This resource will help you:
• Plan and create effective visual aids for your poster presentations.
• Understand key tips for organising your poster content and layout.
• Learn how to clearly present statistical methods, results, and the impact of your research in your poster.
Posters are one of the most common ways to visually present results of a project or research at professional conferences. Your poster assignments prepare you for these events. The unique nature of the format is the hybridisation of a published paper and an oral presentation. The purpose of a poster is to convey study objectives, methods, findings, and implications in the chosen field (Miller, 2007).
Your poster presentation will need to meet the specific assessment requirements and expectation of your course. Read the instructions carefully. There are often poster samples and templates provided by the course coordinator.
Map out the requirements by asking yourself these questions:
To decide what to include in your poster, keep in mind the principle 'keep It simple'. You do not have a lot of time to capture the audience’s interest. Focus on a central message and convey the essential information succinctly; use visual aids, if possible. Avoid busy or wordy layouts.
Consider the following when brainstorming for your poster:
An effective poster has all parts logically connected to each other. The text and visuals should flow and tell one story.
Space is limited on a poster. Be selective with the content to give your poster a focus and more impact.
The best posters have lots of visual elements that grabs the audience’s attention. Remember, the takeaway message is the focus of your poster. Make it count.
Normally, a poster adapts the format of a research paper (background/introduction, aims, research design, methods, results, discussion, and conclusion). Pay attention to word count and space available. Remember titles, subheadings, and references take a fair amount of space on your poster; utilise your space effectively.
Miller, J. E. (2007). Preparing and presenting effective research posters. Health Services Research, 42(1p1), 311–328. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-6773.2006.00588.x