DESIGNING RESEARCH POSTERS

How to make a clear and successful scientific poster

Juliann Reineke

PhD Candidate, Literary and Cultural Studies

GCC Assistant to the Director

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Jennifer Lott

Senior, Chemical Engineering

GCC Consultant

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This presentation teaches you three main strategies for improving your poster

3. Make strategic design

decisions

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1. Choose a familiar organization

pattern

Introduction

Method

Results

Discussion

Problem

Solution

Test Solution

2. Cut non-essential information

ORGANIZATION

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The most common organization follows the IMRD format, even

for Humanities posters

Introduction

Methods

Results

Discussion

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Why do we care?

What did I do?

What did I find?

What are the implications?

Intro

Methods

Results

Discussion

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Intro

Methods

Discussion

Results

Posters in applied disciplines may take a problem/solution structure

Problem

Solution

Test Solution

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What am I trying to do?

Why do we care?

What did I do?

Did it work?

Problem

Solution

Test Solution

WHAT TO PRIORITIZEFocus attention on your contribution

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Which sections are most important to readers?

• Title

• Abstract

• Introduction

• Methods

• Results

• Conclusion

• References

• Acknowledgments

• School logo

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Which sections are most important to readers?

• Title

• Abstract

• Introduction

• Methods

• Results

• Conclusion

• References

• Acknowledgments

• School logo

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Which sections are most important to readers?

• Title

• Abstract

• Introduction

• Methods

•Results• Conclusion

• References

• Acknowledgments

• School logo

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POSITIONING INFORMATION

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We need to get the most important information in the most

important position on the poster

Top

Bottom

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Vertical columns should be constructed with audience in mind

Left Center Right

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Introduction

Results

Methods

Discussion

ReferencesAcknowledgment

Strategically position your project’s most important information where it

will be seen

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Introduction

Methods

Results

References &

Acknowledgments

Adjust the focal point depending on what is most important in your project

Discussion

More

intro/motivation

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Introduction Results

Methods Conclusions

ReferencesAcknowledgment

More

results

Contact

Layout decisions are flexible, but should be deliberate

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PRESENTING YOUR

RESULTS

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What are the most important aspects of the results?

• The word “Results”

• A graph of your data

• A detailed description of what is in the graph

• How you collected your data

• The main lesson to be drawn (i.e., the interpretation of your results)

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What are the most important aspects of the results?

• The word “Results”

• A graph of your data

• A detailed description of what is in the graph

• How you collected your data

• The main lessons to be drawn

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Imagine the poster as today’s newspaper

Concise Headline

Subheadings

Short paragraphs

Informative Images

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Introduction

Methods

Conclusions

References

Acknowledgment

Title

Results

Figure 2: Rates of Gastric Ulcer Recurrence

for the year after successful healing with

Ranitidine-Only vs. Triple Therapy Treatments.

Patients received ranitidine, 300 mg, or ranitidine plus triple therapy.

Triple therapy consisted of tetracycline, 2 g; metronidazole, 750 mg;

and bismuth subsalicylate. Endoscopy to assess ulcer recurrence

was done at 3-month intervals for a maximum of 2 years.

Perc

en

t R

ecu

rren

ce

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

4 8 16 24 32 40

Ranitidine alone

Triple therapy

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The probability of

recurrence for

patients who

received triple

therapy plus

ranitidine was

significantly lower

than that for

patients who

received

ranitidine alone

Weeks

Introduction

Methods

Conclusions

References

Acknowledgment

Title

Triple therapy reduced ulcer recurrence

75% of gastric ulcer patients who received ranitidine alone

had a ulcer recurrence within a year compared to 13% of

those receiving ranitidine plus triple therapy

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

4 8 16 24 32 40

Ranitidine alone

Triple therapy

Weeks

Perc

en

t R

ecu

rren

ce

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Introduction

Methods

Conclusions

References

Acknowledgment

Title

Triple therapy reduced ulcer recurrence

75% of gastric ulcer patients who received ranitidine alone

had a ulcer recurrence within a year compared to 13% of

those receiving ranitidine plus triple therapy

Weeks

Perc

en

t R

ecu

rren

ce

Headline (key finding)

Informative illustration

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0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

4 8 16 24 32 40

Ranitidine alone

Triple therapy

Quick

explanation

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The news headline approach can

apply to every section of your poster

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Introduction

Methods

Results

THE FINER DESIGN DETAILS

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Use whitespace instead of boxing everything in47

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Use 2-3 complimentary colors (excluding photos) on a white background

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Text should be left-aligned, not justified

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Text types that hinder readability are the following:

• ALL CAPS

• Italics

Sans serif fonts are typically more readable

• Serif fonts have “feet.”

• Sans serif fonts do not.

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LAST ADVICE

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Squint at your poster:

Does the most important information stand out?

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Email

gcc-cmu@andrew.cmu.edu

Website

www.cmu.edu/gcc

Make an appointment at the

Global Communication Center