Presentation skills for the technical professional

A progress report on a study of what makes a person an effective communicator in the technical and scientific fields is presented. The study is based on responses to a questionnaire and many in-depth interviews. It deals with individuals who have to deliver complex technical information to nontechnical audiences or to other disciplines within an organization. The author gives a sampling of replies to a question about the ideal image of a communicator in the technical/scientific fields and describes four distinguishing behavioral traits.<>