Creating a Poster Presentation Visually Presenting Research and Findings

The purpose of this workshop is to… Introduce you to the purpose of creating a poster presentation. Provide you with recommendations for creating your poster presentation. Allow you to begin planning and drafting your poster presentation.

Why a poster presentation? Purpose: to present original research findings visually graphs, tables, drawings, photographs Commonly used at conferences to present research findings Presenting your study visually Sharing your research with others Structured according to the sections of your paper

How are posters different than papers? Posters rely more on visuals than text to present information. Extensive supporting details are not necessary for a poster because the presenter will discuss these details.

Two Objectives of Posters Display research in a visually attractive way. Professional Organized Clear Communicate research clearly and concisely. Research is communicated through the poster and the presenter.

Poster Presentation Template Retrieved from

Poster Presentation Layout Options Choose a layout that can be read by your audience

Tri-Fold Poster Presentation Example Retrieved from

Readability The title of your poster should be visible from feet away, and the text of your poster should be visible from 3-6 feet. Title: point Author(s): 56 point Section headings: 36 point Body text: 24 point Captions or descriptions: 18 point Use a basic font style. Be consistent with your font style and size.

Less is Best – Using Text Keep text to a minimum. Use small blocks of supporting text. Consider using bullet points. Avoid blocks of text longer than 10 sentences. Use active voice (instead of passive voice). Emphasize the subject in the sentence. Passive: The football stadium was destroyed by the tornado. Active: The tornado destroyed the football stadium.

Choosing Visual Elements Create graphs and/or tables to display your research findings. MS Word has options to create charts and tables. Websites also offer free programs to create these visuals. Irrelevant or repetitive figures will overwhelm and confuse your audience; carefully select visual elements. Cite all visual elements.

Using Images Have a reason for using every image. Ask yourself, “What is the purpose of this image?” Avoid the use of irrelevant or repetitive images. Download and save images (rather than C+P). Use tools to improve and crop an image if necessary. Caption and cite an image correctly.

Citing Images An Image Found Online MLA Creator Last Name, First. “Title of Work.” Name of Site. Publisher or Sponsor of Site, date of creation. Medium. Date of Access. *If creator name is not available, cite by the title of the work. “Portrait from Down Beat Magazine.” Wikipedia.org. Wikimedia Foundation, Feb Web. 6 Nov APA Creator Last Name, First. (copyright year). Title of Work. [Medium: Painting, drawing, photograph, etc.]. Retrieved from *If creator name is not available, cite by the title of the work. Portrait from Down Beat magazine. (1947). [Photograph]. Retrieved from

Compfight - Search for images and specify to find only images that are have creative commons licensing. Flikr - Search for images uploaded by others. Google image search – Search for images; be sure to cite images and respect copyrights. The Noun Project - Search for simple icons to express a message. Resources for Finding Images

Using Colors Color conveys meaning to the audience and can influence their attitudes. Black – authoritative, reliable, technical Blue – reliable, trustworthy, confident, secure Orange – confident, playful, warm Brown – simple, natural/nature Green – nature, environment Red – excitement, intensity, aggression White – cleanliness, simplicity Work to create a balance between professionalism and attractiveness. Use colors sparingly to create more effect. (Robinson, 2010)

Combining Colors Be wary of color combinations that may be difficult for your audience to read. Red and GreenOrange and BlueRed and Blue

Combining Colors Carefully select color combinations that will enhance your presentation. Dark blue background White text Light blue or yellow accents Beige background Dark blue or dark purple text Dark green accents Gray background Black or dark blue text Dark purple or dark green accents

Recommendations Leave space around text and images on your poster presentation to avoid clutter. Use italics rather than underlining when emphasizing textual elements. Create a draft of your poster and seek feedback. Sketch a life-size model on a large sheet of paper. Create notes for your presentation to practice rehearsing. During your presentation, avoid reading directly from your notes. Use your notes as a tool for keeping you on a track rather than as a script to read. Prepare and practice your presentation. The more you practice, the less nervous you will be!

References Knisley, V. E. (2006). Writing papers in the biological sciences. (4 th ed.). Sunderland, MA: Sinauer Associates. Online Writing Lab Purdue University. (2013). Introduction to color theory. Retrieved from Purrington, C. (2013). Designing conference posters. Retrieved from Robinson, N. (2010). Using color to evoke reactions and emotions. Retrieved from

Poster Activity Using the paper provided, create a plan for your poster presentation. Consider the following: Where you will place text and images? How will a viewer read your poster? How will your poster flow from one section to the next?