1. How to Create a Great Academic Poster
Content

2. Why a Poster? An abstract of your larger work
Show-cases work to people in different fields
Has more of your personality than a paper
Interactive
Great for networking

3. ENSC 4906 Requirements Introduction Materials and Methods Results
Discussion and Conclusion
Overall layout and aesthetic appeal
Response to Questions

4. Title Grab a reader’s interest Tell them what the research is about
Short and Comprehensive
Make readers think “I’m interested, tell me more”

5. Introduction Designed to get reader interested Pitch your idea
State hypothesis
Answer “Why?”

6. Materials and Methods Quick overview Minimal detail – just major steps
Answer “When?”, “Where?” and “How?”

7. Results Largest Section Qualitative and Quantitative
Summarize data in graphs, photos etc.
Don’t get stuck using just text
Answer “What did you learn?”

8. Discussion / Conclusion
Not your results
May not need both
Remind reader of major results
Answer “Is the hypothesis supported?”
Answer “Why are these findings are important?”

9. Other Important Stuff Future Directions – “What’s next?”
Acknowledgements – “Who helped?”
Citations – “Who’s work did you build on?”
Disclosures – “Do you have any conflicts of interest?”
Logos – “Do we need them?” Yes!

10. Tips for the Whole Poster
No more than 500 words! Less is more
Read in 5-10 minutes
50-50 text/graphic split
Your poster is an abstract - don’t include one

11. Helpful Links A Great Tutorial:
Perfect/
ademicPosters.pdf
A Great Tutorial:
entations/designing-poster/designing-poster
My favourite:

12. Papers
Erren, T.C. and P.E. Bourne Ten simple rules for good poster presentation. PLoS Computational Biology. 3(5),
Miller, J Preparing and presenting effective research posters. Health Research and Educational Trust
and more....

13. How to Create a Great Academic Poster
Past Posters

14. Tips from the Presenters
Lots of visuals with minimal text
Use extra visuals if possible
Ie. Video!
Put in a logical manner
Balance of colour
Divide sections with boxes or lines
Put Carleton logos and contributing bodies
If you have to strain at graphs, too small
Grayscale may be needed in graphs and tables