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Interdisciplinary Research Teams (IRT) Poster Presentations guide: Creating a poster

Creating Posters in PowerPoint

PowerPoint: 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).

What Makes a Good Poster

  • Important information should be readable in a virtual format. Think about this as you are creating your poster, run tests and view your poster online before sharing the final product.
  • 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

Think about your font

Fonts

  • Select a single sans-serif fonts such as Arial or Helvetica. Avoid serif fonts such as Times New Roman or Palatino because these fonts are sometimes more difficult to read.
  • Use no font size smaller than 24 point.
  • Use the same font for all your headlines.
  • Select a font for body copy and another for headlines.
  • Use bold and different sizes of those fonts for captions and subheadings.
  • Use different colors, sizes and styles (e.g., bold) for impact.
  • Avoid italicized fonts as these are difficult to read quickly.
  • Avoid long sentences.
  • Avoid abbreviations and acronyms.
  • No more than 6-8 words per line
  • For bullet points, use the 6 x 6 Rule. One thought per line with no more than 6 words per line and no more than 6 lines per slide
  • Use dark text on light background or light text on dark background. However, dark backgrounds sometimes make it difficult for some people to read the text.
  • Do not use all caps except for titles.
  • Put repeating elements (like page numbers) in the same location on each page of a multi-page document.

What is a Research Poster & Where Do I Begin

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.

Answer these three questions:

  1. What is the most important/interesting/astounding finding from my research project?

  2. How can I visually share my research with conference attendees? Should I use charts, graphs, photos, images?

  3. What kind of information can I convey during my talk that will complement my poster?

 

Remember know your audience.  Will people who are not familiar with your field or research understand your poster?  How would you explain your research to a K-12 student or a grandparent?

Well Designed Poster

Poorly Designed Poster

IRT Poster Template

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Download the TEMPLATE file below.

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