Ideas for the last slide of an academic PowerPoint presentation?

I always ended my decks with a Q&A slide because I think attendees expect to have the opportunity to get additional info. I would suggest your finding a dynamic graphic to dress up that slide, or do some sort of interesting animation with the letters Q&A themselves.

One of my instructors on gun shot wounds closed his slide presentations with slides from his naked bike rides with his girlfriend.

The last slide is a good place to put a great photograph that relates to your topic – in the presentation, you’ll probably include photos that explain or show location or whatever… here’s a spot to put something that’s just attractive. So the (very few) audience members who are counting the seconds to get to their next meeting at least have something nice to look at. ;)

I usually put up a “thank you” list over such a photograph, for people who helped out in the field, or gave reviews of early drafts if it was a thesis. And logos for funding bodies.

I’ve also seen people put up a goofy picture of their fieldwork, which I’ve noticed can raise the energy in the room a bit, just when you want people asking questions. But I’ve never done that.

I’ve never actually typed “Questions?” or anything like that on the slide. If I’m asking, “Does anyone have questions?” it’s not necessary for me to parrot that on the screen behind me.

Boy. It totally depends. I do a lot of academic presentations and I just end it with a concluding slide.

Can I suggest a book called Presentation Zen? It will keep you from the Death By PowerPoint disease.

The last of your presentation can be a concluding slide of your topic and you can add some questions regarding to your topic. You can also add some creative facts about your topic.

Often the last slide of a PowerPoint presentation is a summary or a conclusion drawn from the previous slides.