maker

White paper online

Newsletter creator

Flyer maker

Timeline maker

Letterhead maker

Mind map maker

Ebook maker

20+ Free PowerPoint and Google Slides Templates for Data Presentations

Graphs and diagrams are crucial in data presentations since they make complex information much more understandable . Imagine copying and pasting all 1,000 rows of data onto your slides and expecting your audience to understand it. It’s really hard, isn’t it?

Presenting your data analysis doesn’t have to be a struggle. These PowerPoint and Google Slides templates will significantly cut down your preparation time, allowing you to focus on ensuring the accuracy of your data analysis, while we handle the design.

This article is divided into two sections: the first covers our free PowerPoint templates , and the second covers our free Google Slides templates . Oh, and in case you’re wondering, yes, you can use a PowerPoint template in Google Slides and vice versa .

PowerPoint Templates for Your Data Presentations

Let’s start with our data presentation templates in PowerPoint. 

As you may know, PowerPoint is one of the best presentation software programs available today. So take advantage of all its features with our free templates! 

1. Playful Venn Diagram PowerPoint Template

Venn diagrams are great when it comes to showing the similarities and differences between 2 or more data sets. Just by looking at the diagram, your audience can tell if there’s anything common between data sets.

Likewise, if you want to emphasize the differences between data sets, Venn diagrams are great for that purpose, too. Now, for this template pack, you’ve got 10 slides to choose from. Pick your favorite!

2. Graph, Diagram, and Data Sheet PowerPoint Template

Using graphics is the best way to create data presentations, and at 24Slides, we know that! 

If you're looking for simple yet creative graphs, including a Gantt Chart in PowerPoint , this 5-slide template pack is perfect for you. Take a look at the previews and download the pack for free!

3. Generic Data Driven PowerPoint Template

Here are more basic graphs for your presentation decks. This template can be used for many situations, including a job interview, a sales presentation, or even an academic one.

If you want to make the slides look even more unique, you can customize the background with some personal images.

4. Cockpit Chart PowerPoint Template

If you’re giving a high-level presentation to decision-makers who need to see hard data and proper analysis, then this free template pack is for you.

With this pack, each of the 9 slides brings a fresh example of charts and diagrams, ready to make your data come alive. Click on the title and pick the perfect one to captivate your audience!

5. Matrix Chart PowerPoint Template

A matrix chart allows you to compare and analyze different sets of data. You can use it to prove certain data sets are related. Plus, you can even show the strength of that relationship. 

Download our 8 matrix models for free now! 

6. Stair Diagram PowerPoint Template

Like their namesake, stair diagrams are great for showing a series of steps or progression in data presentations. You can use good, old-fashioned bullet points, but it’s not going to be much fun. 

This template offers 10 different stair diagrams to choose from; the screenshot above shows a steps stair diagram . Explore all of them for free!

7. Tables PowerPoint Template

Tables have been a staple in data visualization for a long time, and we believe they continue to be widely used today. Despite the evolution of various visualization tools and techniques, tables remain a fundamental way to present data clearly and effectively.

This template pack offers standard table slides as well as creative designs, including a subscription slide, a table with different symbols, and a matrix organizational structure. Choose your favorite based on your needs!

8. Flow Chart PowerPoint Template

Flowcharts are extremely useful for documenting certain company procedures. They can even present the company hierarchy and who is responsible for certain tasks. 

Instead of verbally discussing processes, why not try using a flowchart? 

9. Financial Pie Graphs PowerPoint Template

Whether you’re presenting in front of the directors of your company or potential investors for your startup, these radial charts will help you get your point across. With a few clicks, you can customize these resources and make them your own!

This data visualization template includes 3 slides: a financial pie chart for comparison (shown above), a ring pie chart, and a doughnut pie chart slide.

10. Research and Development Data PowerPoint Template

Every successful startup needs a solid research and development (R&D) process, which can be lengthy and costly and often require external funding. 

This template pack is designed to help you create a concise, impactful presentation for potential investors. Remember, while design is important, it's your passion and persuasive skills that will ultimately drive your success in a data presentation!

11. Sales Report PowerPoint Template

Our list of data presentation templates wouldn’t be complete without a sales report template in PowerPoint. 

This pack includes sales bar charts, line charts, radial charts, sales data visualization sections, and annual sales report slides. Everything you need in one presentation deck!

12. Data Driven PowerPoint Template

This 9-slide template pack contains charts and diagrams for your business presentations or any project you’re leading. 

With its thoughtful design and diverse range of graphs, this template is perfect for most financial presentations. So, what are you waiting for? Check out our template pack now!

13. Block Chain Data PowerPoint Template

Cryptocurrency and blockchain are all the rage nowadays. Many people became millionaires overnight, but many more gambled and lost their entire life savings!

Don’t get left behind and explore more about digital currencies with our free template pack.

Google Slides Templates for Your Data Presentations

PowerPoint is awesome, but Google Slides is also a brilliant tool. If you haven't used this platform, this is your signal to start doing so. Unlock the potential of your data with our free templates, crafted to transform your slides into stunning visual stories!

With Google Slides templates, there's no need to download anything to your computer. Simply create an account on our Templates Repository and make a copy of the template. As you can imagine, editing it will be a breeze!

1. Corporate Data Presentation in Google Slides

Our Google Slides template provides essential charts for data presentation, including bar charts, pie charts, and line charts. 

The best part? Each chart is linked to a Google Sheets spreadsheet, giving you complete control over the data.

2. Life Cycle Diagram in Google Slides

A product’s life cycle—spanning from introduction to growth, maturity, and decline—directly influences the marketing and pricing strategies of your company. So you have to know how to monitor each stage.

This template pack includes a summary slide to introduce your objectives and guide the audience. It also features an area chart to visually represent product growth over time, helping to clarify the current stage. See it yourself by clicking on the title!

3. Playful Pie Chart in Google Slides

Unlike the other pie charts in this article, this one will be very easy to use. You’ve got 8 pie chart slides to choose from, including 3D and 2D pie charts in Google Slides. 

Choose the ones that best convey your message, then edit and present them!

4. Dashboard Template in Google Slides

A dashboard slide can convey everything your audience needs in just one slide. While you can use separate slides for each chart, it won't have the same impact as a dashboard (as you can see in the image). 

Dashboard templates are perfect for elevator pitches because they are highly eye-catching. Explore the models we’ve prepared for you!

5. Waterfall Diagram Template in Google Slides

Waterfall charts are excellent for financial presentations, allowing you to show gains or losses over time. They are also useful for demonstrating changes in cash flow or stock market performance. 

This template pack includes a waterfall performance comparison slide (pictured), a waterfall flowchart diagram, and a project timeline slide. Download all for free!

6. Playful Data-Driven Template in Google Slides 

Think data presentation templates have to be serious? Think again! 

This 10-slide playful template is packed with various charts and graphs, including bar graphs, radar charts, waterfall statistics, treemaps, and more. Log in to our Template Repository to download this free Google Slides template.

7. Circle Diagrams in Google Slides 

This template pack features 8 types of circle charts in Google Slides, including pie charts, timelines , cyclical processes, project management charts, and Venn diagrams. 

The design is both playful and professional, making it suitable for any audience!

8. Creative Data-Driven and Financial Charts in Google Slides

Number crunchers will love the clean design of these 7 data-driven slides. With ample white space and visually appealing graphics, it will help your audience grasp complex financial information. 

You only need to replace the placeholder content with your own information and practice your data presentation for the best results!

9. Graph, Diagram, and Data Sheet Presentation in Google Slides

This pack of 5 Google Slides templates includes a versatile collection of charts and diagrams, perfect for any presentation. 

Remember that each chart is fully customizable to meet your specific needs. Download this data visualization pack for free today!

10. SWOT Presentation Templates in Google Slides

Data visualization isn’t just for numbers; it also includes qualitative data. If you need to present a SWOT analysis, these templates are your go-to solution. 

With 8 pre-designed SWOT diagrams, you can easily create impactful presentations. Best of all, they’re free to download—what are you waiting for?

11. ICO Presentation Template in Google Slides

Planning to present an Initial Coin Offering (ICO) for your company or startup? 24Slides has you covered.

We’ve designed this data presentation template with the unpredictable nature of digital currencies in mind, featuring a chart that helps you clearly explain all the details to your audience.

12. Budget Presentation Template in Google Slides

Presenting a project's budget doesn’t have to be boring!

This resource offers 8 different diagrams in Google Slides, making it easy to streamline your design process. Download our data visualization pack for free now! 

13. Financial Template Pack in Google Slides

You should know that effective financial management is crucial to every business’s success. So why not showcase that professionalism in your financial slides? 

Explore this final Google Slides template pack and impress your audience with professional and polished data slides!

I hope these 20+ free PowerPoint and Google Slides templates for data presentations are helpful for any project you have in mind. Our templates are designed to be visually attractive while maintaining a professional look. Follow us and stay tuned for all the content we’ve prepared for you!

Where you can find templates for FREE?

In 2024, it's no mystery that there are various ways to optimize your time when designing presentations. One of the most effective methods is using pre-designed templates, and of course, 24Slides has its own repository.

When you enter our Template Repository , you'll find data visualization templates, marketing templates, portfolio templates, planning templates, and much more!

It’s time to work smart, begin today .

If you like this content, you should check:

• Mastering the Art of Presenting Data in PowerPoint
• 20+ Self Introduction PowerPoint Templates: Download for free!   
• The Ultimate Brand Identity Presentation Guide [FREE PPT Template]  
• 11 Time-Saving PowerPoint Hacks for Creating Quick Presentations
• The 15 Best Presentation Design Agencies (Including Prices!)

Create professional presentations online

Other people also read

The Best Free PowerPoint Presentation Templates You Will Eve...

Blue Ocean Strategy PowerPoint Templates

Our Most Popular Free PowerPoint Templates

The definitive guide to presenting data in PowerPoint

DON’T HAVE TIME TO READ THE ARTICLE? DON’T WORRY, LET ME SEND YOU A COPY

Do you work between PowerPoint and Excel , importing tables and graphs for presenting data in PowerPoint , such as business or analytic results? 

I did so when I was working for a multinational company in FMCG. I decided to write this guide as a summary of everything I wanted to know when I was in your shoes, about presenting data in PowerPoint .

Analytics are the base of the strategic decision-making in structured organizations. In business , I believe that you should always use all possible data before making a decision on investment. For example, the most structured organizations have roles dedicated to analyzing and presenting performances.

Nowadays, the hunger for data to support decisions is transversal and affects practically every company function, from line functions to staff functions.

I often work with people in roles such as finance or accounting, who send me complete presentations made exclusively from charts and tables .

They certainly don’t want to add some images to make their tables more appealing!

What are they looking for?

They look for visual effectiveness and communication strategy, because behind a table or a chart , there are messages that could support stakeholders in  making one decision rather than another.

Presenting data in PowerPoint can often make the difference between success or failure.

If, until now, you thought that your role only included numerical presentations and therefore Lean Presentation Design cannot help you, this guide will change your mind.

A presentation made of tables and graphs can be boring, lack design of the visual path (where would you like people to look?), may be missing  an information hierarchy , or simply missing a story , therefore, missing an appealing flow .

Among the many methodologies of data storytelling that you can find online, there is one that has a very close approach to Lean Presentation Design, and it is the Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic.

We can learn from her methodology of effectively presenting data in PowerPoint and improving the strength of your presentations .

In Data Storytelling , Cole presents an optimization process of any chart or table based on 6 simple steps (the book is obviously available on Amazon ): 

Step #1: Understand the Context

Before you even think about graphs, numbers or tables, you need to understand the context in which you operate. The first fundamental distinction is between exploratory analysis and explanatory analysis .

Usually in a process of analysis, synthesis and presentation of data , the phase in which you are presenting is the last one , in which you should expose the results of your work.

The analysis often begins with the exploratory phase . In fact, doing data analysis is a bit like looking for a needle in a haystack: digging through reports, crossing numbers and trying to identify a pattern or insight that allows you to identify or understand the dynamic of a problem, and then make a forecast.

Cole compares the analysis of the data with a search of pearls in shells: to find one, you probably have to open a hundred oysters, and this takes time and effort.

When we do a hard job, we often forget   to present the whole process to support the final discovery, as though you were telling the story of all the time spent in the haystack to look for the needle and all the corners where you looked without success, without finishing the story.

However, your role is   to manage this complexity and present only the solution , not all the work that was behind it. Otherwise you will make the presentation unbearable and extremely tiring for those who listen to you, who will then experience the same frustrations you suffered during the research activity.

Presenting in PowerPoint , you have to share the synthesis and shed light on the discoveries without wasting time , thus focusing on what Cole defines as  the explanatory analysis .

If you have already read the guide “ How to create effective tables in PowerPoint “, it is the same consideration I was explaining, in that you don’t need to show all the steps necessary to get the number you want to present but focus on “actionable numbers”.

By “actionable numbers”, I refer to all the numerical data you need to support the recommendation you want to give the audience .

In short, use only the numbers that you need to convince them to take the decision  you want them to take. Remember that your role, as a presenter, is to recommend one decision over all others .

To convince who ? To do what? And how do you plan to do it?

These are the three fundamental questions you must answer to contextualize your presentation with respect to the people you are facing while presenting data in PowerPoint .

The first step  when you prepare a presentation , is to know the people listening to you well  (WHO).  Cole says that it is not enough to know the job title or their role in the organization and I agree with that.

According to what Peter Cougher, author of the bestseller “ The Art of Pitch “:

It’s a difficult task to know your audience at this level of detail, right?

This is a reading that I highly recommend if you are willing to do a presentation in public for your work ( see the book on Amazon ).

In my opinion, all you really need to know about your audience are the reasons behind their resistance to change .

In Change Management, we talk about resistance to change, referring to all the stakeholders within the organization who oppose a potential change.

After all, we know that people don’t like doing something different than what they’ve always done, because it means getting out of one’s comfort zone and that makes them uncomfortable.

The discomfort often arises from the need to make the right decision ( WHAT ). In business, the stakes can also be very high and the decision can therefore be difficult to make.

Think of a startup  presented to investors to raise funding. Investors are desperate for quality projects in which to invest and multiply their earnings.

What happens if they invest in the wrong startup?

In most cases, they lose their investment.

So, investors want to be sure before making such an important decision. They obviously cannot predict the future, but during the pitch presentation , they will probably try to figure out if the project aims at an interesting market, if the team is solid, if a useful problem is solved, if there is any evidence of the fact that people would pay to solve the specific problem, etc. ( View the ultimate guide to creating a brilliant startup pitch presentation ).

All these doubts must be clarified by those who present , otherwise they will, almost certainly, be the subject of questions and discussions.

In general, all these reflections are the obstacle that exists between the startup and it’s financing , hence the reasons that prevent the investor from making the investment decision.  I call them, “Resistances”.

Why are Resistances so important?

Simple.  If you know them, you can overcome them by including answers strategically within your presentation (see the Act strategically in your presentation with the Lean Presentation Design approach ).

If you are able to overcome   audience resistance during the presentation , you will have a good chance that your recommendation will be accepted.

Once you have clarified the action that you want your audience (WHO) to undertake following the presentation (WHAT), you are able to define a communication flow that allows you to overcome the resistance and communicate effectively (HOW).

Okay, I must always have a goal. Can’t I present just to inform?

I believe that a good presentation always has a goal and therefore a final call to action. Cole points out that, in certain organizational contexts, you may not be in a position to tell your superiors what to do, but that does not mean that you can’t  propose a moment of discussion supported by the results of your analysis (and this could be your call to action ).

I invite you to observe that all this is true, whether you are presenting in person or whether you are sending the document by email.

What changes is the level of detail in the contents.

If you present in person (live), you will have a greater control of the situation, as you will directly manage the interaction with the audience , and therefore you will need much less detail.

Can’t I take advantage of the slides to remember what I have to say later?

Absolutely not!

There is nothing worse than a speaker who does not know his speech and reads the side in front of everybody. What do you think every time someone reads his slides in front of you?

https://youtu.be/RYi8xWLJ8jQ

Do I have to memorize all the presentations I make?

No, after all it would be a hard work and I think that for many, it would be unsustainable . For example, I would have to undertake a huge effort to memorize a presentation .

Also, consider the moment when you are presenting, regardless of your ability to speak in public, as a moment of stress.

Under stress, memory is the first ally to abandon you.  You may find yourself in front of your audience without remembering what you have to say.

For this reason, I suggest you never learn the presentation by heart .

I personally support myself a lot with the PowerPoint presenter view mode.

Do you know how the presenter view works? I find it brilliant!

There were events where I cancelled the presentation due to the absence of the possibility of using this method.

With this mode, PowerPoint projects the current slide on the projector, and on your laptop; this allows you to see both the projected slide and the next one.

Knowing what comes next, it is easy to anticipate and give continuity to the speech . Anticipating the next slide, you will communicate security and ability to lead the discourse, unlike all those speakers who seem to be guided by their own slides.

So, prepare well, because you should have enough information at a glance on the presenter mode to continue talking; you certainly will not stop to look at the screen of your laptop in front of everyone. But do not memorize the presentation , it is both useless and far more risky.

It may happen that you arrive in the meeting room ready to project and come across an instrument called clickshare . When you start the wireless connection with the clickshare, you will not be able to start the presenter view mode and on both the screens (pc and projector), you will see the same slide.

If this is the case, do not despair. I found a simple enough solution to activate the presenter view even if you present with clickshare ( Enable Powerpoint presenter view using clickshare ).

So, focus on your audience , understand their resistance to your proposal, and define a communicative flow valid to overcome them without leaving any doubt.

Step #2: Choose an appropriate view

Cole focuses on 12 ways of presenting data in PowerPoint , commenting on those I think are more frequent in presentations and thus you may meet more frequently.

Simple text

If you have any numbers to present, it does not mean that you necessarily need to use a chart or a table.

Especially when it comes to small numbers, a good alternative is to play with text graphics and take advantage of the typography to solve the problem.

The following example is comparing how many users use the Instragram Stories compared to Snapchat (the numbers are for example).

At the top of the graph you will find a title and a subtitle, and below the graph you will find a comment explaining the message.

I’ll ask you a question: if you need all this text to explain the message, do you think the chart may not be sufficiently explanatory?

The alternative is presenting data in PowerPoint only using text, intelligently formatted.

Thanks to the use of the text, I immediately made the key message clear. I also synthesized the two numbers and highlighted their difference.

I hypothesized that the message was to communicate the strength of Instagram compared to Snapchat and thus, it was not important to keep absolute numbers.

I also highlighted some keywords that made the message stand out right away.

Do you ever have tables in your presentations ? When I was working in the marketing of a multinational in FMCG, it happened to me every day.

Ideally, it is not advisable to use tables within presentations , but my approach is very pragmatic and coming from the business world, I realize that it is a problem to be faced, not to be avoided.

For this reason, I dedicated one of my most read blog guides to this topic: How to create cool PowerPoint tables .

Cole simply suggests cleaning the tables as much as possible by highlighting the contents and eliminating edges and fills as much as possible.

I fully agree with the need to be able to focus on the contents and remove all the disturbing elements.

Excel allows you to apply conditional formatting to tables .

This is a good technique for quickly locating the highest or lowest numbers within the table . The colors will guide you.

I often find myself presenting data in PowerPoint leveraging Excel ‘s conditional formatting, especially in the exploration phase. That is when I analyze the data to find explanations for the events.

They help me extract the message from the numbers right away, and will help your audience understand you at a glance.

Scatterplot

A widespread graphic in the scientific and business fields.

It is mainly used to show the correlation between two variables such as, for example, the correlation between the price of lemonade and the temperature.

In this case, it would be really difficult to understand the correlation between these numbers by analyzing the table.

By plotting the numbers on a Scatterplot, the reports become clear at a glance.

The graph suggests that the price of lemonade grows as the temperature increases .

As you can see, this type of chart can be very useful even during the exploration phase, not just during the presentation phase.

Line charts are useful for comparing multiple sets of data that evolve  over time.

Take the trend of the market shares of a group of competitors.

Line charts can also be optimized by applying a series of small details that we will see later in this article.

Graphic that I have never seen in a presentation so I avoid commenting on it. If, however, you should be interested in further reading I recommend reading  Cole’s book .

A family of numerous charts with different types all very common in the business world and in presentations in general.

First of all, Cole is keen to underline the ethical use of this type of graphics in communication .

If you’re wondering how a chart can be used in an unethical way, that’s exactly what I asked myself the first time I read Data Storytelling .

I found this concept curious and that’s why I want to show it to you.

Imagine having two bars representing two percentages. I could tell you that the change from A to B was radical and brought an important increase.

However, if you look carefully at the axis of the ordinates, you immediately realize that it does not start from zero and this means that the difference between the two bars is much more pronounced.

What happens if I report the ordinate axis on a scale that starts from zero?

The difference between the two bars is greatly reduced.

Clearly, it is up to you to understand when and how to use this technique, Cole invites caution and exposes a rather curious example used in US politics in the second chapter of Data Storytelling .

The vertical bar graph is one of the most common to meet in presentations .

It works very well because it is easy to determine the length of one segment compared to another. The chart becomes more complex when you add more categories .

Another fairly common but more complex readability chart is the graph called “ Stacked vertical bar “.

Cole rightly points out the difficulty in comparing the segments with each other and I find myself in complete agreement.

These graphs can also exist in a horizontal version. Specifically, Cole claims that the horizontal bar graph is to be preferred over the vertical bar chart  because, people read from left to right and they are therefore easier to process.

I add that we, as human beings, are horizontal readers, and thus it is easier for us to read from one side to the other than from top to bottom (at least in the part of the world where I am). Given the importance of learning to lead the audience ‘s gaze in your slides, I spent some time doing eye tracking studies on presentations and published the results in the guide that explains how eye path control can dramatically improve presentations .

Finally, the dreadful waterfall chart, a nightmare of all first-time analysts for its complex feasibility through office apps over the years, can not be missed.

In reality, today it is very easy to carry out both in Excel and in PowerPoint .

One of the use in which I happen to see it often are long-term strategic plans, in which each category corresponds to one year and this chart shows the increases in performance from year to year.

There is also a PowerPoint addin historically known to facilitate the creation of Waterfall, called ThinkCell. See the video below.

Square area

Cole says that almost no area graphics are used, except for rare exceptions, because they are hard to read. I fully agree with the point and add that I almost never find them in a presentation . So let’s proceed with the next example and if you are curious, I encourage you to read Cole’s book .

How could it be that I’m just now talking about the pie chart ?  Didn’t you expect it to be among the first covered?

The reason is simple and is related to the fact that Cole does not fully endorse this type of chart .

Look at the cake below and tell me what the biggest slice between C and D is, in your opinion?

The question is not difficult, it is the answer that becomes very difficult in a situation where you can not match one segment with another unless you insert the data labels on the slices.

For this reason, Cole suggests not using 3D, and I add that 3D is a concept that should be forbidden in presentations in most cases. It does not add value, it wastes time and the results obtained are always mediocre.

If we look at the above chart in 2D, it becomes easier to identify the smaller slice, in my opinion.

For this reason, unlike Cole, I do not completely exclude the use of pie charts , but I invite you to use them, always making a check that you can clearly perceive the relationships between the slices (which is bigger).

One last comment goes to the management of the secondary axis, but I will comment it only if you ask about it in the comments of this post. The first one who requests it in the comments will have an explanation and a recommendation.

Step #3: Eliminate the confusion

You are monitoring the performance of your company’s market shares compared to the two main competitors in the 4 quarters of the year just ended.

A and B are the competitors with whom you compare. To better visualize the context, I decide to plot the table using lines.

Does this chart seem clear to you?

If you think about it for a moment, this is exactly the default result that Excel returns to you when you chart that table.

How can you optimize it to improve its visual effectiveness?

Begin by removing the edges of the graph that do not add any value and generate noise.

In the same way, remove the grids .

See how the lines already stand out compared to before, when they seemed to be caged in the grid?

Eliminate markers that do not add any value. As Cole rightly points out, markers are not forbidden and we are not recommending you to always delete them, but to use them only when you really need them.

To delete them, you must change the type of chart .

The result is a much cleaner and slimmer chart .

Now, apply a color that highlights your company over the others.

Emphasizing your company is essential to put the line at the center of attention, but A and B that have remained the background are now virtually indistinguishable through the legend.

Also, reading the legend below and then taking your eyes back to the right curve on the chart is a waste of time .

Do not let the eyes of your audience search, make sure they already have the information close and easy to find .

Give the lines the name , consistent in color , positioned at the end of each line. By doing so you could also eliminate the legend that did nothing but add to the confusion.

Finally, add the numerical labels and delete the ordinate axis .

Make consistent colors , which link numbers, lines and text labels.

Have you seen how, a few simple tricks, can radically change the readability of a chart ? I’ll let you compare the “before” and “after” with the next image .

Clean up your charts following the same logic as Lean Presentation Design : use only the elements that are used for communication, eliminate embellishments.

Step#4: Draw attention wherever you want

The attention of the audience is mainly attracted by the contrast that you can create , for example but not only, with an intelligent use of colors .

As part of this example I have kept the focus on your company by highlighting the curve over time thanks to the application of the main color .

If instead I wanted to talk about the explosive growth of competitor A, how would you have been able to draw attention to its curve?

You could have created a strong detachment thanks to the use of the complementary color to the main orange.

In this example, we can clearly see, like the same graph , the same numbers, can be presented according to certain messages according to the elements that are being highlighted. I’ll let you read Cole’s book which extensively illustrates various techniques to create visibility around certain elements rather than others.

Step#5: Think like a designer

In 1979 James Gibson in “An ecological approach to visual perception” defines the concept of “Affordance” (invitation to use) as the physical quality of an object that suggests to a human being the appropriate actions to manipulate it.

A small cup with a side handle suggests holding the handle as a floor suggests walking on it.

Basically, every object, if properly conceived should not leave doubts about its use.

When you optimize the user experience in your presentations thanks to Neuro Presentation Design you are making slides so intuitive that they could not be understood in any other way.

Can you do the same thing on the charts ?

I would say yes!

Look at the chart we’ve drawn previously

Is the way in which it is to be read absolutely clear? That is, is the message revealed at a glance?

In my opinion, not yet.

Try to reprocess the title as follows.

Take advantage of the main color to create contrast and similarity (How to take advantage of 4 basic design principles to dramatically improve your presentations ).

Finally, Cole suggests using the principle of alignment to create uniformity and cohesion in the chart lines.

For you this translates into the alignment to the left of the title.

Unlike the previous step, thinking like a designer means designing with the needs of the end user in mind.

The goal is to draw so well that you do not leave doubts about the message you want to pass.

  Step#6: Tell a story

By now it is quite recognized that stories have an enormous communicative force in the world of communication.

To be precise, I do not share the idea of ​​always introducing a story within each presentation . Now we see presenters entering the meeting room and telling personal stories, jokes, etc. Thinking this is essential to awaken the audience at the beginning of the presentation .

Although it is certainly correct to try to grab the audience at the beginning because after a few minutes it may already be too late.

The real strength of the stories lies in their narrative structure that, if applied to a presentation or a chart , makes the difference seriously ( Storytelling techniques for presentations – Bosch case study ).

Cole and I use two different storytelling models , but we both agree on the main elements behind an effective narrative structure:

• introduction of a context and a protagonist
• presentation of the crisis , of the problem that forces the protagonist to undertake a path of change
• development of the plot that forces the protagonist to acquire new skills or create a new perspective to solve the problem
• final part of the story

How does this apply to the world of graphics ?

Simply telling the facts in the footsteps of an interesting narrative thread.

Follow me that I show you the example.

Initially you could introduce the context of your company that is not going very well compared to its competitors and that there is one in particular that is growing in a worrying manner.

In reality, competitor A only grows for the launch of a new advertising campaign and you feel that the effect will not last long. Your company, on the other hand, has no structural flaws for which it should cede further market. In fact, already in the second quarter we can see a stabilization of the shares. For this reason you propose to stay focused on the long term and to ignore peaks in the short term .

The long-term strategy gives you reason and rewards

In summary I used two more slides with the slightly modified graph (in PowerPoint ) to tell you the story of what happened.

Conclusions

Charts and tables can be phenomenal tools to presenting data in PowerPoint . However, they are often used inefficiently and this causes frustration in the audience and the ineffectiveness of the communication itself.

In Data Storytelling , Cole offers a methodology that goes well with the Lean approach to presentations .

The approach is based on 6 steps of optimization:

• Understand the context
• Choose an appropriate view
• Eliminate the confusion
• Draw attention wherever you want
• Think like a designer
• Tell a story

Have you already tried this methodology to better presenting data in PowerPoint ? Let’s leave a comment, then we’ll talk about that .

5 Clever Ways to Present Data Effectively in PowerPoint

7 Data Presentation Tips: Think, Focus, Simplify, Calibrate, Visualize++

5 Tips For Better Data Presentation

5 Commandments for Presenting Data in PowerPoint

Presenting Data in PowerPoint |PresentationLoad Blog 

Creative ways of presenting Data in PowerPoint

Presenting data in PowerPoint and Prezi

Creative ways of Presenting Data in PowerPoint Presentations

Presenting data in PowerPoint – The performance Ideas Blog 

How to Present Data in PowerPoint

Maurizio La Cava

About Maurizio

Comments on The definitive guide to presenting data in PowerPoint

Free PowerPoint Templates

If you looking for descriptive PowerPoint shapes or tables then these are some of the best one.

thanks for sharing. Please identify your guest post with a picture or it will be removed.

A.Savarimuthu

Good and informative . Simple to understamd

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

MLC Presentation Design Consulting

 We specialize in creating impactful business presentations. We offer design services, engaging training programs, and a PowerPoint add-in to enhance presentation efficiency and effectiveness. Let us help you transform your ideas into compelling visual stories.

Our books offer practical design tips, engaging techniques, and strategies to enhance presentation efficiency and effectiveness. Transform your ideas and data into compelling visual stories with these insightful resources.

We are always here for you, drop us a line.

What are you looking for?

Design Training Add-in Other

I accept privacy policy

Table of Contents

Home PowerPoint Templates Data Analysis

Data Analysis PowerPoint Templates & Presentation Slides

Download 100% editable data analysis PowerPoint templates and backgrounds for presentations in Microsoft PowerPoint.

Featured Templates

Data Analysis PowerPoint Template

Statistical Bias PowerPoint Templates

Data Visualization PowerPoint Template

Scatter Plots Correlations PowerPoint Templates

Latest templates.

Data Hub Proposal PowerPoint Template

Kepner Tregoe PowerPoint Template

5-Step Current State vs Future State PowerPoint Template

IT Security PowerPoint Template

AI Presentation Slide Template for PowerPoint

Critical Incident Method PowerPoint Template

Professional Company Profile PowerPoint Template

Current State vs Future State PowerPoint Template

Polygonal Venn Diagram

Artificial Intelligence Infographic Shapes for PowerPoint

Scientific Method Diagram PowerPoint Template

Sales Performance Dashboard PowerPoint Template

Data Analysis PowerPoint presentation templates are pre-designed slides that can be used for presenting results, insights, and conclusions derived from the analysis of various kinds of data. They often contain a variety of slide layouts, diagrams, charts, and other graphic elements that can effectively communicate complex data in a visually engaging and digestible manner.

Our editable data analysis presentation slides can help to prepare impeccable business reports and data analysis presentations with the help of editable & high-quality data analysis slide templates compatible with PowerPoint & Google Slides presentations.

Possible use cases, applications and presentation ideas for data analysis slide templates:

• Business Intelligence: A company might use data analysis templates to present results from its business intelligence efforts. This could include data about sales trends, customer demographics, and operational efficiency.
• Academic Research: Researchers can use data analysis presentation templates to present their research findings in conferences or seminars. They can showcase data about a variety of subjects, from social sciences to natural sciences.
• Marketing Campaign Analysis: Marketing professionals might use data analysis PowerPoint templates to present the results of a marketing campaign, analyzing data like audience engagement, conversion rates, and return on investment.
• SEO Strategy: A data analysis can also be used in a SEO-oriented presentation. This can help digital marketing teams, businesses, and SEO agencies to plan, implement, and report their SEO strategies effectively. The use of tools such as Google’s BigQuery can also demonstrate the ability to handle and analyze big data, which is increasingly important in today’s data-driven marketing landscape.
• Financial Analysis: Financial analysts could use slide templates on data analysis to present financial data such as revenue trends, cost analysis, budgeting, and forecasting.
• Healthcare Data Analysis: In the healthcare sector, data analysis templates can be used to present data on patient demographics, treatment effectiveness, and disease prevalence, for example.
• Consulting: Consultants and consulting firms often need to present data-driven insights to their clients. A data analysis PowerPoint template or presentation template for Google Slides would be suitable for this.
• Government & Public Policy: Government officials or policy analysts may use data analysis presentation templates to present data on social issues, economic trends, or the impact of certain policies.

These data analysis infographics and charts can help to prepare compelling data analysis presentation designs with charts and visually appealing graphics.

Download Unlimited Content

Our annual unlimited plan let you download unlimited content from slidemodel. save hours of manual work and use awesome slide designs in your next presentation..

10 Superb Data Presentation Examples To Learn From

The best way to learn how to present data effectively is to see data presentation examples from the professionals in the field.

We collected superb examples of graphical presentation and visualization of data in statistics, research, sales, marketing, business management, and other areas.

On this page:

How to present data effectively? Clever tips.

• 10 Real-life examples of data presentation with interpretation.

Download the above infographic in PDF

Your audience should be able to walk through the graphs and visualizations easily while enjoy and respond to the story.

[bctt tweet=”Your reports and graphical presentations should not just deliver statistics, numbers, and data. Instead, they must tell a story, illustrate a situation, provide proofs, win arguments, and even change minds.” username=””]

Before going to data presentation examples let’s see some essential tips to help you build powerful data presentations.

1. Keep it simple and clear

The presentation should be focused on your key message and you need to illustrate it very briefly.

Graphs and charts should communicate your core message, not distract from it. A complicated and overloaded chart can distract and confuse. Eliminate anything repetitive or decorative.

2. Pick up the right visuals for the job

A vast number of types of graphs and charts are available at your disposal – pie charts, line and bar graphs, scatter plot , Venn diagram , etc.

Choosing the right type of chart can be a tricky business. Practically, the choice depends on 2 major things: on the kind of analysis you want to present and on the data types you have.

Commonly, when we aim to facilitate a comparison, we use a bar chart or radar chart. When we want to show trends over time, we use a line chart or an area chart and etc.

3. Break the complex concepts into multiple graphics

It’s can be very hard for a public to understand a complicated graphical visualization. Don’t present it as a huge amount of visual data.

Instead, break the graphics into pieces and illustrate how each piece corresponds to the previous one.

4. Carefully choose the colors

Colors provoke different emotions and associations that affect the way your brand or story is perceived. Sometimes color choices can make or break your visuals.

It is no need to be a designer to make the right color selections. Some golden rules are to stick to 3 or 4 colors avoiding full-on rainbow look and to borrow ideas from relevant chart designs.

Another tip is to consider the brand attributes and your audience profile. You will see appropriate color use in the below data presentation examples.

5. Don’t leave a lot of room for words

The key point in graphical data presentation is to tell the story using visuals and images, not words. Give your audience visual facts, not text.

However, that doesn’t mean words have no importance.

A great advice here is to think that every letter is critical, and there’s no room for wasted and empty words. Also, don’t create generic titles and headlines, build them around the core message.

6. Use good templates and software tools

Building data presentation with AI nowadays means using some kind of software programs and templates. There are many available options – from free graphing software solutions to advanced data visualization tools.

Choosing a good software gives you the power to create good and high-quality visualizations. Make sure you are using templates that provides characteristics like colors, fonts, and chart styles.

A small investment of time to research the software options prevents a large loss of productivity and efficiency at the end.

10 Superb data presentation examples 

Here we collected some of the best examples of data presentation made by one of the biggest names in the graphical data visualization software and information research.

These brands put a lot of money and efforts to investigate how professional graphs and charts should look.

1. Sales Stage History  Funnel Chart 

Data is beautiful and this sales stage funnel chart by Zoho Reports prove this. The above funnel chart represents the different stages in a sales process (Qualification, Need Analysis, Initial Offer, etc.) and shows the potential revenue for each stage for the last and this quarter.

The potential revenue for each sales stage is displayed by a different color and sized according to the amount. The chart is very colorful, eye-catching, and intriguing.

2. Facebook Ads Data Presentation Examples

These are other data presentation examples from Zoho Reports. The first one is a stacked bar chart that displays the impressions breakdown by months and types of Facebook campaigns.

Impressions are one of the vital KPI examples in digital marketing intelligence and business. The first graph is designed to help you compare and notice sharp differences at the Facebook campaigns that have the most influence on impression movements.

The second one is an area chart that shows the changes in the costs for the same Facebook campaigns over the months.

The 2 examples illustrate how multiple and complicated data can be presented clearly and simply in a visually appealing way.

3. Sales Opportunity Data Presentation

These two bar charts (stacked and horizontal bar charts) by Microsoft Power Bi are created to track sales opportunities and revenue by region and sales stage.

The stacked bar graph shows the revenue probability in percentage determined by the current sales stage (Lead, Quality, Solution…) over the months. The horizontal bar chart represents the size of the sales opportunity (Small, Medium, Large) according to regions (East, Central, West).

Both graphs are impressive ways for a sales manager to introduce the upcoming opportunity to C-level managers and stakeholders. The color combination is rich but easy to digest.

4. Power 100 Data Visualization 

Want to show hierarchical data? Treemaps can be perfect for the job. This is a stunning treemap example by Infogram.com that shows you who are the most influential industries. As you see the Government is on the top.

This treemap is a very compact and space-efficient visualization option for presenting hierarchies, that gives you a quick overview of the structure of the most powerful industries.

So beautiful way to compare the proportions between things via their area size.

When it comes to best research data presentation examples in statistics, Nielsen information company is an undoubted leader. The above professional looking line graph by Nielsen represent the slowing alcoholic grow of 4 alcohol categories (Beer, Wine, Spirits, CPG) for the period of 12 months.

The chart is an ideal example of a data visualization that incorporates all the necessary elements of an effective and engaging graph. It uses color to let you easily differentiate trends and allows you to get a global sense of the data. Additionally, it is incredibly simple to understand.

6. Digital Health Research Data Visualization Example

Digital health is a very hot topic nowadays and this stunning donut chart by IQVIA shows the proportion of different mobile health apps by therapy area (Mental Health, Diabetes, Kidney Disease, and etc.). 100% = 1749 unique apps.

This is a wonderful example of research data presentation that provides evidence of Digital Health’s accelerating innovation and app expansion.

Besides good-looking, this donut chart is very space-efficient because the blank space inside it is used to display information too.

7. Disease Research Data Visualization Examples

Presenting relationships among different variables is hard to understand and confusing -especially when there is a huge number of them. But using the appropriate visuals and colors, the IQVIA did a great job simplifying this data into a clear and digestible format.

The above stacked bar charts by IQVIA represents the distribution of oncology medicine spendings by years and product segments (Protected Brand Price, Protected Brand Volume, New Brands, etc.).

The chart allows you to clearly see the changes in spendings and where they occurred – a great example of telling a deeper story in a simple way.

8. Textual and Qualitative Data Presentation Example

When it comes to easy to understand and good looking textual and qualitative data visualization, pyramid graph has a top place. To know what is qualitative data see our post quantitative vs qualitative data .

9. Product Metrics Graph Example

If you are searching for excel data presentation examples, this stylish template from Smartsheet can give you good ideas for professional looking design.

The above stacked bar chart represents product revenue breakdown by months and product items. It reveals patterns and trends over the first half of the year that can be a good basis for data-driven decision-making .

10. Supply Chain Data Visualization Example 

This bar chart created by ClicData  is an excellent example of how trends over time can be effectively and professionally communicated through the use of well-presented visualization.

It shows the dynamics of pricing through the months based on units sold, units shipped, and current inventory. This type of graph pack a whole lot of information into a simple visual. In addition, the chart is connected to real data and is fully interactive.

The above data presentation examples aim to help you learn how to present data effectively and professionally.

About The Author

Silvia Valcheva

Silvia Valcheva is a digital marketer with over a decade of experience creating content for the tech industry. She has a strong passion for writing about emerging software and technologies such as big data, AI (Artificial Intelligence), IoT (Internet of Things), process automation, etc.

Leave a Reply Cancel Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Got any suggestions?

We want to hear from you! Send us a message and help improve Slidesgo

Top searches

Trending searches

17 templates

american history

85 templates

49 templates

43 templates

el salvador

34 templates

art portfolio

100 templates

Data Analysis for Business

It seems that you like this template, data analysis for business presentation, premium google slides theme, powerpoint template, and canva presentation template.

Download the Data Analysis for Business presentation for PowerPoint or Google Slides and start impressing your audience with a creative and original design. Slidesgo templates like this one here offer the possibility to convey a concept, idea or topic in a clear, concise and visual way, by using different graphic resources. You need to talk about a specific topic, but you don't know how to do it? Try using presentations like this one here, 100% customizable!

Features of this template

• 100% editable and easy to modify
• Different slides to impress your audience
• Contains easy-to-edit graphics such as graphs, maps, tables, timelines and mockups
• Includes 500+ icons and Flaticon’s extension for customizing your slides
• Designed to be used in Google Slides and Microsoft PowerPoint
• Includes information about fonts, colors, and credits of the resources used

What are the benefits of having a Premium account?

What Premium plans do you have?

What can I do to have unlimited downloads?

Combines with:

This template can be combined with this other one to create the perfect presentation:

Don’t want to attribute Slidesgo?

Gain access to over 29800 templates & presentations with premium from 1.67€/month.

Are you already Premium? Log in

Register for free and start downloading now

Related posts on our blog.

How to Add, Duplicate, Move, Delete or Hide Slides in Google Slides

How to Change Layouts in PowerPoint

How to Change the Slide Size in Google Slides

Related presentations.

Premium template

Unlock this template and gain unlimited access

Create your presentation Create personalized presentation content

Writing tone, number of slides.

Register for free and start editing online

Newly Launched - AI Presentation Maker

Researched by Consultants from Top-Tier Management Companies

AI PPT Maker

Powerpoint Templates

Icon Bundle

Kpi Dashboard

Professional

Business Plans

Swot Analysis

Gantt Chart

Business Proposal

Marketing Plan

Project Management

Business Case

Business Model

Cyber Security

Business PPT

Digital Marketing

Digital Transformation

Human Resources

Product Management

Artificial Intelligence

Company Profile

Acknowledgement PPT

PPT Presentation

Reports Brochures

One Page Pitch

Interview PPT

All Categories

Top 10 Data Analysis Templates with Samples and Examples

Mohammed Sameer

If people could eat data instead of food, we could end world hunger with enough spare data left over to tackle 3 famines.

This startling but obvious statement underscores the abundance of data available to the human race today and the humungous rate at which it has grown in our digital age. Just as sustenance nourishes our bodies, data fuels our intellect, satiating the hunger for insights and understanding. 

Data is the foundation upon which the structure of information stands tall. Imagine gazing at a puzzle's scattered pieces – each is important, might be beautiful and vital, but the true picture emerges only when the pieces interlock. Similarly, data is the root of knowledge for today’s businesses. Our new Data Analysis Templates are the masterful hands that bring all that scattered knowledge and wisdom together.

These PPT Presentations emerge as essential companions in a landscape where accurate decision-making means the difference between thriving and surviving. Understanding data is pivotal in the symphony of business strategies, marketing endeavors, and research pursuits. 

The 100% customizable nature of the templates provides you with the desired flexibility to edit your presentations. The content-ready slides give you the much-needed structure.

Let’s explore!

Template 1: Data Analysis Process PPT Set

Use this PPT Set to help stakeholders understand difficulties that mar the data analysis process and gain valuable insights. Explore the crucial stages of data analysis, from establishing data requirements and efficient data collection to thorough data processing and cleaning. This PPT Design highlights the often underestimated yet pivotal phase of data cleaning. With this template, you'll understand how data lays the foundation for seamless analysis, leading to more accurate results and impactful communication. Download now!

Download this template

Template 2: Data Analysis Business Evaluation Process for Visualization and Presentation

This holistic PPT Bundle guides you through the complex stages of visualization and presentation while offering a profound understanding of each crucial phase. Use this presentation template to understand the essence of successful data analysis, as it breaks down the process into digestible segments. From the initial steps of business issue comprehension and data understanding to data preparation, exploratory analysis, monitoring, validation, and finally, captivating visualization and presentation – every facet is covered. This PPT Preset goes beyond mere process explanation, offering a robust framework for the holistic development of data conceptualization, collection, analysis, and cleaning procedures. Get it today!

Get this template

Template 3: Data Requirement Analysis PPT Bundle

Navigating challenges of problem-solving, prioritization, and data insight, this PPT Presentation presents a strategic roadmap that transforms raw information into actionable intelligence. It starts with a deep dive into the heart of your business challenges. Focusing on defining the core problems, this presentation template guides you through the process of setting priorities, ensuring every move is a step closer to your objectives. Data collection, a crucial cornerstone, is explained through insightful visual aids and organized segments. Witness the transformation of disparate data points into a coherent narrative, empowering you to decipher trends, anomalies, and opportunities.

This PPT Template equips you with the tools to not only gather data but also comprehend its implications, turning information into true knowledge. Navigating the challenges of data requirement analysis is no longer a daunting task. From security gaps that demand attention to complex data systems that require expertise, our template ensures you're prepared to overcome these hurdles with confidence. The high costs that often come with data analysis are confronted head-on, unraveling budget-friendly strategies that don't compromise on quality. Get this template today!

Grab this template

Template 4: Big Data Analysis PPT Set

This comprehensive PPT Deck presents a pre-made Big Data Analysis funnel that guides you through the rather complex process of turning data into gold. Gain a competitive edge by understanding effective data analysis techniques of association rule learning, classification tree analysis, genetic algorithm, regression analysis, and sentiment analysis. It's more than a run-of-the-mill PPT Presentation; it's a transformative tool. Invest in a big data analysis PPT like resource that's not just about graphs and numbers; get it now. Download now!

Template 5: Data Management Analysis PPT Framework

For achieving business excellence, the quest for efficient and time-saving solutions is a universal endeavor. Recognizing your aspirations, we present the Data Management Analysis PowerPoint Presentation — an invaluable asset for seamless change management and effective data analysis. It incorporates PPT Slides designed to provide an effortless avenue for embracing change management and conducting incisive data analysis. It offers a cohesive platform for centralizing your objectives, ready to be shared with your team. The judicious use of text boxes empowers you to articulate your perspectives with precision on each pertinent subject. Download today!

Template 6: Predictive Data Analysis PPT Layout

Get this PPT Preset to consolidate your stakeholder's grasp on predictive analytics, a discipline that uses statistical methodologies, cutting-edge machine learning algorithms, and a suite of tools to dissect historical data. This PPT Layout guides you through a well-structured journey, unfolding the essentials of predictive analytics, its foundational framework, and a suite of models that constitute its core. The significance of predictive analytics takes center stage, underscored by its multifaceted applications. Additionally, this resource has an Estimation Model PPT Slide, which explains the key tenets of diverse predictive analytics tools and their closely-knit workflows. The demarcation between the four pivotal categories of advanced analytics in this PPT deck receives careful attention. It sheds light on predictive analytics models – from classification to clustering models and beyond. Download now!

Template 7: Dashboard For IT Operations Data Analysis

This PPT Template Dashboard is a dynamic representation of your operational landscape. This PPT Set helps track the total number of cases from inception to resolution. Visualize trends with a graph showcasing the weekly ebb and flow of opened and closed cases. Prioritize effectively, allocating resources where they matter most, as the presentation template depicts it across departments. Efficiency meets clarity as you explore the time distribution of tickets on a day-by-day basis. Gain a better understanding of workflow patterns and resource utilization. Analyze open case statuses, fostering an environment of proactive response and swift action. Download now!

Template 8: Quarterly Sales Data Analysis Report

Visualize your progress with ease using this PPT Template's intuitive presentation of monthly sales data. Get a clear view of team-wise statistics that showcase individual contributions, fostering a culture of recognition and growth. Uncover finer details through the nuanced comparison of total versus actual sales values, empowering you to identify trends and opportunities. Engage stakeholders in strategy evaluation as you assess team goals versus actual achievements. Pinpoint areas of excellence and those warranting attention, refining your approach. Download now!

Template 9: Real-Time  Marketing Data Analysis

Here's a dynamic marketing analysis tool blending insights and aesthetics. It presents a pie chart comparing planned vs. actual budgets while diving deep into sections showcasing real-time marketing benefits: Elevated customer experiences, surging conversions, enhanced retention, and refined brand perception. Navigate budget allocation through intuitive bar graphs. Improve your strategy with data symphony, moving a step closer to success through informed choices. Download now!

Template 10: Data Analysis Process for Visualization and Presentation

Embark on a data-driven journey with this PPT Set. Learn the process of Data Analysis, Visualization, and Presentation to address complex business challenges. This PPT Design walks you through these stages, from issue identification and data preparation to exploratory analysis modeling. Witness raw data transform into insights through rigorous validation. Culminate in captivating visualizations and masterful presentations, setting new standards for impactful communication. Download now!

Bridging Numbers and Narratives: Your Journey Through Data Analysis

In a world where data weaves the fabric of progress, our journey through this blog comes to an inspiring end. As you venture into data analysis armed with our templates, remember that each graph, each layout, and each piece of information is a brushstroke on the canvas of understanding. With every mouse click, you’re not just navigating slides; you're charting the course for informed decisions, breakthrough discoveries, and transformative strategies.

FAQs on Data Analysis

What is data analysis.

Data analysis involves inspecting, cleansing, transforming, and modeling data to derive meaningful insights, draw conclusions, and support decision-making. It encompasses various techniques, including statistical methods, machine learning, and visualization, to uncover patterns, trends, and relationships within datasets.

What are the four types of data analysis?

There are four main types of data analysis:

• Descriptive Analysis: This type of analysis focuses on summarizing and describing the main features of a dataset. It involves statistical measures such as mean, median, mode, range, and standard deviation. Descriptive analysis aims to clearly understand the data's characteristics but doesn't involve drawing conclusions or making predictions.
• Diagnostic Analysis: Diagnostic analysis involves digging deeper into data to understand why certain patterns or outcomes occurred. It aims to identify the root causes of specific events or trends. Techniques used in diagnostic analysis often include data visualization, exploratory data analysis, and statistical tests to uncover relationships and correlations.
• Predictive Analysis: Predictive analysis involves using historical data to predict future events or outcomes. This type of analysis uses statistical models, machine learning algorithms, and data mining techniques to identify patterns and trends that can be used to forecast future trends. It's widely used in finance, marketing, and healthcare for making informed decisions.
• Prescriptive Analysis: Prescriptive analysis goes beyond predicting future outcomes. It provides recommendations or solutions for specific situations based on historical and current data analysis. This type of analysis considers different possible actions and their potential outcomes to guide decision-making. Prescriptive analysis is often used in complex scenarios involving multiple variables and options.

Where is data analysis used?

Data analysis is used in a wide range of fields and industries, including but not limited to:

• Business: Analyzing customer behavior, market trends, and financial performance.
• Healthcare: Analyzing patient records, medical research data, and disease trends.
• Science: Analyzing experimental results, simulations, and observations.
• Finance: Analyzing investment trends, risk assessment, and portfolio management.
• Marketing: Analyzing campaign effectiveness, consumer preferences, and market segmentation.
• Social Sciences: Analyzing survey data, demographic trends, and human behavior.
• Sports: Analyzing player performance, game statistics, and strategy optimization.

What is the main tool for data analysis?

There isn't a single "main" tool for data analysis, as the choice of tools depends on the specific tasks and the preferences of the analyst. However, some widely used tools for data analysis include:

• Spreadsheet Software: Like Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets, used for basic data manipulation and visualization.
• Statistical Software: Such as R and Python's libraries (e.g., pandas, numpy, scipy), used for in-depth statistical analysis and modeling.
• Data Visualization Tools: Like Tableau, Power BI, or matplotlib/seaborn in Python, used to create visual representations of data.
• Database Management Systems (DBMS): Such as SQL-based systems for querying and managing large datasets.
• Machine Learning Libraries: Such as scikit-learn, TensorFlow, and PyTorch for building predictive models.

Why is data analysis important?

Data analysis is crucial for several reasons:

• Informed Decision-Making: It provides insights that help individuals and organizations make informed decisions based on evidence rather than intuition.
• Identifying Patterns and Trends: It helps to uncover hidden patterns, trends, and correlations in large datasets that might not be apparent on the surface.
• Problem Solving: Data analysis aids in solving complex problems by providing a structured approach to understanding and addressing issues.
• Improving Efficiency and Performance: It allows businesses to optimize processes, improve efficiency, and enhance performance based on data-driven insights.
• Innovation and Research: Data analysis is essential in scientific research and innovation, helping to validate hypotheses and drive discoveries.
• Competitive Advantage: Organizations that effectively use data analysis gain a competitive edge by better understanding their customers, markets, and internal operations.
• Risk Management: Data analysis enables better risk assessment and management by identifying potential issues or anomalies early on.
• Resource Allocation: It helps allocate resources effectively by understanding where investments are most likely to yield positive outcomes.

Related posts:

• How Financial Management Templates Can Make a Money Master Out of You
• How to Design the Perfect Service Launch Presentation [Custom Launch Deck Included]
• Quarterly Business Review Presentation: All the Essential Slides You Need in Your Deck
• [Updated 2023] How to Design The Perfect Product Launch Presentation [Best Templates Included]

Liked this blog? Please recommend us

Top 20 Big Data and Analytics Templates for Machine Learning, Cloud Computing and Artificial Intelligence PPT Presentations

Top 10 Data Security Management Templates to Safeguard Your Business (Free PDF Attached)

This form is protected by reCAPTCHA - the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

--> Digital revolution powerpoint presentation slides

--> Sales funnel results presentation layouts

--> 3d men joinning circular jigsaw puzzles ppt graphics icons

--> Business Strategic Planning Template For Organizations Powerpoint Presentation Slides

--> Future plan powerpoint template slide

--> Project Management Team Powerpoint Presentation Slides

--> Brand marketing powerpoint presentation slides

--> Launching a new service powerpoint presentation with slides go to market

--> Agenda powerpoint slide show

--> Four key metrics donut chart with percentage

--> Engineering and technology ppt inspiration example introduction continuous process improvement

--> Meet our team representing in circular format

10 Methods of Data Presentation That Really Work in 2024

Leah Nguyen • 20 August, 2024 • 13 min read

Have you ever presented a data report to your boss/coworkers/teachers thinking it was super dope like you’re some cyber hacker living in the Matrix, but all they saw was a pile of static numbers that seemed pointless and didn't make sense to them?

Understanding digits is rigid . Making people from non-analytical backgrounds understand those digits is even more challenging.

How can you clear up those confusing numbers and make your presentation as clear as the day? Let's check out these best ways to present data. 💎

More Tips with AhaSlides

• Marketing Presentation
• Survey Result Presentation
• Types of Presentation

Start in seconds.

Get any of the above examples as templates. Sign up for free and take what you want from the template library!

Data Presentation - What Is It?

The term ’data presentation’ relates to the way you present data in a way that makes even the most clueless person in the room understand. 

Some say it’s witchcraft (you’re manipulating the numbers in some ways), but we’ll just say it’s the power of turning dry, hard numbers or digits into a visual showcase that is easy for people to digest.

Presenting data correctly can help your audience understand complicated processes, identify trends, and instantly pinpoint whatever is going on without exhausting their brains.

Good data presentation helps…

• Make informed decisions and arrive at positive outcomes . If you see the sales of your product steadily increase throughout the years, it’s best to keep milking it or start turning it into a bunch of spin-offs (shoutout to Star Wars👀).
• Reduce the time spent processing data . Humans can digest information graphically 60,000 times faster than in the form of text. Grant them the power of skimming through a decade of data in minutes with some extra spicy graphs and charts.
• Communicate the results clearly . Data does not lie. They’re based on factual evidence and therefore if anyone keeps whining that you might be wrong, slap them with some hard data to keep their mouths shut.
• Add to or expand the current research . You can see what areas need improvement, as well as what details often go unnoticed while surfing through those little lines, dots or icons that appear on the data board.

Methods of Data Presentation and Examples

Imagine you have a delicious pepperoni, extra-cheese pizza. You can decide to cut it into the classic 8 triangle slices, the party style 12 square slices, or get creative and abstract on those slices. 

There are various ways to cut a pizza and you get the same variety with how you present your data. In this section, we will bring you the 10 ways to slice a pizza - we mean to present your data - that will make your company’s most important asset as clear as day. Let's dive into 10 ways to present data efficiently.

#1 - Tabular 

Among various types of data presentation, tabular is the most fundamental method, with data presented in rows and columns. Excel or Google Sheets would qualify for the job. Nothing fancy.

This is an example of a tabular presentation of data on Google Sheets. Each row and column has an attribute (year, region, revenue, etc.), and you can do a custom format to see the change in revenue throughout the year.

When presenting data as text, all you do is write your findings down in paragraphs and bullet points, and that’s it. A piece of cake to you, a tough nut to crack for whoever has to go through all of the reading to get to the point.

• 65% of email users worldwide access their email via a mobile device.
• Emails that are optimised for mobile generate 15% higher click-through rates.
• 56% of brands using emojis in their email subject lines had a higher open rate.

(Source: CustomerThermometer )

All the above quotes present statistical information in textual form. Since not many people like going through a wall of texts, you’ll have to figure out another route when deciding to use this method, such as breaking the data down into short, clear statements, or even as catchy puns if you’ve got the time to think of them.

#3 - Pie chart

A pie chart (or a ‘donut chart’ if you stick a hole in the middle of it) is a circle divided into slices that show the relative sizes of data within a whole. If you’re using it to show percentages, make sure all the slices add up to 100%.

The pie chart is a familiar face at every party and is usually recognised by most people. However, one setback of using this method is our eyes sometimes can’t identify the differences in slices of a circle, and it’s nearly impossible to compare similar slices from two different pie charts, making them the villains in the eyes of data analysts.

#4 - Bar chart

The bar chart is a chart that presents a bunch of items from the same category, usually in the form of rectangular bars that are placed at an equal distance from each other. Their heights or lengths depict the values they represent.

They can be as simple as this:

Or more complex and detailed like this example of data presentation. Contributing to an effective statistic presentation, this one is a grouped bar chart that not only allows you to compare categories but also the groups within them as well.

#5 - Histogram

Similar in appearance to the bar chart but the rectangular bars in histograms don’t often have the gap like their counterparts.

Instead of measuring categories like weather preferences or favourite films as a bar chart does, a histogram only measures things that can be put into numbers.

Teachers can use presentation graphs like a histogram to see which score group most of the students fall into, like in this example above.

#6 - Line graph

Recordings to ways of displaying data, we shouldn't overlook the effectiveness of line graphs. Line graphs are represented by a group of data points joined together by a straight line. There can be one or more lines to compare how several related things change over time. 

On a line chart’s horizontal axis, you usually have text labels, dates or years, while the vertical axis usually represents the quantity (e.g.: budget, temperature or percentage).

#7 - Pictogram graph

A pictogram graph uses pictures or icons relating to the main topic to visualise a small dataset. The fun combination of colours and illustrations makes it a frequent use at schools.

Pictograms are a breath of fresh air if you want to stay away from the monotonous line chart or bar chart for a while. However, they can present a very limited amount of data and sometimes they are only there for displays and do not represent real statistics.

#8 - Radar chart

If presenting five or more variables in the form of a bar chart is too stuffy then you should try using a radar chart, which is one of the most creative ways to present data.

Radar charts show data in terms of how they compare to each other starting from the same point. Some also call them ‘spider charts’ because each aspect combined looks like a spider web.

Radar charts can be a great use for parents who’d like to compare their child’s grades with their peers to lower their self-esteem. You can see that each angular represents a subject with a score value ranging from 0 to 100. Each student’s score across 5 subjects is highlighted in a different colour.

If you think that this method of data presentation somehow feels familiar, then you’ve probably encountered one while playing Pokémon .

#9 - Heat map

A heat map represents data density in colours. The bigger the number, the more colour intensity that data will be represented.

Most US citizens would be familiar with this data presentation method in geography. For elections, many news outlets assign a specific colour code to a state, with blue representing one candidate and red representing the other. The shade of either blue or red in each state shows the strength of the overall vote in that state.

Another great thing you can use a heat map for is to map what visitors to your site click on. The more a particular section is clicked the ‘hotter’ the colour will turn, from blue to bright yellow to red.

#10 - Scatter plot

If you present your data in dots instead of chunky bars, you’ll have a scatter plot. 

A scatter plot is a grid with several inputs showing the relationship between two variables. It’s good at collecting seemingly random data and revealing some telling trends.

For example, in this graph, each dot shows the average daily temperature versus the number of beach visitors across several days. You can see that the dots get higher as the temperature increases, so it’s likely that hotter weather leads to more visitors.

5 Data Presentation Mistakes to Avoid

#1 - assume your audience understands what the numbers represent.

You may know all the behind-the-scenes of your data since you’ve worked with them for weeks, but your audience doesn’t.

Showing without telling only invites more and more questions from your audience, as they have to constantly make sense of your data, wasting the time of both sides as a result.

While showing your data presentations, you should tell them what the data are about before hitting them with waves of numbers first. You can use interactive activities such as polls , word clouds , online quizzes and Q&A sections , combined with icebreaker games , to assess their understanding of the data and address any confusion beforehand.

#2 - Use the wrong type of chart

Charts such as pie charts must have a total of 100% so if your numbers accumulate to 193% like this example below, you’re definitely doing it wrong.

Before making a chart, ask yourself: what do I want to accomplish with my data? Do you want to see the relationship between the data sets, show the up and down trends of your data, or see how segments of one thing make up a whole?

Remember, clarity always comes first. Some data visualisations may look cool, but if they don’t fit your data, steer clear of them. 

#3 - Make it 3D

3D is a fascinating graphical presentation example. The third dimension is cool, but full of risks.

Can you see what’s behind those red bars? Because we can’t either. You may think that 3D charts add more depth to the design, but they can create false perceptions as our eyes see 3D objects closer and bigger than they appear, not to mention they cannot be seen from multiple angles.

#4 - Use different types of charts to compare contents in the same category

This is like comparing a fish to a monkey. Your audience won’t be able to identify the differences and make an appropriate correlation between the two data sets. 

Next time, stick to one type of data presentation only. Avoid the temptation of trying various data visualisation methods in one go and make your data as accessible as possible.

#5 - Bombard the audience with too much information

The goal of data presentation is to make complex topics much easier to understand, and if you’re bringing too much information to the table, you’re missing the point.

The more information you give, the more time it will take for your audience to process it all. If you want to make your data understandable and give your audience a chance to remember it, keep the information within it to an absolute minimum. You should end your session with open-ended questions to see what your participants really think.

What are the Best Methods of Data Presentation?

Finally, which is the best way to present data?

The answer is…

There is none! Each type of presentation has its own strengths and weaknesses and the one you choose greatly depends on what you’re trying to do. 

For example:

• Go for a scatter plot if you’re exploring the relationship between different data values, like seeing whether the sales of ice cream go up because of the temperature or because people are just getting more hungry and greedy each day?
• Go for a line graph if you want to mark a trend over time. 
• Go for a heat map if you like some fancy visualisation of the changes in a geographical location, or to see your visitors' behaviour on your website.
• Go for a pie chart (especially in 3D) if you want to be shunned by others because it was never a good idea👇

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a chart presentation.

A chart presentation is a way of presenting data or information using visual aids such as charts, graphs, and diagrams. The purpose of a chart presentation is to make complex information more accessible and understandable for the audience.

When can I use charts for the presentation?

Charts can be used to compare data, show trends over time, highlight patterns, and simplify complex information.

Why should you use charts for presentation?

You should use charts to ensure your contents and visuals look clean, as they are the visual representative, provide clarity, simplicity, comparison, contrast and super time-saving!

What are the 4 graphical methods of presenting data?

Histogram, Smoothed frequency graph, Pie diagram or Pie chart, Cumulative or ogive frequency graph, and Frequency Polygon.

Leah Nguyen

Words that convert, stories that stick. I turn complex ideas into engaging narratives - helping audiences learn, remember, and take action.

Tips to Engage with Polls & Trivia

More from AhaSlides

Call Us Today! +91 99907 48956 | [email protected]

It is the simplest form of data Presentation often used in schools or universities to provide a clearer picture to students, who are better able to capture the concepts effectively through a pictorial Presentation of simple data.

2. Column chart

It is a simplified version of the pictorial Presentation which involves the management of a larger amount of data being shared during the presentations and providing suitable clarity to the insights of the data.

3. Pie Charts

Pie charts provide a very descriptive & a 2D depiction of the data pertaining to comparisons or resemblance of data in two separate fields.

4. Bar charts

A bar chart that shows the accumulation of data with cuboid bars with different dimensions & lengths which are directly proportionate to the values they represent. The bars can be placed either vertically or horizontally depending on the data being represented.

5. Histograms

It is a perfect Presentation of the spread of numerical data. The main differentiation that separates data graphs and histograms are the gaps in the data graphs.

6. Box plots

Box plot or Box-plot is a way of representing groups of numerical data through quartiles. Data Presentation is easier with this style of graph dealing with the extraction of data to the minutes of difference.

Map Data graphs help you with data Presentation over an area to display the areas of concern. Map graphs are useful to make an exact depiction of data over a vast case scenario.

All these visual presentations share a common goal of creating meaningful insights and a platform to understand and manage the data in relation to the growth and expansion of one’s in-depth understanding of data & details to plan or execute future decisions or actions.

Importance of Data Presentation

Data Presentation could be both can be a deal maker or deal breaker based on the delivery of the content in the context of visual depiction.

Data Presentation tools are powerful communication tools that can simplify the data by making it easily understandable & readable at the same time while attracting & keeping the interest of its readers and effectively showcase large amounts of complex data in a simplified manner.

If the user can create an insightful presentation of the data in hand with the same sets of facts and figures, then the results promise to be impressive.

There have been situations where the user has had a great amount of data and vision for expansion but the presentation drowned his/her vision.

To impress the higher management and top brass of a firm, effective presentation of data is needed.

Data Presentation helps the clients or the audience to not spend time grasping the concept and the future alternatives of the business and to convince them to invest in the company & turn it profitable both for the investors & the company.

Although data presentation has a lot to offer, the following are some of the major reason behind the essence of an effective presentation:-

• Many consumers or higher authorities are interested in the interpretation of data, not the raw data itself. Therefore, after the analysis of the data, users should represent the data with a visual aspect for better understanding and knowledge.
• The user should not overwhelm the audience with a number of slides of the presentation and inject an ample amount of texts as pictures that will speak for themselves.
• Data presentation often happens in a nutshell with each department showcasing their achievements towards company growth through a graph or a histogram.
• Providing a brief description would help the user to attain attention in a small amount of time while informing the audience about the context of the presentation
• The inclusion of pictures, charts, graphs and tables in the presentation help for better understanding the potential outcomes.
• An effective presentation would allow the organization to determine the difference with the fellow organization and acknowledge its flaws. Comparison of data would assist them in decision making.

Recommended Courses

Data Visualization

Using powerbi &tableau.

Tableau for Data Analysis

MySQL Certification Program

The PowerBI Masterclass

Need help call our support team 7:00 am to 10:00 pm (ist) at (+91 999-074-8956 | 9650-308-956), keep in touch, email: [email protected].

WhatsApp us

• Publications
• News and Events
• Education and Outreach

Software Engineering Institute

Sei digital library, latest publications, embracing ai: unlocking scalability and transformation through generative text, imagery, and synthetic audio, august 28, 2024 • webcast, by tyler brooks , shannon gallagher , dominic a. ross.

In this webcast, Tyler Brooks, Shannon Gallagher, and Dominic Ross aim to demystify AI and illustrate its transformative power in achieving scalability, adapting to changing landscapes, and driving digital innovation.

Counter AI: What Is It and What Can You Do About It?

August 27, 2024 • white paper, by nathan m. vanhoudnos , carol j. smith , matt churilla , shing-hon lau , lauren mcilvenny , greg touhill.

This paper describes counter artificial intelligence (AI) and provides recommendations on what can be done about it.

Using Quality Attribute Scenarios for ML Model Test Case Generation

August 27, 2024 • conference paper, by rachel brower-sinning , grace lewis , sebastián echeverría , ipek ozkaya.

This paper presents an approach based on quality attribute (QA) scenarios to elicit and define system- and model-relevant test cases for ML models.

3 API Security Risks (and How to Protect Against Them)

August 27, 2024 • podcast, by mckinley sconiers-hasan.

McKinley Sconiers-Hasan discusses three API risks and how to address them through the lens of zero trust.

Lessons Learned in Coordinated Disclosure for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Systems

August 20, 2024 • white paper, by allen d. householder , vijay s. sarvepalli , jeff havrilla , matt churilla , lena pons , shing-hon lau , nathan m. vanhoudnos , andrew kompanek , lauren mcilvenny.

In this paper, the authors describe lessons learned from coordinating AI and ML vulnerabilities at the SEI's CERT/CC.

On the Design, Development, and Testing of Modern APIs

July 30, 2024 • white paper, by alejandro gomez , alex vesey.

This white paper discusses the design, desired qualities, development, testing, support, and security of modern application programming interfaces (APIs).

Evaluating Large Language Models for Cybersecurity Tasks: Challenges and Best Practices

July 26, 2024 • podcast, by jeff gennari , samuel j. perl.

Jeff Gennari and Sam Perl discuss applications for LLMs in cybersecurity, potential challenges, and recommendations for evaluating LLMs.

Capability-based Planning for Early-Stage Software Development

July 24, 2024 • podcast, by anandi hira , bill nichols.

This SEI podcast introduces capability-based planning (CBP) and its use and application in software acquisition.

A Model Problem for Assurance Research: An Autonomous Humanitarian Mission Scenario

July 23, 2024 • technical note, by gabriel moreno , anton hristozov , john e. robert , mark h. klein.

This report describes a model problem to support research in large-scale assurance.

Safeguarding Against Recent Vulnerabilities Related to Rust

June 28, 2024 • podcast, by david svoboda.

David Svoboda discusses two vulnerabilities related to Rust, their sources, and how to mitigate them.

• Open access
• Published: 26 August 2024

Evaluating panel discussions in ESP classes: an exploration of international medical students’ and ESP instructors’ perspectives through qualitative research

• Elham Nasiri   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-0644-1646 1 &
• Laleh Khojasteh   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-6393-2759 1  

BMC Medical Education volume  24 , Article number:  925 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

65 Accesses

Metrics details

This study investigates the effectiveness of panel discussions, a specific interactive teaching technique where a group of students leads a pre-planned, topic-focused discussion with audience participation, in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses for international medical students. This approach aims to simulate professional conference discussions, preparing students for future academic and clinical environments where such skills are crucial. While traditional group presentations foster critical thinking and communication, a gap exists in understanding how medical students perceive the complexities of preparing for and participating in panel discussions within an ESP setting. This qualitative study investigates the perceived advantages and disadvantages of these discussions from the perspectives of both panelists (medical students) and the audience (peers). Additionally, the study explores potential improvements based on insights from ESP instructors. Utilizing a two-phase design involving reflection papers and focus group discussions, data were collected from 46 medical students and three ESP instructors. Thematic analysis revealed that panel discussions offer unique benefits compared to traditional presentations, including enhanced engagement and more dynamic skill development for both panelists and the audience. Panelists reported gains in personal and professional development, including honing critical thinking, communication, and presentation skills. The audience perceived these discussions as engaging learning experiences that fostered critical analysis and information synthesis. However, challenges such as academic workload and concerns about discussion quality were also identified. The study concludes that panel discussions, when implemented effectively, can be a valuable tool for enhancing critical thinking, communication skills, and subject matter knowledge in ESP courses for medical students. These skills are transferable and can benefit students in various academic and professional settings, including future participation in medical conferences. This research provides valuable insights for ESP instructors seeking to integrate panel discussions into their curriculum, ultimately improving student learning outcomes and preparing them for future success in professional communication.

Peer Review reports

Introduction

In the field of medical education, the acquisition and application of effective communication skills are crucial for medical students in today’s global healthcare environment [ 1 ]. This necessitates not only strong English language proficiency but also the ability to present complex medical information clearly and concisely to diverse audiences.

Language courses, especially English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses for medical students, are highly relevant in today’s globalized healthcare environment [ 2 ]. In non-English speaking countries like Iran, these courses are particularly important as they go beyond mere language instruction to include the development of critical thinking, cultural competence, and professional communication skills [ 3 ]. Proficiency in English is crucial for accessing up-to-date research, participating in international conferences, and communicating with patients and colleagues from diverse backgrounds [ 4 ]. Additionally, ESP courses help medical students understand and use medical terminologies accurately, which is essential for reading technical articles, listening to audio presentations, and giving spoken presentations [ 5 ]. In countries where English is not the primary language, ESP courses ensure that medical professionals can stay current with global advancements and collaborate effectively on an international scale [ 6 ]. Furthermore, these courses support students who may seek to practice medicine abroad, enhancing their career opportunities and professional growth [ 7 ].

Moreover, ESP courses enable medical professionals to communicate effectively with international patients, which is crucial in multicultural societies and for medical tourism, ensuring that patient care is not compromised due to language barriers [ 8 ]. Many medical textbooks, journals, and online resources are available primarily in English, and ESP courses equip medical students with the necessary language skills to access and comprehend these resources, ensuring they are well-informed about the latest medical research and practices [ 9 ].

Additionally, many medical professionals from non-English speaking countries aim to take international certification exams, such as the USMLE or PLAB, which are conducted in English, and ESP courses prepare students for these exams by familiarizing them with the medical terminology and language used in these assessments [ 10 ]. ESP courses also contribute to the professional development of medical students by improving their ability to write research papers, case reports, and other academic documents in English, which is essential for publishing in international journals and contributing to global medical knowledge [ 11 ]. In the increasingly interdisciplinary field of healthcare, collaboration with professionals from other countries is common, and ESP courses facilitate effective communication and collaboration with international colleagues, fostering innovation and the exchange of ideas [ 12 ].

With the rise of telemedicine and online medical consultations, proficiency in English is essential for non-English speaking medical professionals to provide remote healthcare services to international patients, and ESP courses prepare students for these modern medical practices [ 13 ].

Finally, ESP courses often include training on cultural competence, which is crucial for understanding and respecting the cultural backgrounds of patients and colleagues, leading to more empathetic and effective patient care and professional interactions [ 14 ]. Many ESP programs for medical students incorporate group presentations as a vital component of their curriculum, recognizing the positive impact on developing these essential skills [ 15 ].

Group projects in language courses, particularly in ESP for medical students, are highly relevant for several reasons. They provide a collaborative environment that mimics real-world professional settings, where healthcare professionals often work in multidisciplinary teams [ 16 ]. These group activities foster not only language skills but also crucial soft skills such as teamwork, leadership, and interpersonal communication, which are essential in medical practice [ 17 ].

The benefits of group projects over individual projects in language learning are significant. Hartono, Mujiyanto [ 18 ] found that group presentation tasks in ESP courses led to higher self-efficacy development compared to individual tasks. Group projects encourage peer learning, where students can learn from each other’s strengths and compensate for individual weaknesses [ 19 ]. They also provide a supportive environment that can reduce anxiety and increase willingness to communicate in the target language [ 20 ]. However, it is important to note that group projects also come with challenges, such as social loafing and unequal contribution, which need to be managed effectively [ 21 ].

Traditional lecture-based teaching methods, while valuable for knowledge acquisition, may not effectively prepare medical students for the interactive and collaborative nature of real-world healthcare settings [ 22 ]. Panel discussions (hereafter PDs), an interactive teaching technique where a group of students leads a pre-planned, topic-focused discussion with audience participation, are particularly relevant in this context. They simulate professional conference discussions and interdisciplinary team meetings, preparing students for future academic and clinical environments where such skills are crucial [ 23 ].

PDs, also known as moderated discussions or moderated panels, are a specific type of interactive format where a group of experts or stakeholders engage in a facilitated conversation on a particular topic or issue [ 22 ]. In this format, a moderator guides the discussion, encourages active participation from all panelists, and fosters a collaborative environment that promotes constructive dialogue and critical thinking [ 24 ]. The goal is to encourage audience engagement and participation, which can be achieved through various strategies such as asking open-ended questions, encouraging counterpoints and counterarguments, and providing opportunities for audience members to pose questions or share their own experiences [ 25 ]. These discussions can take place in-person or online, and can be designed to accommodate diverse audiences and settings [ 26 ].

In this study, PD is considered a speaking activity where medical students are assigned specific roles to play during the simulation, such as a physician, quality improvement specialist, policymaker, or patient advocate. By taking on these roles, students can gain a better understanding of the diverse perspectives and considerations that come into play in real-world healthcare discussions [ 23 ]. Simulating PDs within ESP courses can be a powerful tool for enhancing medical students’ learning outcomes in multiple areas. This approach improves language proficiency, academic skills, and critical thinking abilities, while also enabling students to communicate effectively with diverse stakeholders in the medical field [ 27 , 28 ].

Theoretical framework

The panel discussions in our study are grounded in the concept of authentic assessment (outlined by Villarroel, Bloxham [ 29 ]), which involves designing tasks that mirror real-life situations and problems. In the context of medical education, this approach is particularly relevant as it prepares students for the complex, multidisciplinary nature of healthcare communication. Realism can be achieved through two means: providing a realistic context that describes and delivers a frame for the problem to be solved and creating tasks that are similar to those faced in real and/or professional life [ 30 ]. In our study, the PDs provide a realistic context by simulating scenarios where medical students are required to discuss and present complex medical topics in a professional setting, mirroring the types of interactions they will encounter in their future careers.

The task of participating in PDs also involves cognitive challenge, as students are required to think critically about complex medical topics, analyze information, and communicate their findings effectively. This type of task aims to generate processes of problem-solving, application of knowledge, and decision-making that correspond to the development of cognitive and metacognitive skills [ 23 ]. For medical students, these skills are crucial in developing clinical reasoning and effective patient communication. The PDs encourage students to go beyond the textual reproduction of fragmented and low-order content and move towards understanding, establishing relationships between new ideas and previous knowledge, linking theoretical concepts with everyday experience, deriving conclusions from the analysis of data, and examining both the logic of the arguments present in the theory and its practical scope [ 24 , 25 , 27 ].

Furthermore, the evaluative judgment aspect of our study is critical in helping students develop criteria and standards about what a good performance means in medical communication. This involves students judging their own performance and regulating their own learning [ 31 ]. In the context of panel discussions, students reflect on their own work, compare it with desired standards, and seek feedback from peers and instructors. By doing so, students can develop a sense of what constitutes good performance in medical communication and what areas need improvement [ 32 ]. Boud, Lawson and Thompson [ 33 ] argue that students need to build a precise judgment about the quality of their work and calibrate these judgments in the light of evidence. This skill is particularly important for future medical professionals who will need to continually assess and improve their communication skills throughout their careers.

The theoretical framework presented above highlights the importance of authentic learning experiences in medical education. By drawing on the benefits of group work and panel discussions, university instructor-researchers aimed to provide medical students with a unique opportunity to engage with complex cases and develop their communication and collaboration skills. As noted by Suryanarayana [ 34 ], authentic learning experiences can lead to deeper learning and improved retention. Considering the advantages of group work in promoting collaborative problem-solving and language development, the instructor-researchers designed a panel discussion task that simulates real-world scenarios, where students can work together to analyze complex cases, share knowledge, and present their findings to a simulated audience.

While previous studies have highlighted the benefits of interactive learning experiences and critical thinking skills in medical education, a research gap remains in understanding how medical students perceive the relevance of PDs in ESP courses. This study aims to address this gap by investigating medical students’ perceptions of PD tasks in ESP courses and how these perceptions relate to their language proficiency, critical thinking skills, and ability to communicate effectively with diverse stakeholders in the medical field. This understanding can inform best practices in medical education, contributing to the development of more effective communication skills for future healthcare professionals worldwide [ 23 ]. The research questions guiding this study are:

What are the perceived advantages of PDs from the perspectives of panelists and the audience?

What are the perceived disadvantages of PDs from the perspectives of panelists and the audience?

How can PDs be improved for panelists and the audience based on the insights of ESP instructors?

Methodology

Aim and design.

For this study, a two-phase qualitative design was employed to gain an understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of PDs from the perspectives of both student panelists and the audience (Phase 1) and to acquire an in-depth understanding of the suggested strategies provided by experts to enhance PPs for future students (Phase 2).

Participants and context of the study

This study was conducted in two phases (Fig.  1 ) at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (SUMS), Shiraz, Iran.

Participants of the study in two phases

In the first phase, the student participants were 46 non-native speakers of English and international students who studied medicine at SUMS. Their demographic characteristics can be seen in Table  1 .

These students were purposefully selected because they were the only SUMS international students who had taken the ESP (English for Specific Purposes) course. The number of international students attending SUMS is indeed limited. Each year, a different batch of international students joins the university. They progress through a sequence of English courses, starting with General English 1 and 2, followed by the ESP course, and concluding with academic writing. At the time of data collection, the students included in the study were the only international students enrolled in the ESP course. This mandatory 3-unit course is designed to enhance their language and communication skills specifically tailored to their profession. As a part of the Medicine major curriculum, this course aims to improve their English language proficiency in areas relevant to medicine, such as understanding medical terminology, comprehending original medicine texts, discussing clinical cases, and communicating with patients, colleagues, and other healthcare professionals.

Throughout the course, students engage in various interactive activities, such as group discussions, role-playing exercises, and case studies, to develop their practical communication skills. In this course, medical students receive four marks out of 20 for their oral presentations, while the remaining marks are allocated to their written midterm and final exams. From the beginning of the course, they are briefed about PDs, and they are shown two YouTube-downloaded videos about PDs at medical conferences, a popular format for discussing and sharing knowledge, research findings, and expert opinions on various medical topics.

For the second phase of the study, a specific group of participants was purposefully selected. This group consisted of three faculty members from SUMS English department who had extensive experience attending numerous conferences at national and international levels, particularly in the medical field, as well as working as translators and interpreters in medical congresses. Over the course of ten years, they also gained considerable experience in PDs. They were invited to discuss strategies helpful for medical students with PDs.

Panel discussion activity design and implementation

When preparing for a PD session, medical students received comprehensive guidance on understanding the roles and responsibilities of each panel member. This guidance was aimed at ensuring that each participant was well-prepared and understood their specific role in the discussion.

Moderators should play a crucial role in steering the conversation. They are responsible for ensuring that all panelists have an opportunity to contribute and that the audience is engaged effectively. Specific tasks include preparing opening remarks, introducing panelists, and crafting transition questions to facilitate smooth topic transitions. The moderators should also manage the time to ensure balanced participation and encourage active audience involvement.

Panelists are expected to be subject matter experts who bring valuable insights and opinions to the discussion. They are advised to conduct thorough research on the topic and prepare concise talking points. Panelists are encouraged to draw from their medical knowledge and relevant experiences, share evidence-based information, and engage with other panelists’ points through active listening and thoughtful responses.

The audience plays an active role in the PDs. They are encouraged to participate by asking questions, sharing relevant experiences, and contributing to the dialogue. To facilitate this, students are advised to take notes during the discussion and think of questions or comments they can contribute during the Q&A segment.

For this special course, medical students were advised to choose topics either from their ESP textbook or consider current medical trends, emerging research, and pressing issues in their field. Examples included breast cancer, COVID-19, and controversies in gene therapy. The selection process involved brainstorming sessions and consultation with the course instructor to ensure relevance and appropriateness.

To accommodate the PD sessions within the course structure, students were allowed to start their PD sessions voluntarily from the second week. However, to maintain a balance between peer-led discussions and regular course content, only one PD was held weekly. This approach enabled the ESP lecturer to deliver comprehensive content while also allowing students to engage in these interactive sessions.

A basic time structure was suggested for each PD (Fig.  2 ):

Time allocation for panel discussion stages in minutes

To ensure the smooth running of the course and maintain momentum, students were informed that they could cancel their PD session only once. In such cases, they were required to notify the lecturer and other students via the class Telegram channel to facilitate rescheduling and minimize disruptions. This provision was essential in promoting a sense of community among students and maintaining the course’s continuity.

Research tools and data collection

The study utilized various tools to gather and analyze data from participants and experts, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of the research topic.

Reflection papers

In Phase 1 of the study, 46 medical students detailed their perceptions of the advantages and disadvantages of panel discussions from dual perspectives: as panelists (presenters) and as audience members (peers).

Participants were given clear instructions and a 45-minute time frame to complete the reflection task. With approximately 80% of the international language students being native English speakers and the rest fluent in English, the researchers deemed this time allocation reasonable. The questions and instructions were straightforward, facilitating quick comprehension. It was estimated that native English speakers would need about 30 min to complete the task, while non-native speakers might require an extra 15 min for clarity and expression. This time frame aimed to allow students to respond thoughtfully without feeling rushed. Additionally, students could request more time if needed.

Focus group discussion

In phase 2 of the study, a focus group discussion was conducted with three expert participants. The purpose of the focus group was to gather insights from expert participants, specifically ESP (English for Specific Purposes) instructors, on how presentation dynamics can be improved for both panelists and the audience.

According to Colton and Covert [ 35 ], focus groups are useful for obtaining detailed input from experts. The appropriate size of a focus group is determined by the study’s scope and available resources [ 36 ]. Morgan [ 37 ] suggests that small focus groups are suitable for complex topics where specialist participants might feel frustrated if not allowed to express themselves fully.

The choice of a focus group over individual interviews was based on several factors. First, the exploratory nature of the study made focus groups ideal for interactive discussions, generating new ideas and in-depth insights [ 36 ]. Second, while focus groups usually involve larger groups, they can effectively accommodate a limited number of experts with extensive knowledge [ 37 ]. Third, the focus group format fostered a more open environment for idea exchange, allowing participants to engage dynamically [ 36 ]. Lastly, conducting a focus group was more time- and resource-efficient than scheduling three separate interviews [ 36 ].

Data analysis

The first phase of the study involved a thorough examination of the data related to the research inquiries using thematic analysis. This method was chosen for its effectiveness in uncovering latent patterns from a bottom-up perspective, facilitating a comprehensive understanding of complex educational phenomena [ 38 ]. The researchers first familiarized themselves with the data by repeatedly reviewing the reflection papers written by the medical students. Next, an initial round of coding was independently conducted to identify significant data segments and generate preliminary codes that reflected the students’ perceptions of the advantages and disadvantages of presentation dynamics PDs from both the presenter and audience viewpoints [ 38 ].

The analysis of the reflection papers began with the two researchers coding a subset of five papers independently, adhering to a structured qualitative coding protocol [ 39 ]. They convened afterward to compare their initial codes and address any discrepancies. Through discussion, they reached an agreement on the codes, which were then analyzed, organized into categories and themes, and the frequency of each code was recorded [ 38 ].

After coding the initial five papers, the researchers continued to code the remaining 41 reflection paper transcripts in batches of ten, meeting after each batch to review their coding, resolve any inconsistencies, and refine the coding framework as needed. This iterative process, characterized by independent coding, joint reviews, and consensus-building, helped the researchers establish a robust and reliable coding approach consistently applied to the complete dataset [ 40 ]. Once all 46 reflection paper transcripts were coded, the researchers conducted a final review and discussion to ensure accurate analysis. They extracted relevant excerpts corresponding to the identified themes and sub-themes from the transcripts to provide detailed explanations and support for their findings [ 38 ]. This multi-step approach of separate initial coding, collaborative review, and frequency analysis enhanced the credibility and transparency of the qualitative data analysis.

To ensure the trustworthiness of the data collected in this study, the researchers adhered to the Guba and Lincoln standards of scientific accuracy in qualitative research, which encompass credibility, confirmability, dependability, and transferability [ 41 ] (Table  2 ).

The analysis of the focus group data obtained from experts followed the same rigorous procedure applied to the student participants’ data. Thematic analysis was employed to examine the experts’ perspectives, maintaining consistency in the analytical approach across both phases of the study. The researchers familiarized themselves with the focus group transcript, conducted independent preliminary coding, and then collaboratively refined the codes. These codes were subsequently organized into categories and themes, with the frequency of each code recorded. The researchers engaged in thorough discussions to ensure agreement on the final themes and sub-themes. Relevant excerpts from the focus group transcript were extracted to provide rich, detailed explanations of each theme, thereby ensuring a comprehensive and accurate analysis of the experts’ insights.

1. What are the advantages of PDs from the perspective of panelists and the audience?

The analysis of the advantages of PDs from the perspectives of both panelists and audience members revealed several key themes and categories. Tables  2 and 3 present the frequency and percentage of responses for each code within these categories.

From the panelists’ perspective (Table  3 ), the overarching theme was “Personal and Professional Development.” The most frequently reported advantage was knowledge sharing (93.5%), followed closely by increased confidence (91.3%) and the importance of interaction in presentations (91.3%).

Notably, all categories within this theme had at least one code mentioned by over 80% of participants, indicating a broad range of perceived benefits. The category of “Effective teamwork and communication” was particularly prominent, with collaboration (89.1%) and knowledge sharing (93.5%) being among the most frequently cited advantages. This suggests that PDs are perceived as valuable tools for fostering interpersonal skills and collective learning. In the “Language mastery” category, increased confidence (91.3%) and better retention of key concepts (87.0%) were highlighted, indicating that PDs are seen as effective for both language and content learning.

The audience perspective (Table  4 ), encapsulated under the theme “Enriching Learning Experience,” showed similarly high frequencies across all categories.

The most frequently mentioned advantage was exposure to diverse speakers (93.5%), closely followed by the range of topics covered (91.3%) and increased audience interest (91.3%). The “Broadening perspectives” category was particularly rich, with all codes mentioned by over 70% of participants. This suggests that audience members perceive PDs as valuable opportunities for expanding their knowledge and viewpoints. In the “Language practice” category, the opportunity to practice language skills (89.1%) was the most frequently cited advantage, indicating that even as audience members, students perceive significant language learning benefits.

Comparing the two perspectives reveals several interesting patterns:

High overall engagement: Both panelists and audience members reported high frequencies across all categories, suggesting that PDs are perceived as beneficial regardless of the role played.

Language benefits: While panelists emphasized increased confidence (91.3%) and better retention of concepts (87.0%), audience members highlighted opportunities for language practice (89.1%). This indicates that PDs offer complementary language learning benefits for both roles.

Interactive learning: The importance of interaction was highly rated by panelists (91.3%), while increased audience interest was similarly valued by the audience (91.3%). This suggests that PDs are perceived as an engaging, interactive learning method from both perspectives.

Professional development: Panelists uniquely emphasized professional growth aspects such as experiential learning (84.8%) and real-world application (80.4%). These were not directly mirrored in the audience perspective, suggesting that active participation in PDs may offer additional professional development benefits.

Broadening horizons: Both groups highly valued the diversity aspect of PDs. Panelists appreciated diversity and open-mindedness (80.4%), while audience members valued diverse speakers (93.5%) and a range of topics (91.3%).

2. What are the disadvantages of PDs from the perspective of panelists and the audience?

The analysis of the disadvantages of panel discussions (PDs) from the perspectives of both panelists and audience members revealed several key themes and categories. Tables  4 and 5 present the frequency and percentage of responses for each code within these categories.

From the panelists’ perspective (Table  5 ), the theme “Drawbacks of PDs” was divided into two main categories: “Academic Workload Challenges” and “Coordination Challenges.” The most frequently reported disadvantage was long preparation (87.0%), followed by significant practice needed (82.6%) and the time-consuming nature of PDs (80.4%). These findings suggest that the primary concern for panelists is the additional workload that PDs impose on their already demanding academic schedules. The “Coordination Challenges” category, while less prominent than workload issues, still presented significant concerns. Diverse panel skills (78.3%) and finding suitable panelists (73.9%) were the most frequently cited issues in this category, indicating that team dynamics and composition are notable challenges for panelists.

The audience perspective (Table  6 ), encapsulated under the theme “Drawbacks of PDs,” was divided into two main categories: “Time-related Issues” and “Interaction and Engagement Issues.” In the “Time-related Issues” category, the most frequently mentioned disadvantage was the inefficient use of time (65.2%), followed by the perception of PDs as too long and boring (60.9%). Notably, 56.5% of respondents found PDs stressful due to overwhelming workload from other studies, and 52.2% considered them not very useful during exam time. The “Interaction and Engagement Issues” category revealed more diverse concerns. The most frequently mentioned disadvantage was the repetitive format (82.6%), followed by limited engagement with the audience (78.3%) and the perception of PDs as boring (73.9%). The audience also noted issues related to the panelists’ preparation and coordination, such as “Not practiced and natural” (67.4%) and “Coordination and Interaction Issues” (71.7%), suggesting that the challenges faced by panelists directly impact the audience’s experience.

Workload concerns: Both panelists and audience members highlighted time-related issues. For panelists, this manifested as long preparation times (87.0%) and difficulty balancing with other studies (76.1%). For the audience, it appeared as perceptions of inefficient use of time (65.2%) and stress due to overwhelming workload from other studies (56.5%).

Engagement issues: While panelists focused on preparation and coordination challenges, the audience emphasized the quality of the discussion and engagement. This suggests a potential mismatch between the efforts of panelists and the expectations of the audience.

Boredom and repetition: The audience frequently mentioned boredom (73.9%) and repetitive format (82.6%) as issues, which weren’t directly mirrored in the panelists’ responses. This indicates that while panelists may be focused on content preparation, the audience is more concerned with the delivery and variety of the presentation format.

Coordination challenges: Both groups noted coordination issues, but from different perspectives. Panelists struggled with team dynamics and finding suitable co-presenters, while the audience observed these challenges manifesting as unnatural or unpracticed presentations.

Academic pressure: Both groups acknowledged the strain PDs put on their academic lives, with panelists viewing it as a burden (65.2%) and the audience finding it less useful during exam times (52.2%).

3. How can PDs be improved for panelists and the audience from the experts’ point of view?

The presentation of data for this research question differs from the previous two due to the unique nature of the information gathered. Unlike the quantifiable student responses in earlier questions, this data stems from expert opinions and a reflection discussion session, focusing on qualitative recommendations for improvement rather than frequency of responses (Braun & Clarke, 2006). The complexity and interconnectedness of expert suggestions, coupled with the integration of supporting literature, necessitate a more narrative approach (Creswell & Poth, 2018). This format allows for a richer exploration of the context behind each recommendation and its potential implications (Patton, 2015). Furthermore, the exploratory nature of this question, aimed at generating ideas for improvement rather than measuring prevalence of opinions, is better served by a detailed, descriptive presentation (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). This approach enables a more nuanced understanding of how PDs can be enhanced, aligning closely with the “how” nature of the research question and providing valuable insights for potential implementation (Yin, 2018).

The experts provided several suggestions to address the challenges faced by students in panel discussions (PDs) and improve the experience for both panelists and the audience. Their recommendations focused on six key areas: time management and workload, preparation and skill development, engagement and interactivity, technological integration, collaboration and communication, and institutional support.

To address the issue of time management and heavy workload, one expert suggested teaching students to “ break down the task to tackle the time-consuming nature of panel discussions and balance it with other studies .” This approach aims to help students manage the extensive preparation time required for PDs without compromising their other academic responsibilities. Another expert emphasized “ enhancing medical students’ abilities to prioritize tasks , allocate resources efficiently , and optimize their workflow to achieve their goals effectively .” These skills were seen as crucial not only for PD preparation but also for overall academic success and future professional practice.

Recognizing the challenges of long preparation times and the perception of PDs being burdensome, an expert proposed “ the implementation of interactive training sessions for panelists .” These sessions were suggested to enhance coordination skills and improve the ability of group presenters to engage with the audience effectively. The expert emphasized that such training could help students view PDs as valuable learning experiences rather than additional burdens, potentially increasing their motivation and engagement in the process.

To combat issues of limited engagement and perceived boredom, experts recommended increasing engagement opportunities for the audience through interactive elements like audience participation and group discussions. They suggested that this could transform PDs from passive listening experiences to active learning opportunities. One expert suggested “ optimizing time management and restructuring the format of panel discussions ” to address inefficiency during sessions. This restructuring could involve shorter presentation segments interspersed with interactive elements to maintain audience attention and engagement.

An innovative solution proposed by one expert was “ using ChatGPT to prepare for PDs by streamlining scenario presentation preparation and role allocation. ” The experts collectively discussed the potential of AI to assist medical students in reducing their workload and saving time in preparing scenario presentations and allocating roles in panel discussions. They noted that AI could help generate initial content drafts, suggest role distributions based on individual strengths, and even provide practice questions for panelists, significantly reducing preparation time while maintaining quality.

Two experts emphasized the importance of enhancing collaboration and communication among panelists to address issues related to diverse panel skills and coordination challenges. They suggested establishing clear communication channels and guidelines to improve coordination and ensure a cohesive presentation. This could involve creating structured team roles, setting clear expectations for each panelist, and implementing regular check-ins during the preparation process to ensure all team members are aligned and progressing.

All experts were in agreement that improving PDs would not be possible “ if nothing is done by the university administration to reduce the ESP class size for international students .” They believed that large class sizes in ESP or EFL classes could negatively influence group oral presentations, hindering language development and leading to uneven participation. The experts suggested that smaller class sizes would allow for more individualized attention, increased speaking opportunities for each student, and more effective feedback mechanisms, all of which are crucial for developing strong presentation skills in a second language.

Research question 1: what are the advantages of PDs from the perspective of panelists and the audience?

The results of this study reveal significant advantages of PDs for both panelists and audience members in the context of medical education. These findings align with and expand upon previous research in the field of educational presentations and language learning.

Personal and professional development for panelists

The high frequency of reported benefits in the “Personal and Professional Development” theme for panelists aligns with several previous studies. The emphasis on language mastery, particularly increased confidence (91.3%) and better retention of key concepts (87.0%), supports the findings of Hartono, Mujiyanto [ 42 ], Gedamu and Gezahegn [ 15 ], Li [ 43 ], who all highlighted the importance of language practice in English oral presentations. However, our results show a more comprehensive range of benefits, including professional growth aspects like experiential learning (84.8%) and real-world application (80.4%), which were not as prominently featured in these earlier studies.

Interestingly, our findings partially contrast with Chou [ 44 ] study, which found that while group oral presentations had the greatest influence on improving students’ speaking ability, individual presentations led to more frequent use of metacognitive, retrieval, and rehearsal strategies. Our results suggest that PDs, despite being group activities, still provide significant benefits in these areas, possibly due to the collaborative nature of preparation and the individual responsibility each panelist bears. The high frequency of knowledge sharing (93.5%) and collaboration (89.1%) in our study supports Harris, Jones and Huffman [ 45 ] emphasis on the importance of group dynamics and varied perspectives in educational settings. However, our study provides more quantitative evidence for these benefits in the specific context of PDs.

Enriching learning experience for the audience

The audience perspective in our study reveals a rich learning experience, with high frequencies across all categories. This aligns with Agustina [ 46 ] findings in business English classes, where presentations led to improvements in all four language skills. However, our study extends these findings by demonstrating that even passive participation as an audience member can lead to significant perceived benefits in language practice (89.1%) and broadening perspectives (93.5% for diverse speakers). The high value placed on diverse speakers (93.5%) and range of topics (91.3%) by the audience supports the notion of PDs as a tool for expanding knowledge and viewpoints. This aligns with the concept of situated learning experiences leading to deeper understanding in EFL classes, as suggested by Li [ 43 ] and others [ 18 , 31 ]. However, our study provides more specific evidence for how this occurs in the context of PDs.

Interactive learning and engagement

Both panelists and audience members in our study highly valued the interactive aspects of PDs, with the importance of interaction rated at 91.3% by panelists and increased audience interest at 91.3% by the audience. This strong emphasis on interactivity aligns with Azizi and Farid Khafaga [ 19 ] study on the benefits of dynamic assessment and dialogic learning contexts. However, our study provides more detailed insights into how this interactivity is perceived and valued by both presenters and audience members in PDs.

Professional growth and real-world application

The emphasis on professional growth through PDs, particularly for panelists, supports Li’s [ 43 ] assertion about the power of oral presentations as situated learning experiences. Our findings provide more specific evidence for how PDs contribute to professional development, with high frequencies reported for experiential learning (84.8%) and real-world application (80.4%). This suggests that PDs may be particularly effective in bridging the gap between academic learning and professional practice in medical education.

Research question 2: what are the disadvantages of pds from the perspective of panelists and the audience?

Academic workload challenges for panelists.

The high frequency of reported challenges in the “Academic Workload Challenges” category for panelists aligns with several previous studies in medical education [ 47 , 48 , 49 ]. The emphasis on long preparation (87.0%), significant practice needed (82.6%), and the time-consuming nature of PDs (80.4%) supports the findings of Johnson et al. [ 24 ], who noted that while learners appreciate debate-style journal clubs in health professional education, they require additional time commitment. This is further corroborated by Nowak, Speed and Vuk [ 50 ], who found that intensive learning activities in medical education, while beneficial, can be time-consuming for students.

Perceived value of pds relative to time investment

While a significant portion of the audience (65.2%) perceived PDs as an inefficient use of time, the high frequency of engagement-related concerns (82.6% for repetitive format, 78.3% for limited engagement) suggests that the perceived lack of value may be more closely tied to the quality of the experience rather than just the time investment. This aligns with Dyhrberg O’Neill [ 27 ] findings on debate-based oral exams, where students perceived value despite the time-intensive nature of the activity. However, our results indicate a more pronounced concern about the return on time investment in PDs. This discrepancy might be addressed through innovative approaches to PD design and implementation, such as those proposed by Almazyad et al. [ 22 ], who suggested using AI tools to enhance expert panel discussions and potentially improve efficiency.

Coordination challenges for panelists

The challenges related to coordination in medical education, such as diverse panel skills (78.3%) and finding suitable panelists (73.9%), align with previous research on teamwork in higher education [ 21 ]. Our findings support the concept of the free-rider effect discussed by Hall and Buzwell [ 21 ], who explored reasons for non-contribution in group projects beyond social loafing. This is further elaborated by Mehmood, Memon and Ali [ 51 ], who proposed that individuals may not contribute their fair share due to various factors including poor communication skills or language barriers, which is particularly relevant in medical education where clear communication is crucial [ 52 ]. Comparing our results to other collaborative learning contexts in medical education, Rodríguez-Sedano, Conde and Fernández-Llamas [ 53 ] measured teamwork competence development in a multidisciplinary project-based learning environment. They found that while teamwork skills improved over time, initial coordination challenges were significant. This aligns with our findings on the difficulties of coordinating diverse panel skills and opinions in medical education settings.

Our results also resonate with Chou’s [ 44 ] study comparing group and individual oral presentations, which found that group presenters often had a limited understanding of the overall content. This is supported by Wilson, Ho and Brookes [ 54 ], who examined student perceptions of teamwork in undergraduate science degrees, highlighting the challenges and benefits of collaborative work, which are equally applicable in medical education [ 52 ].

Quality of discussions and perception for the audience

The audience perspective in our study reveals significant concerns about the quality and engagement of PDs in medical education. The high frequency of issues such as repetitive format (82.6%) and limited engagement with the audience (78.3%) aligns with Parmar and Bickmore [ 55 ] findings on the importance of addressing individual audience members and gathering feedback. This is further supported by Nurakhir et al. [ 25 ], who explored students’ views on classroom debates as a strategy to enhance critical thinking and oral communication skills in nursing education, which shares similarities with medical education. Comparing our results to other interactive learning methods in medical education, Jones et al. [ 26 ] reviewed the use of journal clubs and book clubs in pharmacy education. They found that while these methods enhanced engagement, they also faced challenges in maintaining student interest over time, similar to the boredom issues reported in our study of PDs in medical education. The perception of PDs as boring (73.9%) and not very useful during exam time (52.2%) supports previous research on the stress and pressure experienced by medical students [ 48 , 49 ]. Grieve et al. [ 20 ] specifically examined student fears of oral presentations and public speaking in higher education, which provides context for the anxiety and disengagement observed in our study of medical education. Interestingly, Bhuvaneshwari et al. [ 23 ] found positive impacts of panel discussions in educating medical students on specific modules. This contrasts with our findings and suggests that the effectiveness of PDs in medical education may vary depending on the specific context and implementation.

Comparative analysis and future directions

Our study provides a unique comparative analysis of the challenges faced by both panelists and audience members in medical education. The alignment of concerns around workload and time management between the two groups suggests that these are overarching issues in the implementation of PDs in medical curricula. This is consistent with the findings of Pasandín et al. [ 56 ], who examined cooperative oral presentations in higher education and their impact on both technical and soft skills, which are crucial in medical education [ 52 ]. The mismatch between panelist efforts and audience expectations revealed in our study is a novel finding that warrants further investigation in medical education. This disparity could be related to the self-efficacy beliefs of presenters, as explored by Gedamu and Gezahegn [ 15 ] in their study of TEFL trainees’ attitudes towards academic oral presentations, which may have parallels in medical education. Looking forward, innovative approaches could address some of the challenges identified in medical education. Almazyad et al. [ 22 ] proposed using AI tools like ChatGPT to enhance expert panel discussions in pediatric palliative care, which could potentially address some of the preparation and engagement issues identified in our study of medical education. Additionally, Ragupathi and Lee [ 57 ] discussed the role of rubrics in higher education, which could provide clearer expectations and feedback for both panelists and audience members in PDs within medical education.

Research question 3: how can PDs be improved for panelists and the audience from the experts’ point of view?

The expert suggestions for improving PDs address several key challenges identified in previous research on academic presentations and student workload management. These recommendations align with current trends in educational technology and pedagogical approaches, while also considering the unique needs of medical students.

The emphasis on time management and workload reduction strategies echoes findings from previous studies on medical student stress and academic performance. Nowak, Speed and Vuk [ 50 ] found that medical students often struggle with the fast-paced nature of their courses, which can lead to reduced motivation and superficial learning approaches. The experts’ suggestions for task breakdown and prioritization align with Rabbi and Islam [ 58 ] recommendations for reducing workload stress through effective assignment prioritization. Additionally, Popa et al. [ 59 ] highlight the importance of acceptance and planning in stress management for medical students, supporting the experts’ focus on these areas.

The proposed implementation of interactive training sessions for panelists addresses the need for enhanced presentation skills in professional contexts, a concern highlighted by several researchers [ 17 , 60 ]. This aligns with Grieve et al. [ 20 ] findings on student fears of oral presentations and public speaking in higher education, emphasizing the need for targeted training. The focus on interactive elements and audience engagement also reflects current trends in active learning pedagogies, as demonstrated by Pasandín et al. [ 56 ] in their study on cooperative oral presentations in engineering education.

The innovative suggestion to use AI tools like ChatGPT for PD preparation represents a novel approach to leveraging technology in education. This aligns with recent research on the potential of AI in scientific research, such as the study by Almazyad et al. [ 22 ], which highlighted the benefits of AI in supporting various educational tasks. However, it is important to consider potential ethical implications and ensure that AI use complements rather than replaces critical thinking and creativity.

The experts’ emphasis on enhancing collaboration and communication among panelists addresses issues identified in previous research on teamwork in higher education. Rodríguez-Sedano, Conde and Fernández-Llamas [ 53 ] noted the importance of measuring teamwork competence development in project-based learning environments. The suggested strategies for improving coordination align with best practices in collaborative learning, as demonstrated by Romero-Yesa et al. [ 61 ] in their qualitative assessment of challenge-based learning and teamwork in electronics programs.

The unanimous agreement on the need to reduce ESP class sizes for international students reflects ongoing concerns about the impact of large classes on language learning and student engagement. This aligns with research by Li [ 3 ] on issues in developing EFL learners’ oral English communication skills. Bosco et al. [ 62 ] further highlight the challenges of teaching and learning ESP in mixed classes, supporting the experts’ recommendation for smaller class sizes. Qiao, Xu and bin Ahmad [ 63 ] also emphasize the implementation challenges for ESP formative assessment in large classes, further justifying the need for reduced class sizes.

These expert recommendations provide a comprehensive approach to improving PDs, addressing not only the immediate challenges of preparation and delivery but also broader issues of student engagement, workload management, and institutional support. By implementing these suggestions, universities could potentially transform PDs from perceived burdens into valuable learning experiences that enhance both academic and professional skills. This aligns with Kho and Ting [ 64 ] systematic review on overcoming oral presentation anxiety among tertiary ESL/EFL students, which emphasizes the importance of addressing both challenges and strategies in improving presentation skills.

This study has shed light on the complex challenges associated with PDs in medical education, revealing a nuanced interplay between the experiences of panelists and audience members. The findings underscore the need for a holistic approach to implementing PDs that addresses both the academic workload concerns and the quality of engagement.

Our findings both support and extend previous research on the challenges of oral presentations and group work in medical education settings. The high frequencies of perceived challenges across multiple categories for both panelists and audience members suggest that while PDs may offer benefits, they also present significant obstacles that need to be addressed in medical education. These results highlight the need for careful consideration in the implementation of PDs in medical education, with particular attention to workload management, coordination strategies, and audience engagement techniques. Future research could focus on developing and testing interventions to mitigate these challenges while preserving the potential benefits of PDs in medical education.

Moving forward, medical educators should consider innovative approaches to mitigate these challenges. This may include:

Integrating time management and stress coping strategies into the PD preparation process [ 59 ].

Exploring the use of AI tools to streamline preparation and enhance engagement [ 22 ].

Developing clear rubrics and expectations for both panelists and audience members [ 57 ].

Incorporating interactive elements to maintain audience interest and participation [ 25 ].

Limitations and future research

One limitation of this study is that it focused on a specific population of medical students, which may limit the generalizability of the findings to other student populations. Additionally, the study relied on self-report data from panelists and audience members, which may introduce bias and affect the validity of the results. Future research could explore the effectiveness of PDs in different educational contexts and student populations to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the benefits and challenges of panel discussions.

Future research should focus on evaluating the effectiveness of these interventions and exploring how PDs can be tailored to the unique demands of medical education. By addressing the identified challenges, PDs have the potential to become a more valuable and engaging component of medical curricula, fostering both academic and professional development. Ultimately, the goal should be to transform PDs from perceived burdens into opportunities for meaningful learning and skill development, aligning with the evolving needs of medical education in the 21st century.

Future research could also examine the long-term impact of PDs on panelists’ language skills, teamwork, and communication abilities. Additionally, exploring the effectiveness of different training methods and tools, such as AI technology, in improving coordination skills and reducing workload stress for panelists could provide valuable insights for educators and administrators. Further research could also investigate the role of class size and audience engagement in enhancing the overall effectiveness of PDs in higher education settings. By addressing these gaps in the literature, future research can contribute to the ongoing development and improvement of PDs as a valuable learning tool for students in higher education.

However, it is important to note that implementing these changes may require significant institutional resources and a shift in pedagogical approaches. Future research could focus on piloting these recommendations and evaluating their effectiveness in improving student outcomes and experiences with PDs.

Data availability

We confirm that the data supporting the findings are available within this article. Raw data supporting this study’s findings are available from the corresponding author, upon request.

Abbreviations

Artificial Intelligence

English as a Foreign Language

English for Specific Purposes

Panel Discussion

Shiraz University of Medical Sciences

Harden RM, Laidlaw JM. Essential skills for a medical teacher: an introduction to teaching and learning in medicine. Elsevier Health Sciences; 2020.

Ibrahim Mohamed O, Al Jadaan DO. English for Specific purposes (Esp) Needs Analysis for Health Sciences students: a cross-sectional study at a University in the UAE. English for Specific purposes (Esp) Needs Analysis for Health Sciences Students: A Cross-Sectional Study at a University in the UAE.

Li Y, Heron M. English for general academic purposes or English for specific purposes? Language learning needs of medical students at a Chinese university. Theory Pract Lang Stud. 2021;11(6):621–31.

Article   Google Scholar  

Chan SMH, Mamat NH, Nadarajah VD. Mind your language: the importance of English language skills in an International Medical Programme (IMP). BMC Med Educ. 2022;22(1):405.

Cortez Faustino BS, Ticas de Córdova CK, de la Hernández DI. Teaching English for specific purposes: contents and methodologies that could be implemented in the English for Medical purposes (EMP) course for the doctor of Medicine Major at the University of El Salvador. Universidad de El Salvador; 2022.

BENYAMINA E-Z BOUKAHLAH. Enhancing Specialty Language learning through content-based instruction: students of Paramedical Institute of Tiaret as a case study. Université IBN KHALDOUN-Tiaret; 2023.

Prikazchikov M. Medical English course for russian-speaking dentists: a needs analysis study. Iowa State University; 2024.

Kim C, Lee SY, Park S-H. Is Korea Ready to be a key player in the Medical Tourism Industry? An English Education Perspective. Iran J Public Health. 2020;49(2):267–73.

Google Scholar  

Syakur A, Zainuddin H, Hasan MA. Needs analysis English for specific purposes (esp) for vocational pharmacy students. Budapest International Research and Critics in Linguistics and Education (BirLE). Journal. 2020;3(2):724–33.

Chan S, Taylor L. Comparing writing proficiency assessments used in professional medical registration: a methodology to inform policy and practice. Assess Writ. 2020;46:100493.

Hyland K, Jiang FK. Delivering relevance: the emergence of ESP as a discipline. Engl Specif Purp. 2021;64:13–25.

Maftuna B. The role of English in ESP. Am J Adv Sci Res. 2024;1(2):1–5.

LEON LI, HUMANIZING THE FOREIGN LANGUAGE. COURSE: NEW TEACHING METHODS FOR MEDICAL STUDENTS. Language, Culture and Change. 2022:243.

Dahm MR, Yates L. Rapport, empathy and professional identity: Some challenges for international medical graduates speaking English as a second or foreign language. Multilingual Healthcare: A Global View on Communicative Challenges. 2020:209 – 34.

Gedamu AD, Gezahegn TH. TEFL trainees’ attitude to and self-efficacy beliefs of academic oral presentation. Cogent Educ. 2023;10(1):2163087.

Saliu B, Hajrullai H. Best practices in the English for specific purpose classes at the language center. Procedia-Social Behav Sci. 2016;232:745–9.

Clokie TL, Fourie E. Graduate employability and communication competence: are undergraduates taught relevant skills? Bus Prof Communication Q. 2016;79(4):442–63.

Hartono H, Mujiyanto J, Fitriati SW, Sakhiyya Z, Lotfie MM, Maharani MM. English Presentation Self-Efficacy Development of Indonesian ESP students: the effects of Individual versus Group Presentation tasks. Int J Lang Educ. 2023;7(3):361–76.

Azizi Z, Farid Khafaga A. Scaffolding via Group-dynamic Assessment to positively affect motivation, learning anxiety, and willingness to Communicate: a Case Study of High School Students. J Psycholinguist Res. 2023;52(3):831–51.

Grieve R, Woodley J, Hunt SE, McKay A. Student fears of oral presentations and public speaking in higher education: a qualitative survey. J Furth High Educ. 2021;45(9):1281–93.

Hall D, Buzwell S. The problem of free-riding in group projects: looking beyond social loafing as reason for non-contribution. Act Learn High Educ. 2013;14(1):37–49.

Almazyad M, Aljofan F, Abouammoh NA, Muaygil R, Malki KH, Aljamaan F, et al. Enhancing Expert Panel discussions in Pediatric Palliative Care: innovative scenario development and summarization with ChatGPT-4. Cureus. 2023;15(4):e38249.

Bhuvaneshwari S, Rashmi R, Deepika K, Anirudh VM, Vijayamathy A, Rekha S, Kathiravan R. Impact of panel discussion in educating AETCOM First Module among Undergraduate Medical Students. Latin Am J Pharmacy: Life Sci J. 2023;42(6):407–12.

Johnson BR, Logan LD, Darley A, Stone RH, Smith SE, Osae SP, et al. A scoping review for Debate-Style Journal Clubs in Health Professional Education. Am J Pharm Educ. 2023;87(6):100064.

Nurakhir A, Palupi FN, Langeveld C, Nurmalia D. Students’ views of classroom debates as a strategy to enhance critical thinking and oral communication skills. 2020.

Jones EP, Nelson NR, Thorpe CT, Rodgers PT, Carlson RB. Use of journal clubs and book clubs in pharmacy education: a scoping review. Currents Pharm Teach Learn. 2022;14(1):110–9.

Dyhrberg O’Neill L. Assessment of student debates in support of active learning? Students’ perceptions of a debate-based oral final exam. Act Learn High Educ. 2024.

Dyment JE, O’Connell TS. Assessing the quality of reflection in student journals: a review of the research. Teach High Educ. 2011;16(1):81–97.

Villarroel V, Bloxham S, Bruna D, Bruna C, Herrera-Seda C. Authentic assessment: creating a blueprint for course design. Assess Evaluation High Educ. 2018;43(5):840–54.

Schultz M, Young K, Gunning K, Harvey T. Defining and measuring authentic assessment: a case study in the context of tertiary science. Assess Evaluation High Educ. 2022;47(1):77–94.

Sundrarajun C, Kiely R. The oral presentation as a context for learning and assessment. Innov Lang Learn Teach. 2010;4(2):101–17.

Wyatt-Smith C, Adie L. The development of students’ evaluative expertise: enabling conditions for integrating criteria into pedagogic practice. J Curriculum Stud. 2021;53(4):399–419.

Boud D, Lawson R, Thompson DG. The calibration of student judgement through self-assessment: disruptive effects of assessment patterns. High Educ Res Dev. 2015;34(1):45–59.

A. S. Enhancing Meaningful Learning experiences through Comprehension and Retention by students. Twentyfirst Century Publications Patiala. 2023;49.

Colton D, Covert RW. Designing and constructing instruments for social research and evaluation. Wiley; 2007.

Krueger RA, Casey MA. Focus group interviewing. Handbook of practical program evaluation. 2015:506 – 34.

Morgan DL. Handbook of interview research: Context and method. Oaks, CA, USA: Sage Publications Thousand; 2002.

Braun V, Clarke V. Conceptual and design thinking for thematic analysis. Qualitative Psychol. 2022;9(1):3.

Elliott V. Thinking about the coding process in qualitative data analysis. Qualitative Rep. 2018;23(11).

Syed M, Nelson SC. Guidelines for establishing reliability when coding narrative data. Emerg Adulthood. 2015;3(6):375–87.

Lincoln Y. Naturalistic inquiry: Sage; 1985.

Hartono H, Mujiyanto J, Fitriati SW, Sakhiyya Z, Lotfie MM, Maharani MM. English presentation self-efficacy development of Indonesian ESP students: the effects of Individual versus Group Presentation tasks. Int J Lang Educ. 2023;7(3).

Li X. Teaching English oral presentations as a situated task in an EFL classroom: a quasi-experimental study of the effect of video-assisted self-reflection. Revista Signos. 2018;51(98):359–81.

Chou M-h. The influence of learner strategies on oral presentations: a comparison between group and individual performance. Engl Specif Purp. 2011;30(4):272–85.

Harris A, Jones M, Huffman J. Teachers leading educational reform. The power of. 2017.

Agustina L. Stimulating students to speak up through presentation in business English class. J Appl Stud Lang. 2019;3(1):21–8.

Babal JC, Abraham O, Webber S, Watterson T, Moua P, Chen J. Student pharmacist perspectives on factors that influence wellbeing during pharmacy school. Am J Pharm Educ. 2020;84(9):ajpe7831.

Moir F, Yielder J, Sanson J, Chen Y. Depression in medical students: current insights. Adv Med Educ Pract. 2018;323:33.

Pavlinac Dodig I, Lusic Kalcina L, Demirovic S, Pecotic R, Valic M, Dogas Z. Sleep and lifestyle habits of medical and non-medical students during the COVID-19 lockdown. Behav Sci. 2023;13(5):407.

Nowak G, Speed O, Vuk J. Microlearning activities improve student comprehension of difficult concepts and performance in a biochemistry course. Currents Pharm Teach Learn. 2023;15(1):69–78.

Mehmood K, Memon S, Ali F. Language barriers to Effective Communication in speaking English: a phenomenological study of Pakistan International cricketers. Pakistan Lang Humanit Rev. 2024;8(1):107–14.

Buelow JR, Downs D, Jorgensen K, Karges JR, Nelson D. Building interdisciplinary teamwork among allied health students through live clinical case simulations. J Allied Health. 2008;37(2):e109–23.

Rodríguez-Sedano FJ, Conde M, Fernández-Llamas C, editors. Measuring teamwork competence development in a multidisciplinary project based learning environment. Learning and Collaboration Technologies Design, Development and Technological Innovation: 5th International Conference, LCT 2018, Held as Part of HCI International 2018, Las Vegas, NV, USA, July 15–20, 2018, Proceedings, Part I 5; 2018: Springer.

Wilson L, Ho S, Brookes RH. Student perceptions of teamwork within assessment tasks in undergraduate science degrees. Assess Evaluation High Educ. 2018;43(5):786–99.

Parmar D, Bickmore T. Making it personal: addressing individual audience members in oral presentations using augmented reality. Proc ACM Interact Mob Wearable Ubiquitous Technol. 2020;4(2):1–22.

Pasandín AMR, Pérez IP, Iglesias PO, Díaz JJG. Cooperative oral presentations in higher education to enhance technical and soft skills in engineering students. Int J Continuing Eng Educ Life Long Learn. 2023;33(6):592–607.

Ragupathi K, Lee A. Beyond fairness and consistency in grading: The role of rubrics in higher education. Diversity and inclusion in global higher education: Lessons from across Asia. 2020:73–95.

Rabbi MF, Islam MS. The effect of academic stress and Mental anxiety among the students of Khulna University. Edukasiana: Jurnal Inovasi Pendidikan. 2024;3(3):280–99.

Popa CO, Schenk A, Rus A, Szasz S, Suciu N, Szabo DA, Cojocaru C. The role of acceptance and planning in stress management for medical students. Acta Marisiensis-Seria Med. 2020;66(3):101–5.

Christianson M, Payne S. Helping students develop skills for better presentations: Using the 20x20 format for presentation training. 語学研究. 2012;26:1–15.

Romero-Yesa S, Fonseca D, Aláez M, Amo-Filva D. Qualitative assessment of a challenge-based learning and teamwork applied in electronics program. Heliyon. 2023;9(12).

Bosco TJ, Gabriel B, Florence M, Gilbert N. Towards effective teaching and learning ESP in mixed classes: students’ interest, challenges and remedies. Int J Engl Literature Social Sci. 2020;5(2):506–16.

Qiao L, Xu Y, bin Ahmad N, An Analysis Of Implementation Challenges For English, For Specific Purposes (Esp) Formative Assessment Via Blended Learning Mode At Chinese Vocational Polytechnics. Journal Of Digital Education, Communication, And Arts (DECA). 2023;6(02):64–76.

Kho MG-W, Ting S-H. Overcoming oral presentation anxiety: a systematic review of Tertiary ESL/EFL Students’ challenges and strategies. Qeios. 2023.

Download references

We confirm that no funding was received for this work.

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Department of English Language, School of Paramedical Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran

Elham Nasiri & Laleh Khojasteh

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Contributions

L.KH was involved in writing the proposal, reviewing the text, analyzing the data, and writing the manuscript. E. N was involvedin designing the research and collecting and analyzing the data. Both authors have reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Laleh Khojasteh .

Ethics declarations

Ethics approval and consent to participate.

Our study, entitled “Evaluating Panel Discussions in ESP Classes: An Exploration of International Medical Students’ and ESP Instructors’ Perspectives through Qualitative Research,” was reviewed by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of the School of Paramedical Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (SUMS). The IRB reviewed the study on August 14th, 2024, and determined that formal ethics approval or a reference number was not required. This decision was based on the fact that the research posed minimal risk to participants and focused solely on their educational experiences without involving any intervention or the collection of sensitive personal data.

Consent for publication

Not Applicable.

Competing interests

We confirm that there are no known conflicts of interest associated with this publication and that this work did not receive any financial support.

Additional information

Publisher’s note.

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, which permits any non-commercial use, sharing, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if you modified the licensed material. You do not have permission under this licence to share adapted material derived from this article or parts of it. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ .

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article.

Nasiri, E., Khojasteh, L. Evaluating panel discussions in ESP classes: an exploration of international medical students’ and ESP instructors’ perspectives through qualitative research. BMC Med Educ 24 , 925 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-05911-3

Download citation

Received : 08 May 2024

Accepted : 14 August 2024

Published : 26 August 2024

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-05911-3

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Group oral presentations
• Medical students
• Panel discussions
• ESP courses

BMC Medical Education

ISSN: 1472-6920

• General enquiries: [email protected]

Microsoft Power BI Blog

• Announcements
• Power BI Embedded

Power BI August 2024 Feature Summary

Welcome to the August 2024 update.

Here are a few, select highlights of the many we have for Power BI.  You can now ask Copilot questions against your semantic model. Updated Save and Upload to OneDrive Flow in Power BI and Narrative visual with Copilot is available in SaaS embed. There is much more to explore, please continue to read on!

European Fabric Community Conference

Join us at Europe’s first  Fabric Community Conference , the ultimate  Power BI,   Fabric, SQL & AI  learning event in  Stockholm, Sweden  from  September 24 -27, 2024 .

With 120 sessions, daily keynotes, 10 pre-conference workshops, an expo hall with community lounge, and “ask the expert” area, the conference offers a rich learning experience you don’t want to miss. This is a unique opportunity to meet the Microsoft teams building these products, customers betting their business on them, and partners at the forefront of deployment and adoption.

Register today  using code MSCUST for an  exclusive discount!

Fabric Sticker Challenge Winners Announced!

The Fabric Community Sticker Challenge launched August 1-23 and winners are in! All Fabric Community members were invited to create unique stickers showcasing their enthusiasm and creativity under the following categories: Community Enthusiasm, Inspirational, “Inside Joke” for developers and data, and Super Users. To see winning designs, check out our Community News . Thank you all who participated in this challenge; it was great to see so much involvement!

Fabric Influencers Spotlight

Check out our latest initiative, the  Fabric Influencers Spotlight .   Each month, we’ll be highlighting some of the great blog, videos presentations and other contributions submitted by members of Microsoft MVP & Fabric Super User communities that cover the Fabric Platform, Data Engineering & Data Science in Fabric, Data Warehousing, Power BI, Real-Time Intelligence, Data Integration, Fabric Administration & Governance, Databases and Learning.

Attention Power BI users! 

If you are accessing Power BI on a web browser version older than Chrome 94, Edge 94, Safari 16.4, Firefox 93, or equivalent, you need upgrade your web browser to a newer version by  August 31, 2024 . Using an outdated browser version after this date, may prevent you from accessing features in Power BI.

• Version number: v:  2.132.908.0
• Date published: 8/19/24
• Ask Copilot questions against your semantic model (preview) 

Visual level format strings (preview)

• Dynamic per recipient subscriptions (Generally Available) 

Deliver subscriptions to OneDrive and SharePoint (Generally Available)

• Updated Save and Upload to OneDrive Flow in Power BI 
• Visuals, shapes and line enhancements 
• DAX query view in the web 
• Narrative visual with Copilot available in SaaS embed 

Editor’s pick of the quarter

New visuals in appsource, filter by powerviz, pie of pie by jta, drill down pie pro by zoomcharts, hierarchical bar chart, deneb: declarative visualization in power bi.

• Paginated Reports: Sharing of reports connecting to Get Data data sources made easy 

Copilot and AI

Ask copilot questions against your semantic model (preview).

We are pleased to announce that you can now ask Copilot for data from your entire semantic model in Desktop ! Just tell Copilot what you’re looking for, and Copilot will query your model to answer your question with a visual.

To use this new capability, you need to have the Preview feature for “ Copilot chat pane in report view” turned on. If you already have done this there is nothing else that you to need to utilize this new capability.  

To find out more about how this feature works and the types of questions that are supported check out our previous blog post and documentation page .

Visual level format strings are here, providing you with more options to configure formatting. Originally built for visual calculations, the core ability that visual-level format strings provide is the ability to format visual calculations. Since visual calculations are not in the model, you could not format them, unless you were using them in data labels or in specific parts of the new card and new slicer visuals. With visual level format strings, you can!

Visual level format strings, however, are useful even without using visual calculations.

With the introduction of visual-level format strings, Power BI now has three levels for format strings:

• Model. You can set a format string for columns and measures in the model. Anywhere you use that column or measure the format string will be applied, unless it’s overridden by a visual or element level format string.
• Visual. This is what we’re introducing today. You can set format strings on any column, measure or visual calculation that is on your visual, even if they already had a format string. In that case the model level format string will be overridden, and the visual level format string is used.
• Element. You can set a format string for data labels and for specific elements of the new card and the new slicer visuals. This level will be expanded to include much more in the future. Any format string you set here will override the format string set on the visual and model level.

These levels are hierarchical, with the model level being the lowest level and the element level the highest. A format string defined on a column, measure or visual calculation on a higher-level override what was defined on a lower level.

Since visual calculations are not in the model, they cannot have a format string set on the model level but can on the visual or element level. Measures and columns can have format strings on all three levels:

The image below summarizes this and shows that higher level format strings override lower-level format strings:

Let’s look at an example using a measure.

I have a Profit measure in my model, which is set to a decimal number format. To do this, you might have set the formatting for this measure using the ribbon:

Alternatively, you could have made the same selections in the properties pane for the measure in the model view or entered the following custom formatting code:

If you put this measure on a visual it now returns a decimal number, as expected:

However, on a particular visual you want that measure to be formatted as a whole number. You can now do that by setting the format code on the visual level by opening the format pane for that visual and the Data format options found there under General:

Now that same measure shows as a whole number, but just on that visual:

On top of that, you might want to use a scientific notation for that measure but only in the data label on a particular visual. No problem, you set the format code on the data label for that measure:

So now the total shows in scientific notation, but only in the data label and not in other places (such as the tooltip as shown below). Notice how the element level format is used in the data label but the visual or model level format string is still used for the other elements in the same visual.

For visual calculations the same principle applies but of course without the model level. For example, if you have a visual calculation that returns a percentage, you can now format it as such using the Data Format options in the General on the visual in the format pane:

The ability to set visual level format strings makes it much easier to get the exact formatting you need for your visualizations. However, this is only the first iteration of the visual level format strings. We are planning to add the settings you’re used to for the model level format strings to the visual level soon.

Since visual level format strings are introduced as part of the visual calculations preview, you will need to turn on the visual calculations preview to use them. To do that, go to Options and Settings  >  Options  >  Preview features . Select  Visual calculations  and select  OK . Visual calculations and visual level format strings are enabled after Power BI Desktop is restarted.

Please refer to our docs to read more about format strings or visual calculations .

Dynamic per recipient subscriptions (Generally Available)

We are excited to announce the general availability of Dynamic per recipient subscriptions for Power BI and paginated reports. Dynamic per recipient subscriptions is designed to simplify distributing a personalized copy of a report to each recipient of an email subscription. You define which view of the report an individual receives by specifying which filters are applied to their version of the report. The feature is now available in Sov. Clouds as well.

Connect to data that has recipient email, names or report parameters.

Then, select and filter data that you want in your subscription. You probably only want to send emails conditionally. To do that, you can filter the data in the “Filter” pane.

You can select the recipient email addresses and the email subject from the dataset that you connected to by selecting “Get Data”.

You can then map your data to the subscription.

Then schedule the subscription and save it.

The subscriptions will be triggered based on the schedule that you have set up. Personalized reports can be sent to up to a thousand recipients! Learn more about Dynamic per recipient subscriptions for Power BI reports, and paginated reports .

Do you have reports that are too large to be delivered by email? Do you have reports that are eating into your email in just a few weeks, or do you need you to move it to a different location? You can now deliver Power BI and paginated report subscriptions to OneDrive or SharePoint. With this capability, you can schedule and send full report attachments to a OneDrive or SharePoint location. Learn more about how to deliver report subscriptions to OneDrive or SharePoint .

Updated Save and Upload to OneDrive Flow in Power BI

Beginning the first week of August, desktop users should see a preview switch starting in SU8 to turn on the updated Save and Upload to OneDrive experience in Power BI. To enable this, navigate to the Preview features section of Options in Power BI. Users will then need to select “Saving to OneDrive and SharePoint uploads the file in the background”.

With these updates, we’ve improved the experience of uploading new Power BI files to OneDrive, and easily upload new changes in the background.

For uploading new files, after navigating to the correct location in the OneDrive file picker and saving, a dialog box appears while the file is being uploaded. The option to cancel the upload is there if needed. This dialog will only show up the first time a new file is uploaded to OneDrive.

Dialog for saving a new file to OneDrive.

When new changes are saved to a file uploaded to OneDrive, the top of the toolbar indicates that the new changes are also being uploaded to OneDrive.

Additional changes being uploaded in the background to the existing file.

If you click on the title bar flyout in the toolbar, you can also now access more information about the file. Clicking “View your file in OneDrive” will provide a direct link to where the file is stored in OneDrive.

Drop down including the link to the file in OneDrive.

We are introducing the data limit capability to help you manage performance issues. This feature allows you to set the maximum data load for a single session per visual displaying only the rows of data in an ascending order by default.

To use this feature: 

• Go to the ‘Filters on this visual’ menu in the filter pane.

• Set your desired data limit value.

The filter card features include: 

• Removing, locking, or clearing filters.  
• Hiding or showing filters.
• Expanding or collapsing filter cards.
• Applying filters.
• Renaming and reordering filters.

Report consumers can see any data limits applied to a visual in the filter visual header, even if the filter pane is hidden.

Visuals, shapes and line enhancements

Over the past few months, we have been fine-tuning the visual elements of your reports, including columns, bars, ribbons, and lines. We have given you the ability to craft these Cartesians with precision. However, we noticed that the legends and tooltips were not quite accurate .  

With the latest update, the legend and tooltip icons will now automatically and accurately reflect per-series formatting settings, such as border colors, shapes, and line styles. This makes it easier to match series to their visual representations. Additionally, we have added consistency to how per-series formatting is applied to line charts, column/bar charts, scatter charts, and other Cartesian formatting options for common items like error bars and anomalies.  

Check out the Reporting demos here:

DAX query view in the web

Write DAX queries on your published semantic models with DAX query view in the web. DAX query view, already available in Power BI Desktop, is now also available when you are in the workspace.

Look for Write DAX queries on your published semantic model.

• Right-click on the semantic model and choose Write DAX queries .
• Click on the semantic model to open the details page, then click Write DAX queries at the top of the page.

This will launch DAX query view in the web, where you can write DAX queries, use quick queries to have DAX queries written for you on tables, columns, or measures, or use Fabric Copilot to not only write DAX queries but explain DAX queries, functions, or topics. DAX queries work on semantic models in import, DirectQuery, and Direct Lake storage mode.

Write permission, that is permission to make changes to the semantic model, is currently needed to write DAX queries in the web. And, the workspace setting, User can edit data models in the Power BI service (preview) , needs to be enabled.

DAX query view in the web includes DAX query view’s way to author measures. Define measures with references, edit any of them, and try out changes across multiple measures by running the DAX query, then update the model with all the changes in a single click of a button. DAX query view in web brings this functionality for the first time to semantic models in Direct Lake mode!

If you do not have write permission, you can still live connect to the semantic model in Power BI Desktop and run DAX queries there.

Try out DAX query view in web today and learn more about how DAX queries can help you in Power BI and Fabric.

• Deep dive into DAX query view in web
• DAX queries
• Work with DAX query view
• Deep dive into DAX query view and writing DAX queries
• Write DAX queries with Copilot
• Deep dive into DAX query view with Copilot
• Overview of Copilot for Power BI
• Direct Lake

Check out a Modeling demo here:

Embedded Analytics

Narrative visual with copilot available in saas embed.

We are excited to announce that the Narrative visual with Copilot is available for user owns data scenarios (SaaS) and secure embed. This means when a user embeds a report containing the narrative visual in a solution where users must sign in – they will now be able to the visual refresh with their data. The first step on our Copilot embed journey!

When you embed a Power BI report in an application in the “embed for your organization” scenario, it allows organizations to integrate rich, interactive data visualizations seamlessly into their internal tools and workflows. Now this solution supports the Copilot visual. A sales team might want to embed a Power BI report in their internal CRM application to streamline their workflow. By integrating sales performance dashboards directly into the CRM, team members can easily monitor key metrics like monthly sales targets, pipeline status, and individual performance, without switching between different tools. This integration enables quicker access to actionable insights, helping the team make informed decisions, identify trends, and react swiftly to market changes, all within the secure environment of their organization’s data infrastructure.

Supported Scenarios:

• Embed a report in a secure portal or website  Power BI.
• User owns data : A user embeds a report containing the narrative visual in a solution where users must sign in. They need a license to do so. This action is also known as  embed for your organization . It includes when users want to embed visuals in solutions like PowerPoint as well.

Unsupported Scenario:

• App owns data:  A customer embeds a narrative visual on a website where users visit, and don’t need to sign in. Also known as  embed for your customer’s application .

To get this set up, there are a few steps to follow – so make sure to check out the documentation . Embed a Power BI report with a Copilot narrative visual – Power BI | Microsoft Learn

You will need to Edit your Microsoft Entra app permissions to enable the embedded scenario to work.

From here you’ll need to add the MLModel.Execute.All permission.

Check out the documentation for additional details.

Check out an Embedded Analytics demo here:

Visualizations

Icon Map Pro hi-chart Reporting Studio Water Cup Performance Flow – xViz Sunburst by Powerviz Zebra BI Tables 7.0 Enlighten Storyteller Inforiver Writeback Matrix Drill Down Pie PRO (Filter) by ZoomCharts (microsoft.com) Spiral Plot By Office Solution Polar Scatter Plot By Office Solution Hanging Rootogram Chart for Power BI Bar Chart Run Time Convertible Scatter Plot Circular Dendrogram Chart for Power BI Barley Trellis Plot By Office Solution Connected Scatter Plot Chart For Power BI Dot Plot Chart by Office Solution Voronoi Diagram By Office Solution Fish Bone Chart for Power BI Icon Array Chart for Power BI

Image Skyline StackedTrends Visual Bubble Diagram Chord Diagram Non-Ribbon Chord Diagram

Powerviz Filter is an advanced Power BI slicer (Free Visual) that applies a page-level filter to the data. It stands out for its user-friendly design and customization flexibility, with developer-friendly wizard.

Key Features:

• Hierarchy Control : Support multiple hierarchies with expand/collapse and by-level formatting
• Ragged Hierarchy Support: Hide BLANK category/values, or both, and display child as parent.
• Keep selected items at Top : enable this to show your selected items at top.
• Display Mode : Seamlessly switch between pop-up/canvas modes.
• Default Selection: Select default categories/values that automatically get filtered on refresh.
• Selection Mode: Single-select, multiple-select, or select-all with only single-selection.
• Image: Add images alongside the filter. HTML Links/Base-64 URLs Support.
• Title-Bar Options: Search Bar, Clear Icon, Ranking, Filter, Sorting, Expand/Collapse.
• Conditional Formatting: Highlight font and row background color based on specific rules.
• Template: Choose from professionally created light/dark templates, and easily customize them using the Global styling option.

Other features included are Import/Export Themes, Interactivity, Filter Style, and more.

Business Use-Cases:

Sales Analysis, Marketing Performance tracking, Financial Monitoring

🔗 Try Filter Visual for FREE from AppSource

📊 Check out all features of the visual: Demo_file

📃 Step-by-step instructions: Documentation

💡 YouTube Video: Video_Link

📍 Learn more about visuals: https://powerviz.ai/

✅ Follow Powerviz : https://lnkd.in/gN_9Sa6U

Slice to Spice: Transform your Pie Chart by Clicking! Dive deeper with a click, creating a new pie!

Pie of Pie by JTA – a Data Scientist’s Visualization Tool

Slice, Click, Reveal: Explore Deeper Insights with Our Interactive Pie Chart Visual for Power BI!

A Power BI custom visual that enables the creation of a hierarchical representation within a Pie Chart. With a simple click, you can effortlessly delve into detailed categories, offering a seamless and visually intuitive way to unveil multi-level insights in a single view.

Experience the convenience of interactive data analysis, where each slice of the initial pie chart acts as a gateway to deeper layers of information. Whether you’re dissecting population demographics, dissecting sales performance, or analysing product distribution, Pie of Pie offers a seamless and visually intuitive solution.

• Interactive hierarchical representation within a Pie Chart: Dive into detailed categories with ease, exploring multi-level insights seamlessly.
• Effortlessly explore multi-level insights with a single click: Click on a slice to reveal deeper layers of information, enhancing your data analysis experience.
• Customizable colours, labels, and legend: Tailor the visual to match your branding or personal preferences, ensuring clarity and consistency in your reports.
• Choose where to display always both pies and just show the second upon click: Optimize your visual presentation by selecting the most suitable display mode for your data storytelling needs.
• Animate the visual: Bring your data to life with smooth animations, captivating your audience and enhancing engagement with your insights.
• Personalize the spacing: Fine-tune the spacing between elements to achieve the perfect balance of aesthetics and readability in your visualizations.

Download Pie of Pie by JTA for free: AppSource

Try Pie of Pie by JTA: Demo

Youtube video: Youtube

Learn more about us: JTA The Data Scientists

Everyone knows what a pie chart is – for centuries, it has been the most popular way to visualize data. But what makes Drill Down Pie PRO special is the incredible amount of flexibility it offers to creators. Enjoy a wide range of customization features (colors, fonts, legends, labels, and more), create up to nine levels of drill down hierarchy, and declutter the chart with an interactive ‘Others’ slice that users can expand with just a click.

What’s more, this visual can be more than just a pie chart – it can be an interactive navigation tool for the entire report. When the user selects a slice or drills down, it will cross-filter other visuals on the report, instantly revealing focused insights. Create faster, more intuitive, and more insightful reports with ZoomCharts!

Main Features:

• On-chart drill down
• Cross-chart filtering
• Up to 9 levels of hierarchy
• Adjustable ‘Others’ slice
• Color, label, and legend customization
• Custom tooltip fields
• Touch support

🌐 Get Drill Down Pie PRO on AppSource

Product Page | Documentation | Follow ZoomCharts on LinkedIn

Hierarchical bar chart displays hierarchical data (different fields having parent/child relationship) in the form a bar/column chart with +/- signs to view/hide details or child elements.

A new feature was added to the visual in Jun 24 whereby the users can display CAGR between the 2 values by clicking the bars one after another (after turning on “CAGR” from format pane).

This visual has the following key features.

1) Expand/ Collapse bars using (+/-) buttons

2) Show variance between bars

3) Show CAGR between bars

4) Drag the bars for custom sorting

5) Click on legends to drill down/up to any level

6) Show targets

Watch a demo of these features in short video below

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOcs5RNY-Zs

Download this visual from APPSOURCE

Download demo file from APPSOURCE

For more information visit https://www.excelnaccess.com/hierarchical-barchart/

or contact [email protected]

Deneb is a free and open-source certified custom visual that allows developers to create their own highly bespoke data visualizations directly inside Power BI using the declarative JSON syntax of the Vega or Vega-Lite languages.

This is like the approaches used for creating R and Python visuals in Power BI, with the following additional benefits:

• Everything in-visual —no additional dependencies on local libraries or gateways for your end-users when publishing reports.
• Microsoft certified runtime —any visual you create receives the same benefits of a certified custom visual, meaning your design will work anywhere Power BI works, including Publish to Web, mobile, PowerPoint, and PDF exports.
• Performance —your designs are rendered directly inside Power BI rather than being delegated to another location, keeping data inside your workbook and typically resulting in faster render times for end-users.
• Interactivity —You can integrate Power BI’s interactivity features (tooltips, Drillthrough, cross-filtering, and cross-highlighting with some additional setup.

📢Our latest version brings many of our top requested new features to the development experience, including:

• Dark mode —toggle between the traditional light theme and dark theme to reduce eye strain.

• Commenting —you can now add comments to your JSON for documentation and debugging purposes.

• Auto-completion improvements —suggestions will now be recommended based on the details in the Vega and Vega-Lite schemas.
• Inline language documentation (for Vega-Lite)—the documentation the Vega team makes available for Vega-Lite in its language schema is now available when you hover your mouse over an appropriate location in your JSON. This will help you discover more language features within Deneb itself, and any hyperlinks will navigate you to the correct location on the Vega-Lite documentation site for further reading.
• Auto unit formatting —a new format type that applies the same logic as Power BI format numbers in K, M, Bn, etc., with less effort than the existing Power BI value formatter.
• Advanced cross-filtering (for Vega)—new expression functions to help generate cross-filtering of report items based on a filter against the original dataset sent to Deneb before any transformations may have been applied.

We have many other enhancements in this release, and you can find out more about how these can help you and your readers by:

• Visting the Change Log on Deneb’s website
• Checking out our YouTube spotlight videos on key new features
• Downloading Deneb from AppSource
• Getting inspired by examples from our community or the sample workbook
• Following Deneb

Paginated Reports: Sharing of reports connecting to Get Data data sources made easy

We announced the ability to create paginated reports from Power BI Report Builder by connecting to over 100 data sources with the Get Data experience. You can learn more about Connect paginated reports to data sources using Power Query (Preview) – Power BI | Microsoft Learn. You no longer need to share the shareable cloud connection. You only need to share the report and ensure that those consuming the report have access to view the report. This update will be rolling out in the coming weeks.

That is all for this month!

We hope that you enjoy the update! If you installed Power BI Desktop from the Microsoft Store,  please leave us a review .

As always, keep voting on  Ideas  to help us determine what to build next. We are looking forward to hearing from you!

• embedded analytics
• Microsoft Fabric
• paginated reports
• semantic model

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Available downloads, related records.

Pain in Medication Abortion WELS Research & Scholarship Presentation August 2024

Introduction  .

Pain in the context of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) is under-theorized in medical sociology and adjacent disciplines. Some specific areas have established bodies of literature, notably around childbirth and its medicalization. However, pain is in many cases addressed obliquely rather than foregrounded. The literature on women’s sexual difficulties, from Tiefer (2001) onward, addresses pain more directly, but typically takes a biopsychosocial focus that leans heavily on social psychology. Pain has been addressed explicitly in relation to chronic conditions such as endometriosis (Denny 2018), though reducing endometriosis to a condition of ‘reproductive health’ is also acknowledged to be problematic. While key contributions to sociological theorizing of intersections of pain and gender, initiated by Bendelow (2000), have included childbirth, other areas such as abortion, intrauterine contraceptive placement, and assisted conception have drawn little sustained attention.  

One context in which physical pain can be acute is medication abortion, one of the most commonly accessed SRH procedures. Self-management of early medication abortion (EMA) comprises an increasing proportion of abortions in the United Kingdom (UK) and elsewhere. In the UK, this has necessitated reconsideration of how pain is addressed, as women and pregnant people increasingly undertake the medication abortion process without direct health professional supervision. This is in part underpinned by normative assumptions that pain is a necessary or unavoidable part of that process (Authors under review). Pain is a contributing factor in negative experiences of abortion, and thus a potential barrier to equitable access, acutely so for those experiencing the greatest socioeconomic disadvantage. As such, abortion pain becomes an intersectional issue of sexual and reproductive justice (SRJ).  

Methodology 

This paper introduces one case study from a larger project on SRH-related pain. A reproductive justice lens is utilized as a means of grounding a broader exploration of SRH-related pain and the nexus of gender and health inequalities at which it sits.  

As part of a study of abortion experiences during the Covid-19 pandemic, we conducted telephone interviews with twenty people living across the UK who had sought abortions during pandemic restrictions. Existing literature informed a flexible topic guide, and we took a narrative storytelling approach to data production. We asked participants to recount their ‘abortion story’ in as much detail as possible, from learning they were pregnant to the time of the interview. Follow-up questions clarified key information, where absent. Recruited through social media and a targeted advertisements, participants were aged 22-43, and all self-identified cisgender women.  

Since inductive thematic analysis from the broader study highlighted pain as a prominent feature of the data, subsequent focused coding, and an iterative process of interpretation, were used to develop four sub-themes: expected pain is manageable for some; the problem with unexpected pain; pain (co)produces fear; problematizing ‘period-like pain’.  

Our analysis highlights that EMA pain experiences varied. For some, pain was manageable, particularly where it aligned with expectations, though some expectations were highly negative. For others, pain was much worse than anticipated, underlining the importance of effective expectation-setting. Participants aligned EMA pain with punishment, described it as ‘excruciating’, a source of significant worry, and as something they could not go through again. Physical pain was also closely intertwined with emotional distress. Cultural silences around abortion (exacerbated in this case by isolation associated with the pandemic context) were seen as contributing to unclear expectations around EMA pain, which in turn generated fear. Interviewees expressed incredulity that a healthcare procedure which was proceeding normally could be so intensely painful. Likening the EMA experience to ‘period pain’ is potentially misleading and a source of further uncertainty.  

From an SRJ perspective, our findings indicate a need to improve information provision around abortion pain (particularly in self-management), in order to reduce unnecessary distress for those seeking routine SRH care, and to minimize potential barriers to future use of SRH services. As use of medication abortion increases, our findings also highlight an urgent need for improved pain management options for this commonly accessed procedure.      

Conclusions  

An SRJ lens highlights the impact and implications of abortion pain as a source of gendered inequity in healthcare, in which pain experienced by women and other people with a uterus, in the course of routine SRH care, may be framed as unavoidable and something to be endured. While a limitation of this work is that data were generated early in the Covid-19 pandemic, learning from that time nonetheless has longer-term relevance. Key areas for action include avoiding the potentially misleading trope of ‘period-like pain’, establishing more effective anticipatory guidance and, overall, prioritizing the elimination of pain in this routine component of sexual and reproductive healthcare. Further work is needed to unpick the cultural assumptions underpinning pain as an unavoidable element of EMA.   

Research Group

• Reproduction, Sexualities and Sexual Health

Usage metrics

• Sociology of health

More than a tattletale

Flysto is a logbook on steroids.

From engine start to shut down, the free web-based tool tracks aircraft and engine performance, and highlights temperatures, pressures, pitch and bank angles, or acceleration units that exceed pre-set limits, as well as weather, traffic, and terrain. It notes the amount of runway used on every takeoff as well as the placement and firmness of each landing.

But FlySto is more than a tattletale.

It gives pilots a powerful tool to self-critique every flight in detail and at their own pace; it’s a logbook on steroids that lets pilots replay and share highlights of their trips using 3D graphics, and it’s an engine monitor that can identify troublesome trends before they become critical.

For flight schools and aircraft managers, FlySto provides unique insights into the way every flight is conducted and how each airplane performs. If cylinders are getting too hot or cold, or oil pressure is too high or too low, or fuel flow is out of tolerance, or acceleration units are exceeded, the software takes note.

FlySto was founded three years ago by a Russian-born software engineer who lives in the European Union and started learning to fly.

“He was looking for a better way and came up with this elegant software,” said Patrick Leinhart, a principal in the nine-employee firm with offices in Austria and Cyprus. “Word started to spread, and now we’ve got 10,000 users.”

FlySto is free for individual users, and the company plans to charge for commercial operators. One large university flight school is using it, he said, and so are charter managers. An aviation insurance start-up firm is exploring the possibility of having policy holders share their FlySto data in much the same way that car insurance companies use dashboard cameras: to monitor driver behavior and proficiency.

FlySto’s tagline is “Flying stories you can trust.” I downloaded flight data from the Dynon HDX in my personal RV–4 as well as a Garmin G500 in the Beech A36 Bonanza that AOPA uses for photography flights, and reviewing the results was an eye-opener.

In the RV–4, loops entered at 160 KIAS were almost exactly 1,000 feet in diameter, and each one began and ended with a 3-G pull. Overhead approaches had a max bank angle of 55 degrees, and takeoff rolls and landings consistently used less than 800 feet of runway.

In the Bonanza, the number three cylinder runs hottest and regularly flirts with the upper limit of 380 degrees F during sustained climbs. Its actual ground roll usually is about 1,400 feet (about 200 feet more than the book estimate of 1,200 feet), and the airplane reaches a height of 50 feet agl in 2,300 feet (about 100 feet more than the book estimate of 2,200 feet).

On a two-hour flight at 7,500 feet and warmer-than-standard temperatures, the Bonanza averaged 168 KTAS while consuming 16.8 gallons of avgas per hour at a rich-of-peak power setting. The IFR approach flown on autopilot at the destination airport was on localizer and glideslope, and the touchdown took place on centerline at 69 KIAS and a 6-degree pitch attitude.

As in so many other aspects of our highly scrutinized lives, whether all this data is used for good or ill is an open question.

On the bright side, real information about the ways we actually fly can lead to pilots flying more predictably, precisely, and safely based on real observations. We can build community by measuring our own performance, and that of our airplanes, against our peers. We can spot unsafe trends and learn about engine anomalies before they result in costly repairs or failures.

The downside, of course, is that knowing our flying is being observed and monitored pretty much all the time feels at times like driving down the highway with a state trooper filling your rearview mirror. Even if you’re observing the speed limit and your license and registration are tucked neatly in the glove box, that level of supervision just isn’t enjoyable. There’s no indication FlySto data has ever been used for enforcement, but the data exists.

FlySto’s tagline is “Flying stories you can trust.”

That’s interesting but it misses the bigger point. FlySto has built an exceptional tool that can help pilots learn, master their craft, and fly with greater precision and safety. The data can also be aggregated, and that can help general aviation business owners make more informed decisions.

FlySto is much more than a way to share flying stories. It has the power to shape them.

[email protected]

Related Articles