Developing Poster Presentations in the Social Sciences

1
Developing Poster Presentations in the Social
Sciences
2
Introduction
Welcome to the online version of the Writing
Center's Developing a Poster Presentation in the
Social Sciences Workshop. Feel free to use the
arrow below to advance to the next slide, or you
can use the drop-down menu below to skip ahead.
3
Posters vs. Papers
Papers are designed to appeal to an editor of a
scholarly journal, and to meet the formal
organizational and informational requirements of
publication. Posters are designed to appeal to
peers and colleagues at conferences and/or public
displays, and to meet the organizational and
informational requirements of conferences and/or
public displays.
4
Posters vs. Papers

• The audience of a paper is a person the audience
  of a poster is people.
• A poster presentation allows for
  question-and-answer sessions, and the exchange of
  ideas and information regarding your research.
• A paper presents all the information a poster
  presents the most important information.

5
Elements of Your Poster

• Title
• Abstract
• Introduction
• Methods
• Data/Results
• Conclusions
• Acknowledgments
• References

6
Title

• Title
• Catching, simple, able to be seen from 20 feet
  away.
• Author(s)
• Always use first names.
• Use middle initials if space permits.
• Institution
• Institution and department.
• City names and state names can be dropped.

7
Abstract
Follow APA guidelines. Identify what is being
studied, how you are studying it, and what your
variables are. Identify your hypothesis.
State your findings.
8
Introduction

• Follow APA guidelines.
• Less in-depth than an introduction for a paper.
• Highlight and focus on
• Questions raised and answered by previous
  research.
• The question you are asking and why you are
  asking it.

9
Methods

• Follow APA guidelines.
• Present only the basics--your audience isn't
  trying to replicate your study at this moment,
  they just want to know basic experimental design.
  
• Identify
• The demographics of your subjects.
• Measurement (repeated vs. independent).
• Design (between vs. within).
• Psychometric tests used in your experiment.

10
Data and Results

• Follow APA guidelines.
• Use graphic/visual elements
• Tables
• Charts
• Pictures
• Graphs

11
Data and Results

• Include a descriptive label for each graphic.
  Below each graphic include a brief written
  description of what the graphic is and the
  interpretation of its data.

12
Conclusion

• Follow APA guidelines.
• Be concise and clear.
• Highlight
• What you found, and its importance.
• Parallels and discrepancies with previous
  research and theory.
• The direction of future research.

13
Acknowledgements

• Acknowledge those professionals and research
  assistants outside of your research group that
  contributed to your study.
• Be brief.
• Note this section is not a requirement.

14
References

• Follow APA format.
• Use the same references as in your original
  research paper.

15
Organization and Layout

• What does a poster look like?
• A general guide to poster layout

16
Organization and Layout

• Logistics
• Find out the size regulations before you
  begin--the standard is usually 4' x 6'.
• Font type for the body of your writing should be
  large enough to read from 6 feet away.

17
Organization and Layout

• General Tips
• Organize materials in either a columnar or
  counterclockwise fashion starting in the upper
  left corner.
• Make section headings distinct from the body of
  your writing.
• Use graphics, but only those that are necessary

18
Organization and Layout

• Fonts
• Use the same font style throughout the poster.
• The title should be readable from 20 feet away.
• The body of the writing should be readable from 6
  feet away.
• San serif fonts are easier to read.
• Add emphasis with bold, underline or
  color--italics are harder to read.

19
Aesthetic Issues

• Color
• Used effectively, color is an effective method of
  attracting people to your poster.
• If you use color, stick to using a set number of
  colors in a consistent pattern.
• Limit your color use to 2-3 colors.

20
Aesthetic Issues

• Use contrasting colors for readability and a
  professional look.
• Mount your printed material (text and graphics)
  on a colored background to create a border/frame.
  

21
Aesthetic Issues

• Layout
• Limited space doesn't mean you can cram things
  together.
• Use a consistent spacing rule between each
  element of your poster.
• Try to align corners along vertical and
  horizontal lines.

22
Dont Forget

• You will be talking to others, and talking with
  others, about your poster. Bring a copy of your
  original paper for reference. Prepare handouts
  that highlight the key points of your research.