8.7.1 Illustrate your problem-solving process and present results

How will you best present your problem-solving process to others? You may need to produce a written account or report as well as an oral presentation. What material will you need to support your work? You may need to provide posters, organise a demonstration, a working model or a prototype product, or be able to offer other examples of your work. Find out what is expected of you and the format in which you should present your findings.

What evidence do you have to support your conclusions and demonstrate that your problem-solving strategy has been successful? You may have a particular product (for example some software, a report or analysis, or a different organisational structure) that has resulted from your approach. Can you report on any tests, trials or comments from others that indicate you have achieved your goals? If you are making general statements based on your work then you should be able to explain clearly the reasoning that has led to your conclusions.

Organise your data so that you can use it to illustrate and support your arguments or point of view. To do this successfully you must be clear about what you want to say, who is your intended audience, and what points you want your audience to understand. Think about the most appropriate way to present your information, and whether particular types of graphs, charts or diagrams will bring out the relationships you want to demonstrate.

Ensure that any illustrations, graphs, diagrams and charts are correctly labelled and that you have met any particular requirements for presentations. Remember to proofread your own work to check that it makes sense, that the information you have included is accurate and relevant, and that you have included references or acknowledgements to the sources you have used.

Asking others to read, listen to and comment on the presentation of your results can give you important feedback. Think about who you can ask to provide you with constructive criticism and helpful comments. To help others comment effectively, be clear about what you want them to focus on, such as technical detail, accuracy of content, quality of argument, general structure, grammar and spelling, presentation of results and so on. Decide how you will present your work to them for their feedback.