Crafting a Poster Presentation

Emily Phillips Galloway

March 20, 2012

What is the story you want to tell?

• Spend a few minutes brainstorming what story you will tell through the data you collected or through the review of the literature you completed. This should be concise and able to be conveyed to a naïve, (but intelligent) audience in less than a minute.

Tell a story• Tell a concise, coherent story in language that is

accessible (No Jargon!). Like a published paper, develop this narrative through these sections:

I. Title Slide (title, name—A GOOD TITLE IS VERY IMPORTANT!)

II. Introduction-(supporting literature to contextualize your work, objectives, research questions, hypotheses)

III. Methods-(essentials only-subjects, site, protocols/instruments)

IV. Results-(what did you find? Bullet points and graphs)

V. Discussion/Conclusions/Significance-(take-home message, why is this finding important?)

VI. Acknowledgments & References-(Don’t forget to say thanks!)

Introduction

• Literature Review-should briefly highlight supporting literature to contextualize your work

• Objectives-What was your goal in pursuing this research?

• Research questions

• Hypotheses

This section of your poster fosters buy-in

Methods

• Subjects (Race, gender, sex, languages spoken, ages, grades)

• Site (anonymous, yet descriptive…a large metropolitan area in the Northeast United States.)

• Interview Protocols/Coding Manual

Make this portion as concise as possible.

Results: Graphics & Displays

Which graph is best for the data?

-bar graph-comparing 2 or 3 groups or subjects on numerous indices.

-line graphs-change over time, or growth

-pie charts-portions of a whole

• Remember to label all axes and to title each graph using guidelines.

• Avoid 3D graphics

You may consider putting each hypothesis/prediction and your corresponding findings on a single sheet of paper. This reduces redundancy.

Discussion/Significance

• Why is your finding important?

• Loop back to previous literature-what did you find that extends or contradicts prior work on this topic?

• Future work

Construction of the Poster

• Use PowerPoint to make your ‘slides’ (16 slides MAX) and print each slide on 8.5x11 cream-colored or white paper. You may also have this printed professionally.

• Use easy to read font (Times New Roman, Aerial, Courier) and use no smaller than 24 for the type in each section. Print all type in black.

• Minimize text by using graphs (Use color!), flow charts and bullet points

• Label each section in large font and organize in columns.

• Avoid Jargon

• NO visible tape, use spray adhesive if possible.

Other ‘Stuff’

• Your oral narrative-Walk your audience through your poster

• Handouts-one page, double sided and should include your contact information.

• Protocols/Coding Manual/Interview questions