Posters

1
Posters

• Summarize the study in a clear and interesting
  way.
• Facilitate comprehension of the methodology and
  findings.
• Minimize use of text and promote ease of viewing.

2
Design Options

• Several ways to make a poster
• Cut and Paste onto poster board (not as
  neat/clean, generally inexpensive)
• Create a digital file (e.g., PowerPoint) of your
  poster, printed by a graphics shop (e.g.,
  Kinkos). Cost depends on use of color, size, and
  the printer.
• -About 10 gets a 3x4 black and white poster
  from Kinkos.

3
Text Guidelines

• Text should be large enough to be read from 4-5
  feet away.
• Double-spacing not required dont do it.
• Font size and type should be consistent for
  sections (headings, text boxes, etc).
• Use the minimum amount of text needed to convey
  information.

4
Use of Color in Poster

• Use color to assist presentation, not to
  distract/detract from research.
• Use color for graphs, pictures, etc.
• Use school colors for background, titles, etc.

5
Required Components

• Title, author name, affiliation across top
  (centered)
• Introduction with background information (brief),
  research question and hypothesis
• Method (bullet points work well)
• Results (graphs work well)
• Discussion (brief)

6
Optional Components

• University crest usually placed beside the
  authors name (some people do not recommend!)
• Abstract (optional because its generally printed
  in the conference program and because it is a
  redundant use of other section information not
  recommended)

7
Optional Components (cont.)

• References
• -con take up space list in handout
• -pro orient your study to other researchers and
  studies that may be well known
• Acknowledgments (funding sources, research
  assistants, other help)

8
Order of Information

• Order of information on poster generally follows
  similar format as order of a research report
  (abstract, intro, method, results, discussion,
  references, acknowledgements). This is not
  mandatory, but it follows a natural course of
  reading (the reason its the format we use!!).

9
Poster Dimensions?

• Generally posters are 3 tall and 4 wide (most
  poster boards are 3 X 4 in dimension).
• Check with convention/poster session guidelines.
  Ex Western Psychological Association allows
  posters to be 4(h)X8(w)! Thats a lot of poster.

10
Digital Poster Format

• Can find outlines online that you can use to make
  your poster.
• -Google poster outlines poster presentation
  outlines, etc. to find outlines online.
• - (example on next slide).

11
Title Authors California State University,
Stanislaus
DISCUSSION
ABSTRACT
PROCEDURE
ENTER TEXT HERE
ENTER TEXT HERE
ENTER TEXT HERE
INTRODUCTION
RESULTS
REFERERNCES
ENTER TEXT HERE
ENTER TEXT HERE
ENTER TEXT HERE
METHOD
ENTER TEXT HERE
12
Using Outline the Poster Template

• You can easily add or take away categories, edit
  text, add pictures, etc.
• Already formatted to 3 feet by 4 feet poster
  dimensions.
• Will show examples of posters made using this
  format at end of presentation.

13
Tips

• To choose a font size print out samples of font
  sizes and use one that you can read comfortably
  from 4-5 feet away.
• Do not use color or decorative graphics
  excessively as it can detract from the ability to
  read your poster.
• Try to avoid redundancy in your poster,
  especially if short on space.

14
Tips (cont.)

• One source I like suggests that you should be
  able be able to read the poster text if you were
  to print out your poster on a regular piece of
  printing paper. If you cannot, then your text is
  too small.

15

• Much of the info here is in Lees own guidelines
  for a poster and from the following web site
• http//www.swarthmore.edu/NatSci/cpurrin1/posterad
  vice.htm