Effective Poster Presentations

The following module will present the guidelines for creating and delivering an effective poster presentation at a conference.

Learning Objectives

• List the guidelines and common formats for posters used in poster presentations.
• Describe effective techniques for delivering an effective poster presentation at a conference.

Poster presentations are an excellent way for researchers to share findings and display their work. The researcher is typically available to give a short presentation and answer any questions, while the poster serves as a visual aid and a communication tool. Preparation of an effective poster is critical to the poster presentation's success. The purpose of the poster is to serve as a summary and an advertisement of the work that supplements the researcher's presentation. The poster could be thought of as an illustrated version of the abstract with visual displays of data and small blocks of text that explain the project and support the data. An effective poster can engage colleagues, start conversations, help foster collaborations and help researchers network. During a poster presentation session, the audience will be looking for a clear snapshot of the project, so a good poster is focused on single message, uses graphics and images to tell the story, and is well-organized and sequenced. An ineffective poster often has a main point that is hard to find, text that is too small, poor graphics, poor organization, and other problems. The research and the results will only appear to be as interesting and noteworthy as the quality of the poster. Therefore, while posters can be an important way to disseminate research findings, they must be prepared correctly and then presented appropriately. There are many guidelines for developing a quality poster in the resources on this page, as well as samples of good posters. Following is a condensed list of tips that are helpful in creating an effective poster and giving the presentation.

• Spend time planning and laying out the format of the poster so that it is organized, focused, and information flows in a logical way. Posters are often divided into sections like a research paper.  Use headings to help the readers find sections.
• The title is important and will draw the audience in. It should be short, focused and compelling. Be sure the title is not too long, and it should be large enough to read from some distance. In general, though, the title should not exceed the width of the poster.
• The content of all the sections should be concise. Graphics, data, charts, and other analyses should be the focus and small sections of text should supplement those. The content should tell readers why the work matters, the results, recommendations, and implications. Do not focus too much on methods in a poster presentation.
• The text size should be large enough to read from one to two meters. Pick a font that is easy to read. This is not the time to get to get too creative. Strive for a consistent, clean, readable look.
• Do not overdo color. In general, dark letters on a light background are the easiest to read. Avoid overly bright colors and the use of too many different colors. Both are distracting to readers. Some color makes the poster more attractive and interesting but be careful not to overdo it.
• Layout is critical. The flow of information should go from top to bottom and left to right. Readers will lose interest so do not make them jump all over the poster to get the story.
• Give credit! Put the names of all authors and institutional affiliations just below the title. And don't forget to include a references section!
• Prepare a 3–5-minute oral explanation of your poster and your work. Do not read the poster to the audience!  Explain the big picture and why the project is important. Then use the graphics to illustrate and support your findings and conclusions.
• Do give the audience some time to absorb the information on your poster. Do not stand directly in front of the poster so that they a full opportunity to view it. 
• Prepare a summary handout so that people will remember the highlights of your work. Be sure to include full contact information in the handout.

The following two YouTube videos provide additional information on the basic guidelines of how to design an effective poster, as well as how to effectively present the information on your poster at a poster presentation.

 Overview - How to Design an Effective Poster Presentation

 Giving an Effective Poster Presentation

Suggested Readings: 

•  Block, S. M. (1996). Do's and don't's of poster presentation. Biophysical Journal, 71(6), 3527.
• MacIntosh-Murray, A. (2007). Poster presentations as a genre in knowledge communication: A case study of forms, norms, and values. Science communication, 28(3), 347-376.
• Miracle, V. A., & King, K. C. (1994). Presenting research: Effective paper presentations and impressive poster presentations. Applied Nursing Research, 7(3), 147-151.
• Rowe, N., & Ilic, D. (2009). What impact do posters have on academic knowledge transfer? A pilot survey on author attitudes and experiences. BMC medical education, 9(1), 71.
• Shalom, C. (1993). Established and evolving spoken research process genres: Plenary lecture and poster session discussions at academic conferences. English for Specific Purposes, 12(1), 37-50.