C REATING & P RESENTING R ESEARCH P OSTERS Liza Ware June 26, 2013 Viterbo University Summer Research Brownbag

S AMPLE P OSTER

W HAT IS A POSTER SESSION LIKE ?

P RELIMINARY S TEPS Determine size and any other requirements Should be available on conference website Size may also be determined by printer Viterbo poster form: Outline content you want to include Introduction/Background Method Results Discussion/Conclusions References

C REATING THE P OSTER F ILE PowerPoint or Publisher Sizing Fit poster on a single slide. IDC SRCD poster - generics - April 2013.pptx To size slide: Design tab  Page Setup  Choose Custom and specify dimensions. Add content Make poster flow: L-to-R; top-to-bottom Use visual aids: pictures, graphs, tables, bullets, columns, etc.

F ONT T YPE AND S IZE Should be easily readable from 3-6’ Vary sizes across different text levels Title should be at least 48-pt Headings at least 30-pt Main body no smaller than 24-pt Type Arial, Palatino, Calibri are all good choices Nothing that is too difficult to read

W HAT AMOUNT OF TEXT IS APPROPRIATE ? “Less is more and more is a bore” (Dunn, 2011, p. 198) Keep it brief!!! Using bulleted lists is acceptable and recommended. Incomplete sentences can be used in some cases E.g., Method & Results – see sample posters However, should be detailed enough for someone outside of the class/field to understand. E.g., define terms as needed

U SE VISUAL AIDS TO ORGANIZE INFORMATION A good poster uses visual and graphic displays to present information E.g., shapes, tables, flow charts Use sub-headings as appropriate Don’t overdo it! Visuals should have a purpose Make it interesting, but not too busy or colorful. Use colors that are appealing, not distracting or difficult to look at. Stick to the same color scheme throughout.

E XAMPLES OF B AD P OSTERS “What Makes a Good Research Poster” (tamuwritingcenter) M (0:44 – 3:40)

U SE HELPFUL TOOLS IN P OWER P OINT /P UBLISHER TO HELP YOU Background: Right-click on slide  Format background  Choose fill color Display Grid and Guides: Right-click on slide  Grid and Guides  Choose preferred options Display Ruler: View tab  Ruler option Arrange/Align items : Select items to be arranged / aligned  Format tab  Align  Select preferred option Insert textboxes, shapes, pictures, etc.: Insert tab. You can then change the color, size, etc. when you click on them and go to Format. Zooming In/Out: Bottom right corner of screen  Select to zoom in on one section while working on it or click on ‘Fit Slide to Window’ button to see the whole poster.

F INALIZING POSTER Spell check! Double-check placement, alignment, etc. Save in PDF format to send to printer. Double-check PDF file first!

P RESENTING THE POSTER When people approach your poster, they might read it, talk to you, or just walk away. Different people have different interests; don’t be offended if someone walks away. When someone stops to read it, give them a minute and then say, “Let me know if you have any questions.” Be prepared to briefly present poster People often want you to tell them about it instead of reading. Be prepared to summarize it in 2-3 minutes. Focus on main points. Use non-technical terms or define as needed. Use poster as a visual guide (e.g., point to sections as you talk about them). Practice ahead of time!

F IELDING QUESTIONS Stop and think before answering What if you don’t know the answer?! Do your best to answer it. Remember, it is okay to say that you don’t know the answer! Don’t get defensive! Someone challenging your arguments is part of the scholarly process Be willing to consider new ideas.

D ON ’ T FORGET …...to be enthusiastic! If you find the topic interesting, so will your audience!