Presentation of scientific data through multimedia
Multimedia is the combination of images, sound and motion. This offers some exciting and potentially very useful opportunities for the presentation of scientific data, although it also offers potential for excesses that will distract from the message. Of the three components, sound is probably the most easily overused. The exact choice of techniques will vary with the audience, the most likely types for scientific data being researchers, students, practioners (in the case of agriculture, producers) and industry personnel. The electronic nature of multimedia allows alternate venues for a presentation, such as internet conferences, where the audience may view the presentation one at a time. In this case interactivity, non-linearity and hyperlinking become keys. They allow complete flexibility in the way a member of the audience approaches the talk. Those with more background may choose not to explore lateral sections providing additional detail in methods or background. The use of these techniques is just beginning a rapid expansion. At this time there are still several drawbacks. Projection facilities are few and a system problem may terminate your presentation. In addition, the quality of images is not yet as high as is the case with slides. However, these problems are rapidly disappearing. Key words: Multimedia, scientific data, hardware, software, presentation