Writing the Poster Text: Every Word Counts

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Writing the Poster TextEvery Word Counts

• APS Professional Skills Course
• Making Scientific Presentations Critical First
  Skills

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Why a Poster vs. Talk

• Reach more people both in and out of your field
• More in-depth discussion of your work
• More efficient because people can read about your
  work during the time the poster is available,
  whether you are there or not
• Less stressful

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Difference Between Oral and Poster Presentations
Speaking to a few people at a time
Speaking before a large crowd of people
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Why You Need a Great Poster
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Writing the Poster

• Decide on one essential concept you would like to
  get across
• Know your audience
• Should be easy to follow what you did and why you
  did it, even if you are not present
• Succinct in wording
• Figures easily understandable
• Conclusions follow from data presented

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Remember

• Start early
• Set deadlines
• Plan for set backs
• Allow additional time for
• Editing
• Proofreading
• Printing problems

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Organizing the Content

• Title (from Abstract)
• Background and Introduction
• Methods
• Results
• Summary
• Conclusion
• Contact Information

• Check meeting guidelines - may or may not
  include
• Abstract
• Literature Cited
• Acknowledgements

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Poster Title

• Already written
• Use same title as submitted in Abstract

Kidney-Specific Enhancement of Angiotensin II
Stimulates Endogenous Intrarenal Angiotensinogen
and Initiates Renal Injury in Gene-Targeted Mice
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Background and Introduction

• Hypothesis
• Relevant question you are trying to answer
• State as hypothesis
• Minimum of background information and definitions
  to provide context
• Description and justification of general
  experimental approach

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Background and Introduction

• Use inverted triangle model
• Include photos if appropriate
• Make it easy to read quickly
• Short blocks of text
• Use bullet points if possible
• 200 words maximum

Big Picture
Current State of Knowledge
Hypothesis
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Introduction Example

• We recently reported that concomitant increases
  in proximal tubular angiotensinogen (AGT) mRNA
  and protein participate in increased intrarenal
  angiotensin (Ang) II leading to progressive
  development of hypertension and renal injury in
  Ang II-infused rats.

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Introduction Example Contd

• However, it has not been established if selective
  increases in intrarenal Ang II can be responsible
  for the stimulation of intrarenal AGT,
  development of progressive hypertension, and/or
  renal injury.

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Introduction Example Contd

• Objective
• Using a transgenic mouse model in which human AGT
  is expressed only in the kidney, these
  experiments were performed to determine if
  selective renal overproduction of Ang II elicited
  by stimulating human AGT present only in the
  kidney in the presence of human renin will cause
  increases in endogenous mouse AGT mRNA and
  protein expression in kidneys leading to slowly
  progressive hypertension and renal injury.

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Methods

• Experimental design
• Flow charts work well
• Model system (if applicable)
• If using animals/humans, include IACUC/IRB
  approvals
• Name methods rather than give details
• e.g., Northern blot
• Statistical methods used
• 200 words maximum

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Methods Example

• We used 3 groups of mice
• 1. Single transgenic mice (A, N14) expressing
  human AGT only in the kidney regulated by
  kidney-specific androgen regulated protein
  promoter
• 2. Double transgenic mice (D, N13) expressing
  human renin systemically in addition to human AGT
  only in the kidney
• 3. Wild type (W, N12) of genetic background
  C57BL/6J mice

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Methods Example contd

• Exogenous human AGT protein is inactive in single
  transgenic mice because endogenous mouse renin
  cannot cleave human AGT to Ang I due to a high
  species-specificity.
• All mice were monitored from 12 to 18 wks of age
  with free access to a regular diet and water.

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Methods Example Contd

• Measurements
• 1. Systolic blood pressure Tail cuff method
• 2. Human and mouse AGT mRNA in kidney and liver
  Real time RT-PCR
• 3. Human and mouse AGT protein in kidney Western
  blot analysis
• 4. Plasma and kidney Ang II SPE/RIA
• 5. Renal injury
• a) Interstitial collagen-positive area
  PicroSirius Red stain
• b) Interstitial macrophage infiltration
  CD68-positive cell number
• c) Thickness of afferent arteriolar wall IHC
  of aSMA plus elastin stain

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Results

• Focal point of poster
• Enough information needed to support
  interpretation of the results
• A story should unfold as you move from figure to
  figure
• Group together data that are related
• Use data that are directly related to the
  hypothesis
• May not necessarily describe all results from
  study

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Results

• Say whether or not the experiment worked
• Follow with qualitative and descriptive results
• Follow with presentation of data analysis
• Figures and tables (figures are best)
• Each figure should be able to stand alone
• Clear title
• Axes well labeled
• 200 words maximum

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Results Example
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Results Example Contd
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Summary (of Results)

• Not just a repeat of the Abstract
• Bullet point list of key findings
• May be first thing people read
• Need to grab attention of the reader
• State whether hypothesis was supported
• Relevance of findings
• 250 words maximum

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Conclusion

• Emphasize single most important point
• Make sure conclusion addresses the hypothesis
• If you have more than one question, need to have
  more than one answer
• Very brief 50 words maximum

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Summary/Conclusion Example

• These data indicate that the selective renal
  overproduction of Ang II stimulates endogenous
  intrarenal mouse AGT mRNA and protein expression
  which may contribute to the slowly progressive
  hypertension and renal injury in the gene
  targeted mice even before the development of
  marked hypertension.
• Locally generated Ang II may play important roles
  in the development of renal injury.

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Summary/Conclusion Example contd
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Literature Cited

• Follow meeting guidelines on inclusion
• Primary literature
• Journal articles
• Standard format
• 10 references maximum

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Literature Cited Example

• 1. Kobori H, et al. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2001 12
  431-439.
• 2. Kobori H, et al. Hypertension. 2001 37
  1329-1335.
• 3. Kobori H, et al. Kidney Int. 2002 61
  579-585.
• 4. Kobori H, et al. Hypertension. 2003 41
  42-49.
• 5. Kobori H, et al. Hypertension. 2004 43
  1126-1132.

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Acknowledgements

• Follow meeting guidelines on inclusion
• Funding sources
• Grants (NIH, NSF, etc.)
• Awards (departmental, society, if supported
  research)
• Specific contributions to project
• Laboratory assistance, equipment, statistics
• Disclosure of conflicts of interest
• 40 words maximum

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AcknowledgementExample

• Supported by NIDDK/NIH Grant XXXXX (LGN) and the
  National Kidney Foundation Grant YYYY(LGN).
• Technical assistance by
• Ms. My-Linh Rauv
• Mr. Duy V. Tran
• Mr. Dale M. Seth
• Mr. Mark A. Cabrera

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Further Information

• Your contact information
• Include your email address
• Labs web page (if applicable)
• 20 words maximum

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Tips for Writing a Good Poster

• Edit your text several times
• Aim for 800 words maximum
• Can you answer Yes to these questions?
• Is only one main concept included?
• Can your logic be followed without you explaining
  it?
• Are the graphics self-explanatory?
• Is there an explicit take-home message?
• Did you and someone else proofread your text?

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Ready to Move On

• If you answered Yes to all those question
• AND
• Your collaborators (co-authors) agree
• You can move on to
• designing the poster!

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Resources

• Advice on Designing Scientific PostersColin
  Purrington, Swarthmore Collegehttp//www.swarthmo
  re.edu/NatSci/cpurrin1/posteradvice.htm
• BIO 801 Poster PresentationsGary Ritchison,
  Eastern Kentucky University http//www.people.eku
  .edu/ritchisong/posterpres.html
• Creating Effective Poster Presentations Create
  Your Poster George Hess Kathryn Tosney
  Leon Liegel http//www.ncsu.edu/project/posters/Ne
  wSite/CreatePosterOverview.html
• Effective Use of Tables and Figures in Abstracts,
  Presentations, and PapersCharles G. Durbin,
  Jr.http//www.rcjournal.com/contents/10.04/10.04.
  1233.pdf

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Resources

• Poster-making 101Brian Pfohl, Bates
  Collegehttp//abacus.bates.edu/7Ebpfohl/posters/
  
• The Poster Production ShowWomen in Science
  Project at Dartmouth, Dartmouth
  Collegehttp//www.dartmouth.edu/wisp/PosterShow/
  poster_pg3.html
• Scientist's Guide to Poster PresentationsPeter
  J. Gosling, 1999, New York Springer