Ace your presentation!
For more tips on presentation skills, refer to this LibGuide on business presentations.
Presentation skills
Present Like a Pro: the modern guide to getting your point across in meetings, speeches, and the media by Call Number: HF5718.22 .H39 2017ISBN: 9781440853661Publication Date: 2017
Own the Room: business presentations that persuade, engage & get results by Call Number: Netlibrary eBookISBN: 9780071628808Publication Date: 2010
Winning Strategies for Power Presentations by Call Number: HF5718.22 .W453 2013ISBN: 9780133121070Publication Date: 2013
Presentation Secrets: do what you never thought possible with your presentations by Call Number: HF5718.22 .K37 2011ISBN: 9781118034965Publication Date: 2011
Giving Presentations: expert solutions to everyday challenges by ISBN: 9781422114759Publication Date: 2007
101 Ways to Captivate a Business Audience by Call Number: Netlibrary eBookISBN: 9780585029306Publication Date: 1997
The Art of the Pitch: persuasion and presentation skills that win business by Call Number: HF5718.22 .C68 2012ISBN: 9780230120518Publication Date: 2012
Writing Your Paper
WRITE WELL; CITE YOUR SOURCES CORRECTLY; AVOID PLAGIARISM
To save a lot of time in preparing and APA-formatted bibliography, look for the "create citation" feature in most article databases to capture your citations in APA format.
Please note: if you use the citation feature within EBSCO databases, you will see the following notice:
NOTE: Review the instructions at EBSCO Support Site and make any necessary corrections before using. Pay special attention to personal names, capitalization, and dates. Always consult your library resources for the exact formatting and punctuation guidelines.
Other databases post similar notices. Remember that you have the ultimate responsibility for ensuring that your citations are properly formatted. Use the online resources listed below for guidance on proper APA citation style, or the APA's online Style and Grammar Guidelines, or consult the Publication manual of the American Psychological Association; or Mastering APA style: student's workbook and training guide.
Writing Resources, including guidelines for works-cited lists
The College of Business at the University of Iowa has an "Accounting Writing Program" that includes some freely-accessible online resources:
http://tippie.uiowa.edu/accounting/writing/
From the menu on the left side of this page, you'll find some links are specific to students at Iowa (e.g. "Make an advising appointment") while others could be useful to anyone (e.g. "Before you begin your writing project", "Macro skills", "Micro skills", "Before you turn in your paper", etc.).
Other writing resources include the following:
- Citing Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism (Duke University)
- Citing Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism (Emory University)
- Quoting and Paraphrasing (University of Wisconsin Writing Center)
- Plagiarism: Avoid the Consequences (Center for Online Education)
- Contextualizing Plagiarism and Avoiding Plagiarism (Purdue University Online Writing Lab)
- Writer Resources (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)
- TCNJ List of Citation and Style Guides
- UNC Greensboro Library: Citing Business Databases / General APA Guide
- USC Libraries: Citing Business Databases in APA style
- MSU Libraries: Citing Business Databases in APA style
- Lynn University Library APA formatting style guide for audio and & visual works (including YouTube videos)
- Lynn University Library APA formatting style guide for social media (including X [fka Twitter], Instagram, and Facebook)
- California State University Stanislaus: citing legal materials in APA style
- Northern Michigan University Library APA Style guide (includes citation formats for videos and other media)
- Michigan State University Libraries: How to Cite Data
- APA Style Blog: How to cite ChatGPT or other AI models and software
Citation Management
RefWorks
RefWorks is a web-based program that allows you to easily collect, manage, and organize bibliographic citations by interfacing with databases. RefWorks also operates directly with MS Word, making it easy to import citations and incorporate them into your writing as properly formatted footnotes or parenthetical citations according to the style of your choice.
- A very brief introduction to RefWorks (YouTube)
- RefWorks LibGuide
- This is a LibGuide adapted by TCNJ librarians for TCNJ users.
- RefWorks Video Tutorials
- This is a quick, straightforward tutorial from the folks at RefWorks on the fundamentals of using their product.
NOTE: The RefWorks providers themselves urge you to examine your citations carefully to make sure they are correctly imported and formatted. You may want to consult one of the Style Guides, such as those found above.
Presentation design
Presentation Zen Design: simple design principles and techniques to enhance your presentations by Call Number: HF5718.22 .R49 2010ISBN: 9780321668790Publication Date: 2010
Show Me the Numbers: designing tables and graphs to enlighten by Call Number: HF5718.22 .F49 2004ISBN: 9780970601995Publication Date: 2004
The Wall Street Journal Guide to Information Graphics: the dos and don'ts of presenting data, facts, and figures by Call Number: HF5718.22 .W65 2010ISBN: 9780393072952Publication Date: 2010
Slide:ology: the art and science of creating great presentations by Call Number: HF5718.22 .D83 2008ISBN: 9780596522346Publication Date: 2008
Why these skills matter
- Developing soft skillsThis brief article [from This Way to CPA] notes that "If you went into accounting thinking you wouldn’t need to be good at writing and interpersonal communications to make it to the top, allow us to demonstrate just how critical it is to develop and master soft skills in order to shine in your future professional life."
- What's the Matter with Kids Today?: Why so many young professionals lack the basics, and what to do about itFrom AccountingToday.com (July 28, 2015), by Bruce Tulgan. Discusses how "new young workers are increasingly likely to have significant notable weaknesses in one or several key soft skills — such as professionalism and interpersonal communication."
From the CPA Insider newsletter (June 2016): Surprising classes accounting majors should consider taking before they graduate. This article claims that "future CPAs should take classes that improve their communications skills."
From the CPA Insider newsletter (December 2017): 3 common writing errors that can undercut your professionalism. This article cautions against common mistakes in spelling, usage or grammar that can muddle your written communications.
From the Aug 30, 2016 Wall Street Journal: Employers Find ‘Soft Skills’ Like Critical Thinking in Short Supply. This article describes a source of increasing concern among employers: "Companies across the U.S. say it is becoming increasingly difficult to find applicants who can communicate clearly, take initiative, problem-solve and get along with co-workers. Those traits, often called soft skills, can make the difference between a standout employee and one who just gets by."