How to create a Scientific poster for the Group 4 presentation

Before you begin

Aims of a Scientific Poster  It delivers a clear message  It is highly visual  It can be easily read from 1 or 2 metres away

Common problems  The text is too small  Poor quality graphics, tables and graphs  Poor organisation  Main points too difficult to find

Things to consider before starting  What is the main message are you trying to get across?  What diagrams, tables and graphs will you need?  Who is your audience?  Create a sketch of what you want your final poster to look like

The Design

General Points  Measure your poster. How much room do you have for each section?  Divide the tasks  Set up a timeline. When are you going to meet up to edit your design?

Text  Your title should be at least font size 72  Your sub-titles should be at least font size 36 and text should be at least font size 24  Do not over use text – use images or graphics instead  Use bullet points were appropriate  Choose a font style which is easy to read

Colours  Stick to a theme of 2 or 3 colors, no more  Use a light colour background and dark letters for contrast  Very bright colours will attract attention, but are not easy to read  Consider people who are colour blind - avoid combinations such as green on red

Graphics  Diagrams, Tables and Graphs communicate information quickly and easily  Graphics should be kept simple  Use simple 2-D line graphs and bar charts  Use photos and/or clipart but not too many

Layout  The number of sections you have depends upon your investigation but should include Title, Abstract, Hypothesis, Method, Results, Conclusion and References  Use Headings to help the reader find each section  Consider numbering the sections  Use colour and white space creatively to aid the flow of reading  See next slide for an example

Evaluate your poster  Get someone from another group to assess your poster before you stick anything down  Check whether it is easy to know which section follows which  Can you read your poster in 1 to 2 minutes  Usually posters need the amount of text reducing

How to present your poster

Displaying your poster  Turn up to the room were you will be displaying your poster early  Practice putting up your poster  Decide where each member of your group is going to stand, so the audience can still see you and the poster

Presentation  Prepare a 5 to 10 minute presentation  All members of your group should have equal roles  Do not read from the poster  Practice your presentation and time it  Perhaps prepare an A4 handout of your poster and any additional information

Examples of Scientific Posters