P VA M U – R E S E A RC H E X P E R I E N C E P R O G RA M S

CREATING & GIVING AN EFFECTIVE POSTER PRESENTATION

OUTLINE

• Purpose of a Poster Presentation

• Creating an effective Poster Presentation

• Presenting an effective Poster

• Poster Layout & Design Guidelines

• PVAMU REU/REH Poster Guidelines

• Questions & Answers

THE POSTERCREATING AN EFFECTIVE POSTER

PRESENTATION

WHAT IS A SCIENTIFIC POSTER?

• “A scientific poster is a method of professional communication that visually tells the comprehensive, but condensed, story of a research project.”

• The poster presenter engages visitors in dialogue that: • explains the research, • expands the provided information, and • ensures the visitor leaves with the desired take-away

message about the project.

(ref #4)

WHY GIVE SCIENTIFIC POSTERS?

• To share findings of scientific research.

• To share ideas with colleagues.

• To gain constructive feedback on the research.

(ref #4)

THE BEST POSTER ………

• Has a clear central message.

• Provides a brief summary of the research.

• Initiates discussion about the research.

• Stands alone when presenter is not there to provide an explanation.  

  (ref #1 & 2)

RESEARCH POSTER SYMPOSIUM

CORE POSTER ELEMENTSDEVELOPING YOUR POSTER INFORMATION

CORE POSTER ELEMENTS

• Overview/Background of the research

• Research Objectives, Purpose, Questions, Problems

• Methodology/Materials

• Findings/Data/Results

• Interpretation & Discussion of Findings/Data/Results

• Conclusions

• Future research, if appropriate

• AcknowledgementsThese elements become your poster section headings

POSTER EXAMPLE

POSTER EXAMPLE

POSTER EXAMPLE

CORE POSTER ELEMENTS

Seek Guidance from your Mentor as poster elements may vary based on

research and discipline

CREATIVITY IS KEY!POSTER LAYOUT & DESIGN

POSTER BASICS

• Program posters will be a uniform 4 ft. wide by 3 ft. high.

• It is not necessary to fill all of the space - do not “clutter” your poster

3 ft

4 ft

CREATING LARGE FORMAT POSTERS USING POWERPOINT

• You will be making just one slide (or page) in PowerPoint. One really big slide!• Click on the Design tab at the top and then “Page

Setup.”• Under "Slides Sized for:" choose "Custom." In the

Page Setup pop-up menu, set the page size to the size that you want your poster to be.

BASICS OF CREATING A POSTER

• Viewer-friendly style with large (not small) typeface & informative headings

• Use pictures, drawing and graphs to present the majority of the information

• Small chunks of texts vs. long paragraphs of text

• Logical and orderly progression of presentation of information

• Summary statement(s) of key aspects

• Easily understood language without jargon or undefined acronyms

ref # 4

POSTER LAYOUTS

VERTICAL

• Sequential information in columns.

HORIZONTAL

• Sequential information in rows

CHOOSING A LAYOUT

• Vertical Layout is most common: This layout enables the poster elements to be viewed in progression and helps to prevent traffic jams

GENERAL DESIGN GUIDELINES

1. The most important elements of a poster should be displayed at the viewer’s eye level – near the top of the poster board.

2. Plan the layout of the elements - when the layout is finalized, sketch it on a piece of paper to use as a helpful reminder when creating the poster.

3. Use a minimum font size of 20. If it is too small, people will move to next poster.

GENERAL DESIGN GUIDELINES (CONT’D)

4. Use good contrast colors and large font sizes.• Titles: 80-90 pt for long titles & 100 pt for short titles• Affiliation line: 65-70 pt• Text: 20-36 pt• Font: Use normal fonts in dark colors • Background: Avoid dark background colors

Avoid fancy fonts as they may not be on the computer used for printing.

GENERAL DESIGN GUIDELINES (CONT’D)

5. Set the page size first! Resizing the poster later will almost always cause problems. This is especially important in PowerPoint.

6. Try not to PASTE text, images, charts, tables, etc. These items should be inserted or manually typed for the best resolution when printing.

GENERAL DESIGN GUIDELINES (CONT’D)

7. Use bullets and/or boldface to emphasize important information.

8. Define important technical terms used throughout a poster. A small section set aside for definitions may be helpful to visitors.

CHECK FOR SPELLING AND GRAMMAR MISTAKES!

LOOK THE PARTGIVING AN EFFECTIVE POSTER PRESENTATION

PRESENTING YOUR POSTER…..

• Look attractive (well manicured, clean-cut, nicely dressed).

• Wear a name tag, if possible, so that the audience knows that the poster belongs to you.

• Do not chew gum, toothpicks, etc.

• Keep your hands out of your pockets.

PRESENTING YOUR POSTER…..

• Try not to refer to notes when explaining your poster.

• Speak to your viewers and not the poster. • Avoid vagueness such as “this figure shows our main

result”.

• If more viewers arrive halfway into your presentation, finish your discussion for the earlier visitors first.

• Stand beside your poster during the entire scheduled session - don’t block the view of your work.

(ref. 1, 2, &3)

PRESENTING YOUR POSTER…..

• Always Smile and have a pleasant disposition.

• Speak with Confidence and Clarity.

• Deliver a strong introduction of your research to engage your audience.

• Be prepared – However, know that you may not be able to answer every question.

• You are the Expert and Have Fun!

WHERE DO I BEGIN?

• The trick to a great poster is embracing the Rough Draft.

• Identify the Central Message - Spend time thinking about your central message. Construct a sentence of 25 words or less that best describes your what your poster will focus on.• For each section of your paper (Results, Methods,

Discussion), ask what is the central message and construct these sections with that focus in mind.

(ref. 1, 2, &3)

ACTIVITY #1

• Take 2 minutes and write out an introduction for your project, including the central message.

• Turn to the person next to you and take turns delivering introduction, smiling, and speaking with confidence.

REU/REH POSTER GUIDELINES

• Poster SIZE• 48’’ x 36’’ (4 x 3)

• TITLE (should include the appropriate program acronym)

REU: The Effects of Vitamin D on Blood PressureAmber Joy Price, Maxwell High School

Mentor: Austin Watkins, Ph.D., Department of Health

CONCLUSION

• Develop a Central Message for your poster.• Look the Part.• Watch Color Scheme, Font Size, and Font Style.• Deliver your Presentation with Confidence and

Enthusiasm!• Practice giving your poster presentation with

others in your research group.

Seek advice from your faculty mentor!

QUESTIONS?

ACTIVITY #2

• Take out a sheet of paper and design a layout for your poster (pick appropriate section headings based on your discipline and research)

REFERENCES

• Retrieved from:1. http://www.asp.org/education/howto_onposters.html2. http://sph.washington.edu/practicum/ppposter.asp#top 3. http://colinpurrington.com/tips/academic/posterdesign4. http://cse.ksu.edu/REU/poster-guidelines5. http://www.bumc.bu.edu/busm/2013/02/12/learn-about-

the-medical-student-summer-research-symposium/6. http://www.cs.duke.edu/news/?article=398