Crafting a Poster Presentation Emily Phillips Galloway March 20, 2012

What is the story you want to tell? Spend a few minutes brainstorming what story you will tell through the data you collected or through the review of the literature you completed. This should be concise and able to be conveyed to a naïve, (but intelligent) audience in less than a minute.

Tell a story Tell a concise, coherent story in language that is accessible (No Jargon!). Like a published paper, develop this narrative through these sections: I. Title Slide (title, name—A GOOD TITLE IS VERY IMPORTANT!) II. Introduction- (supporting literature to contextualize your work, objectives, research questions, hypotheses) III. Methods- (essentials only-subjects, site, protocols/instruments) IV. Results- (what did you find? Bullet points and graphs) V. Discussion/Conclusions/Significance- (take-home message, why is this finding important?) VI. Acknowledgments & References- (Don’t forget to say thanks!)

Introduction Literature Review -should briefly highlight supporting literature to contextualize your work Objectives- What was your goal in pursuing this research? Research questions Hypotheses This section of your poster fosters buy-in

Methods Subjects (Race, gender, sex, languages spoken, ages, grades) Site (anonymous, yet descriptive…a large metropolitan area in the Northeast United States.) Interview Protocols/Coding Manual Make this portion as concise as possible.

Results: Graphics & Displays Which graph is best for the data? -bar graph-comparing 2 or 3 groups or subjects on numerous indices. -line graphs-change over time, or growth -pie charts-portions of a whole Remember to label all axes and to title each graph using guidelines. Avoid 3D graphics You may consider putting each hypothesis/prediction and your corresponding findings on a single sheet of paper. This reduces redundancy.

Discussion/Significance Why is your finding important? Loop back to previous literature-what did you find that extends or contradicts prior work on this topic? Future work

Construction of the Poster Use PowerPoint to make your ‘slides’ (16 slides MAX) and print each slide on 8.5x11 cream-colored or white paper. You may also have this printed professionally. Use easy to read font (Times New Roman, Aerial, Courier) and use no smaller than 24 for the type in each section. Print all type in black. Minimize text by using graphs (Use color!), flow charts and bullet points Label each section in large font and organize in columns. Avoid Jargon NO visible tape, use spray adhesive if possible.

Other ‘Stuff’ Your oral narrative- Walk your audience through your poster Handouts- one page, double sided and should include your contact information. Protocols/Coding Manual/Interview questions