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ANNOUNCING YOUR SCIENTIFIC WORK TO ANNOUNCING YOUR SCIENTIFIC WORK TO THE WORLD:THE WORLD:
PREPARATION OF ABSTRACTS, SHORT PREPARATION OF ABSTRACTS, SHORT TALKS AND POSTERSTALKS AND POSTERS: Part 2, Posters: Part 2, Posters
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Mark R. SchleissMark R. SchleissMarch 9, 2011March 9, 2011
Poster Presentation: Contrast with Oral Presentation
May be studied in depth
Interactive format
Viewed in entirety
Audience not captive
Limited viewing space and distance
General Considerations Not a substitute for a manuscript Limit material Remember you are attempting to engage
colleagues in conversation about your work
“Advertise” your work Effective poster is highly visual and
delivers a clear message; time is limited!
Important Pitfalls to Avoid
Objectives/main points hard to discern
Text too small! (see below)
Disorganized
Problems with graphics
Key Points to Consider What is the message you wish to communicate? What are the key points to emphasize? Know your audience: overall sequence of poster
may be adapted to who’s reading it Specialists; all right to use some jargon/technical
terminology• Demonstrate familiarity with techniques and key concepts in
field
Generalists; minimize jargon and focus on bigger picture
Determine whether abstract included
Effective abstract is key, think of poster as
“illustration” for abstract
Know size of layout (6'x 4'; 8'x 4'; 4'x 4')
Sketch layout
Group into sections
Label sections and sequence
Making the Poster
Construct on your own or contract it out? Marathon Multimedia offers poster printing
service (http://www.call4posters.com/)• Prices range from ~$85-200• On-site delivery• Less sense of “creative ownership?”
Software tools• Microsoft PowerPoint – easy to use and effective• Adobe Illustrator and InDesign are better, but more complex • Microsoft Excel useful for importing graphs• Adobe Photoshop generates superior images, but complex to
use
Single print-out of poster file is very popular, but
poster presentations made up of individual panels
are effective and easier to transport
Cardboard vs. cloth vs. vinyl
Laminate or non-laminated
LayoutLayout
Headings will help your reader find key sections -
objectives, results, etc
Balance the placement of text and graphics
Use white space creatively to define flow of
information
Don't fight "reader gravity" that pulls eye from top
to bottom, left to right- use this to your advantage!
Column format makes poster easier to read
GraphicsGraphics
Graphs communicate data quickly and effectively
Graphs should be simple
Stick to simple 2-D line graphs, bar charts, or pie
charts
Avoid 3-D graphs unless necessary
Use jpeg or tiff that help communicate key
observation
TextText Minimize text as possible-it is more effective to
use images and graphs instead! Try to keep blocks of text <50 words Use strong phrases rather than full sentences Use an active voice Avoid jargon, depending upon your audience Use a serif font (e.g., Times New Roman) for all
text - easier to read Sans-serif font (e.g., Helvetica) OK for titles and
headings Text must be readable - at least 36 point for title
panels; 24 point for text
ColorsColors
Use a light color background and dark
letters for contrast
Avoid dark background with light letters –
difficult to read
Use limited number of colors
Presenting your PosterPresenting your Poster Arrive early to the poster session to defend your poster Bring poster hanging supplies with you and be aware of
what’s required to hang poster Consider bringing a copy of a handout for your readers:
a miniature version of your poster and/or more detailed information about your work. An 11x17-inch sheet can be very effective. You want people to remember you and your work!
Have handouts, business cards, reprints available for those particularly interested in your work
Consider leaving a pen and pad inviting comments from viewers, depending upon the meeting and the length of time the poster is up (this varies from meeting to meeting)
Be present at poster during your assigned slot
Have a 1-3 minute presentation for people who ask you to
walk them through the poster
Don’t focus on minutiae; think “big picture”, key take-home
points, but be prepared to go into detail depending upon
discussion
Make eye contact and engage those who are listening and
seem interested; assure them with your body language and
attention that they will get their turn
Just like giving a platform talk, don't just read the poster.
Instead, provide the “big picture”, explain why the problem is
important, and use the graphics to illustrate which
experiments are important, what they illustrate, and what the
take-home message is
Other SuggestionsOther Suggestions
Use phrases rather than narrative
Should be able to view from six feet away
Trim and mount figures
Make sections small enough to be carried
Use highlighting or color to focus attention
Breakout/Small Group SessionBreakout/Small Group Session
Review and Critique Posters
Sigma Xi Poster Competition Sheets
Score, critique and discuss posters