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 prese ntation of scientific data, although it also offers potential for exce sses that will distract from the message. Of the three components, sou nd is probably the most easily overused. The exact choice of technique s will vary with the audience, the most likely types for scientific da ta being researchers, students, practioners (in the case of agricultur e, producers) and industry personnel. The electronic nature of multime dia allows alternate venues for a presentation, such as internet confe rences, 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 ap proaches the talk. Those with more background may choose not to explor e lateral sections providing additional detail in methods or backgroun d. The use of these techniques is just beginning a rapid expansion. At this time there are still several drawbacks. Projection facilities ar e few and a system problem may terminate your presentation. In additio n, the quality of images is not yet as high as is the case with slides . However, these problems are rapidly disappearing.