How to Create a Research Poster
- Poster Basics
- Design Tips
- Logos & Images
What is a Research Poster?
Posters are widely used in the academic community, and most conferences include poster presentations in their program. Research posters summarize information or research concisely and attractively to help publicize it and generate discussion.
The poster is usually a mixture of a brief text mixed with tables, graphs, pictures, and other presentation formats. At a conference, the researcher stands by the poster display while other participants can come and view the presentation and interact with the author.
What Makes a Good Poster?
- Important information should be readable from about 10 feet away
- Title is short and draws interest
- Word count of about 300 to 800 words
- Text is clear and to the point
- Use of bullets, numbering, and headlines make it easy to read
- Effective use of graphics, color and fonts
- Consistent and clean layout
- Includes acknowledgments, your name and institutional affiliation
A Sample of a Well Designed Poster
View this poster example in a web browser .
Image credit: Poster Session Tips by [email protected], via Penn State
Where do I begin?
Answer these three questions:.
- What is the most important/interesting/astounding finding from my research project?
- How can I visually share my research with conference attendees? Should I use charts, graphs, photos, images?
- What kind of information can I convey during my talk that will complement my poster?
What software can I use to make a poster?
A popular, easy-to-use option. It is part of Microsoft Office package and is available on the library computers in rooms LC337 and LC336. ( Advice for creating a poster with PowerPoint ).
Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign
Feature-rich professional software that is good for posters including lots of high-resolution images, but they are more complex and expensive. NYU Faculty, Staff, and Students can access and download the Adobe Creative Suite .
Open Source Alternatives
- OpenOffice is the free alternative to MS Office (Impress is its PowerPoint alternative).
- Inkscape and Gimp are alternatives to Adobe products.
- For charts and diagrams try Gliffy or Lovely Charts .
- A complete list of free graphics software .
A Sample of a Poorly Designed Poster
View this bad poster example in a browser.
Image Credit: Critique by Better Posters
- Next: Design Tips >>
- Last Updated: Jul 11, 2023 5:09 PM
- URL: https://guides.nyu.edu/posters
- Electrophysiology Rigs
- Multiphoton Imaging
- Optogenetics and Uncaging
- Manipulators
- Microscopes
- Stages and Platforms
- By technique
- Electrophysiology
- Three-Photon Imaging
- Two-Photon Imaging
- Optogenetics
- Fluorescence Imaging
- Microinjection
- Network Studies
- Learning Zone
- Case Studies
- Events News
- Careers at Scientifica
- Research Jobs
- Company News
- Our Service & Support
- Distributors
Tips for presenting your scientific poster at a conference
A scientific poster is a visual presentation that summarises your research findings and is typically displayed at conferences or academic events. Presenting one can be intimidating, but it's a valuable opportunity for feedback and confidence-building. Check out our top 9 top tips for successfully presenting your poster at a scientific conference.
Be welcoming
You should do your best to stand at your poster for the entirety of the conference poster session. If you do need to leave your poster for any reason, ensure you include your email address on it, so you can be contacted by conference attendees who may read your poster while you are not there. Read more tips for making your poster stand out here.
To make everyone feel welcome, stand to the side of your poster. This will make it easy for your potential audience to move closer and see the whole thing.
Think of your poster as a conversation starter. Smile and say hello to everyone who walks past and looks at you or your poster. Invite them to read more and, if they seem interested, ask if they would like you to talk them through it or if they have any questions.
Engage your audience
Remember to be enthusiastic - your research is exciting! Even towards the end of the poster session, when your energy levels may be lower, it is important to remain enthusiastic. If it is clear you find your work interesting, your audience are more likely to as well!
As you are presenting your poster, point to relevant parts of the poster so that people can follow as your talk through it. Try to avoid putting your hands in your pockets or behind your back.
Remember to also keep looking back at the audience, to keep them engaged and feeling involved in the presentation.
If you are already presenting your research to someone or a small group and someone else walks up, acknowledge them by making eye contact with them and smiling. Once you have finished with your initial visitors ask the newcomer if there was anything they missed that they would like a further explanation of, or whether they have any questions.
The most important aspect of presenting a poster at a conference is to make the most out of the opportunity youâve been given. Who knows what might become of an interaction that you have in front of that notice board?
Tips for presenting your scientific poster at a conference: Engage your audience
The âelevatorâ pitch
First impressions really count in poster presentations. To pique the interest of your potential audience you should have a very short synopsis (maximum three sentences and no longer than two minutes) of your research prepared, which contains three vital bits of information:
- What is your research topic?
- What have you found?
- Why is that important?
The aim here is to get your audience hooked and wanting further details. Keep the bigger picture in mind, as the audience first needs the background info to then get excited about the small details of your research. Make sure your pitch is punchy, intriguing and relevant.
Creating a story
Once youâve reeled in your audience and they are eager to learn more, itâs time to build the narrative of your research. Like all great stories your research needs a beginning, a middle and an end. Aim for this to be 10 minutes long, or less.
The introduction should set the scene and introduce the main characters:
- What is the necessary background information about your research topic that the audience must know?
- How did this lead you to your research question, what were you hoping to find out and why?
- Who are the main characters (e.g. a disease, a drug, a cell type, a brain region, a technique)? What are the relevant parts of their âcharacteristicsâ to the story?
The middle section is the adventure, it answers:
- How did you get from your research question to your conclusion? Why did you choose to take that route?
- What did you find on your way? Were there any interesting twists to your research?
The final section is the conclusion to the story:
- What is the ultimate consequence of your journey? What does this mean for your characters?
- Is this really the end of the adventure or are there plenty more adventures still to come? What might they look like?
Remember: You are the narrator; it is up to you as the story teller to make the content both compelling and exciting. Attendees are not all experts in your field.; if you are unsure how familiar your audience is with your subject area, ask them.
Tips for presenting your scientific poster at a conference: Create a story
The importance of practice
Presenting your poster is ultimately a form of performance. In performances, whether they involve acting, music, sport or presenting, practice is a major factor in success. After all, however much of a cliché it is: practice makes perfect. Rehearse what you will say and practice presenting on your friends and family. Once you begin speaking at your poster session you will be pleased that you spent time preparing and practising.
Before the poster session starts make sure that you:
- Understand exactly what all the figures on the poster show, that you can explain them fully and know their full implications.
- Have your elevator pitch memorised
- Know all the key points to your research story without referring to written notes
- Are ready to answer likely questions with confidence, and know how to deal with difficult questions that you might not be able to answer fully.
Tips for presenting your scientific poster at a conference: Practice, practice, practice
Check the audience's understanding
Ask members of the audience whether you have been clear or if you should go into more detail, rather than asking if they understand, as this could make them feel stupid or ignorant.
For example, say something like âHave I been clear enoughâ or âshould I go into more detail aboutâŠâŠ?â instead of âdo you understand how this works?â
The handout
There are pros and cons to having a handout with additional supporting materials or key information from your poster. You must decide for yourself if it will be of benefit to you depending on several factors including:
- What is the purpose of your poster?
- What are you hoping to achieve with your presentation?
- Will it enhance your audienceâs engagement with your research or not?
The major positive outcome of a handout is that gives your audience something to take away with them to remind them about you, your research and why they were interested in it. It also gives them a way to get in touch with you should they have further questions.
The main negative is that some people who may be interested and could benefit from speaking to you about your poster will take the leaflet, read it (or not) and never engage with your research again. It is an easy way for them to avoid talking to you, for whatever reason that may be.
If you decide to go ahead with a handout there are several items that should be included:
- The project title
- Your name and affiliation
- Your professional email address (and phone number if your happy for people to contact you that way)
- The key information from your poster (including a link to the relevant paper if it has already been published.
- Any supporting materials not included on the poster that may be of help.
Tips for presenting your scientific poster at a conference: The handout
Expand your network
Look for opportunities to exchange contact information. If someone is particularly interested in your poster and wants to know all the details of your research, it may be better to suggest meeting them for a coffee after the poster session, or arranging another time for further discussions. This will ensure that other potential audience members donât get bored and wander off without talking to you because they have been waiting too long.
Exchanging contact information and having further discussions can be a great way to expand your network and find potential collaborators for the future.
Tips for presenting your scientific poster at a conference: Expand your network
Dealing with feedback
It is important to welcome feedback, be prepared for discussion and not to be too defensive in the face of criticism.
If someone asks you a question or makes a comment that you donât think is relevant, ask them to explain the relevance of their comment. They may have stumbled across something that you havenât thought of because of their fresh perspective on the topic, or they might just not understand your research. Also, a negative comment or question might not actually be a criticism, but a genuine desire to understand why youâve done something so they can fully interpret the poster. It is unlikely that someone has visited your poster to be vindictive, and if they have it is important not to engage them, shrug off their comments and move on to the next person who is genuinely interested.
Remember to thank the audience for listening and thank them for their feedback. People who have visited your poster could potentially be employers or colleagues in the future.
You got this!
In summary, presenting your poster at a conference is a chance to showcase your research, receive feedback, and connect with peers. Embrace the opportunity, be welcoming and enthusiastic, and enjoy the experience of sharing your work with others.
Neurowire blog posts
How to make your scientific posters stand out
Less is more: Advice for keeping your poster concise
10 tips for presenting your poster online at a virtual conference
How to get the most out of a scientific conference
9 simple and effective public speaking tips for scientists
Contact Form
* denotes required field
- Sign me up for the Scientifica newsletter to receive news based on the above interests
- I agree to my data being held and processed in accordance with the privacy policy *
0" x-text="errorMessage" class="tw-text-red-500">
Get more advice
Receive the latest tips straight to your inbox
Scientific Conference Posters: Conference Posters
Poster samples & sharing.
Search these sites to get ideas on how posters are presented within your discipline.
Also, if you upload your poster to one of these sites you can provide handouts or bookmarks with links to the electronic version of your poster at the conference, and keep your work accessible long after the conference.
- Faculty of 1000 Research Posters Open access repository for posters and slide presentations across biology and medicine.
- eposters Open-access journal that provides free access to over 1,800 scientific and medical posters presented at conferences from around the world.
- FigShare This link opens in a new window figshare allows users to upload any file format so that scholarly information can be disseminated electronically.
Designing a Research Poster
The following resources provide guidance on the poster creation process .
- ACP American College of Physicians - Preparing a Poster Presentation This article addresses poster planning, production, and presentation.
- Makesigns Scientific Poster Tutorial Step-by-step guide to poster design and creation.
These resources can be used to obtain copyright compliant images . Image resolution will vary.
- USC Academic Unit Logotypes University approved logos.
- Open-i - Open Access Biomedical Image Search Engine This link opens in a new window Open-i searches for images in all Open Access articles indexed in PubMed Central. Search over 600,000 copyright compliant images by keyword, topic, or image to find relevant or visually similar images.
- Pixabay This link opens in a new window Repository of free, high quality, copyright compliant images. Begin typing "medical" into the search box. Click dropdown menu to filter by image type. Sign up for free account to download images.
- Wikimedia Commons This link opens in a new window A database of freely usable, high resolution image files.
- Google Images This link opens in a new window For copyright compliant images: type in keywords, click "Search tools", click on "Usage rights" dropdown menu, select from the "Labeled for reuse" options.
- Multimedia Resources (in the Health Sciences) Guide Find videos, audio clips, images, and cases to use in education.
Working with images
- Tips for working with images in Publisher Vendor tips for working with images in Publisher. Includes content about image size, resolution, file formats, and refining.
- Photoshop isnât the only solution: 5 best programs for resizing images This article provides step-by-step instructions on how to upsample images using Photoshop, GIMP, Windows Live Photo Gallery, Preview, and Pixlr.
Image Manipulation Guidelines
Low resolution images may be manipulated to improve print quality, however you want to proceed with caution when it comes to images that represent research data.
- Rossner, M., & Yamada, K. (2004). What's in a picture? The temptation of image manipulation. The Journal of Cell Biology, 11-15. PMID:Â 15240566 This article provides specific guidelines on the do's and dont's of image manipulation in scientific publishing in order to ensure the integrity of your data.
Poster Sample / Tips
Diagram image citation: Blausen.com staff. " Blausen gallery 2014". Wikiversity Journal of Medicine. DOI:10.15347/ wjm /2014.010. ISSN 20018762. (Own work) [CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
- Scientific Conference Posters - Webinar This video provides an overview of some tools, resources and key elements to creating a conference poster. Content covers software, general content, design tips, provides image resources, and tips for improved print quality. ~35 min.
- Conference Poster Click here to download a pdf copy of the poster above.
- Scientific Posters PPT slides Click here to download video PPT slides.
Click on chart to access online.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/new-pastpresentfuture/3800240305 /
- Psychology of Color This site provides information on the meaning of color and how it is perceived.
- The Art of Color Coordination How to combine colors in order to have a positive effect on your audience.
Upsampling images in Photoshop
Through a process called upsampling , you can add pixels to low resolution images , and thereby improve the print quality . The short video below demonstrates how to upsample images in Photoshop .
Final Checklist
https://www.acponline.org/system/files/documents/education_recertification/education/program_directors/abstracts/prepare/poster_checklist.pdf
Universal Design
Universal Design is the design and composition of an environment so that it can be accessed, understood and used to the greatest extent possible by all people, regardless of their age, size or disability.
- Equal Access: Universal Design of Conference Exhibits and Presentations A checklist for making conference exhibits and presentations welcoming and accessible to everyone.
Microsoft Publisher Tutorials
The following resources provide guidance on how to use Microsoft Publisher . Resources at the top provide step-by-step guidance about poster creation. Links at the bottom provide general guidance on using Publisher.
- Microsoft Publisher: Conference Poster Sessions University of Liverpool's Microsoft Publisher software video tutorial. Step-by-step demonstration of the key features used to create a poster. Applicable to Publisher 2010, 2013, and 2016. Run time ~12 min.
- Publisher 2016 Essential Training Training videos via Lynda.com that offer in-depth instruction to Publisher 2016.
- Text wrapping in Publisher Guide on how to wrap text around images in Publisher.
PowerPoint Templates & Tutorials
Links to freely available PowerPoint conference poster templates , and guidance for specific software features relevant to poster creation .
- PhD Posters - Power Point Template Files PPT templates in a variety of sizes. Packed with helpful tips and easy to customize.
- Mega Print Inc - Free Powerpoint Scientific Research Poster Templates PowerPointÂź 2007-2013 templates in a variety of sizes.
- Colin Purrington's PPT Poster Templates Free PPT templates and poster making tips.
- Using grids in PowerPoint Guide on how to set up grids in PPT for better content alignment.
- Creating a Poster in PowerPoint 2010 Eastern Michigan University's detailed guide to creating a poster in PowerPoint.
Other Software
Graphics , such as charts and tables can easily be created in Excel .
- Creating Excel charts with the Recommended Charts feature Lynda.com video tutorial that demonstrates how to create charts in Excel 2013. Requires login.
Print Vendors
The following list is provided as a convenience , and is not meant to endorse or promote any particular vendor.
- PhD Posters Fabric or paper options. Also offers free PPT templates and many poster creation tips.
- PosterSmith Fabric posters.
Help from Norris Medical Library
During business hours (M-F)
- Chat with USC Libraries
- Email: [email protected]
- Request a consultation
- Ask a Norris Librarian form
- View Health Sciences Libraries tutorials or all USC Libraries tutorials
- Last Updated: Nov 1, 2023 3:17 PM
- URL: https://libguides.usc.edu/healthsciences/posters
Home Blog Design How to Design a Winning Poster Presentation: Quick Guide with Examples & Templates
How to Design a Winning Poster Presentation: Quick Guide with Examples & Templates
How are research posters like High School science fair projects? Quite similar, in fact.
Both are visual representations of a research project shared with peers, colleagues and academic faculty. But thereâs a big difference: itâs all in professionalism and attention to detail. You can be sure that the students that thrived in science fairs are now creating fantastic research posters, but what is that extra element most people miss when designing a poster presentation?
This guide will teach tips and tricks for creating poster presentations for conferences, symposia, and more. Learn in-depth poster structure and design techniques to help create academic posters that have a lasting impact.
Letâs get started.
Table of Contents
- What is a Research Poster?
Why are Poster Presentations important?
Overall dimensions and orientation, separation into columns and sections, scientific, academic, or something else, a handout with supplemental and contact information, cohesiveness, design and readability, storytelling.
- Font Characteristics
- Color Pairing
- Data Visualization Dimensions
- Alignment, Margins, and White Space
Scientific/Academic Conference Poster Presentation
Digital research poster presentations, slidemodel poster presentation templates, how to make a research poster presentation step-by-step, considerations for printing poster presentations, how to present a research poster presentation, final words, what is a research poster .
Research posters are visual overviews of the most relevant information extracted from a research paper or analysis. They are essential communication formats for sharing findings with peers and interested people in the field. Research posters can also effectively present material for other areas besides the sciences and STEMâfor example, business and law.
Youâll be creating research posters regularly as an academic researcher, scientist, or grad student. Youâll have to present them at numerous functions and events. For example:
- Conference presentations
- Informational events
- Community centers
The research poster presentation is a comprehensive way to share data, information, and research results. Before the pandemic, the majority of research events were in person. During lockdown and beyond, virtual conferences and summits became the norm. Many researchers now create poster presentations that work in printed and digital formats.
Letâs look at why itâs crucial to spend time creating poster presentations for your research projects, research, analysis, and study papers.
Research posters represent you and your sponsorâs research
Research papers and accompanying poster presentations are potent tools for representation and communication in your field of study. Well-performing poster presentations help scientists, researchers, and analysts grow their careers through grants and sponsorships.
When presenting a poster presentation for a sponsored research project, youâre representing the company that sponsored you. Your professionalism, demeanor, and capacity for creating impactful poster presentations call attention to other interested sponsors, spreading your impact in the field.
Research posters demonstrate expertise and growth
Presenting research posters at conferences, summits, and graduate grading events shows your expertise and knowledge in your field of study. The way your poster presentation looks and delivers, plus your performance while presenting the work, is judged by your viewers regardless of whether itâs an officially judged panel.
Recurring visitors to research conferences and symposia will see you and your poster presentations evolve. Improve your impact by creating a great poster presentation every time by paying attention to detail in the poster design and in your oral presentation. Practice your public speaking skills alongside the design techniques for even more impact.
Poster presentations create and maintain collaborations
Every time you participate in a research poster conference, you create meaningful connections with people in your field, industry or community. Not only do research posters showcase information about current data in different areas, but they also bring people together with similar interests. Countless collaboration projects between different research teams started after discussing poster details during coffee breaks.
An effective research poster template deepens your peerâs understanding of a topic by highlighting research, data, and conclusions. This information can help other researchers and analysts with their work. As a research poster presenter, youâre given the opportunity for both teaching and learning while sharing ideas with peers and colleagues.
Anatomy of a Winning Poster Presentation
Do you want your research poster to perform well? Following the standard layout and adding a few personal touches will help attendees know how to read your poster and get the most out of your information.
The overall size of your research poster ultimately depends on the dimensions of the provided space at the conference or research poster gallery. The poster orientation can be horizontal or vertical, with horizontal being the most common. In general, research posters measure 48 x 36 inches or are an A0 paper size.
A virtual poster can be the same proportions as the printed research poster, but you have more leeway regarding the dimensions. Virtual research posters should fit on a screen with no need to scroll, with 1080p resolution as a standard these days. A horizontal presentation size is ideal for that.
A research poster presentation has a standard layout of 2â5 columns with 2â3 sections each. Typical structures say to separate the content into four sections; 1. A horizontal header 2. Introduction column, 3. Research/Work/Data column, and 4. Conclusion column. Each unit includes topics that relate to your posterâs objective. Hereâs a generalized outline for a poster presentation:
- Condensed Abstract
- Objectives/Purpose
- Methodology
- Recommendations
- Implications
- Acknowledgments
- Contact Information
The overview content you include in the units depends on your poster presentationsâ theme, topic, industry, or field of research. A scientific or academic poster will include sections like hypothesis, methodology, and materials. A marketing analysis poster will include performance metrics and competitor analysis results.
Thereâs no way a poster can hold all the information included in your research paper or analysis report. The poster is an overview that invites the audience to want to find out more. Thatâs where supplement material comes in. Create a printed PDF handout or card with a QR code (created using a QR code generator ). Send the audience to the best online location for reading or downloading the complete paper.
What Makes a Poster Presentation Good and Effective?
For your poster presentation to be effective and well-received, it needs to cover all the bases and be inviting to find out more. Stick to the standard layout suggestions and give it a unique look and feel. Weâve put together some of the most critical research poster-creation tips in the list below. Your poster presentation will perform as long as you check all the boxes.
The information you choose to include in the sections of your poster presentation needs to be cohesive. Train your editing eye and do a few revisions before presenting. The best way to look at it is to think of The Big Picture. Donât get stuck on the details; your attendees wonât always know the background behind your research topic or why itâs important.
Be cohesive in how you word the titles, the length of the sections, the highlighting of the most important data, and how your oral presentation complements the printedâor virtualâposter.
The most important characteristic of your poster presentation is its readability and clarity. You need a poster presentation with a balanced design thatâs easy to read at a distance of 1.5 meters or 4 feet. The font size and spacing must be clear and neat. All the content must suggest a visual flow for the viewer to follow.
That said, you donât need to be a designer to add something special to your poster presentation. Once you have the standardâand recognizedâcolumns and sections, add your special touch. These can be anything from colorful boxes for the section titles to an interesting but subtle background, images that catch the eye, and charts that inspire a more extended look.
Storytelling is a presenting technique involving writing techniques to make information flow. Firstly, storytelling helps give your poster presentation a great introduction and an impactful conclusion.
Think of storytelling as the invitation to listen or read more, as the glue that connects sections, making them flow from one to another. Storytelling is using stories in the oral presentation, for example, what your lab partner said when you discovered something interesting. If it makes your audience smile and nod, youâve hit the mark. Storytelling is like giving a research presentation a dose of your personality, and it can help turning your data into opening stories .
Design Tips For Creating an Effective Research Poster Presentation
The section above briefly mentioned how important design is to your poster presentationâs effectiveness. Weâll look deeper into what you need to know when designing a poster presentation.
1. Font Characteristics
The typeface and size you choose are of great importance. Not only does the text need to be readable from two meters away, but it also needs to look and sit well on the poster. Stay away from calligraphic script typefaces, novelty typefaces, or typefaces with uniquely shaped letters.
Stick to the classics like a sans serif Helvetica, Lato, Open Sans, or Verdana. Avoid serif typefaces as they can be difficult to read from far away. Here are some standard text sizes to have on hand.
- Title: 85 pt
- Authors: 65 pt
- Headings: 36 pt
- Body Text: 24 pt
- Captions: 18 pt
If you feel too prone to use serif typefaces, work with a font pairing tool that helps you find a suitable solution – and intend those serif fonts for heading sections only. As a rule, never use more than 3 different typefaces in your design. To make it more dynamic, you can work with the same font using light, bold, and italic weights to put emphasis on the required areas.
2. Color Pairing
Using colors in your poster presentation design is a great way to grab the viewerâs attention. A colorâs purpose is to help the viewer follow the data flow in your presentation, not distract. Donât let the color take more importance than the information on your poster.
Choose one main color for the title and headlines and a similar color for the data visualizations. If you want to use more than one color, donât create too much contrast between them. Try different tonalities of the same color and keep things balanced visually. Your color palette should have at most one main color and two accent colors.
Black text over a white background is standard practice for printed poster presentations, but for virtual presentations, try a very light gray instead of white and a very dark gray instead of black. Additionally, use variations of light color backgrounds and dark color text. Make sure itâs easy to read from two meters away or on a screen, depending on the context. We recommend ditching full white or full black tone usage as it hurts eyesight in the long term due to its intense contrast difference with the light ambiance.
3. Data Visualization Dimensions
Just like the text, your charts, graphs, and data visualizations must be easy to read and understand. Generally, if a person is interested in your research and has already read some of the text from two meters away, theyâll come closer to look at the charts and graphs.
Fit data visualizations inside columns or let them span over two columns. Remove any unnecessary borders, lines, or labels to make them easier to read at a glance. Use a flat design without shadows or 3D characteristics. The text in legends and captions should stay within the chart size and not overflow into the margins. Use a unified text size of 18px for all your data visualizations.
4. Alignment, Margins, and White Space
Finally, the last design tip for creating an impressive and memorable poster presentation is to be mindful of the layout’s alignment, margins, and white space. Create text boxes to help keep everything aligned. They allow you to resize, adapt, and align the content along a margin or grid.
Take advantage of the white space created by borders and margins between sections. Donât crowd them with a busy background or unattractive color.
Calculate margins considering a print format. It is a good practice in case the poster presentation ends up becoming in physical format, as you wonât need to downscale your entire design (affecting text readability in the process) to preserve information.
There are different tools that you can use to make a poster presentation. Presenters who are familiar with Microsoft Office prefer to use PowerPoint. You can learn how to make a poster in PowerPoint here.
Poster Presentation Examples
Before you start creating a poster presentation, look at some examples of real research posters. Get inspired and get creative.
Research poster presentations printed and mounted on a board look like the one in the image below. The presenter stands to the side, ready to share the information with visitors as they walk up to the panels.
With more and more conferences staying virtual or hybrid, the digital poster presentation is here to stay. Take a look at examples from a poster session at the OHSU School of Medicine .
Use SlideModel templates to help you create a winning poster presentation with PowerPoint and Google Slides. These poster PPT templates will get you off on the right foot. Mix and match tables and data visualizations from other poster slide templates to create your ideal layout according to the standard guidelines.
If you need a quick method to create a presentation deck to talk about your research poster at conferences, check out our Slides AI presentation maker. A tool in which you add the topic, curate the outline, select a design, and let AI do the work for you.
1. One-pager Scientific Poster Template for PowerPoint
A PowerPoint template tailored to make your poster presentations an easy-to-craft process. Meet our One-Pager Scientific Poster Slide Template, entirely editable to your preferences and with ample room to accommodate graphs, data charts, and much more.
Use This Template
2. Eisenhower Matrix Slides Template for PowerPoint
An Eisenhower Matrix is a powerful tool to represent priorities, classifying work according to urgency and importance. Presenters can use this 2×2 matrix in poster presentations to expose the effort required for the research process, as it also helps to communicate strategy planning.
3. OSMG Framework PowerPoint Template
Finally, we recommend presenters check our OSMG Framework PowerPoint template, as it is an ideal tool for representing a business plan: its goals, strategies, and measures for success. Expose complex processes in a simplified manner by adding this template to your poster presentation.
Remember these three words when making your research poster presentation: develop, design, and present. These are the three main actions toward a successful poster presentation.
The section below will take you on a step-by-step journey to create your next poster presentation.
Step 1: Define the purpose and audience of your poster presentation
Before making a poster presentation design, youâll need to plan first. Here are some questions to answer at this point:
- Are they in your field?
- Do they know about your research topic?
- What can they get from your research?
- Will you print it?
- Is it for a virtual conference?
Step 2: Make an outline
With a clear purpose and strategy, itâs time to collect the most important information from your research paper, analysis, or documentation. Make a content dump and then select the most interesting information. Use the content to draft an outline.
Outlines help formulate the overall structure better than going straight into designing the poster. Mimic the standard poster structure in your outline using section headlines as separators. Go further and separate the content into the columns theyâll be placed in.
Step 3: Write the content
Write or rewrite the content for the sections in your poster presentation. Use the text in your research paper as a base, but summarize it to be more succinct in what you share.
Donât forget to write a catchy title that presents the problem and your findings in a clear way. Likewise, craft the headlines for the sections in a similar tone as the title, creating consistency in the message. Include subtle transitions between sections to help follow the flow of information in order.
Avoid copying/pasting entire sections of the research paper on which the poster is based. Opt for the storytelling approach, so the delivered message results are interesting for your audience.
Step 4: Put it all together visually
This entire guide on how to design a research poster presentation is the perfect resource to help you with this step. Follow all the tips and guidelines and have an unforgettable poster presentation.
Moving on, hereâs how to design a research poster presentation with PowerPoint Templates . Open a new project and size it to the standard 48 x 36 inches. Using the outline, map out the sections on the empty canvas. Add a text box for each title, headline, and body text. Piece by piece, add the content into their corresponding text box.
Transform the text information visually, make bullet points, and place the content in tables and timelines. Make your text visual to avoid chunky text blocks that no one will have time to read. Make sure all text sizes are coherent for all headings, body texts, image captions, etc. Double-check for spacing and text box formatting.
Next, add or create data visualizations, images, or diagrams. Align everything into columns and sections, making sure thereâs no overflow. Add captions and legends to the visualizations, and check the color contrast with colleagues and friends. Ask for feedback and progress to the last step.
Step 5: Last touches
Time to check the final touches on your poster presentation design. Hereâs a checklist to help finalize your research poster before sending it to printers or the virtual summit rep.
- Check the resolution of all visual elements in your poster design. Zoom to 100 or 200% to see if the images pixelate. Avoid this problem by using vector design elements and high-resolution images.
- Ensure that charts and graphs are easy to read and donât look crowded.
- Analyze the visual hierarchy. Is there a visual flow through the title, introduction, data, and conclusion?
- Take a step back and check if itâs legible from a distance. Is there enough white space for the content to breathe?
- Does the design look inviting and interesting?
An often neglected topic arises when we need to print our designs for any exhibition purpose. Since A0 is a hard-to-manage format for most printers, these poster presentations result in heftier charges for the user. Instead, you can opt to work your design in two A1 sheets, which also becomes more manageable for transportation. Create seamless borders for the section on which the poster sheets should meet, or work with a white background.
Paper weight options should be over 200 gsm to avoid unwanted damage during the printing process due to heavy ink usage. If possible, laminate your print or stick it to photographic paper – this shall protect your work from spills.
Finally, always run a test print. Gray tints may not be printed as clearly as you see them on screen (this is due to the RGB to CMYK conversion process). Other differences can be appreciated when working with ink jet plotters vs. laser printers. Give yourself enough room to maneuver last-minute design changes.
Presenting a research poster is a big step in the poster presentation cycle. Your poster presentation might or might not be judged by faculty or peers. But knowing what judges look for will help you prepare for the design and oral presentation, regardless of whether you receive a grade for your work or if itâs business related. Likewise, the same principles apply when presenting at an in-person or virtual summit.
The opening statement
Part of presenting a research poster is welcoming the viewer to your small personal area in the sea of poster presentations. Youâll need an opening statement to pitch your research poster and get the viewersâ attention.
Draft a 2 to 3-sentence pitch that covers the most important points:
- What the research is
- Why was it conducted
- What the results say
From that opening statement, youâre ready to continue with the oral presentation for the benefit of your attendees.
The oral presentation
During the oral presentation, share the information on the poster while conversing with the interested public. Practice many times before the event. Structure the oral presentation as conversation points, and use the posterâs visual flow as support. Make eye contact with your audience as you speak, but donât make them uncomfortable.
Pro Tip: In a conference or summit, if people show up to your poster area after youâve started presenting it to another group, finish and then address the new visitors.
QA Sessions
When youâve finished the oral presentation, offer the audience a chance to ask questions. You can tell them before starting the presentation that youâll be holding a QA session at the end. Doing so will prevent interruptions as youâre speaking.
If presenting to one or two people, be flexible and answer questions as you review all the sections on your poster.
Supplemental Material
If your audience is interested in learning more, you can offer another content type, further imprinting the information in their minds. Some ideas include; printed copies of your research paper, links to a website, a digital experience of your poster, a thesis PDF, or data spreadsheets.
Your audience will want to contact you for further conversations; include contact details in your supplemental material. If you donât offer anything else, at least have business cards.
Even though conferences have changed, the research posterâs importance hasnât diminished. Now, instead of simply creating a printed poster presentation, you can also make it for digital platforms. The final output will depend on the conference and its requirements.
This guide covered all the essential information you need to know for creating impactful poster presentations, from design, structure and layout tips to oral presentation techniques to engage your audience better .
Before your next poster session, bookmark and review this guide to help you design a winning poster presentation every time.
Like this article? Please share
Cool Presentation Ideas, Design, Design Inspiration Filed under Design
Related Articles
Filed under Google Slides Tutorials • April 23rd, 2024
How to Align Objects in Google Slides
Optimize your layouts by learning how to align objects in Google Slides presentations. Step-by-step guide with screenshots.
Filed under Design • January 11th, 2024
How to Use Figma for Presentations
The powerful UI/UX prototyping software can also help us to craft high-end presentation slides. Learn how to use Figma as a presentation software here!
Filed under Design • December 28th, 2023
Multimedia Presentation: Insights & Techniques to Maximize Engagement
Harnessing the power of multimedia presentation is vital for speakers nowadays. Join us to discover how you can utilize these strategies in your work.
Leave a Reply
- Plasmids Topic Overview
- Plasmids 101
- Molecular Biology Protocols and Tips
- Plasmid Cloning
- Plasmid Elements
- Plasmid Tags
- New Plasmids at Addgene
- Other Plasmid Tools
- CRISPR Topic Overview
- Base Editing
- Cas Proteins
- CRISPR Biosafety
- CRISPR Expression Systems and Delivery Methods
- CRISPR Pooled Libraries
- CRISPR Visualize
- CRISPR gRNAs
- CRISPR Protocols and Tips
- CRISPR Therapeutic Applications
- Other CRISPR Tools
- Viral Vectors Topic Overview
- Viral Vectors 101
- Addgeneâs Viral Service
- Adenoviral Vectors
- Chemogenetics
- Cell Tracing
- Neuroscience Biosensors
- Optogenetics
- Retroviral and Lentiviral Vectors
- Viral Vector Protocols and Tips
- Fluorescent Proteins Topic Overview
- Fluorescent Proteins 101
- Fluorescent Biosensors
- Fluorescent Imaging
- Generating Fusions
- Localization with Fluorescent Proteins
- Luminescence
- Non-protein Fluorophores
- Other Fluorescent Protein Tools
- Science Career Topic Overview
- Applying for Jobs
- Conferences
- Early Career Researcher
- Management for Scientists
- Mentoring for Scientists
- Professional development
- Science Career Options
- Download the Science Career Guide
- Microbiology
- Neuroscience
- Plant Biology
- Model Organisms
- Scientific Sharing
- Scientific Publishing
- Science Communication
- Using Addgene's Website
- Addgene News
The Scientific Conference Poster Session: Tips for Success
By Guest Blogger
This post was contributed by Brittany L. Uhlorn, a PhD Candidate at the University of Arizona.
Perhaps youâre about to present your first scientific poster, but unsure how best to prepare. Maybe youâre a presentation veteran, but have difficulty answering questions. Or perhaps youâre simply attending, but uncertain how to capitalize on your experience. No matter the reason for attending, your preparation and day-of game plan will ensure you have the most beneficial scientific conference experience possible.
Tips for poster session presenters
Prepare for success.
Youâve put a great deal of thought into designing your poster â now itâs time to practice your delivery.
- Consider your audience : Who will be attending the session, and what is their background relative to your research? Tailor your language to your audience so that they can digest what youâre saying, provide constructive criticism, and ask thought-provoking questions. For example, if youâre a virologist presenting at the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting, you might consider including more background on how your virus of interest causes cancer, as well as therapeutic strategies to target it, than you typically would at a microbiology meeting.
- Create an outline : Write key bullet points for what you would like to say to help build your presentation. For example, when thinking about discussing a figure, jot down the question you were trying to answer, the method you used, the main result, and the fundamental takeaway. Writing these points will help you remember what to say and provide your audience with a clear picture of your work.
- Practice, practice, practice : Rehearse your presentation with people inside and outside your field. Your colleagues, lab mates, and PI can provide feedback on your technical presentation, but those outside of your field can point out places where you gloss over essential details or omit crucial background. Practice a few times while standing at your poster â itâs a different experience to practice while seated or with your poster on your computer screen than it is to pretend youâre standing at the session.
Present with confidence
Now that youâve printed your poster and practiced a number of times, itâs time to expertly show off your science.
- Prepare the night before : To avoid rushing out the door without your poster, place it by your keys a day in advance. Dress for the venue and professionalism of the conference, and remember to wear comfortable shoes, as you will likely be spending a few hours on your feet. Pack water and snacks to keep you energized throughout the session, bring extra clips to hold up your poster, and pack a few business cards to tack up next to your poster.
- Arrive early : You might be nervous before your poster session, or it may be held at an unfamiliar venue. Finding your poster board well ahead of time ensures you arenât scrambling to tack up your poster seconds before the session begins. Plus, youâll have extra time to practice at the actual venue.
- Introduce yourself : I always find it odd when I walk up to someoneâs poster, and then he/she dives right into the background without an introduction. If someone approaches your poster, introduce yourself and ask about his/her background. This will give you a chance to determine how to tailor your presentation so that it can be understood by your audience.
- Use your poster as an aid : Have you ever gone up to a poster where the presenter spends the entire time talking to the poster, as opposed to engaging with you? Be sure to use your poster as a visual aid, not a crutch. Even the most prepared of us can find ourselves talking to our posters, so if you find yourself in this situation, take a moment to pause and ask your audience if they are following along. This will not only re-engage you with those who sought out your poster, but will also give you a chance to slow down and catch your breath before diving in to the next figure.
- Remember your outline : Instead of getting bogged down in the minutia or coming off as a broken record, remember the outline you created for yourself. Hit the key bullet points and elaborate if your audience seems captivated.
Expertly navigate questions
Answering questions is arguably the most difficult part of a poster session, but with a little preparation and a few deep breaths the day-of, youâll handle them with ease.
- Anticipate questions : When practicing with your colleagues, ask them to brainstorm potential questions you may receive. People often ask about the relationship of your work to recently published papers or âhot topics,â so be sure to be well-read on the recent literature in your field.
Tips for poster session attendees
Thereâs nothing more overwhelming than stepping into a sea of posters â where do you begin?
Design a game plan
Prior to attending the conference, map out which posters you are interested in viewing. For most larger conferences, poster titles and abstracts are available online or in an app prior to the session, so bookmark which posters are of most interest to you a few days in advance. If you donât have access to a list of posters until the day-of, take a moment to step aside to read through the list at the session so you can strategically use your time. Donât have access to a list of posters at all? No problem! At the beginning of the session, take a lap around the posters and read the titles to find the ones youâd like to revisit.
Strategically traverse the sea of posters
If you come prepared with a list of posters of interest, then youâve already set yourself up for success. But sometimes, attendees can get sucked in to thirty-minute-long presentations, which constrains the number of posters you can see. If you are pressed for time, limit yourself to five to ten minutes per poster. Ask the presenter to give the âelevator pitch,â of his/her project â kindly let the presenter know you are very interested in his/her work, and would enjoy hearing the highlights so that you can appreciate the impact of the project as a whole.
In addition to time constraints, there may be particular poster you are interested in viewing which has drawn a large crowd, making it difficult to see the actual poster or interact with the presenter. If you donât have time to wait for the crowd to disperse, you can either seek out the presenter after the session or find him/her on social media or through their affiliationsâ website. Time permitting, you can go back to the most interesting and popular posters at the end of the session.
Get in contact
See a poster you want to know more about? Interested in doing a postdoc in a presenterâs lab? Want to collaborate with a group who presented on a topic related to your research? Find a way to get in contact with the presenter after the session. Exchange business cards or jot down their name and affiliation from the poster heading to get in touch at a later time.
With these tips in mind, youâll be geared for success at your next poster session! There many other tips and tricks for presenting at scientific conferences, so let us know your own ways to successfully navigate poster sessions with ease.
Many thanks to our guest blogger Brittany L. Uhlorn from the University of Arizona.
Resources on the Addgene blog
- Read other posts on scientific communication
- Find more tips for scientific networking
- Read this blog post for tips on other aspects of conferences
Resources on the Addgene website
- Become of a member of the Addgene depositor community
- Learn about careers at Addgene
Topics: Science Careers , Conferences , Early Career Researcher
Leave a Comment
Add Comment
Sharing science just got easier... Subscribe to our blog
Follow Addgene on Social
Addgene is a nonprofit plasmid repository.
We store and distribute high-quality plasmids from your colleagues.
- Cookies & Privacy Policy
- Accessibility
- Terms of Use
JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser.
- Compare Products
Have a question? +1 604 877 0713 or Email Us at [email protected]
Your cart has an existing quote
Your shopping cart contains an active quote order and cannot be modified. To modify your shopping cart, please remove the current quote order before making changes to your cart. If you require changes to the quote, please contact your local sales representative.
- Sign In Email Address Password Sign In Forgot your password?
Register for an account to quickly and easily purchase products online and for one-click access to all educational content.
- 7 Tips for Preparing and Presenting a Winning Scientific Poster
7 Tips for Preparing a Winning Scientific Poster Presentation
Presenting a scientific poster is a great way to share your research at a conference, interact with fellow researchers, and get instant feedback on your work. It also serves as a valuable networking opportunity and allows you to forge relationships for future collaborations.
Although there are many benefits to scientific poster presentations, your first attempt at preparing and presenting one can feel daunting. Graduate students are often left to figure out how to do this all on their own, which can lead to posters filled with too much text and data, and presentations that are difficult to follow. Follow these tips to create better posters and maximize the benefits of presenting.
1. Think of your poster as a conversation starter
A scientific poster is not meant to be a comprehensive report of your research. The primary goal is to attract the attention of conference attendees so that you can begin a conversation. With that in mind, design your poster as a visual tool to help share your research. You can use this opportunity to get feedback and ideas, and to network with fellow conference attendeesâperhaps youâll even be able to find new collaborators for your research.
2. Know your audience
Before you begin drafting the content, itâs important to know your audience. Consider how proficient the audience is on your research topic. Are you going to a broad conference where the audience may be less familiar with your niche topic? If so, try to make your content more accessible by simplifying complex concepts or ideas. Are you going to a conference specific to your research niche? If so, you may not need as much background information.
Conference and Networking ToolKit
Browse our collection of downloadable tools to help you prepare for a conference, including a presentation checklist and quick tips for networking.
Access Now >
3. Know the story youâre trying to tell
A scientific poster is more than just a collection of information and data; the components should work together to create one cohesive and engaging story that leads viewers to your main conclusion. It also needs to be concise. You may find it helpful to write a short narrative of the story youâre trying to tell before creating your poster.
4. Create an outline and draft your content
The content of your poster should be easy to digest. Your audience doesnât have much time to spend on each conference poster. Make it as easy as possible for them to quickly scan your poster and understand the story youâre trying to tell.
Include the following components:
- Authors list and affiliations
- Introduction, background, or rationale
- A brief overview of methods
- Results and discussion
Follow these tips to make your poster easier to digest:
- Write a catchy title containing relevant keywords to help the audience quickly recognize whether theyâre interested in your poster.
- Keep your methods to a brief overview instead of including detailed protocols.
- Use 5 figures or less, choosing only the most interesting data that are critical to support your conclusion.
- Use diagrams to illustrate complex concepts.
- Be concise and only include the essential details required to grasp the whole story.
- Ensure that the content can be presented in 5 - 10 minutes at a comfortable, conversational pace.
- Use bullet points and short sentences and paragraphs.
- Choose simple words (e.g. âuseâ instead of âutilizeâ).
- Proofread, proofread, proofread. Then ask a friend to!
5. Use design best practices
Having a well-designed conference poster can help you attract an audience and share your research in a way that is easy for the audience to follow. Fortunately, you donât have to be a graphic designer to create a well-laid-out poster. Regardless of the tool you choose (e.g. Adobe Illustrator, Microsoft PowerPoint), follow these simple design tips:
- Use a simple, light, neutral-coloured background that provides enough contrast with the text. Avoid busy and distracting backgrounds.
- Choose one bold accent color, and use it sparingly to help your poster stand out without being distracting.
- Stick to simple and easy-to-read fonts (e.g. Arial, Helvetica).
- Distinguish headings and subheadings from the rest of the text with different fonts or font sizes.
- Use large font sizes that can be read from a distance of one meter. Try to stay between 18 pt (for figure legends) and 85 pt (for the main title).
- For the body text, set the line spacing to a minimum of 1.25 and donât make the text box too wide. This will help improve readability.
- Leave enough clear space in the borders, between sections, and between lines to make your poster more inviting and easy to digest.
- Use gridlines to help you align your sections, columns, text, and figures so they look neat and evenly distributed.
- Use your layout to create a flow that helps the audience move logically from one section to the next.
Prepare to network and present your poster
A poster session is an opportune time for networking and sharing your research, so you should make the most of it. This can mean updating your LinkedIn profile prior to the conference, coming prepared with business cards, and practicing your poster presentation prior.
Practice your poster presentation prior to the poster session, but avoid sounding like you're reading off a script. Ensure that you can tell your story through the figures on your poster in 5 - 10 minutes at a comfortable pace. You could also anticipate some questions that your audience may ask you and be prepared to answer those questions.
Remember, the first time you present your poster will be the most difficult. Treat it as a warm-up and do it with a trusted friend or colleague, if possible. You should get more comfortable as the session progresses and can adapt your presentation on the go according to what your audience is responding best to.
Seven Networking Tips for Scientists
With the help of a networking expert, we've compiled some best practices so you can start building your network with confidence.
Read Now >
Engage your audience
The best poster presenters are those who are able engage their audience by having a clear presentation, a positive body language, and a genuine conversation. Follow these tips to effectively present your scientific poster:
- Stand on one side of the poster and avoid blocking the audience from viewing your poster or the poster next to yours.
- Smile and make eye contact with the audience. Shake their hands and introduce yourself.
- Ask your audience if they would like you to present your poster to them. Some people prefer to just scan posters on their own.
- As youâre presenting, use your hands to point to the relevant parts of your poster. Look at your audience instead of staring at your own poster the entire time. It helps to position your feet towards the audience instead of towards your poster.
- Be yourself and let your genuine personality show through your presentation and interaction with the audience.
- If you see others waiting for you while youâre still talking to others, acknowledge them with a smile or nod so they know you see them.
- Ask if your audience has any questions. Answer their questions to the best of your ability, and donât be afraid to admit if you donât know the answer.
- If you donât see others waiting for your poster, take the opportunity to network with your current audience or other poster presenters around you. Ask them about themselves and what theyâre working on. This is also a great time to ask for feedback on your work.
- Look for opportunities to exchange contact information or arrange to connect another time for further discussions or to explore potential collaborations.
- Afraid of missing people while youâre not at your poster? Include your email address if you would like to be contacted by conference attendees who may be reading your poster while youâre not there.
Related Content
10 Tips for Attending Scientific Conferences
Plan ahead and be prepared for the next conference you attend to ensure youâre maximizing the benefits.
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Presenters
Tips on how to present data to an audience, and feel comfortable doing so.
Efficient Tools and Technologies for Life Science Research
Accomplish more in less time and with less effort by making smarter choices for the tools you use in the lab, including cell isolation and cell culture technologies.
- Organize Lab Bench
- Manage Inventory
- Organize Notebooks
- Share Duties
- Choose Technologies
- Productivity Habits
- Staying Motivated
- Productive Commute
- Mentor Effectively
- Successful Journal Club
- Immunologists to Follow
- Attending Conferences
- Effective Presentations
- Networking Tips
- Habits to Break
- Optimizing Value
- Thriving in Research
- Information Overload
- Storing and Preserving Data
- Poster Presentations
- Efficient Technologies
- Return to Lab
- Managing Projects
- Reopening the Lab
- Lab Coats & Lifeâą Podcast
- Increase Your Productivity
- Get Organized
- Communicate Effectively
- Advance Your Career
- Move from Academia to Industry
- About STEMCELL
- Public Relations
- Subscribe for News
- Ways to Order
- Cookie Preferences
- Terms & Conditions
- Current Country/Region
- - Google Chrome
Intended for healthcare professionals
- Access provided by Google Indexer
- My email alerts
- BMA member login
- Username * Password * Forgot your log in details? Need to activate BMA Member Log In Log in via OpenAthens Log in via your institution
Search form
- Advanced search
- Search responses
- Search blogs
- How to make a...
How to make a scientific poster
- Related content
- Peer review
- Fiona Tasker , core medical trainee doctor
- 1 Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton BN2 5BE
Conference attendees will look at your poster only briefly, so a clear presentation is crucial
A scientific poster is an illustrated abstract of research that is displayed at meetings and conferences. A poster is a good way of presenting your information because it can reach a large audience, including people who might not be in your field. It is also a useful step towards publishing your research. Some conferences publish poster abstracts, which then count as publications in their own right.
A successful poster captures the viewerâs attention and communicates the key points clearly and succinctly. One author reviewed 142 posters at a national meeting and found that 33% were cluttered or sloppy, 22% had fonts that were too small to be easily read, and 38% had research objectives that could not be located in a one minute review. 1 Avoiding these mistakes is important to ensure your poster has a positive impact.
Where do I start?
If you have completed a project, you will need to research the right meeting or conference to submit your abstract to, if you have not done so already. You might need to ask your supervisor or consultants in the field of your topic for information about relevant conferences at which you can present your work.
You will usually be asked to submit an abstract online. The submission guidelines on the website should guide you on how to do this, as well as provide other valuable information such as formatting instructions and deadlines. Your abstract should state why your work is important, the specific objective or objectives, a brief but clear explanation of the methods, a summary of the main results, and the conclusions. I would not recommend adding the abstract to your poster unless this was stated in the conference guidelines because a poster is already a succinct description of your work; use it as an outline for your poster.
Follow submission guidelines carefully because they differ among meetings. Start putting your poster together early to avoid the stress of last minute printing queues.
Designing the poster
According to the 10-10 rule, attendees spend only 10 seconds scanning posters as they stroll by from a distance of 10 feet. 2 Your poster should be well laid out, with a visual representation preferable to large chunks of text. Diagrams, tables, and photographs aid readability and attract people. Guide the viewersâs eyes from one frame to another in a logical fashion from beginning to end. Set up this pattern via a columnar format, so the viewer reads vertically first, from top to bottom, moving across the columns from left to right. â
An example of a poster. Using information from www.postersession.com
- Download figure
- Open in new tab
- Download powerpoint
Text and font
Itâs important to make the writing in your poster clear and easily understandableâremember that readers wonât give it much time. Use plain language and write in the active voice (âWe did this,â rather than, âThis was done.â) Avoid jargon and acronyms. Use simple language and short sentences. Edit ruthlessly. If itâs not relevant to your message, remove it.
Avoid using uppercase text for more than one sentence because it becomes difficult to read. Keep text to a minimum. Whenever possible, use bulleted text rather than blocks of sentences and leave blank space around the text and throughout the poster.
Use sans serif fonts such as Arial or Helvetica, or fonts such as Times or Times New Roman, which are generally considered to help legibility for posters. If you want a different look, consider Baskerville, Century Schoolbook, or Palatino. The font should be consistent throughout the poster and text should be legible 5 to 6 feet away. Use at least 85 point for the title, 56 point for the authorsâ names, 36-44 point for subheadings, 24-34 point for text in the main body, and 18 point for captions.
Use colour to attract attention, organise, and emphasise, but donât overdo it. Use a maximum of two or three colours and consider people who have problems differentiating colours. One of the most common forms of colour blindness is an inability to tell green from red. Black type on a white background is standard practice, and patterned backgrounds should be used with caution.
Microsoft Powerpoint is easy to use and most people have access to it. Lay your poster out on a single slide. There are several other programs that can be used to design a poster, such as QuarkXPress, 3 InDesign, 4 LaTeX, 5 and Scribus (a free download). 6 These programs allow control of text wrapping around images and text flow among associated text blocks. One piece of software specifically targets the scientific poster market: PosterGenius. 7
The title is most effective when it refers to its overall âtake home message.â It should include the scope of the investigation, the study design, and the goal. In general the title should highlight your subject matter, but need not state all your conclusions. It should be about 10-12 words long and the font size should be large, 85 point. If things donât fit, shorten the title; donât reduce the typesize. And remember, titles that are in uppercase lettering are hard to read.
The author who was involved most is listed first and the most senior author is listed last. Some posters will have the addresses of the institution to which the authors are affiliated.
Break up your poster into sections, much like a scientific article. Label all the sections with titles: introduction, methods, results, conclusion, references, and acknowledgements.
Introduction
Write a few brief sentences to identify what is known about the topic, why you did the research, and the aim or aims of your work. This section can also include your hypotheses, which usually go at the end of the introduction.
Explain what you did. For a study involving people, you should explicitly state whether the study was retrospective or prospective, and whether there was randomisation. Your data analysis and statistics used should also be described, including what P value you chose to indicate significant differences.
Select the most important results that support your message. Images and graphs say more than words. Tables and figures should be used to illustrate your studyâs results, and they should be clear, self explanatory, and uncomplicated. They should be numbered, and referred to by number in the textâfor example, âsee figure 1â). Make sure figures have a title and a legend. Keep text to a minimum. Graphs and charts should have an appropriate scale and labelled axes. Orient text for graphs horizontally, including labels for vertical axes.
Write short, clear statements explaining the main outcomes of the study and why your results are interesting or important. You can also suggest future directions for research that build on your current study.
References should be limited to five, and the font size should be smaller than the poster text. Check on the organisationâs website for formatting instructions.
Acknowledgements
Write up a short acknowledgement section to thank those who helped you to complete your research, such as your research group or funding source. You should disclose any conflicts of interests that might exist.
Practicalities
Find out if the library based at your hospital site has the facilities to print your poster. Alternatively, you could upload your poster onto an internet site that will print and deliver the poster to you. Some conferences print posters on site so that you can collect them when you arrive.
If you do upload your poster online, make sure you set the dimensions on the file to match those in the conference guidelines. If you are travelling with your poster, make sure it is packaged in a plastic tube to protect the paper from getting damaged. If you are travelling by air, you should inform the staff at the check-in desk that you have extra hand luggage so that you do not have any problems taking your poster onto the aircraft.
Presenting the poster
When someone stops to look, you should be able to introduce your poster in 10 seconds and that person should be able to assimilate all of the information and discuss it with you in 10 minutes. 2 Some conferences will allocate time for you to present your poster to a small group of colleagues who also have posters in the same category as you. Check the conference website for details.
Place a note on your poster board listing the times you will be available by the board for those who would like to discuss the poster outside the formal presentation time. Prepare mini sized poster handouts or handouts of the key points for participants to take away. Make it easy for a conference attendee to contact you afterwards. Have your contact details clearly displayed on your poster and handouts. Posters are a great way to gain feedback from your colleagues and for networking and collaborating, and this should support you in writing up your research for publication.
Websites with examples of scientific posters
http://phdposters.com/gallery.php
http://www.ncsu.edu/project/posters/NewSite/ExamplePosters.html
http://www.writing.engr.psu.edu/posters.html
Roper L. Attending professional conferences. Student BMJ 2012;20:e3962.
Originally published as: Student BMJ 2013;21:f297
Competing interests: None declared.
Provenance and peer review: Commissioned, not externally peer reviewed.
- â” Hess GR, Tosney KW, Liegel LH. Creating effective poster presentations: AMEE guide no. 40. Med Teach 2009 ; 31 : 319 -21. OpenUrl PubMed
- â” Boullata JI, Mancuso CE. A âhow-toâ guide in preparing abstracts and poster presentations. Nutr Clin Pract 2007 ; 22 : 641 -6. OpenUrl CrossRef PubMed Web of Science
- â” QuarkXPress. http://www.quark.com/ .
- â” InDesign. http://www.adobe.com/products/indesign.html .
- â” LaTeX. http://www.latex-project.org/ .
- â” Scribus. http://www.scribus.net/canvas/Scribus .
- â” PosterGenius. http://www.postergenius.com/cms/index.php .
View the latest institution tables
View the latest country/territory tables
iPosters and Betterposter: How to create a conference poster that people want to read
Download free templates, or make the switch to digital-only.
Marc J. Kuchner
Researchers meet and share their research in the poster hall at the AGU Fall Meeting. Credit: Gary Wagner Photos (garywagnerphotos.com)
6 February 2020
Gary Wagner Photos (garywagnerphotos.com)
Researchers meet and share their research in the poster hall at the AGU Fall Meeting.
A few years ago, presenting a poster at a scientific conference inevitably meant battling with thumbtacks, rubber bands, and an unwieldly sail of paper with little power to inspire. Now researchers are increasingly opting for digital posters and templated designs that highlight â rather than obscure â their key findings.
I recently attended the 2019 annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) in San Francisco, where 17,909 scientific posters were displayed over the course of a week. Many of these posters were visually arresting and cleverly constructed. And some were entirely online.
Since 2017, the AGU has been inviting presenters to submit digital poster ideas. Known as iPosters, they can support videos and animations, and are displayed on giant, interactive touch-screens.
That year, 117 iPoster submissions were approved for display at the conference. In 2018, that number had jumped to 775 iPosters, and last year, there were 995.
âThe audience is jazzed about them,â says AGU executive program manager, Erik Hankin. âThereâs an excitement around the technology and how it can overcome the limitations of a paper poster.â
The digital posterâs advantages go far beyond not having to lug around a 40-inch cardboard tube. Presenters can easily make last-minute changes to the content, and they can be instantly converted to other digital formats so they can be shared or uploaded to a website.
âI like not having to deal with the university printing office or worry about leaving it on the train,â says Leah Wood, a PhD student from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. âAnd I think itâs more engaging.â
PhD student Leah Wood, explaining her digital poster at this winterâs meeting of the American Geophysical Union. Credit: Marc Kuchner
The AGU asked iPoster presenters to give brief talks about their research (called eLightning talks), and those were a hit as well.
âI think itâs the best of both worlds between giving an oral presentation and a poster presentation,â says Wood. âThese three-minute talks are just right to give an elevator pitch and encourage people to come and play with the poster.â
Paper posters arenât done yet
The downside of running a digital poster session is that it costs more than a conventional poster session, and someone has to foot the bill.
Conference organizers pay aMuze Interactive, a US- and Sweden-based company, for the use of proprietary iPoster software, and often a second company to truck in the special monitors and display hardware.
Some conferences can charge as much as $1,000 extra to participants who present digital posters to cover these expenses.
If that cost precludes you from going digital, progress has touched the paper side of the poster hall, too.
Weâve also seen improvements in the design of scientific posters. In 2019, Mike Morrison, a PhD student in psychology at Michigan State University, created a viral video calling out the inadequacy of conventional posters and introducing his own free downloadable poster templates called betterposters .
Morrisonâs betterposter design includes small portraits of each author so conference-goers can recognize their faces in a crowd. They also include QR codes that can be scanned to bring up the relevant paper and other supplementary material on a userâs smartphone.
But the hallmark of the betterposter is a big dark square, smack in the middle of the poster, containing a single sentence that states the primary result of the research. Itâs written so large that itâs impossible for conference-goers not to read it as they walk by.
my first attempt at a #betterposter come find out what happens! #ELSO2019 pic.twitter.com/NxfgQBMhEE â Brendan Riordan (@concernecus) September 14, 2019
@drdavidliew presents his poster #2685 #ACRbest #ACR19 @RheumNow come check out the Australian Experience of TA bx. pic.twitter.com/quQrEhv8x3 â Dr. Rachel Tate (@uptoTate) November 12, 2019
My colleague, Petr Pokorny, a planetary science postdoc from the Catholic University of America in Washington and NASAâs Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, tried using a betterposter template for the first time at the 2019 AGU meeting.
âIt was a huge success. I got about 100 people stopping to read the poster and take pictures of it,â says Pokorny. âAnd it was a pretty dead part of the room.â
Petr Pokornyâs betterposter conference poster. (Kuchner is a co-author on the paper.) Credit: Marc Kuchner
Learn from the best
My hope for the future of conference posters is to see the aMuze iPoster templates incorporate some of the clever elements of the betterposter concept.
Although the digital posters I saw last year were easy enough to interact with, I often found myself struggling to understand the main point of the research being presented.
The betterposter templates are designed to put the âso what?â factor at the front and centre of the presentation â quite literally â which often solves this problem.
Here are some of my favourites that have been posted to Twitter:
@ghs_org Health Sciences Center Research Showcase today - lots of great feedback on our #betterposter design! @Laura_MPH pic.twitter.com/ngHq8PAc6t â Jacqueline Forrester (@jacforrester) April 12, 2019
Presenting research at @metals_in in Paris this week! Got creative with this one following some inspiration from @mikemorrison . *Note the skull decorated with orbitals to represent cytotoxicity! #CHEMISTRY #betterposter #Paris pic.twitter.com/HhgmfSIJL6 â Miles S Capper (@CapperMiles) November 15, 2019
Giving the #betterposter template a go at #NAPCRG2019 and have caught some eyeballs. Success đ€·đ»ââïž Come learn about primary care patient volume and quality of care for complex patients with me đ pic.twitter.com/ZIyVnbHdCI â Natasha Lane (@NatashaErinLane) November 19, 2019
Thank you #IPOS2019 for the opportunity to present my research on #symptom perception in #AYAcancer survivors today. My first #betterposter design was seemingly a success :) pic.twitter.com/9qgFcojP7W â Lauren Heathcote, PhD (@LCHeathcote) September 24, 2019
Search the #betterposter hashtag on Twitter to see more examples.
And to avoid that crushing feeling that results from unfurling a crinkled poster, you can also order a cloth fabric poster at makesigns.com or postersmith.com .
Marc J. Kuchner is an astrophysicist and the author of Marketing for Scientists: How to Shine in Tough Times. Photo by Gary Wagner Photos .
Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.
Poster Presentation
Characteristics of a poster presentation.
- Poster presenters should dress professionally and understand all parts of their poster.
- Most poster presentations take place in a large room with dozens to hundreds of individual poster presentations occurring simultaneously. Â
- A typical presentation lasts 5-15 minutes.
- Typical audience size for an individual poster presentation will be 1-5 people.
- It is acceptable for the audience to ask questions during a presentation.
- The presenter should use the posterâs figures and tables to communicate with the audience.
Excellent Presentations are Simple
The presenter is the scientist or engineer who conducted the research. Â The presenter is an expert in that particular field and should be confident (but not arrogant) when presenting the research to their audience. Â The presenter should understand everything that is in their poster (e.g., issue, topic, figures, tables, references). Â The presenter should relax, speak clearly, start with the introduction, move through the methods, results and end with the discussion section. Â The presenter should engage in conservation with the audience and answer their questions during the poster presentation. Â The presenter should not read word-for-word from a script, but rather they should follow a general progression through their poster ( Fig. 17 ) that allows for active and organic discussion between them and the audience. Â Â
Figure 17. Poster Presentation
Tips for Giving a Poster Presentation
- Practice your presentation several times before the poster event. Dress professionally. Your audience will be focused on your poster for 5-15 minutes so you do not have much time to capture their attention and tell your story. Â Engaging figures, maps, and graphs will help capture their attention. Â
- Focus most of your presentation on your figures and tables. Your audience will focus on figures, graphs, tables, and maps. Â They rarely read the poster text. Â If they read any text at all, it will likely be the abstract and figure captions so a presenter really should focus on figures and tables when they prepare for their poster presentation. Â
- Speak clearly and know your topic. Â Remember you are the expert, so you need to understand all parts of your poster. Â
- Presenters should start their presentation ( Fig. 17 ) by introducing themself and moving onto the Title and Introduction sections. Â Describe the issue and use figures to help explain the story. Â Use maps to show the study area, use photographs of the organism or pollutant or issue, use graphs and tables to show patterns (e.g., population increased over past 5 years) and focus on important points. Â Flow from one figure to the next, ending with the Discussion and Conclusion sections. Â The presenter should point to the poster when they are talking about a specific figure, and use words and their hands to help explain each part of the poster.
- Allow your audience to participate, allow them to ask questions throughout your presentation ( Fig. 18 ). Â Always be respectful of your audience. Â Always try to answer their questions. Â If you do not know the answer, the best thing to say is âI do not know the answer, but I can point to another study here in my references section where other scientists are working on this very question.â Engage your audience and show them where to find additional work (e.g., journal articles, names of scientists) about the topic. Â
- Avoid using words like âstuffâ and âthingsâ and other general phrases like âthis work was greatâ. Â Give specific details because this demonstrates to the audience that you understand your topic. Â Use the vocabulary words that you learned and explain these to the audience. Â For example, rather than saying âThis work was great for orangutans,â you could say, âThis work was great because it was the first time that we observed orangutan feeding behavior in the wild and it allowed us to determine that female orangutans need 5,500 calories per day during their breeding season. Those females that obtained 5,500 calories per day were twice as likely to give birth.â
- Be prepared for a lively and dynamic event ( Fig. 19 ). Â Poster events typically consist of dozens or hundreds of individual poster presentations occurring simultaneously in the same room. Â These events are typically very loud and energetic. Â Food and beverages are typically provided at the event. Â
- Be flexible. Â The audience will walk around to view as many posters as possible, stopping occasionally to view a poster and talk to a poster presenter about their research. Â Some people may talk with the presenter for a few seconds, others may spend 15-20 minutes talking with a poster presenter. Â Presenter-audience interactions will be rather informal and dynamic. Â
- Read or download the poster guide and map prior to attending the poster event. Â A poster program guide and poster map will typically be published ahead of the event so that the audience knows where to find each poster and the presenter knows where to set up their poster. Â
- Wear comfortable shoes. Â Posters are typically displayed on an easel and the presenter stands by their poster during the entire event, which can several hours.
Figure 18. Two-Way Communication is Key to a Successful Poster Event
All scientific posters follow a similar organization in terms of parts (i.e., Abstract, Introduction, Materials & Methods, Results, Discussion, References) and layout (i.e., title and name at the top, 3-4 columns for content). Â However, each scientific poster can be unique in terms of its font, color scheme, types of figures (e.g., chart, diagram, graph, map, photograph) and use of tables. Â It is entirely up to the scientists to decide how they want to design their poster to best communicate their research with the audience. Â Gallery 1 shows eight different scientific posters that were presented at a scientific conference. Â As you look through Gallery 1 you can see that the posters are all similar in the way that they are organized but that each poster is unique in they way it is designed (e.g., color scheme, number and placement of figures, use of fonts). Â While each is different, they all succeed in their goal of visually communicating the importance of their scientific research to an audience ( Gallery 1) . Â Â
Figure 19. Poster Event
Gallery 1. Examples of Completed Scientific Posters
Scientific Posters: A Learner's Guide Copyright © 2020 by Ella Weaver; Kylienne A. Shaul; Henry Griffy; and Brian H. Lower is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.
Share This Book
Poster Presentation at Scientific Meetings
- First Online: 01 October 2023
Cite this chapter
- K. Gokulakrishnan 4 &
- B. N. Srikumar 5 Â
692 Accesses
9 Altmetric
The poster presentation is an integral part of the scientific journey. It plays an important role in developing the research career of the researcher, especially novice researchers and budding scientists. The process of poster presentation begins with the abstract submission to the conference secretariat. Once the abstract is accepted for presentation, the preparation of the poster begins. Before making the poster, it is essential to draft, review and revise the content in IMRaD format without much emphasis on the discussion. Then design the poster using presentation or any other designing software, review and revise the content in the layout before printing it. When designing the posterâs layout, organize illustrations and text using a grid plan, placing most significant findings at eye level and using muted background colours. It is better to keep the content less, with good illustrations to attract the viewersâ attention. Once the content and design are completed, it is important to edit carefully and review meticulously. Before the presentation at the conference, rehearse the presentation to improve the flow of thoughts. Utilize the opportunity to develop the science and network with peers. Poster presentations, when done well, can significantly contribute to scientific and career advancement. This article aims to provide a comprehensive approach to preparing a poster and making a successful presentation.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
- Available as PDF
- Read on any device
- Instant download
- Own it forever
- Available as EPUB and PDF
- Durable hardcover edition
- Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
- Free shipping worldwide - see info
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Institutional subscriptions
Society for Neuroscience, Poster Presentations (2022). https://www.sfn.org/meetings/neuroscience-2022/call-for-abstracts/presenter-resources/poster-presentations . Accessed 2 Dec 2022
Hamilton CW (2008) At a glance: a stepwise approach to successful poster presentations. Chest 134:457â459. https://doi.org/10.1378/chest.08-1078
Article  PubMed  Google Scholar Â
Butz AM, Kohr L, Jones D (2004) Developing a successful poster presentation. J Pediatr Health Care 18:45â48. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedhc.2003.08.006
Alexandrov AV, Hennerici MG (2007) Writing good abstracts. Cerebrovasc Dis 23:256â259. https://doi.org/10.1159/000098324
Gray AL, Curtis CW, Young MR, Bryson KK (2022) Innovative poster designs: a shift toward visual representation of data. Am J Health Syst Pharm 79:625â628. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajhp/zxac002
Faridi E, Ghaderian A, Honarasa F, Shafie A (2021) Next generation of chemistry and biochemistry conference posters: animation, augmented reality, visitor statistics, and visitorsâ attention. Biochem Mol Biol Educ 49:619â624. https://doi.org/10.1002/bmb.21520
Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar Â
Bradbury NA (2016) Attention span during lectures: 8 seconds, 10 minutes, or more? Adv Physiol Educ 40:509â513. https://doi.org/10.1152/advan.00109.2016
Erren TC, Bourne PE (2007) Ten simple rules for a good poster presentation. PLoS Comput Biol 3:e102. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.0030102
Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar Â
Boullata JI, Mancuso CE (2007) A âhow-toâ guide in preparing abstracts and poster presentations. Nutr Clin Pract 22:641â646. https://doi.org/10.1177/0115426507022006641
Ecoff L, Stichler JF (2015) Disseminating project outcomes in a scholarly poster. HERD 8:131â138. https://doi.org/10.1177/1937586715583463
Download references
Author information
Authors and affiliations.
Department of Neurochemistry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
K. Gokulakrishnan
Department of Neurophysiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
B. N. Srikumar
You can also search for this author in PubMed  Google Scholar
Corresponding author
Correspondence to K. Gokulakrishnan .
Editor information
Editors and affiliations.
Retired Senior Expert Pharmacologist at the Office of Cardiology, Hematology, Endocrinology, and Nephrology, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
Gowraganahalli Jagadeesh
Professor & Director, Research Training and Publications, The Office of Research and Development, Periyar Maniammai Institute of Science & Technology (Deemed to be University), Vallam, Tamil Nadu, India
Pitchai Balakumar
Division Cardiology & Nephrology, Office of Cardiology, Hematology, Endocrinology and Nephrology, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
Fortunato Senatore
Ethics declarations
Rights and permissions.
Reprints and permissions
Copyright information
© 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
About this chapter
Gokulakrishnan, K., Srikumar, B.N. (2023). Poster Presentation at Scientific Meetings. In: Jagadeesh, G., Balakumar, P., Senatore, F. (eds) The Quintessence of Basic and Clinical Research and Scientific Publishing. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-1284-1_49
Download citation
DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-1284-1_49
Published : 01 October 2023
Publisher Name : Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN : 978-981-99-1283-4
Online ISBN : 978-981-99-1284-1
eBook Packages : Biomedical and Life Sciences Biomedical and Life Sciences (R0)
Share this chapter
Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:
Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.
Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative
- Publish with us
Policies and ethics
- Find a journal
- Track your research
- Event Website Publish a modern and mobile friendly event website.
- Registration & Payments Collect registrations & online payments for your event.
- Abstract Management Collect and manage all your abstract submissions.
- Peer Reviews Easily distribute and manage your peer reviews.
- Conference Program Effortlessly build & publish your event program.
- Virtual Poster Sessions Host engaging virtual poster sessions.
- Customer Success Stories
- Wall of Love ❤️
How to Make a Successful Scientific Poster
Published on 18 Apr 2023
Good science goes nowhere if itâs not communicated well.
Poster sessions at scientific conferences are a hub for knowledge dissemination and research networking. So, knowing how to design a good conference poster is a big part of becoming a successful scientific communicator and sharing your work with a larger community.
Making a scientific poster can be an exciting and rewarding experience. A well-designed poster can help you showcase your research to attract the attention of fellow scientists and potential collaborators or sponsors.
So, to help you get started, this scientific poster guide covers all the bases. From a step-by-step poster creation process to useful examples and templates, youâll find everything you need here to put together a successful scientific poster.
Students discussing during a scientific poster session.
What is a scientific poster?
A scientific poster is a visual representation of research or scientific work presented at a conference or other professional gathering. The goal is to present complex research information in a way that is easy to understand and visually engaging for conference attendees. You want to concisely tell the story behind your science, all while making it accessible to non-expert audiences.
Scientific posters can include text, figures, tables, graphs, infographics, charts, and images to convey the key findings of a research project (these elements may also be used to highlight the significance or implications of the research). A scientific poster typically consists of a large, printed sheet of paper or fabric, on which the presenter displays the results of their research in a clear, concise, and visually appealing manner. If youâre presenting at a virtual poster session , your âposterâ might be a digital file, a presentation, or a recorded video.
During a conference poster session, a researcher usually stands by their poster display while other conference participants wander through the room, viewing presentations and interacting with various authors as they go.
What is a good size for a scientific poster?
The ideal size for a scientific poster will vary depending on your conference or event requirements. However, the most common size is 48 inches (122 cm) wide by 36 inches (91 cm) tall. This size allows for easy transportation and can fit on most poster boards or display areas.
Regardless of the common size given here, it's still important that you check the specific requirements of the event where you will be presenting, as they may have different size limitations or guidelines (the event or conference website is usually a good place to find this information). Resizing a finished poster can be a real pain. So, itâs best to check the conference requirements first thing so you can start your poster off on the right track.
One important thing to keep in mind when designing your academic poster with any digital software: Itâs better to start bigger (when it comes to pixels). Also, make sure to send a high DPI image (eg. 300 DPI) for printing to ensure a high quality print.
What is the best software to make a scientific poster?
Microsoft PowerPoint and Google Slides are two of the most common and easy-to-use programs for making scientific posters. Adobe Illustrator is sometimes used by individuals with more advanced design skills. The best software to make an effective poster will depend on your personal preference and/or familiarity with the tools available.
Hereâs a handful of popular software options for making scientific posters (and their benefits):
Microsoft PowerPoint : PowerPoint is a widely used software for creating presentations, and it can also be used to create scientific posters (by designing an entire poster on a single presentation slide). It also offers a variety of design templates and tools to create visually appealing posters. Many university computers give students and staff access to the Microsoft suite of tools, so this can be a good free option.
Google Slides : Similar to PowerPoint, Google Slides is a popular software for creating presentations (with the added ability to create scientific posters). Itâs free to use which makes it one of the preferred options for early-career researchers.
Adobe Illustrator : Illustrator is a vector-based design software that is ideal for creating high-quality graphics and images. It offers advanced features for typography, color management, and image editing. However, using any Adobe software often comes with a hefty subscription price (and a steep learning curve if youâre unfamiliar with the tools).
Canva : Canva is a web-based graphic design platform that offers a variety of templates and tools for creating posters and other visual media. It is user-friendly and requires no design experience. You can get a free personal account (or pay for upgraded features).
LaTeX : LaTeX is a document preparation system that is often used for scientific publications and presentations. It offers advanced features for typesetting equations and mathematical symbols.
Mac Pages : I made 3 posters during my PhD using Mac Pages. I found it quite easy to work with to add text boxes and colored sections. Itâs very similar to PowerPoint in many ways. This is an excellent option for Mac users since itâs free.
InkScape :Â InkScape is a great tool for students on a budget (itâs free). It offers a simple and efficient way to create vector designs or scientific illustrations.
If youâre attending a virtual conference, you may have additional options for creating a virtual scientific poster. In this case, recording on Zoom, adding audio to a slideshow on PowerPoint, or recording on Quicktime are all good options to consider. Check out our article on guidelines for a virtual poster presentation for more advice.
How to make a good scientific poster for a conference
A well-designed and informative poster that effectively communicates the key findings of your research is your primary goal.
Youâll want to make sure you tailor your poster to the context youâll be presenting in (i.e. the size of the space, your presentation format, and the level of knowledge your audience is likely to have about your research topic). Youâll also want to give yourself enough time to finish your poster (anywhere between 5 days to a few weeks depending on how much experience you have).
Before we dive into the details of the scientific poster creation process, hereâs a highlight of what makes a great scientific poster (and common mistakes to avoid):
So, keeping the above highlights in mind, hereâs our step-by-step guide to help you make a scientific poster that will stand out at any conference:
1) Decide on the poster narrative and key messages
Before you begin designing your poster, plan the core content. Start by considering the purpose of your poster and the key message that you want to convey. Identify the main findings of your research and the most important conclusions that you want your audience to take away from your poster. Keep these messages in mind and then think of the varied ways you could weave them into a connected narrative (both visually and verbally) when presenting your poster. This is a great exercise to help you get better at storytelling in science in general.
Later on, when you design your poster and format it, these key messages will need to visually stand out so that someone walking by or scanning your poster can pick them up without stopping to read the full thing.
2) Decide on the sections of your scientific poster
Once youâve determined your key message(s), youâll need to organize your research content into sections that make logical sense. Like the abstract in a scientific paper, your poster should have sections summarizing the background and rationale, methodology, results, and the implications of your work. Some common sections included in a scientific poster include:
Title, Key Finding or Takeaway - Highlight the core message in a catchy way.
Introduction - Provide background information and a clear research question or hypothesis. Introduce only whatâs necessary to address any knowledge gap.
Methods - Explain the methodology used in your research. This is often the easiest section to skip (or merge with the results to save space and tell your story better).
Results - Present the key findings of your research in a visually appealing way in the results section. Use graphs and tables with legends and titles.
Discussion - Interpret and discuss the implications of your findings.
Conclusion - Summarize your research and its significance. Comment on possible future research. This section can easily be combined with the discussion section.
Citations & Acknowledgements - Reference important materials, your institutional affiliation and thank individuals for specific contributions to your research. This can be smaller than other text so as not to distract from the core message, but it should be included somewhere.
Prompt to Find Out More - Give interested readers an easy option to dive further into your research. Include a resource link (or a QR code) to additional materials.
Keep in mind: these are common sections included in a poster, NOT required sections. Feel free to get creative with more descriptive headings or combine sections if it helps you communicate your message better (and in fewer words). And, wherever possible, think of ways to tell your story through figures and illustrations rather than through text. Biorender and the Noun Project are both great resources to help you find and create visuals for your poster.
3) Create your poster layout and structure
Once you have a clear idea of the content that you want to include, create a rough layout of your poster. Decide on the overall structure of your poster and the placement of each section. This is a great time to pull out a sketchbook and a pencil to mess around with a few different ideas. Or, if you prefer a digital drafting process, you can start making your layout in your software of choice right away.
To make the design process easier, you might want to choose a poster template to customize. There are heaps of useful scientific poster templates available online that you can use ( this collection is a good starting point). Some universities and research centers even provide poster templates that use a specific color scheme and already include the necessary logos. Check whether your institution has a template like this and consider using it if they do - it will save you a lot of time!
Your poster layout should be well-organized, with each section following clearly from the previous one, creating a visual path that tells a coherent story. Decide what will be the direction that the information flows (i.e. left to right and then down? OR top to bottom and then to the right?). Someone who is looking at your poster should not have to jump from one side to the other in order to understand your work. Consider the use of numbers or arrows to indicate the flow of what comes next. Or get creative with eye-catching visuals that naturally draw the reader's eye through the sections in a logical order.
4) Spruce up your scientific poster with a bit of style
The visual design elements (especially colors and fonts) that you choose for your poster can have a big impact on its effectiveness. When choosing a font, consider both the font type and the font size. Picking to read and size is important to help to structure the poster content.
Choose a color scheme that is visually appealing and easy to read (free generators like Material Palette are handy for this if you donât have an eye for design). Be sure to use high-contrast colors to make important information stand out and to help visually impaired visitors.
Choose fonts that are easy to read and make sure your chosen font size is readable from a distance. Also, consider using a pattern of varying font sizes and/or types to help visually differentiate between poster title, body text, headings, and poster highlights. Use no more than two or three different fonts in your poster overall to avoid clutter and confusion.
If youâre planning to feature a specific image or illustration in your poster, consider using it for inspiration for your color scheme or fonts. It will ensure that your final poster has a more cohesive and less cluttered look.
5) Put all the pieces of your poster together
If youâre using software like Powerpoint: First, choose your page size. Then, start to create content blocks and insert text where appropriate.
If youâre uploading pictures of any sort to your poster design, be sure to use high-quality, high-resolution images. Only import images with 300 dpi resolution (saved in PNG or TIFF formats) to your poster. Double-check to be sure youâve uploaded good pictures: a high-quality image should not appear blurry or pixelated at 100% zoom.
Once you have your template and design elements in place, it's time to add your content. Begin with the main sections of your poster, such as the introduction, results, and discussion. Use graphs, charts, tables, and images to present your data in a clear and visually appealing way.
When adding text, use short sentences and bullet points to make it easy to read. Use headings and subheadings to break up the content and make it more visually appealing.
6) Print your scientific poster and get ready to present it
Once your poster is complete, it's time to print it so itâs ready to present at the conference. Again, itâs important that you read the conference guidelines very carefully and print your poster in the correct size and orientation. Make sure you print in the highest-quality as well.
Some institutions have dedicated printing facilities, but you can also visit a copy shop that has a large-format printer. If you havenât had to get a poster printed before, itâs worth asking a colleague for recommendations on a good local spot. Or, if you are feeling creative, you might want to go a different route and print your poster on fabric (this gives you the option to reuse it as a unique table cloth or picnic blanket in the future).
Whatever your printing format, make sure you budget enough time for a reprint if disaster strikes (a week or more of buffer time is a good bet). Itâs also worth testing printing out with a âdummy posterâ on a small piece of paper. This will allow you to check that everything looks okay when printed before you spend a good chunk of change on the final, full-sized poster.
Finally, when preparing for the conference, be sure to bring all of the necessary materials with you, such as pins or velcro strips, to hang your poster. It doesnât hurt to also have a digital copy of your poster on a thumb drive just in case something happens to yours in transit. Many conferences have onsite printing services that you could resort to in the event of a mishap.
A few extra tips to help you make a scientific poster
Just a few more helpful things to keep in mind when designing your scientific poster:
1) Quality over quantity
A little bit of text goes a long way on a poster - in fact, the fewer words the better. Posters with less text are more inviting and easier to absorb. Donât forget that you will be there to explain your work, so there is no reason to try to include everything in the text. Shorten your text by summarizing sections with bullet points and highlighting the key messages.
As mentioned in this article on designing conference posters: If all of your text is kept to a minimum (500 words), an average person could fully read your poster in about 5 minutes. Think about how long youâd want to spend reading through a poster, and use that as motivation to chop your content down to even less than that 5-minute reading mark.
2) Use color, visuals, and white space strategically
Great posters maintain a good amount of white space around the text boxes and figures. A cramped poster is hard to read (and intimidating to passing attendees looking for catchy, quick takeaways). A safe bet is to always include more white space than you think youâll need.
As much as graphics and visuals can help, they should only be used if they truly are helpful. Donât get too wrapped up in âdecorating your poster.â Get rid of any images or illustrations that arenât directly related to your research and that donât help you highlight the key messages you want to deliver.
Finally, resist the urge to use a blown up photo as your poster background. All it adds is confusion and clutter. Youâre better off using a light, neutral tone in the background and adding interest with relevant, informational graphics.
This image from brightcarbon shows how good visuals and spacing can make a poster catchier and better at quickly delivering information. Theyâve also got great templates for posters if youâre looking.
3) Get picky about your poster fonts and formatting
After youâve looked at the big picture design and made sure your key message is coming across clearly, dive into the details to perfect your poster:
- Try to make all of your text boxes the same width. It keeps things visually consistent.
- If possible, keep paragraphs to 1-2 sentences rather than big blocks of text.
- Use italics instead of underlining. Underlining draws too much attention to a word.
- Don't use fancy fonts. They make your poster look busy and can make it harder to read (especially for people with dyslexia). In general, sans serif fonts are easiest to read.
- Except for a few words that you might want to highlight, ensure that all of your text is black or a dark color to create better contrast and readability.
4) Donât be afraid to get a bit creative
Weâve listed some common poster elements and templates in this article, but that doesnât mean you should hesitate to be creative. Think about design elements or images that are relevant to your research and that could make your poster stand out from the crowd. A few ideas to get your creative brainstorming started:
- Add hidden informational panels behind paper flaps on your poster to make the experience more interactive.
- Attach objects or physical things to add some dimension/interest to your poster.
- Bring props or handouts to supplement your poster beyond what exists on it.
The same goes for your poster layout. Donât be afraid to completely switch things up in a way that suits your research. A twitter-famous example of this was Mike Morrisons take on the best conference poster layout:
Mike displays his poster layout (Image Source: NPR )
Mikeâs innovative take on the research poster template prompted other researchers to think about how to reinvent the wheel. His video on poster sessions captures the need for this kind of creative approach perfectly. A few conferences even adopted it as their required template.
5) Get a second (and third) opinion on your scientific poster
Before you finalize your poster, make sure to review it carefully for accuracy, completeness, and visual appeal. Check for spelling and grammar errors and make sure that all of your data is presented accurately.
Print out a draft of your poster and ask a colleague or mentor to review it and provide feedback. Itâs also worth getting feedback from someone with limited understanding of your research topic (theyâll be able to give you an idea of how accessible the wording is and a good review on your design without being bogged down in the technical details). Based on the feedback you receive, make any necessary revisions before finalizing your poster.
Some scientific poster examples (and reviews)
So far, this article has outlined the theory behind making a great poster. But, putting it into practice isnât always as simple as a 6-step process. You might still be having difficulty visualizing what a good poster looks like (or thinking of ideas for your own). So, take this next section as a bit of creative inspiration. Iâve gathered a handful of posters from my network and given them a quick review based on the design recommendations above.
POSTER ONE - A Fine Figure (or a Few)
Made with: Mac Pages Shared by: Matthieu Chartier (Founder, Fourwaves)
Poster highlights:
- The use of figures and visuals helps to explain the method developed.
- Paragraphs are short and highlight key information.
- The poster isnât divided into the classic scientific poster sections (let that creativity through!). Instead, because itâs describing a newly developed method, itâs divided into an introduction, method, validation, and applications.
Pieces to improve:
- There are a lot of different colors used. This makes it hard to identify the different sections and the structure of the poster at a glance. Converting the figures and fonts to a more uniform color scheme could help with the visual appeal to people walking by.
- The use of white space could be better (it feels a bit cramped). It would be better to leave some text out and simply mention that information when speaking with visitors during the poster session.
POSTER TWO - An Effective Contrast
Made with: Powerpoint (and figures with BioRender) Shared by: Simon Fournier (Business Development, CQDM)
- The poster contains clear sections with headings that have good contrasting colors to draw the eye (dark blue on white).
- The figure generated with Biorender is clear and is a good support material to use during the actual poster presentation.
- The use of bullet points helps distinguish the key messages.
- The title of the poster could be a bit more punchy to attract attention.
- Figures could be incorporated more to illustrate the data and draw the eye to the poster.
POSTER THREE - Colorful
Made with: Inkscape Shared by: Vincent Nault (CEO, Lumed)
- The use of figures helps to illustrate the data and break up the paragraphs.
- A good amount of information is delivered with a relatively small amount of text.
- The combination of colors is distracting at times. Itâs not a complementary palette.
- The font sizes seem to vary widely and the bright yellow font is difficult to read.
- Sections donât flow in a continuous logical order (gives the sensation of jumping around a bit when youâre trying to find the next section).
POSTER FOUR - Beauty in Simplicity
Made with: Adobe Illustrator (contains 3D rendered images created in Autodesk Maya). Shared by: Mouhanad Babi (PhD, Microscopist and Scientific Illustrator)
- The best thing about this poster is its simplicity. It only has 3 main sections.
- Itâs not cramped with text and data and has a lot of white space.
- Easily read and understood in a short period of time.
- Bullet points are used well to share key information.
- The title could be a tad bit catchier.
- There is no contact information if someone wanted to reach out to the presenter.
FUN FACT: This poster was presented at the Biophysical Society of Canada in Montreal in 2017 and won the best poster prize đ!
POSTER FIVE - Room to Breathe
Made with : PowerPoint Shared by: Maxime Descoteaux (CSO at Imeka, Research chair in neuroinformatics)
- This poster really breathes! Itâs mostly white with only darker colors used to clearly delineate the different sections.
- The content is straight to the point. It highlights the problems with existing compression formats then goes straight into the developed method and results.
- A short sentence to summarize the key conclusions would be helpful. However, leaving it out could also encourage the reader to ask the presenter and spark a conversation!
POSTER SIX - Curiosity and QR Codes
Made with: PowerPoint Shared by: NatĂĄlia Teruel (from the Najmanovich Research Group )
- The presenter used small lines to link each bordered section. This guides the viewer well from one section to the next.
- The quality of the figures is high and gives a good first impression.
- The use of QR codes with a small label is a handy way to get people to dive deeper.
- A larger font-size or unique section header style would help make the structure clearer.
- The font color is far too light. Itâs hard to read.
Conclusion: Making a great scientific poster
Youâve read the advice. Youâve reviewed the examples. Youâve heard what NOT to do.
Whatâs next?
As daunting as the task may seem, creating a scientific poster can be a lot of fun. Itâs extremely rewarding to set up on the day of the poster session and see your work summarized and displayed in one big, visually appealing package.
So, plan your content carefully, choose a template that works for you, experiment with design elements, and present your research in a clear and visually appealing way. And, as always, donât be afraid to get creative as you work toward your finished poster!
Acknowledgements
I'd like to thanks all those who contributed some tips and poster examples: Maxime Descoteaux, NatĂĄlia Teruel, Rafael Najmanovich, Mouhanad Babi, Vincent Nault and Simon Fournier.
5 Best Event Registration Platforms for Your Next Conference
By having one software to organize registrations and submissions, a pediatric health center runs aro...
5 Essential Conference Apps for Your Event
In today’s digital age, the success of any conference hinges not just on the content and speakers bu...
- Jul 25, 2023
5 compelling reasons to create a fresh scientific poster for every conference
Watching a much-anticipated movie is always an incredibly exciting experience. Youâre drawn into a new world and its vibrant settings, learning all about new characters and their stories, and witnessing the most epic scenes and jaw-dropping plot-twists. đ±
Or at least, thatâs how youâd feel when you watch it for the first time .
Every time you go back and watch it again, it just doesnât have that same magic anymore. đ
The audience needs something fresh.
Where am I going with this? Well in many ways, presenting a scientific poster for its debut at a conference is much like the premiere screening of any major motion picture. At this point in time, your brand new poster is full of sparkly new data (piping hot from the lab), and is being seen by your colleagues for the very first time. đ€©
Youâre excited to share it with the world. So much so that sometimes, we get into a bad habit of using the same poster over and over again for the next conference. And the next one. And then the next one⊠đȘ (been there before)
Itâs losing its magic. Itâs no longer representative of the latest of your amazing work .
So itâs time to put that old and well-loved poster aside, and register your next presentation with your posterâs much-deserved sequel in mind . đ
Why? Well, hereâs 5 compelling reasons why you should create a fresh scientific poster for every conference. đ
1. First and foremost, itâs best practice!
Thereâs an unspoken suggestion that we should have a new poster for every conference or event. đžïžââš
Though in reality, this isnât as a strict âruleâ in our academic training. Instead, itâs hinted as best practice .
So whatâs stopping many of us from upholding this as best practice? đ€
Letâs look at why many of us would want to reuse a poster, which often boils down to two things: practicality and time commitment. For example, if your research has âbarely changedâ from the last iteration of your poster, it may be more practical and cost-effective to reuse a poster. The convenience is tempting. And of course, creating a brand new design can take a significant amount of time ( even though thereâs shortcuts to make this much easier ) .
But consider this. Making a new poster allows you to tailor it to fresh audiences, showcase new data, tell the world that your research is evolving, and so much more! Weâll touch on this as we go along.
So if youâre trying to iron out a tattered old poster that been folded ten times over, those old creases might still be showing their age, let alone your dataâs age. Why not repurpose your old posters in a completely different way ?
Letâs dig deeper as to why creating a new poster grants far greater benefits to you, your physical poster, and your overall presentation.
2. Different audiences may need different context
Does your old poster cater mostly for a technical or expert audience? In which case, perhaps youâve chosen to omit some background info from your introduction. Things like defining nuclear fusion, advanced click-chemistry, or perhaps even what âPneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosisâ means. đ€·đ»
If your audience consists mostly of specialists with assumed knowledge, thatâs a valid approach. But if your audience is more on the general side đđ»ââïž, youâll likely need some clear definitions on your poster, or perhaps an analogy to help people understand it .
The key message here is that different audiences and therefore different conferences may need different context. So designing a brand new poster which caters to a specific audience will allow you to target your messages in the most effective way during your presentation.
Another thing to think about is presenting data. Researchers love data. But sometimes data is irrelevant to your audience.
For example, an audience of Alzheimerâs disease researchers would be delighted to see your data ( p -values and all) about how a certain protein affects the progression of the disease. On the other hand, a public audience of patients and affected families may have greater difficulty understanding your intense graphs. Instead, consider simplifying the graphs, employing a data visualisation approach , or replace them with a simply written message like: âProtein X affects the disease. Adjusting your diet can helpâ.
Regardless of the audience, in our guide for designing posters we generally recommend keeping the number of graphs to a maximum of about 2 to improve the readability of your work. So creating a new poster is likely what youâll need to do to cater for the right audience .
At the end of the day, your catered poster should allow the audience to walk away with information thatâs of interest or value to them. đ
3. New content contributes more value to the conference
Generally speaking, people tend to be more invested in experiencing new things . New rides at an amusement park. New releases of video games. New hit movies. Or new posters at a scientific conference!
New things represent new value. đ
Say for example, youâve just presented your poster at a local conference. But then youâre planning to register for another conference in a neighbouring city and expect to meeting some of your colleagues there. Registering with the exact same poster again is likely going to deter them from showing any new interest in your presentation.
After all, if youâve heard the story once, youâd have less of a reason to hear it again. đ„±
Itâs also far more valuable for the conference to have a wider array of presenters who come with new content. By creating and presenting a fresh poster for each event, you reinforce your reputation as a dynamic and active contributor to scientific progress, earning greater respect and recognition by the conference organisers and your peers. In fact, there are a number of high-status conferences that wonât allow you to present data that has previously been presented before. Plus itâll indicate that youâve signed up for the poster session for more than just the complementary food and drinks. đ„
So even if youâve only got a little update for your poster (and we tend to undervalue how small our data or findings might seem) â itâs still worth making an updated poster for!
4. Your CVâs presentation record will have more impact
Need a little motivation to get you out of bed in the morning and into the lab? A reminder of your great achievements might just be the spark you need to get you going. đđ»
Paper got published? WELL DONE! đ
Grant got accepted? THATâS TERRIFIC! đ€đ€
Got invited to present at the next conference? SIMPLY AMAZING! đ
And how do you remind yourself of these feats? Writing this all down in our CVs is one way we keep track of each incredible feat we manage along the way. Poster presentations are no exception and they are often listed alongside any oral presentations youâve given.
Though, some might argue that you shouldnât list the same poster as multiple lines on your CV. Of course, this would mean that youâd need a new poster for every event if you want to build that CV page. đ
Listing the same poster, despite being presented at multiple different conferences, can effectively âdiluteâ your CV. Creating new work will instead help boost your reputation as someone who invests time and effort into new posters.
âWait what? If thatâs the case, what if I was invited to present my poster at 3 different conferences? How will this be able to represent all of my presentations?!â
If youâve already presented the same poster multiple times, we recommend listing it as a single title , but then adding a list of events underneath it to show the wide variety of conferences youâve presented that work at. đ
But to really make your CV look impressive with some real bulk, creating a brand new poster with a new spread of information is really the goal here.
âBut Iâm still working on the same research project!â
Worry not, because the purpose of a poster isnât about presenting your entire project . Itâs about showcasing a key selection of what you want to communicate. Aim for 2 graphs max. Only the BEST stuff. So if a conference is coming up, we highly encourage you to update your poster with a brand new title which highlights your main key message this time around, regardless of whether its from the same project. We highly recommend titles that are informative with an interesting analogy to hook people in. đ
Excited to spruce up your next poster? Perhaps one of our scientific poster templates will make that much easier to update your poster with little fuss about having to make a new design! đ
5. Youâll have better chances at a poster prize!
And of course, weâve got to address the bonus incentive for presenting our posters: the coveted poster prize. Donât be shy, weâre all in it to win it. đ
When youâre registering your poster, some forms will ask whether or not your poster has already been presented at another event, which youâll need to be honest about. This is important to allow the organising committee to consider this factor when selecting presenters, as some conferences prioritise novelty. So from the get-go, having a new poster will grant you better chances of even presenting at all.
And then comes poster judging. The judging criteria varies from conference-to-conference, though generally you can expect points for:
a legible design, which includes layout , concise text, and colour scheme
a well-communicated message
Whilst research novelty is often not listed in the judging criteria, presenting old data might influence your enthusiasm, your delivery, and therefore how the judges perceive your presentation. đ€
Instead, a never-before-seen poster can ignite your enthusiasm to share something new with the scientific community. The judges will definitely like the look of that. đ€©
Letâs summarise!
Itâs best practice â an important part of improving the academic culture!
Different audiences may need different context
New content provides more value to the whole conference and its attendees
Your CV will have a lot more unique entries on it
And youâll be one step closer to that much-deserved poster prize!
Whilst sometimes reusing your poster is necessary, we hope weâve given you a push to invest the time to create something new for every poster session. âš
Ready to present your posterâs sequel?
Youâre coming up to the weekend premiere of âMy Scientific Poster 2: Return of the <0.05 P -Valueâ. đïž
But time is running out, and youâve yet to prepare your sparkly new poster! đ
Fret not, weâre here to save the day. đŠžđ»ââïžđŠžđ»ââïž
Animate Your Science offers professional design services which will transform your latest research into a compelling and eye-catching scientific poster worthy of a best poster prize, tailor-made for you using our award-winning formula. Connect with our friendly team of PhD-trained science communicators (who have presented their fair share of posters! đ), and weâll ensure that your epic research sequel is ready for its debut on time, on budget, and without unexpected surprises .
Contact us using this page and weâl l be at your every call!
Related Posts
How to create a simple scientific poster template in PowerPoint
How to repurpose your scientific poster after a conference (with examples!)
How to deliver an engaging scientific poster presentation: Dos and Donâts!
ComentĂĄrios
2024 Nursing Science and Professional Governance Conference
In-person/Virtual
Presentation media submission.
Deadline: April 24, 2024 (midnight)
Live Conference
- Wednesday, May 8, 2024
- Starts 08:00
- Voting Begins: May 1st
Event Poster Sessions
Nursing Science and Professional Governance Conference
Purple Session - Morning
Purple Session: 11:05-11:50am, NAOB 1001
Green Session - Morning
Green Session: 11:05-11:50am, NAOB 1109
Teal Session - Afternoon
13:50-14:40, NAOB 1001
Orange Session - Afternoon
13:50-14:40, NAOB 1109
Poster Author Instructions
In advance of the event, please use resources provided and be aware of deadlines. Contact the Center for Nursing Science if you have any questions.
- Submission Deadline Posters must be submitted by April 24th at midnight. To submit your poster use the online form on this page.
- File preparation Save your poster document in PDF format and confirm that it looks good, and everything is legible when viewing at 100% magnification on your screen. It is preferred that your poster is in Landscape orientation for better viewing.
- Poster Templates Use poster templates available to draft your poster
- Presentation Prep Workshop Attend a Presentation Prep Workshop to review your drafted poster
- Abstract Upload (copy and paste) your abstract. Please provide the most current version based on feedback from the EBP & Research Council.
- Presentation For May 8th, prepare a 3-minute talk to deliver in person that briefly reviews the highlights of your project and complements the information on your poster. You may write out the text. Practice reading it slowly and clearly for the day of the event. There is not a requirement to record and upload a narration this year, only that you present your poster in person at the conference.
© Copyright 2024 - All Rights Reserved PosterPresentations.com / Canterbury Media Services, Inc. 2117 Fourth Street, STE C, Berkeley CA 94710 USA 510.649.3001
Main Navigation
- Contact NeurIPS
- Code of Ethics
- Code of Conduct
- Create Profile
- Journal To Conference Track
- Diversity & Inclusion
- Proceedings
- Future Meetings
- Exhibitor Information
- Privacy Policy
NeurIPS 2024, the Thirty-eighth Annual Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems, will be held at the Vancouver Convention Center
Monday Dec 9 through Sunday Dec 15. Monday is an industry expo.
Registration
Pricing » Registration 2024 Registration Cancellation Policy » . Certificate of Attendance
Our Hotel Reservation page is currently under construction and will be released shortly. NeurIPS has contracted Hotel guest rooms for the Conference at group pricing, requiring reservations only through this page. Please do not make room reservations through any other channel, as it only impedes us from putting on the best Conference for you. We thank you for your assistance in helping us protect the NeurIPS conference.
Announcements
- The call for High School Projects has been released
- The Call For Papers has been released
- See the Visa Information page for changes to the visa process for 2024.
Latest NeurIPS Blog Entries [ All Entries ]
Important dates.
If you have questions about supporting the conference, please contact us .
View NeurIPS 2024 exhibitors » Become an 2024 Exhibitor Exhibitor Info »
Organizing Committee
General chair, program chair, workshop chair, workshop chair assistant, tutorial chair, competition chair, data and benchmark chair, diversity, inclusion and accessibility chair, affinity chair, ethics review chair, communication chair, social chair, journal chair, creative ai chair, workflow manager, logistics and it, mission statement.
The Neural Information Processing Systems Foundation is a non-profit corporation whose purpose is to foster the exchange of research advances in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, principally by hosting an annual interdisciplinary academic conference with the highest ethical standards for a diverse and inclusive community.
About the Conference
The conference was founded in 1987 and is now a multi-track interdisciplinary annual meeting that includes invited talks, demonstrations, symposia, and oral and poster presentations of refereed papers. Along with the conference is a professional exposition focusing on machine learning in practice, a series of tutorials, and topical workshops that provide a less formal setting for the exchange of ideas.
More about the Neural Information Processing Systems foundation »
Ready to choose Fredonia? Make your deposit today!
Chemistry students win second place at Sigma Xi conference
Jay Amicangelo (left), president of the Northwestern Pennsylvania Chapter of Sigma Xi, with SUNY Fredonia students Sawyer Oppenneer, Isabelle Price and Jonas Simora, at the conference awards banquet.
Juniors majoring in Chemistry â Isabelle Price, Sawyer Oppenneer and Jonas Simora â won second place in the chemistry poster presentation competition at the Sigma Xi Undergraduate Research and Creative Accomplishment Conference.
The event was held April 20 at Penn State Behrend in Erie, PA.
Their poster, âSpectroscopic Determination of the Composition of Binary Liquids using Merocyanine Dyes,â features a new way of quantitative determining composition of binary liquids just by looking at the color of solution.
Mr. Oppenneer, who also has a minor in Applied Mathematics, from Saratoga Springs, NY, also presented the project as an oral presentation. He is a graduate of Saratoga Springs High School. Mr. Simora, from Ashville, NY, also presented his project on âStructural Comparison of Molecules Containing Nonconventional Hydrogen Bonds.â He is a graduate of Chautauqua Lake Central School.
Ms. Price, from Rochester, NY, spearheaded the trioâs runner-up poster presentation by thoroughly explaining the importance of their new method and how it can be applied to general chemistry laboratory curriculums. She is a graduate of Hilton (NY) Central High School.
All three agreed the conference experience is the best part of conducting research because it allows them to share their ideas and have an impact on the scientific field. The Dr. Allan Jay Cardenas Research group thanks Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Andy Karafa for travel funding.
Schools also competing in the conference included: Penn State Behrend, Penn State, Penn State Altoona, University of Pittsburgh, Gannon University, Allegheny College and Westminster College. More conference information is available here :
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Stellar Students
You May Also Like
Computer Science students collaborate with Paychex on database matching project
Students in the Department of Computer and Information Sciences have finalized their work on a term project in collaboration with Paychex -- one of the largest employers in Western New York and a payroll/HR services provider based in Rochester, NY.
SUNY Fredonia trio places 11th at regional computing sciences competition
A team of students in the Department of Computer and Information Sciences placed 11th in competition at the 28th annual conference of the Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges Northeast Region held April 12 and 13 in Albany, NY.
Glatt to receive Lanford Presidential Prize at Commencement
Patience Glatt, whose ambitious higher educational journey can be illustrated with an impressive set of numbers, has been selected as the recipient of the 2024 Lanford Presidential Prize.
- Request Info
- Faculty & Staff
- Job Seekers
- Scholarships & Aid
- Student Life
Andie Graham ( [email protected] )
- Daily Eagle
Environmental Science & Ecology Students, Staff & Alumni Attend Conference
Several students, staff, and alumni from the Department of Environmental Science and Ecology attended the 2024 New York State Wetlands Forum Annual Conference and Meeting in Saratoga Springs, NY on April 16-17, 2024.
Several current students and staff presented the results of their research at the conference.
Oral Presentations:
Adellia Baker- Wetland restoration impacts on vegetation composition in Lake Ontario coastal wetlands. Advisor: Rachel Schultz.
Andie Graham- The Potential Impact of Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (Adelges tsugae) Invasion on Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) Habitat in Western New York. Additional authors: Matt Altenritter.
Poster Presentation:
Tess Eichner- Bergen Swamp Hydrology and its Impact on Black Creek Water Chemistry. Advisors: Andie Graham and James Zollweg.
Remi McCann- The Impact of Invasive Grasses on Reptile and Amphibian Populations in Wetlands. Advisor: Andie Graham.
Brayden Link- Evaluating Nutrient Limitations of Algae in Braddock Bay, Monroe County. Advisor: Michael Chislock.
Jakob Scholeno- Microplastic and harmful algal blooms: Potential implications and population characteristics for Daphnia pulex and Hyalella azteca. Advisor: Michael Chislock.
COMMENTS
Poster presentations at scientific conferences can provide early-career researchers with valuable opportunities to practice their communication skills, receive feedback on their research, and expand their network. ... When I gave a virtual poster presentation over Zoom, I reduced text to the bare minimum, as it is more difficult to read ...
Research posters summarize information or research concisely and attractively to help publicize it and generate discussion. The poster is usually a mixture of a brief text mixed with tables, graphs, pictures, and other presentation formats. At a conference, the researcher stands by the poster display while other participants can come and view ...
A scientific poster is a visual presentation that summarises your research findings and is typically displayed at conferences or academic events. Presenting one can be intimidating, but it's a valuable opportunity for feedback and confidence-building. Check out our top 9 top tips for successfully presenting your poster at a scientific conference.
Scientific Conference Posters: Conference Posters. This guide contains selected information and resources on how to create a conference poster. Poster Samples & Sharing. ... Designing Science Presentations: A visual guide to figures, papers, slides, posters, and more. Publication Date: 2013.
Scientific/Academic Conference Poster Presentation. Research poster presentations printed and mounted on a board look like the one in the image below. The presenter stands to the side, ready to share the information with visitors as they walk up to the panels. Example of Scientific / Academic Conference Poster Presentation
Baker D 2012 Presentations: Creating Conference Posters using PowerPoint Oxford, University of Oxford/ IT learning Programme. Google Scholar. ... Rowe N, Ilic D 2011 Poster presentation - a visual medium for academic and scientific meetings. Paediatric Respiratory Reviews 12 208-213. Crossref. PubMed. Google Scholar.
However, things are different if you are showing your poster exclusively to an audience of experts. In that case, it's safe to assume your audience can read your graphs. Step 2 - Concept. Here is where the fun starts. Grab a piece of paper, or open up your design software, and make a first draft.
Present with confidence. Now that you've printed your poster and practiced a number of times, it's time to expertly show off your science. Prepare the night before: To avoid rushing out the door without your poster, place it by your keys a day in advance. Dress for the venue and professionalism of the conference, and remember to wear ...
Use natural gestures. Try to use gestures that complement your words. Point to your poster, use open hands, and purposeful, controlled gestures to emphasise key points or convey enthusiasm. Maintain eye contact. đ Eye contact is a powerful way to establish a connection. It conveys attentiveness and interest.
The presentation of your research work can take the form of a scientific publication in a journal and/or presentation of your work in a scientific conference as a poster or as an oral presentation. Submitting an abstract of your research results, even in preliminary phases, to a conference does not necessarily mean that you cannot publish your ...
1. Think of your poster as a conversation starter. A scientific poster is not meant to be a comprehensive report of your research. The primary goal is to attract the attention of conference attendees so that you can begin a conversation. With that in mind, design your poster as a visual tool to help share your research.
Conference attendees will look at your poster only briefly, so a clear presentation is crucial A scientific poster is an illustrated abstract of research that is displayed at meetings and conferences. A poster is a good way of presenting your information because it can reach a large audience, including people who might not be in your field. It is also a useful step towards publishing your ...
A few years ago, presenting a poster at a scientific conference inevitably meant battling with thumbtacks, rubber bands, and an unwieldly sail of paper with little power to inspire.
What are scientific poster presentations 1?. Scientific poster presentations are commonly used in the academic community to provide visual summaries of a research study or project. Scientific poster presentations are the most suitable format to showcase the various elements of your research at conferences, because of how concise the displayed content is, considering the time constraints for ...
Poster presentations are an important part of every scientific meeting [1, 17, 20].Often new ideas and concepts are presented here [].A poster can be an excellent way to present a research project to an audience of interested peers and can be used to obtain feedback on a study [8, 16].Peers can include fellow researchers but also surgeons, physical therapist, nurses, and engineers, and more ...
Posters are important vectors for science. During the pandemic, poster presentations via virtual platforms came to the fore due to necessary online conferences. For the post-pandemic era, we offer approaches for poster presenters and session organizers at modern, more sustainable conferences, which can be in-person, online, or combined (hybrid) formats.
Poster presenters should dress professionally and understand all parts of their poster. Most poster presentations take place in a large room with dozens to hundreds of individual poster presentations occurring simultaneously. A typical presentation lasts 5-15 minutes. Typical audience size for an individual poster presentation will be 1-5 people.
Poster presentation in scientific meetings is a way of effectively communicating the research findings in a nutshell, taking advantage of the poster as a visual aid. ... It is often not necessary to complete the proposed research and submit an abstract for poster presentation at a conference or scientific meeting. Therefore, a poster ...
Poster sessions at scientific conferences are a hub for knowledge dissemination and research networking. So, knowing how to design a good conference poster is a big part of becoming a successful scientific communicator and sharing your work with a larger community. Making a scientific poster can be an exciting and rewarding experience.
Well, here's 5 compelling reasons why you should create a fresh scientific poster for every conference. đ. 1. First and foremost, it's best practice! There's an unspoken suggestion that we should have a new poster for every conference or event. đžïžâ . Though in reality, this isn't as a strict 'rule' in our academic training.
A scientific poster is a design hybrid between an oral presentation and a manuscript; it is more detailed and interactive than an oral presentation but less than a manuscript. Poster development includes two major elements, content and layout development. Content development requires expertise in presenting complex data into a concise and ...
This free PowerPoint poster template is designed for a standard 4x4 foot poster presentation. This scientific poster template is a good size for limited available spaces without compromising room for content. This research poster template can be printed at the following sizes: 48x48 (Standard), 36x36, 24x24, 42x42.
The research and scientific poster printing specialists. Same day poster printing and shipping. Paper poster, fabric posters, trifolds, and virtual poster presentations. PosterPresentations.com. Contact Us. 1.866.649.3004. ... Virtual poster presentations for conferences.
Save your poster document in PDF format and confirm that it looks good, and everything is legible when viewing at 100% magnification on your screen. It is preferred that your poster is in Landscape orientation for better viewing. Poster Templates Use poster templates available to draft your poster; Presentation Prep Workshop
The conference was founded in 1987 and is now a multi-track interdisciplinary annual meeting that includes invited talks, demonstrations, symposia, and oral and poster presentations of refereed papers. Along with the conference is a professional exposition focusing on machine learning in practice, a series of tutorials, and topical workshops ...
Juniors majoring in Chemistry - Isabelle Price, Sawyer Oppenneer and Jonas Simora - won second place in the chemistry poster presentation competition at the Sigma Xi Undergraduate Research and Creative Accomplishment Conference. The event was held April 20 at Penn State Behrend in Erie, PA.
Poster Presentation: Tess Eichner-Bergen Swamp Hydrology and its Impact on Black Creek Water Chemistry. Advisors: Andie Graham and James Zollweg. Remi McCann-The Impact of Invasive Grasses on Reptile and Amphibian Populations in Wetlands. Advisor: Andie Graham. Brayden Link-Evaluating Nutrient Limitations of Algae in Braddock Bay, Monroe County ...
Poster title: Eblasakimab Significantly Alleviates IL-4 and IL-13 Induced Bronchial Airway Constriction in COPD-Derived Lung Slices (Poster ID 13753) Presentation date and time: Monday, May 20 ...