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A scientific poster session
• Advertises your research. – showing your work to numerous researchers at a conference or seminar. – give short presentations on your research (at site of you poster or orally in
front of the audience).
• Location: one large room, several smaller rooms, or even on a balcony…. – as viewers walk by …. your poster should quickly and efficiently communicate your research …. But a Poster Session allows viewers to study and restudy your information and
discuss it with you one on one.
(less formal poster presentation occurs at general forums e.g. health fairs.) The posters at these sessions present general information and invite viewers
to ask more detailed questions of the presenters.
To do before to start • A successful poster is not created overnight.
– read instructions (size of poster-needed elements..) = well-organized and prepared start – visually-pleasing poster (make a drawing on paper) = requires you to plan well in advance
• Consider your audience – Very narrow field with only specialists vs general public on a science fair - Improve the content = improve presentation
Decide what information to include Now create the text and graphics (drawing on paper).
+ follow the instructions (format of poster)
Writing strategy Focus! • Starting from a paper too much information = overwhelm poster viewers (reduce). • To keep your audience's attention
Content – consider what information to sum up your work Format – how to depict: typically, the less text, more appealing Clarity = communicate main points quickly & clear (on little space) – If it takes too long to figure out your poster = readers moves to next poster
"use short sentences.“ ≠ not cutting long sentences apart but use bullets and leave out words (if possible), such as "because," "then," "after,"
"therefore," "while.“ If only a long sentence can show a complex but necessary relationship use the long sentence
Practical tips • Title and your name in larger text
– Do not forget e-mail (contact), logo and sponsor (acknowledgments)
• Viewers will typically expect information to flow – from left to right – from top to bottom.
If you use a different flow, be sure to give explicit signals on your poster.
• Poster often constructed from separate chunks of texts or visuals layout can enhance (or destroy) the clarity of the overall point.
– After drafted chunks: try various arrangements of the chunks • Do you need arrows? direct readers' eyes from one chunk to other to follow sequence? • Do you need to number headings to show the flow of ideas? • Should you combine chunks to show clearly a close relationship of the ideas?
• Use headings and subheading – Keep short and to the point.
• Use the same size margins on both graphics and text. • (Don't use glossy paper because reflections will make your content more
difficult to read.) • Try to print professional
– Avoid different sheets, separate photo’s…
Practical tips
• Colors: live up your poster – Some recommend you use only one color plus black – others suggest you choose several colors using more colors, consider the overall impression
your poster makes. • dark-colored objects: draw the eye to a specific area • warm colors, such as red, orange, and yellow are often more
inviting.
• Leave ample white space = poster appear less “chaotic”
• Make back-up copies frequently
Font to use
• Readable from 2 m distance: – at least a 30- 36 point font for your text – at least a 48 point font for the title.
• Highlighting with colors or underlining important information – Style consistent over the entire poster. – Don't use too many styles
• Avoid using ALL CAPITAL LETTERS (except for the title). – CAPITAL LETTERS help titles stand out, but all caps take longer to read
• Avoid bold • Avoid using italics or fancy scripts.
Presenting your poster
• Show up early – fix any problems
– meet facilitators, chairperson, audience, members
• Always practice a brief presentation
• Never start by apologising
• Body language – let people see your enthusiasm...don't hide
• Finish in time (or early)
Practical tips - final • Transport
– Backup? Print locally? Soft copy? – Train, planes …. (do not forget!)
• Put in on place
– Material to bring (pins, double faced tape – Read instructions)
• Bring your business card
• Remember your session (number and place) – Contact chairperson
• Certainly when discussion is announced • if you can find(?)
Overview
• Brief & comprehensive
• General structure: Title & authors + affiliation, introduction, aim, material & methods, results, conclusions
• Keep it brief
• Readable: 2 m distance (font min 30-35)
• Make it attractive – figures & text
• (not too many lines)
4x important issues
1) make it big
3) keep it simple
2) make it clear
4) be consistent
Make it BIG!
• Design on paper
• Design on PC
Make it big – also on slides!
1. Use no more than 6 lines of text per slide.
2. Use no more than 7 words per line of text.
3. Avoid using a number of text slides in a row
during the presentation.
Keep it SIMPLE!
• Table
– Easily overloaded
– Minimise ink!
• A chart tells more than a thousand words
Keep it SIMPLE! • Artistic exuberance
– Computer graphics are great fun, BUT Reduce that visual's effectiveness
Make it CLEAR!
• Chose an “open” font
– e.g.: This is Times - This is Arial - This is Verdana - This is Calibri - This is Comic Sans
• Chose the right font size
Make it CLEAR! • Chose an “open” font
• Chose the right font size
• Upper case
Make it Clear
Emphatic color
• Color increases impact
– EMPHASIZE selected text.
– (reduced sensitivity to reds and greens, in about 1 out
of 10 males).
– Choose highly saturated colours not pastels
– Screen color ≠ Printed color
EMPHASIZE EMPHASIZE
EMPHASIZE EMPHASIZE
Make it Clear
Emphatic color
• Color / format symbols
Color – Difference
Couleur - Intensity
Position – 2D
Form - Orientation
Form - Length
Form - Thickness
Form - Size
Form - Form
Form - Mark
Form - Enclosure
Movement
Color
Make it Clear
Emphatic color
• Color / format symbols
Proximity Similarity Enclosure and continuity
Linking
Make is consistent
• Same color – Same symbol for one experimental condition.
– Open symbols/bars for control – closed for dosed
– White (control) light color (low dose) dark color (high dose) (SAME color in all graphs)
…..
Handling Questions
Question session is the part of the talk! – High impact: prove your ability to interact with
the audience.
1. Always repeat each question – entire audience knows what question
2. Before you answer, take a moment to reflect on the question. – respect for the questioner + reflect
3. Above all, wait for the questioner to finish – exception: vague, rambling questions
• be tactful
Handling Questions
4. Question during talk, and it will clarify an ambiguity, answer it immediately.
5. Postpone other questions until the end. 6. Avoid prolonged discussions with one
person 7. Can't answer?
– just say so. Don't apologize. – Ask for suggestions from the audience.
Remark: the chairperson is on the lead
– Opens the question session – Points out who may ask his question
About Graphics
Tables for values
Graphs for trends/Overall comparison
Visualization Principles
Not all needs visulization
Don’t visualize a set of two (sometimes you can)
Visualization Principles
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Keep Data-Ink Ratio low
Visualization Principles Avoid the Lie factor
Final remarks
• Communicating efficiently is very hard
• Design must not take the place of information
– Enhances reading (easier, more efficient, understanding)
– Enhances compacting data
– “Imprinting” the message
• There can be 10 solutions to the same design problem; always choose data first
• Visualization is not about putting lipstick on a pig
