I am presenting my work for the first time in a national conference and I am scared from the audiance questions. I am scared that I wont be able to answer them. Any tips?

If you think its appropriate you can ask THEM questions. I probably wouldn't do this at a conference, but I do in my departmental presentations - I ask how they think they'd get round methodological problems - it uses up the question time nicely!

Have a reference that is very broad that most people won't have read so if you get confused by a question just say "there is a researcher that has looked into that, I think it was Smith, 2007, but if you come to me at the end I can pass on the reference to you" - and then when they come to you at the end say "oh I must have got confused, if you give me your contact details I can email you the relevent ref" and then never email hehe.

If you really don't know the answer, then there is nothing wrong with saying "I really don't know the answer to that" and the flattery "but that's a very good question"

Tbh most people are kind to PhD students. YOu might get an arsey one making life difficult, but the whole crowd will agree he/she's an arse anwyay.

Best tip - practice.

Hi, do a search on 'conferences' here and you should be able to find a few threads on tips. There's been lots of helpful suggestions given to people in the past. In regards to questions, relax, you know the most about your area, you're the expert. Sneaks is right, most people are kind to PhD students, there's only the odd arrogant academic who enjoys humiliating people who's likely to give you a hard time. But there's not many of those. I've been to dozens of conferences, and have yet to see anyone given a hard time, altho have heard it happens. If that does happen to you, as Sneaks has said, the audience will be on your side.

If you do get a question you don't know, that's ok - as has been suggested, use the 'that's a very good question and I'll consider that etc' response. Or you can say that your research is a work in progress, and you'll consider the issues they've raised as the research progresses. If it's a more factual question and you don't know, turn it around and ask them their thoughts on it - or even open it up to the audience. You'll be fine. By the time you get to questions, you'll be so relaxed and relieved it's over, you'll breeze through the. Enjoy the experience! And don't forget to breathe.

Or you could go completely over time some that they have to go straight on to the next presentation!

Hmm probably a bad idea but an idea none the less! At the conference I've just come back from there was a guy who aggressively questioned every presentation. He was the one who was first up after every talk! Anyway his talk went over time and there was no time for questions!

Seriously though I'd echo what other people have said. By the time you get to the questions you'll be so relieved the talk is over you'll be relaxed. You know more than anyone there about your topic and as long as you can justify what you've done or your conclusions you should breeze through any questions. Also don't worry if the questioning style is aggressive. It's the questioner who ends up looking bad not you!

the only aggressive questioners I've seen tend to be (most often male) practitioners in my field - our conferences are always academics and practitioners - and they tend to think they know a lot more than they do know. So they will tell you that your research is not applicable to the real world because they have 90 years of experience blah blah,so my answer to that is..

"well of course my research is an important building block for providing an evidence base for practitioners to interpret themselves, after all that's what practitioners are supposed to be doing, translating academic findings to the real world" which usually shuts them up.

some cocky people like to attack statistics as well, but I find mumbling something about power, or sample size, or "I consulted an eminent statistician" usually works ;-)

Good luck - you will be fine, it'll be over in a flash. And in a years time you will walk in to your next one all nonchalant

I would like to thank you all for your responses. I had my presentation this morning and it was not bad at all. I managed to answer the questions very easily. All of them were expected I must say. Thanks again

congrats RCSI!! :-):-):-):-)

I had one yesterday where I had a nasty question from a professor who was showing off. I tried to answer, mumbled something incoherently and he looked confused. But I don't care because he was being a nob and he knows it!