Working up the nerve to ask questions at conferences can be hard, but you should definitely pat yourself on the back for taking the initiative to try. That being said, there are some things that you can think about to help you ask your question most effectively and to make the best impression.

Statements

We’ve all seen it happen. The statement “question” is all too familiar at academic conferences. You may have seen audience members make their own statement about the topic at hand. More often than not, people “asking” these kinds of questions are not really trying to get information. Rather, they are usually trying to prove they are right or why they do not agree with the speaker; possibly trying to one-up the speaker. Don’t do this. It’s hard enough to think on your feet, but it’s even more difficult to have to shift to someone else’s point of
view.

Ask a Question Publicly or Privately

It may be scary standing up at a conference and asking a question. Before getting up the nerve to approach people at random or asking a question during a session at a large conference, try practicing at smaller events, such as those around your university or company. Starting small will help you build up the confidence to start raising your hand! Another technique you could try is to approach a speaker right after his/her session. This alleviates some of the nerves you may feel about asking a question in a large room full of people, and can
lead to a longer discussion and further engagement.

Repeating a Question

If you do have a question you want to ask, make sure that it wasn’t already asked and answered earlier during the Q&A or during the presentation. This can be hard, especially if you had to duck out of the session at some point. If you are not sure whether your question has been addressed, you can mention this and/or make it clear you are asking for clarification in order to not irritate the speaker and the audience.

Be sure to make the most of the BPS Annual Meeting—be confident and ask your question!