what to include in a research poster

How to Create a Research Poster

• Poster Basics
• Design Tips
• Logos & Images

What is a Research Poster?

Posters are widely used in the academic community, and most conferences include poster presentations in their program.  Research posters summarize information or research concisely and attractively to help publicize it and generate discussion. 

The poster is usually a mixture of a brief text mixed with tables, graphs, pictures, and other presentation formats. At a conference, the researcher stands by the poster display while other participants can come and view the presentation and interact with the author.

What Makes a Good Poster?

• Important information should be readable from about 10 feet away
• Title is short and draws interest
• Word count of about 300 to 800 words
• Text is clear and to the point
• Use of bullets, numbering, and headlines make it easy to read
• Effective use of graphics, color and fonts
• Consistent and clean layout
• Includes acknowledgments, your name and institutional affiliation

A Sample of a Well Designed Poster

View this poster example in a web browser .  

Image credit: Poster Session Tips by [email protected], via Penn State

Where do I begin?

Answer these three questions:.

• What is the most important/interesting/astounding finding from my research project?
• How can I visually share my research with conference attendees? Should I use charts, graphs, photos, images?
• What kind of information can I convey during my talk that will complement my poster?

What software can I use to make a poster?

A popular, easy-to-use option. It is part of Microsoft Office package and is available on the library computers in rooms LC337 and LC336. ( Advice for creating a poster with PowerPoint ).

Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign

Feature-rich professional software that is good for posters including lots of high-resolution images, but they are more complex and expensive.  NYU Faculty, Staff, and Students can access and download the Adobe Creative Suite .

Open Source Alternatives 

• OpenOffice is the free alternative to MS Office (Impress is its PowerPoint alternative).
• Inkscape and Gimp are alternatives to Adobe products.
• For charts and diagrams try Gliffy or Lovely Charts .
• A complete list of free graphics software .

A Sample of a Poorly Designed Poster

View this bad poster example in a browser.

Image Credit: Critique by Better Posters

• Next: Design Tips >>
• Last Updated: Jul 11, 2023 5:09 PM
• URL: https://guides.nyu.edu/posters

The Ultimate Guide: How to Create a Standout Research Poster

Craft standout research posters with this guide. Learn how to make research posters that captivate and inform effectively.

Are you a scientist or researcher looking to create a research poster that will grab attention and make an impact? Look no further – in this ultimate guide, we will walk you through the steps to make a research poster that stands out. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned professional, Mind the Graph.com is an online platform designed to help you create visually appealing scientific figures, infographics, graphical abstracts, presentations, and posters. With its user-friendly interface and access to over 75,000 scientifically accurate illustrations in 80+ fields, Mind the Graph makes it easy for researchers to communicate their complex data in a visually engaging way. Say goodbye to the challenge of visualizing your research without specialized design skills – Mind the Graph is here to revolutionize scientific communication.

Understanding Research Posters

Importance of research posters.

In the world of scientific research, research posters play a crucial role. They are a popular medium for the presentation of scientific findings at scientific conferences, seminars, and symposia. Research posters provide a snapshot of your work, enabling fellow researchers, students, and the general public to understand the scope, methods, results, and implications of your research.

Moreover, research posters allow for interactive communication. Presenters get the opportunity to discuss their work one-on-one with interested viewers, explain complex concepts, generate discussion, and receive instant feedback. This interactive nature of poster presentations fosters scientific dialogue and collaboration.

Importantly, a well-designed research poster can attract attention and create a lasting impression on conference attendees. With so many posters on display at scientific gatherings, having a standout research poster is critical. It’s not just about presenting your research—it’s about making your research memorable.

What Constitutes a Good Research Poster?

A good research poster is a careful balance of content and design. It succinctly presents the results section your research in a visually appealing and easy-to-read format. Here are the key elements of how to make a research poster:

• Clarity : Your poster should concisely convey your research objective, methods, results, and conclusions. Avoid overly technical jargon and ensure your content is accessible to a broad audience.
• Structure : Your poster should have a logical flow. The layout should guide the viewer from the introduction and objectives, through the methods and results, to the conclusions and implications.
• Visual Appeal : Use figures, graphs, and diagrams to illustrate your points. These visuals should be simple yet informative, helping viewers understand your research at a glance.
• Readability : Choose fonts and colors that are easy on the eyes. Ensure there is sufficient contrast between the text and the background.
• Engagement : Aim to stimulate conversation. Pose thought-provoking questions or highlight surprising findings to draw in viewers and spark discussions.

Remember, the aim is not to cram as much information as possible onto the white space of the paper or poster. It’s about communicating your research effectively and engagingly.

Creating a Standout Research Poster

Essential elements of a research poster.

Creating a standout research poster involves incorporating several essential elements into your design:

• Title : Your title should be brief yet informative, clearly indicating the focus of your research. It’s the first thing viewers see, so make it captivating.
• Authors and Affiliations : List the names of all authors involved in the research and their respective affiliations. The lead author’s name is typically listed first.
• Introduction/Objectives : This section provides a context for your research, outlines your research question, and states your objectives.
• Methods : Describe your research design and the methods you used to collect and analyze data. Be succinct but clear.
• Results : Present your findings using clear and concise text, supplemented by graphs, charts, or images.
• Conclusions : Summarize the key findings and their implications. What does your research mean in the larger context?
• References : Cite any sources or research that informed your study.
• Acknowledgments : Recognize those who assisted in your research or funded your study.
• Contact Information : Include your email or other contact information for viewers who wish to follow up.

Remember, simplicity is key. Your poster’s content layout should be visually engaging, but not cluttered or overwhelming.

Designing with Mind the Graph

Designing a research poster can be a daunting task, especially if you don’t have a background in graphic design. That’s where Mind the Graph comes in. This online platform offers a user-friendly interface and a vast library of scientifically accurate illustrations, making it easy for researchers to create visually engaging scientific posters themselves.

To start, choose from a variety of pre-designed templates or create your own design from scratch. Then, drag and drop your desired illustrations onto your poster. With over 40,000 illustrations in 80+ fields, you’re sure to find images that perfectly represent your own research project.

Next, add your text. Mind the Graph allows you to customize the font, size, and color, ensuring your text complements your visuals and is easy to read.

Finally, use the platform’s tools to arrange your content in a logical, visually pleasing manner. You can easily adjust the size and position of each element, ensuring a balanced layout.

With Mind the Graph, you don’t need to be a design expert to create a professional, eye-catching research poster.

Making Use of Mind the Graph

Navigating the mind the graph platform.

Navigating the Mind the Graph platform is straightforward, even for beginners. Here’s a simple guide to help you get started:

First, sign up for a free account on the Mind the Graph website. Once logged in, you’ll be directed to the dashboard. From here, you can create a new project, view your saved projects, or explore the platform’s vast library of scientific illustrations.

To create a new research poster, click on the “New Infographic” button. You’ll be prompted to choose a template. Mind the Graph offers a variety of templates tailored to different scientific fields and presentation types.

Once you’ve selected a template, you’ll be taken to the editor. Here, you can add text, change fonts and colors, and insert illustrations. The platform’s drag-and-drop interface makes it easy to add and rearrange elements on your poster.

On the left-hand side, you’ll find the tools menu. Here, you can access more design options, such as shapes, lines, and backgrounds.

Remember, the Mind the Graph team is always ready to assist if you have any questions or need help navigating the platform.

Utilizing Scientific Illustrations

Scientific illustrations are a powerful tool for visualizing complex research data. Mind the Graph offers a wealth of scientifically accurate illustrations to enhance your research poster.

To access the illustrations library, navigate to the “Illustrations” tab in the editor. Here, you can browse through over 40,000 illustrations in 80+ fields. You can search for specific illustrations using the search bar at the top or filter by categories.

Once you’ve found an illustration you’d like to use, simply click on it and drag it onto your poster. You can resize and reposition the print, entire poster or illustration as needed.

Using illustrations can help break up text-heavy sections well-designed posters, making your poster more engaging and easier to digest. They can also help to highlight key points, demonstrate processes, and represent results visually.

Remember, while illustrations can greatly enhance your poster, they should not be overly complex or confusing. The goal of visual representation is to aid understanding, not to complicate it. Use illustrations judiciously and ensure they directly support your research message.

Advantages of Using Mind the Graph

Using Mind the Graph to create your research poster has several key advantages.

Firstly, it democratizes great poster design for scientists and researchers. With its user-friendly interface, you don’t need to be a graphic design expert to create a professional-looking scientific poster either.

Secondly, it offers a vast library of scientifically accurate illustrations good poster make. This resource saves you the time and effort of creating visuals from scratch and ensures your poster is both visually appealing and scientifically sound.

Thirdly, it’s customizable. You can easily adjust the font, color, size, and positioning of every element on your poster, ensuring your poster design aligns with your research and personal style.

Lastly, it’s efficient. With Mind the Graph, you can create a poster in less time than it would take using traditional design software. Plus, with the ability to save and edit your project, you can work on your poster at your own pace.

In short, Mind the Graph equips you with the tools to effectively communicate your research in a visually engaging way.

Finalizing Your Research Poster

Reviewing your research poster.

Once you’ve completed your initial design, it’s essential to take the time to review your research poster thoroughly. Here are some points to consider:

• Clarity : Is your message clear and concise? Does your poster effectively communicate your research objective, methods, results, and conclusions?
• Flow : Check the logical progression of your content. Can viewers easily follow the flow from the introduction to the conclusion?
• Visuals : Review your illustrations and charts. Do they accurately represent your data and enhance understanding?
• Typography : Check your text for readability. Is the font size large enough? Is there sufficient contrast between the text and the background?
• Errors : Proofread your text for any spelling, grammar, or punctuation errors. Also, check your data for any inaccuracies.
• Feedback : Consider getting feedback from colleagues or mentors. They can provide a fresh perspective and may spot errors or areas for improvement that you might have missed.

Remember, a little extra time spent reviewing and refining your poster can make a significant difference in the poster display final outcome. It’s worth the effort.

Making Your Research Poster Accessible

Accessibility should be a priority when finalizing your research poster. Ensuring your effective poster presentation is accessible to all viewers, regardless of their ability, is not just ethical – it enhances the reach and impact of your research.

Here are some simple ways to make your poster more accessible:

• Color Contrast : Use colors that contrast well to ensure your text and illustrations are clear and distinguishable. Avoid using color as the only means of conveying important information, as this can be problematic for viewers with color vision deficiencies.
• Font Size : Use a large, easy-to-read font size. This not only helps viewers with visual impairments but also makes your poster easier to read from a distance.
• Clear Language : Use clear, concise language and avoid unnecessary jargon. This makes your research accessible to viewers from different backgrounds and knowledge levels.
• Captioning : Provide captions or alternative text for images and diagrams. This helps viewers with visual impairments understand the content of your visuals.
• Layout : Arrange the elements of your poster in a logical, linear order. This helps viewers with cognitive impairments follow your content more easily.

Remember, an accessible academic poster, is an effective poster. Make sure the poster title of your research can be appreciated by everyone.

Promoting Your Research Poster with Mind the Graph

Once you’ve created your standout research poster, it’s time to share it with the world. Mind the Graph can aid in promoting your research poster to a wider audience.

Firstly, you can download your poster in a high-resolution format suitable for printing or digital viewing. You can also share a direct link to your online poster or embed it in your website or blog.

Furthermore, Mind the Graph has a continually growing community of scientists and researchers from around the world. Becoming part of this community allows you to share your work, get feedback, and engage in scientific discussions. You can also explore and get inspired by the work of others.

Remember, promoting your research is an integral part of the scientific process. It’s not enough to do good research; you need to communicate it effectively and make it accessible to others. Whether you’re presenting at a conference, a poster session, a seminar, or online, Mind the Graph is here to help you make your research and poster sessions stand out and be seen.

Enhance your research with compelling visuals through Mind the Graph

The Mind the Graph platform provides customizable scientific illustrations, templates, and design tools, empowering scientists to create engaging figures that convey findings effectively. With features for data integration and customization of colors, fonts, and styles, researchers can personalize their visuals to match their unique research style, ensuring broader accessibility and memorability.

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About Fabricio Pamplona

Fabricio Pamplona is the founder of Mind the Graph - a tool used by over 400K users in 60 countries. He has a Ph.D. and solid scientific background in Psychopharmacology and experience as a Guest Researcher at the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry (Germany) and Researcher in D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR, Brazil). Fabricio holds over 2500 citations in Google Scholar. He has 10 years of experience in small innovative businesses, with relevant experience in product design and innovation management. Connect with him on LinkedIn - Fabricio Pamplona .

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• Cal Poly Humboldt Library
• Research Guides

Creating a Research Poster

• Creating your poster step by step
• Getting Started
• Citing Images
• Creative Commons Images
• Printing options
• More Resources

Preparing your poster

There are three components to your poster session:

• Your poster

All three components should complement one another, not repeat each other.

Poster: Your poster should be an outline of your research with interesting commentary about what you learned along the way.

You: You should prepare a 10-30 second elevator pitch and a 1-2 minute lightning talk about your research. This should be a unique experience or insight you had about your research that adds depth of understanding to what the attendee can read on your poster.

Handout: Best practices for handouts - Your handout should be double-sided. The first side of the paper should include a picture of your poster (this can be in black and white or color). The second side of the handout should include your literature review, cited references, further information about your topic and your contact information.

Creating your poster by answering 3 questions:

• What is the most important and/or interesting finding from my research project?
• How can I visually share my research with conference attendees? Should I use charts, graphs, images, or a wordcloud?
• What kind of information do I need to share during my lightning talk that will complement my poster?
• *Title (at least 72 pt font).
• Research question or hypothesis (all text should be at least 24 pt font).
• Methodology. What is the research process that you used? Explain how you did your research.
• Your interview questions.
• Observations. What did you see? Why is this important?
• *Findings. What did you learn? Summarize your conclusions.
• Pull out themes in the literature and list in bullet points.
• Consider a brief narrative of what you learned - what was the most interesting/surprising part of your project?
• Interesting quotes from your research.
• Turn your data into charts or tables.
• Use images (visit the "Images" tab in the guide for more information). Take your own or legally use others.
• Recommendations and/or next steps for future research.
• You can include your list of citations on your poster or in your handout.
• *Make sure your name, and Cal Poly Humboldt University is on your poster.

*Required. Everything else is optional - you decide what is important to put on your poster. These are just suggestions. Use the tabs in this guide for more tips on how to create your poster. 

Poster Sizes

You can create your poster from scratch by using PowerPoint or a similar design program.

Resize the slide to fit your needs before you begin adding any content. Standard poster sizes range from 40" by 30" and 48" by 36" but you should check with the conference organizers. If you don't resize your design at the beginning, when it is printed the image quality will be poor and pixelated if it is sized up to poster dimensions. 

The standard poster sizes for ideaFest are 36" x 48" and 24" by 36".

To resize in PowerPoint, go to "File" then "Page Setup..." and enter your dimensions in the boxes for "width" and "height". Make sure to select "OK" to save your changes.

To resize in Google Slides, go to "File" then "Page setup" and select the "Custom" option in the drop down menu.  Enter the dimensions for your poster size and then select "Apply" to save your changes.

Step Four: Final checklist

Final checklist for submitting your poster for printing:.

• Proofread your poster for spelling and grammar mistakes. Ask a peer to read your poster, they will catch the mistakes that you miss. Print your poster on an 8 1/2" by 11" sheet of paper - it is easier to read for mistakes and to judge your design. 
• Make sure you followed Step 3 and resized your PPT slide correctly.
• Does your poster have flow? Did you "chunk" information into easily read pieces of information?
• Do your visualizations (e.g. charts, graphs, tag clouds, etc.) tell a story? Are they properly labeled and readable?
• Make sure that your images we not resized in PPT. You should use the original size of the image or try an image editor (e.g. Photoshop). Did you cite your image?
• Is your name, department, and affiliation on your poster?
• Did you want to include acknowlegments on your poster? This may be appropriate if your advisor and a graduate student provided leadership during the research process. 
• Most importantly- Save your PPT slide to PDF before you send to the printer in order to avoid any printing mishaps. You should also double-check the properties to make sure it is still sized correctly in PDF.
• << Previous: Getting Started
• Next: Images >>

University Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Research Posters : Step by step

• Elements of a poster
• Step by step
• Visualizations & images
• Illinois logo
• Archiving - Grad Students
• More Resources
• Oral Presentations
• 2024 Undergraduate Research Symposium This link opens in a new window

CREATING YOUR POSTER

You have two choices when creating a research poster:

• You can create your poster from scratch by using PowerPoint, Adobe InDesign, or a similar design program. 
• You can use one of the  University of Illinois Research Poster Templates .

Sizing your Poster

• If you are presenting for the  Undergraduate Research Symposium , resize your slide to width 48 inches by height 36 inches.
• If you are presenting at a  professional conference , your instructions should indicate the size limits of your poster. Standard U.S. conference poster size is 48" by 36". 

​ ***IMPORTANT: You must change the size of your slide before you start working on your poster. This will ensure that your images and text do not become pixilated when the poster is printed. See below for specific instructions. 

How to correctly size your poster in PowerPoint:

• Select the "Design" tab
• Click "Slide Size"
• Select "Page Setup"
• Under the "Slides sized for:" dropdown menu, select "Custom"
• Set the "Width" and "Height" to what is needed for your poster
• Click "OK" 

How to correctly size your poster in Adobe InDesign:

When a new document is created in Adobe InDesign, a dialogue box prompts you to enter dimensions:

• Change the dimension metric to inches from the drop down box.
• Margins are intentional space from an object to the edge of the poster, intended not to be trimmed. You can set this to 0 inches on all sides unless you have a specific plan to use margins in your design.
• Bleed shows the printer where to trim white space that occurs when printing color onto white poster paper. If you are printing your poster, include at least a 0.25 inch bleed on each side; remember not to place any content in the bleed as it will be trimmed by the printer.
• Slug is a space for the creator to leave any notes for the printer. You can set this to 0 inches unless you have notes. 

If you ever want to change your poster dimensions after starting the poster, you can do so through the Document Setup Menu .

Using multiple font styles can really make your poster stand out and look professional. Consult this graphic to understand different font styles, what fonts work best together, and what fonts to avoid.

COLOR SCHEME CHOICES

Sticking to a color scheme can help your poster look professional. Consistent use of color can help your viewer understand how information is organized on your poster. Not sure where to start with color?

• Pick colors from an image (including a custom one you're planning to use on your poster)
• Use Illinois branding colors

Not sure what to do with the hex code from a brand guide or color palette generator?

• Adobe InDesign

Always check that your text is accessible on background colors using WebAIM's free contrast checker.

If printing your poster, it's a good idea to do a small-scale test print of your poster before getting it printed. Colors often appear brighter and more vibrant on a screen than when printed. There still might be some variation in color depending on the color scale the printer uses, but it will be a closer match on paper than what you see on screen.

WHAT TO INCLUDE IN YOUR POSTER

All posters MUST have:  

• Title: Make it catchy and use at least 72 pt. font. 
• Your name and contact information.
• Institutional affiliation, see the  Illinois logo  tab above.

You many also include:

• Research question or hypothesis: Do not copy your abstract if it is included in the program. 
• Methodology: What is the research process that you used? Explain how you did your research.
• Your interview questions.
• Observations: What did you see? Why is this important?
• Findings: What did you learn? Summarize your conclusions.
• Themes: Pull out themes in the literature and list in bullet points.
• Consider a brief narrative of what you learned - what was the most interesting/surprising aspect of your project?
• Add interesting quotes from your research.
• Data: Use your data to generate charts or tables.
• Images: Include images (visit the  Visualization & Images  tab in the guide for more information). Take your own or legally use others.
• Recommendations and/or next steps for future research.
• Citations: Only list 3-5 on your poster. If you have more, put them on your handout.
• Acknowledgements: Don't forget to thank your advisor, department, or funding agency.

More helpful tips

• Read Colin Purrington's suggestions for successful poster design.
• Be creative in your display, think beyond the text of your paper. You can use boxes, formatting, font, and images to break up the sections of your research poster.
• Think carefully about your title. If you would like a longer, more descriptive title, consider a subtitle. Brainstorm several titles and have a peer/colleague/friend/teacher rank them. The title needs to highlight your subject matter, but it does not need to state all your conclusions. Some good titles simply ask questions, others answer them.
• You can section your poster according to the major points about your research you want to convey. For example: title, abstract, methodology, data, results, and conclusion. Consider the flow of your poster--these should be in a logical, easy-to-read order. Remember that most people read from left to right and top to bottom.
• Qualitative data (e.g. quotes from references and/or interviews) can also be shared on your poster. Make sure you include captions, legends, annotations, citations, and footnotes, if necessary.
• Design your poster as if you were designing for a professional publication. Be consistent with your layout, color choices, fonts and sizes.
• All text of your poster should be *at least* 24 font size and an easy-to-read font style (e.g. Arial or Verdana). Anything smaller is too difficult to read.
• Remember the “KISS Principle”: Keep It Simple, Stupid! In succinct, brief, jargon-free terms, your poster must explain: 1) the scientific problem in mind (what’s the question?), 2) its significance (why should we care?), 3) how your particular experiment addresses the problem (what’s your strategy?), 4) the experiments performed (what did you actually do?), 5) the results obtained (what did you actually find?), 6) the conclusions (what do you think it all means?), and, optionally, 7) caveats (any reservations?) and/or 8) future prospects (where do you go from here?).
• What is the number one mistake made in poster presentations? Too much information! Try to keep your poster to the point and and clear. You can always include more information in your handout or on a website.
• << Previous: Examples
• Next: Visualizations & images >>
• Last Updated: Apr 9, 2024 12:09 PM
• URL: https://guides.library.illinois.edu/poster

University of Missouri

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Undergraduate Research

How to design a research poster.

Presenting your scholarly work and research can take a number of different formats, all of which have pros and cons associated with them. While some fields use live performances or oral presentations to display their work, others use research journals or written manuscripts, while others still implement the use of research posters or gallery displays. Below is a comparison of some of the more common methods for displaying and presenting research and scholarly work.

Creating an effective research poster

We have provided a 6 step guide for you to follow. We also encourage you to attend one of our workshops “Presenting Your Research I: Story Design” and “Presenting Your Research II: Poster Design” for assistance. You may find the dates/times for these workshops (along with others) in MU Engage .

This short 5-minute video takes you through some pointers on how to create a research poster.

Consider the following questions before designing your poster. Depending on your event/audience, the poster content may be different. Presenting your work at a discipline specific conference means an audience who will have more understanding of the terminology and processes used in your work – meaning more use of discipline specific vocabulary. Whereas, presenting at an event with more laypeople (think the Spring Forum), means that most in the audience will not understand discipline specific vocabulary or graphics, so your poster content would be different as it would need to be understood by that audience.

Take time to brainstorm what you want the viewer to get from your poster (whether you are standing by it to present the information or not).

• What is your goal ?
• Who is your audience ?
• What is the most interesting/compelling part of your work?
• What will be interesting to others ?
• How can you make it interesting to others?

Before you can begin designing the poster, you have to consider a few things. And the first thing is:

Poster Size

Before you go plugging in data, text and images you need to decide on the overall size of YOUR poster. Some conferences/events have specific size limitations – VERIFY THIS FIRST! Otherwise, you may find yourself scrambling to redesign a poster last minute.

Here, however is some standard information for you to consider:

Mizzou’s Spring Forum – the boards and easels used are 2 sizes: 45in x 45in (square), or 36in x 60in (wide rectangle). Poster sizes vary, however we have found that 36in x 42in, or 42in x 48in are typical.

Poster Orientation

Your poster may be a rectangle in portrait orientation (‘hotdog’), or landscape orientation (‘hamburger’); OR, you may have a square poster. This is where you consider how to communicate your work and how it will best ‘flow’.

Mizzou poster templates

Mizzou has some poster templates (branded with Mizzou logos and colors), that you may download to use. You may find them at the Mizzou Branding & Licensing website here (scroll down to ‘Research Posters’ and please note that they are automatically sized to 56in x 36in – so you should resize them based upon what YOU want your poster size to be. You do NOT have to use these templates, but you may find them helpful. Check with your mentor .)

Now that you have determined what you want to communicate to your audience, and the poster size in which you will do this – you have to consider the content itself. How will the information be placed on the page to best flow and be understood by the viewer?

Consider the following items to include:

• Abstract, if appropriate
• Background/Introduction
• Research Question/Problem/Hypothesis
• Methodology (Materials & Methods)
• Conclusions, Future Studies
• Acknowledgements

Remember to:

• Make it easy for the reader to follow
• Anchor your information with something familiar
• Label figures and images
• Use sections, headlines
• What can be visual about your work?
• What needs to be explained ? ( And can it be explained more clearly using visuals? )
• What context do you need to provide?
• Biography/influences on your authors
• Lists, timelines
• Key quotations/text
• Cultural context
• Graphs, charts
• Illustrations
• Resist temptation to overuse color
• Use color for meaning and significance
• Use color to highlight important content
• Frames around poster components
• Bullet points
• Headlines of text, headings
• Check the University of Missouri Identity Standards website to download Mizzou logos and confirm your color of “Mizzou gold.”
• Determine title that is understandable to an audience outside of your field/major
• List authors of poster
• Consider font type, size, color, etc.
• Include the MU logo (and other logos depending on the nature of your work)

You should plan for your poster to take a minimum of 2-4 business days ( 48-72 hours ) to be printed. You must plan in advance for your poster pickup – we recommend that you consult the printer and ask for their timeline as you are not their only customer, and each printer will have different turnaround times.

Poster printing costs range depending on the size and type of material which you select for your poster – the average poster costs about $60.00.

BEFORE YOU PRINT! Check your poster for typos and grammatical errors. Has your mentor given you the ‘okay?’

• MU Print and Mail Services . Select ‘Posters’ from within the ‘Student Services’ drop-down.’
• FedEx has partnered with us to provide presenters a special price for printing posters. To get this special price you MUST use this online portal to submit your poster, in PDF format. You will required to provide your contact information and pay for your poster in advance by credit card.
• 36in x 48in poster (landscape or portrait layout) = $30.00
• 36in x 36in poster = $22.50
• Custom size poster, the price will be $2.50/sq foot
• Staples (115 Conley Road)
• UPS Store – 3 locations 503 E. Nifong, Ste H 2000 E. Broadway 2101 W. Broadway #103

We also recommend that you view past posters in your category to get a sense of what has been done. Click here to view the 2020 and 2021 online Spring Forum presentations.

Other resources.

• NYU Libraries How to Create a Research Poster
• Colin Purrington: tips for making posters
• UC Davis: How to Make and Effective Poster
• Science: How to prepare a scientific poster
• Fresh Spectrum: How to design a research poster using CANVA

Creating Effective Posters

• Poster Design
• Creating Posters
• Elements of a Research Poster
• Poster Templates
• Citation Styles
• Presenting Your Poster
• Poster Examples

What is a Research Poster?

"A large-format poster is a document that can communicate your research at a conference, and is composed of a:

• introduction to your research question
• an overview of your methods/novel approach
• your results
• an insightful discussion of your conclusion
• previously published articles that are important to your research  
• an acknowledgement of the assistance and support you received from others"

 Credit: Colin Purrinton ,  Swarthmore College

The Periodic Table of Poster Elements

Example layout of a poster

I: Introduction and Research Question

Your introduction sets the stage for the project and serves to give the reader an overview! It should peak their interest.  Best practices include:

• Put your topic within context of published literature
• Provide a description and justification of your experimental approach
• Hint at why your subject is ideal for such research
• Give a clear hypothesis
• Minimize the background information and definitions - include just what is relevant!
• Don't repeat your abstract

Approximate word count:  200 words  

Font size for your introduction:   

Headings: about 44 pt

Main text:  about 32 pt

II: Methods

Here, describe your experimental equipment and the research methods you used.  In addition to the text, you might want to add:

• Figures or tables to help describe the design
• Flow charts to describe the experimental procedures
• Pictures or labeled drawings of the organism or the equipment used

Approximate word count: 200 words

Font size for your methods or research question section:  

Captions for your figures:  about 28 pt

III: Results and Findings

This section analyzes your data and explains if your experiment worked out, or if you were not doing an experiment, what your research findings were. Things to include are:

• Data analysis
• Supporting charts, figures, images, or tables
• Supporting information for your argument
• Legends or pictures that can stand on their own and help the viewer with an understanding

Approximate word count: 200 words.

Font size:  

Captions:  about 28 pt

V: Conclusions and Future Research

This is where you will sum up your poster and remind readers of your hypothesis and the results of your research. A few things to include:

• Focus on the take home message
• Was your hypothesis supported? 
• Why the results are conclusive & interesting
• Relevance of your findings to other published work

Approximate word count: 300 words 

VI: Acknowledgments and References

This is the part where you will credit those who helped you produce this research. Key things to include are:

• Those who funded your research
• Sources that you used during your research
• Credit for those who provided supervision and mentorship
• Credit for any figures used in your poster
• Links to a full report, if necessary 

The text on this section will vary with the number of credits necessary, but will generally stay under 100 words. 

Your poster can be customized to what your research looks like! Not all posters have each section - it depends upon what you are communicating. Some posters will have more or less text, some will have more figures and photographs than others, some will have sections detailing specific parts of their research not included in this template. 

Remember - people will be viewing your poster from multiple feet away! Include only the most important points about your research. 

Credit: University of California, San Diego Libraries. 

Poster Creating Tips

How to make a better academic poster

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• Last Updated: Mar 11, 2024 9:14 AM
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How to create a research poster

• Getting Started
• Planning your Poster
• Designing a Poster
• Poster Templates & Examples
• Printing your Poster
• Additional Guides

What is a research poster?

A research poster is a visual way to summarize and communicate the results of a research project to a general audience. A good poster should include the goal of the research, its methodology, results, and discussion/conclusion, in clear and concise language.

Research posters will often include photos, maps, graphs and other images to present information in an attractive way.

Why a poster?

Research posters are a common form of research presentation in conferences, seminars, and symposiums. Some of the main advantages of presenting a poster rather than a conference paper are:

• Knowledge sharing with a wider audience: with poster presentations, researchers usually stand beside their posters and can interact directly with the public.
• Opportunity to explore different ways to present information: posters are ideal for highly visual topics.
• Networking: presenting posters can help researchers identify potential collaborators, spark further discussion, make contacts, etc.
• Opportunity to improve verbal presentation skills: researchers can talk about their research without having to observe the stricter guidelines of other types of conference presentations.
• Opportunity to showcase research to potential employers.

Branding requirements

Yukon University's branding guidelines may be applicable when presenting research results. This can vary depending on course/assignment requirements, whether the research is directly sponsored/funded by the institution, and how and where the poster will be presented.

For YukonU students: check with your instructor if branding is required for your situation.

YukonU faculty/staff: YukonU's branding guidelines can be found on https://yukoncollege.sharepoint.com/sites/yc/offices/relations (Sharepoint login required).

• Next: Planning your Poster >>
• Last Updated: Apr 12, 2023 2:45 PM
• URL: https://yukonu.libguides.com/research_poster

How to Create a Research Poster: Research Poster Resources

What is a research poster.

A Research Poster is a structured presentation of the presenter's research in the form of a poster. This allows viewers to absorb the key points of research from a brief viewing. Posters are an important method of sharing research, especially at academic conferences. Research posters are generally accompanied by a brief presentation by the researcher. 

Online Poster Resources

• Impactful Scientific Posters-The Basics A video from the American Chemical Society
• Designing Conference Posters - Colin Purrington Downloadable templates, What to put in each section, Dos and Don'ts, How to make your poster more engaging,Priting, How to present a poster, and Motivational advice.
• Poster Presentations - Designing Effective Posters - University of Bufflao Background readings, Design tips, and Resources
• Designing an Academic Poster - Adam Reid A prezi containing tips about size, color, layout, fonts, graphics and software.
• www.academicposter.org Design tips, templates and gallery.
• Scientific Posters - byMichael Alley, author of The Craft of Scientific Writing Design, Examples, Templates, and Presenting tips

Using Images

• New York Public Library Digital Collections This link opens in a new window Over 800,000 images digitized from the The New York Public Library's collections; including illuminated manuscripts, historical maps, vintage posters, rare prints, photographs and more.
• ARTstor This link opens in a new window If you have not logged into Artstor from the Marist campus within the last 120 days, use this link. Be sure to Log In at the upper right hand corner of the page once connected.

Making a Better Research Poster

Marist College Presentation Poster Template

• Marist College Presentation Poster Template (Portrait)

Marist Resources for Student Research

• VPAA Student Research Grant
• Celebration of Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity (CURSCA) The Celebration of Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity (CURSCA) is Marist College’s annual showcase of scholarly and creative work by undergraduates. CURSCA provides a forum for students to share their work with, and be celebrated by, the Marist community.

Poster Printing

• Marist Copy Center (DN 115)
• Prime Print Shop
• Ask A Librarian Click here to email, chat with, or make an appointment to speak with a librarian.

Have an idea for a tutorial that we should make next? Let us know!

• Last Updated: Apr 2, 2024 4:38 PM
• URL: https://libguides.marist.edu/ResearchPosters

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5 Minute Overview

At its core, a scientific poster is a visual representation of data that has been organized and consolidated into an easily-digestible format. A good poster should be able to be understood in a few minutes, so it’s of the utmost importance to make sure your poster is logical, consistent, and designed well.

Sections and Organization

It’s easiest to break down all the information you want into distinct sections, such as Background , Objectives , Methodology , Results , and Recommendations . A typical poster will have 4-8 of these sections laid out in 3 or 4 columns , but the specifics of your research will dictate which sections are important to include. Posters are read from left-to-right and top-to-bottom, so make sure to lay out your sections so they can be read in order.

We have many free scientific poster templates to get you started, and you can also check if your school or organization has a standard template they can provide you. Otherwise, you can come up with your own layout for your information.

Design Guidelines

When it comes to design, there are a few basic rules to follow:

Simple is Good

Your background should be plain white or a very subtle gradient/pattern that is not distracting and your text should be clear and easy to read. Any charts or graphics should be able to be understood quickly and not include unnecessary elements.

Make Important Information Stand Out

Section headings should be obvious and important research should draw attention.

Line Things Up

Try to fit everything to a basic grid and align each section with another. If you have a set of charts or photos, it looks best to have them equally-sized and distributed evenly.

Don't Make it Crowded

A viewer may only spend a minute or two looking at your poster so they should immediately be able to make sense of the organization and be able to identify the distinct sections.

Layout and Design »

Final Check

Before giving us your poster to print, it’s helpful to do one last check of everything to make sure your poster will look as good as possible. Here are 5 questions to answer:

• 1 Do my poster sections flow logically? The sections of your poster should be organized and follow the general structure of introduction → data → conclusion.
• 2 Is all my text readable? All the text on your poster should stand out against its background, use a legible font, and be large enough to be read from a reasonable distance. Also, check for spelling mistakes!
• 3 Are all my graphics good quality? Zoom in on your file to 100% and make sure all photos, charts, and illustrations look clear and crisp. (If you are going to be ordering a poster that is larger than your file, zoom in farther).
• 4 Is my data understandable? All your tables, charts, and graphs should be able to be looked at and understood in a few seconds.
• 5 Does the most important information stand out? When skimming over your poster, the most important parts should catch your eye and be very obvious. If someone reads your poster for a minute or so, they should be able to fully understand your presentation.

Questions, Comments, or Concerns

If you have any further questions or comments about our tutorials, we would love to help you out.

Search Utah State University:

In-page navigation, designing the best posters.

Communicating your research is an important part of presenting in a conference, and that is difficult to do without effective presentation aids. In this training, you will learn the best practices for creating and designing slides and posters.

• Removing Everything Unnecessary
• The abstract . Unless you are required by certain professional societies to include an abstract, it doesn’t make sense to include your abstract on your poster. Your poster is already a summary of your research; including another summary is redundant.
• Background images . Although it may seem that having a large, visually attractive image as a background might draw attention to your poster and allow you to include an image without wasting space, it is generally a bad idea. These images tend to distract from the content of your poster without providing anything useful.
• Mailing addresses . Nobody is going to be writing down your address at the session, so it’s a waste of space. When you want to provide your contact information, you should have business cards that you can hand out.
• Drop shadows and bevels . These visual aspects not only make text less readable, but they force you to use more space for each element than otherwise necessary. The only time this is useful is when you are trying to make text over an image more visible.
• Making Your Poster Understandable
• Get rid of jargon . If there are any words that are discipline-specific, switch them out for something more universal or be sure to clearly define them.
• Reduce the content . People don’t have very much time to read everything on your poster, so it doesn’t make sense to include every detail. An optimal poster has 400 to 600 words, enough information to be detailed but leaving room for discussion, so pare down as much as possible. The easiest things to cut are often your methods section and any explanatory background research that is not your own.
• Organize what’s left . Your content should read easily, making it clear where the reader should start and how they should progress through the poster. Certain layouts may cause confusion as to what order to read items in. Having someone else look over it and tell you what order they’re reading it in can help you make sure your layout is solid.
• Drawing Attention with an Interesting Poster
• Choose the right titles . You don’t have to be traditional, and something a little different can really help pull people in. Instead of “Intro,” “Methods,” and “Conclusion,” you can use something more descriptive and engaging to draw people in.
• Use big images . Pictures help gain attention and are visually interesting. As long as they’re relevant, they are a great use of poster space.
• Keep graphs simple . Like images, graphs are an exceptional way to demonstrate your research and keep your audience paying attention. The problem occurs when the graphs are too complicated. They should be easy to read and understand, so keep them as simple as possible.
• Emphasize pull quotes . A pull quote is a piece of text that you take from your poster and enlarge. These quotes should be important or interesting parts of your research that you want to draw attention to. Not only do these help guide your readers to the most important and memorable information, but they make your poster more visually attractive.
• Designing an Attractive Poster
• Include calculated blank space . You don’t have a lot of space on a poster, so it’s tempting to try to cram as much information as possible into every nook and cranny. Don’t make this mistake. When you purposefully include blank space, it is easier to find, identify, and understand the information that is included. Increasing the space between columns or boxes or widening the margins inside of a box is an easy way to accomplish this.
• Customize fonts . Using fonts that are professional and easy to read, but still a little bit different can help your poster stand out from the rest. You can have a different font for headings, captions, body text, and accent text, but you shouldn’t have more than that.
• Use color . You can stand out from other posters by including aesthetically pleasing, complimentary colors instead of the standard light blue. When doing this, however, be careful to choose colors that aren’t too bright or difficult to read.
• Additional Resources

Learn how to design stunning posters from these graduate training videos and handouts. Extreme Makeover: Poster Edition Watch Extreme Makeover: Poster Edition  (video) How To Design Stunning Posters Part 1: Introduction Watch How to Design Stunning Posters Part 1: Introduction  (video) Part 2: Poster Kryptonite Watch How to Design Stunning Posters Part 2: Poster Kryptonite  (video) Part 3: Be Understandable Watch How to Design Stunning Posters Part 3: Be Understandable  (video) Part 4: Be Interesting Watch How to Design Stunning Posters Part 4: Be Interesting  (video) Part 5: Be Attractive Watch How to Design Stunning Posters Part 5: Be Attractive  (video) Download How to Design Stunning Posters Handout  (PDF) Getting Smart About Posters and Slides Download the Getting Smart About Posters and Slides Handout  (PDF)

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A Guide to Designing a Scientific Poster: Content, Layout, and More

By Michael G. Lemieux

You’ve done great research and made interesting discoveries. You’ve analyzed the data and generated beautiful figures. And, you can’t wait to tell your story. But, before you can show off your work at a conference, you need to first make your poster. While a poster generally contains the same sections as a primary research article, it’s important to understand that presenting your work in poster format differs in many ways from writing a manuscript.

If you have ever attended a scientific conference , or even a lab recruiting session at your university, you are likely aware of how different posters can be. You have also probably thought about why certain posters resonate with you (or not). It is important to reflect on these impressions when thinking about crafting your own poster.

What sets a scientific poster apart?

First, a good poster should catch the audience’s eye and draw people in. That can be accomplished with an exciting title and attractive figures. Next, the poster should be legible from a distance. This means big font and fewer words. Further, the poster should be easily navigable and efficient; your questions, data, and conclusions should be clearly identified and interpreted in less than a couple of minutes.

How does one accomplish all of that? What follows are some tips to help you build a great poster. 

Tips for designing your poster

Check conference guidelines.

To begin, you should always follow conference rules when designing your poster, since they can differ. 48” x 36” tends to be the most common poster size, but this can vary as well. 

Sections of your poster

In almost all scientific posters you will find a title, author names and affiliations, introduction, methods, results, conclusions, and acknowledgements sections. Some other additions you might wish to include are a references section, contact information, and potentially a photograph of yourself. A photo can be very useful in the event that you will not be physically present at your poster at all times, so other participants can identify you. You may also wish to make creative use of a footer in your poster. This is a section where you can insert your references and contact information, and it is generally acceptable for the font here to be much smaller than in other poster sections, so you can include a lot more.

Font size: Making your poster readable

While we are talking about font, remember this: bigger is better! Your poster should be readable from several feet away. It can also be useful to use two different font styles; one for your section titles, and a different one for the body of those sections. This strategy helps your sections stand out, and makes the entire poster more navigable. 

Choose your content wisely

Remember that less is more! Posters should not look like a primary research article condensed into one big page. Your sections should be as concise as possible, communicating only the most important results to your audience. With a poster, you have the advantage of being able to verbally communicate your work, so you don’t need every little detail on the board. 

Poster layout

While it’s good to let your ingenuity shine, and you generally have free reign over how you put your poster together, be aware that there are some particular styles recognized to work well. It is important that your readers can navigate your poster and follow the logical progression of your work, and you can accomplish this by employing a neat and organized format. 

• “Better Poster.”  This  new take on scientific poster design  was conceived by Mike Morrison, a psychology doctoral student at Michigan State University. The idea is that the main research finding is written across the center of the poster in a large font. Hence, spectators can read the text from many feet away and immediately understand the point of the work. The other poster sections like the introduction, methods, and figures flank the central region, and a scannable barcode is included that links readers to more information if they desire it.

Background and color

One of the best ways to grab your audience’s attention is with the background and color of your poster. You can choose essentially any background, but two common approaches are either a solid color, or a “themed” background that is relevant to the work you are presenting. The latter is catchy, but beware. A distracting background or clashing colors can take away from what should be the focus of your poster - the data and your story. If you choose a single-color background but want to add a bit more “flash,” you can include a subtle gradient (as is shown in all of our illustrations above) so that the color fades to a lighter or darker version of itself from the top of the poster to the bottom. Depending on the color you select for the background, you’ll want to make sure that the color of your font is compatible. Use high-contrast between these colors so that your text is easily read. Similarly, be cognizant of audience members that are color-blind; avoiding red and green is a good idea for this reason but there are many other ways to make your poster more accessible .

Final thoughts

Though we’ve just presented some standard formatting guidelines for making a scientific poster, you shouldn’t hesitate to be creative. After all, your poster is a representation of your work and a reflection of you, so make it your own!

Additional resources on the Addgene blog

• Check out this blog post on navigating the poster session
• Find tips to make the most of your conference attendance
• Read all of our blog posts about conferences

Topics: Science Careers , Conferences , Early Career Researcher

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WashU Libraries

Library services for undergraduate research.

• Creating an Abstract
• What is a Literature Review?
• Creating a Poster
• Presenting Your Research
• Share Your Undergraduate Research
• Contact a Subject Librarian This link opens in a new window
• Conducting Research
• College Writing: Citizen Scientist

Research Poster

A research poster session is a visual, interactive forum. The research is conveyed graphically in an informal setting. The researcher stands next to her/his poster and is prepared to answer questions to clarify information. The poster itself IS NOT the enlarged research paper. The poster should " entice the viewer with clarity, simplicity, and pictures ".

Impactful Scientific Posters

This site is developed to help students who are creating research posters for presentation at the Undergraduate Research Symposium. At this site you will find information about:

• What to include in a research poster
• How to design and organize a research poster
• What software programs to use to create a research poster

Research poster sessions, historically have been widely used by the scientific community in presenting original research. However there has been an increase in the use of poster sessions for undergraduate research in the social sciences and humanities.

View Sample Posters

Poster Sessions  - flick r 

A group on flickr for sharing posters and getting feedback

Poster Sessions - flick r

A group on flickr where people share photos of their posters

Online Design Resources

• Effective Poster Design   "An effective poster is a visual communications tool"
• Design Effective Posters   Contains examples of original and improved posters
• Creating Anthropology Conferences Posters: A Guide for Beginners

Considering Content

When developing an outline of a research poster, you want to consider including some of the following sections:

• Introduction or Background
• Literature Review
• Methods or Results
• Purpose or Objectives
• Acknowledges
• Works Cited

Content should be:

• clear and concise
• relevant and significant

Considering Design, Organization & Layout

The " Rule of Thirds " is a design tool used by photographers and graphic artists. The rule states that visual images (the poster) can be divided into nine equal segments (three sections high and three sestions wide. The audience's eye should travel from the top to the bottom in a Z pattern. The most important parts of the poster should be located on this "Z" shape.

Layout and design  should consider:

• balance and spacing
• consistency
• headings and fonts

Graphics should be:

• clearly relevant to project
• easily seen from a few feet away
• simply, easy to understand
• aesthetically pleasing, eye catching, but not garish
• clearly labeled

Sample layouts - at a glance

• Suggested layout arrangements
• Tips for a readable poster (PDf)
• Sample poster template (PowerPoint format)

Finding Stock Images

• U.S. Government Photos
• Library of Congress Images,   flick r  
• B ing Image Feed
• Creative Commons Images
• ArtStor Guide, fine arts images

Books from the Catalog

Journal Articles on Poster Design

Title: Visual Design Tips to Develop an Inviting Poster for Poster Presentations .

Authors: Tomita, Kei 1 , [email protected]

Source: TechTrends: Linking Research & Practice to Improve Learning; Jul2017, Vol. 61 Issue 4, p313-315, 3p

Abstract: The article offers suggestions for making a poster presentation at an academic conference as it is different from other presentation formats. Topics discussed include integrating the results, discussion, and conclusion sections or introduction and literature review sections in order to reduce the amount of text; name and affiliation bigger than the main text but smaller than the tittle and addition of figures and tables for creating visual variety and making poster more inviting.

http://libproxy.wustl.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eft&AN=123733000&site=ehost-live&scope=site

===========================================================================================================

Title: Effective visual design and communication practices for research posters: Exemplars based on the theory and practice of multimedia learning and rhetoric.

Authors: Pedwell, Rhianna K.; Hardy, James A.; Rowland, Susan L.

Source: Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Education ; May2017, Vol. 45 Issue 3, p249-261, 13p

Abstract: Evidence shows that science graduates often do not have the communication skills they need to meet workplace standards and expectations. One common mode of science communication is the poster. In a review of the literature we show that poster design is historically problematic, and that the guidance provided to students as they create posters for assessment is frequently inconsistent. To address this inconsistency we provide some guiding design principles for posters that are grounded in communication theory and the fundamentals of rhetoric. We also present three nondiscipline-specific example posters with accompanying notes that explain why the posters are examples of poor, average, and excellent poster design. The subject matter for the posters is a fabricated set of experiments on a topic that could not actually be the subject of research. Instructors may use these resources with their students, secure in the knowledge that they do not and will never represent an answer set to an extant assessment item. © 2016 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 45(3):249-261, 2017. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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========================================================================================================

Title: The Research Poster and How it Consolidates and Communicates Key Concepts of a Research Inquiry.

Authors: McAuley, Mike ; Hodgkinson, Gray

Source: Design Principles & Practices: An International Journal: Annual Review ; 2017, Vol. 11 Issue 1, p1-14, 14p, 2 Color Photographs, 3 Diagrams, 2 Charts

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=====================================================================================

Title: A practical guide to designing a poster for presentation.

Authors: Briggs, David J.  [email protected]

Source: Nursing Standard . 4/29/2009, Vol. 23 Issue 34, p35-39. 5p. 2 Diagrams, 1 Chart.

Abstract: Poster presentations are frequently used to disseminate research findings and clinical initiatives at conferences, and present module material for educational courses. However, many nurses lack confidence when it comes to designing posters. This article considers the skills required to design a poster. Aspects of good poster design are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

http://libproxy.wustl.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=40305771&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Title: Poster design—six points to ponder .

Authors: Brown, Bernard S.

Source: Biochemical Education ; July 1997, Vol. 25, p136-137, 2p

Abstract: Students should ponder six points when designing and producing posters. They should prepare by thinking about how their findings might be presented as a poster even while they are carrying out the research, looking for possible illustrations and layouts, and taking note of how professional advertisers stick with one main message that is written in a few words and accompanied by eye-catching visuals. They should organize information on the poster so that there is balance between the three elements of text, illustrations, and space. Students' posters should have a clear pathway that follows the normal reading direction for the language used in the poster. To enhance legibility, they should use upper- and lowercase letters and ensure that type size and column width look right. A short but catchy title, bold headings, not too much text, and simple pictures will help explain their work. Students should also ensure that posters are readable at two meters in two minutes to catch potential readers' attention .

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• Next: Presenting Your Research >>
• Last Updated: Dec 4, 2023 1:49 PM
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Commons Knowledge

Insights from the scholarly commons.

Designing a Research Poster

Posters are widely used in the academic community, and most conferences include poster presentations in their program.  Research posters summarize information or research concisely and attractively to help publicize it and generate discussion. As we prepare for the Undergraduate Research Symposium, here are some tips to help you make an engaging poster.   

Essential Elements of a Poster  

The essential items that must be included in your poster are these five things:   

• Names of Presenters/Researchers  
• Contact Information 
• Institutional Affiliation  
• Your Research   

The first four elements of that are reasonably straightforward. The fifth element (your research) is a little less direct, but it leaves you space to be creative with your poster design so that it matches what you have to say about your research.   

What Makes a Good Research Poster  

The poster format provides more freedom in how to present an idea than a standard academic paper, so feel free to be creative in your poster design. Don’t feel limited by the text of the paper that you’re basing the poster on or strict conventions of how all posters “should” look. You can use boxes, different formatting techniques, fonts, and images to create a visually pleasing poster. Generally, you want to follow these basic design guidelines:   

• Important information should be readable from about 10 feet away
• Text is clear and to the point   
• Use of bullets, numbering, and headlines make it easy to read   
• Effective use of graphics, color and fonts   
• Consistent and clean layout  

Image credit: Poster Session Tips by [email protected], via Penn State

Different disciplines have different norms and expectations as to what should be included. If you’re unsure of what’s appropriate for your field, look for some examples of research posters in your discipline, or ask one of your professors for guidance.  

What Software Can I Use to Make a Poster  

You have many options to create a research poster. Three common tools are:   

• PowerPoint  
• Adobe InDesign  

Most people feel most comfortable using PowerPoint, especially since it can be pretty straightforward to use if you have used Microsoft Office Products before.   

Adobe InDesign will give you complete creative flexibility, but it can be difficult to use if you have never used an Adobe product before. You can get a free Adobe license during the 2021-2022 school year through the Illinois WebStore .   

Canva is great for creating professional looking design with a user-friendly, simple approach. However, it has a fairly narrow window of poster sizes that can be used with the free version, so you can check that out before starting your design. Even if you are unable to create your poster on Canva due to size restriction, it is a good place to get some inspiration and then carry those ideas over to PowerPoint or InDesign.   

Whichever software you use to create your poster, make sure to double check that your poster meets the size requirements. The standard size for a research poster is 48” by 36″, but make sure to verify with your advisors before sending it off to print.  

Visualizations  

Including visualizations can help your poster stand out and help others understand your research. There are lots of ways to include visualizations on your poster, including:   

• Photographs  
• Word Clouds  
• Quotations   
• Stock Images 

Image credit: Visualizations by Scholarly Commons via University of Illinois

If you plan to use stock images in your poster or have copyright questions about legally using images, contact the library and we can help!   

The staff at the Scholarly Commons also has knowledge about resources that can help you create data visualizations, such as Excel, Tableau, Wordle, ArcGIS, and more.   

Printing Tips  

Knowing how and when to print your poster can be tricky. Follow these guidelines to make sure your poster is printed correctly and on time:   

• Printing out posters takes time, especially around the Undergraduate Research Conference. Be sure to finish your poster with enough time for it to be printed!       
• Print yourself a small version of your poster to make sure the proportions and colors look correct. Some print services offer these pre-prints  
• Have a friend look your poster over for spelling or grammatical mistakes       
• Be sure your file is the correct size before sending it off  
• Do not laminate your poster or print them on poster board, print posters on fabric for easy travel or print on poster paper 

For more tips, examples, and how-to guides, feel free to check out the Scholarly Commons Research Posters LibGuide .   

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Research Posters

What are research posters, what should a research poster look like, what software can i use to make one, where can i print my poster.

• Themes, Colors, and Emphasis
• Text Formatting
• Writing Style
• Hyperlinks and URLs
• Including Images
• Actual Examples
• How to Present Posters

Acknowledgements

This guide is based off of Librarian Professor Ashley Orehek Rossi's presentation at the 2024 Student Scholar Showcase Workshop series .

Research posters provide general (or detailed) overviews about research either you are currently working on or already completed. Think of them like "mini research papers" or a summarized version of your research -- You want to discuss your research project in a short, concise narrative (with pictures!).

• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Google Slides
• Microsoft Publisher

PowerPoint is versatile! You have the freedom to place objects wherever you want on a page. It will also help you line up and space content evenly. PowerPoint is a very popular software to make posters in.

How do I adjust the slide size to my poster size?

For example, let's say you need a poster that is 36 inches by 48 inches. In the menu ribbon: 

Design > Slide Size > Custom Slide Size. Change the  Slides sized for:  to  Custom . Enter the dimensions as 36 inches wide by 48 inches high. Click  OK .

Just like PowerPoint, Google Slides is versatile and you have the freedom to place objects wherever on a page.

File > Page Setup > Custom. Change the Page Setup  to  Custom . Enter the dimensions as 36 inches wide by 48 inches high. Click Apply .

Publisher is a graphic design app from Microsoft. It allows users to create various types of documents using templates provided, downloaded templates, or starting from a blank canvas. Like PowerPoint, you can place objects anywhere you want on a page.

PRO:  What makes it preferred than Microsoft Word is that page layout is emphasized, so you don't need to fret about adjusting alignments or line spacing -- You have the freedom to place objects wherever you need to on the document.

CON: It is only available on desktop or laptop computers - You cannot access it from Microsoft 365 online.

How do I resize my Publisher page?

Page Design > Page Setup > Change Width and Height values and/or units.

Canva is like an online version of Microsoft Publisher. It allows user to make designs for both online content and printed materials. Media types include, but not limited to, videos, social media posts, documents, and websites. You can also invite others to collaborate on projects, just like Google Docs.

Canva offers two plans for account holders: Free and Pro.

Information from Canva.com (Accessed 25 Oct 2023). 

The WKU Print Center (ground floor DSU) can print posters for you for a fee. You can also check with your academic major department if they have a poster printer available. 

Stores like Staples and Office Depot / OfficeMax  offer poster printing services. 

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• Last Updated: Apr 11, 2024 3:15 PM
• URL: https://libguides.wku.edu/posters

Research Posters

• Designing a Poster
• Presenting a Poster
• Get Research Help

Design Tips

Before you begin.

• Microsoft Publisher
• Adobe Photoshop
• Set the dimensions of your poster to the correct size before beginning to work. A common size for research posters is 36" by 48", however, each event may have its own required poster dimensions.
• Know what information you will be including on the poster. It may be helpful to develop an outline of your research to determine which parts you should include.
• Landscape layouts (where the poster is wider than it is tall) work best for research posters. Portrait layouts may require people to bend or stoop to view the bottom of your poster at a session. Only use a portrait layout if it is required.

Format and Layout

• Develop a draft layout of your poster. Decide how many columns will be included and where the images will be placed.
• Your poster should be easy to follow and understand. Think of your layout visually. Your poster should flow in the order the information should be read. This usually starts at the top of the left column, follows the column down, moves to the next column, and ends at the bottom right.
• Leave a lot of white space or space where only the background is visible. This keeps the poster from being too cluttered and helps the flow of information.
• The area at the top of your poster should run the entire width of your poster. This area should include the poster title and presenter name.
• Each section should be clearly labeled with a heading. Common headings include Introduction, Abstract, Methods, Results, Conclusions, and References.
• Use grids in the program of your choice to keep columns aligned and of equal width.
• Text in columns should be between 45 and 65 characters per line.
• Use bullet points and/or lists when possible to make the poster easier to read.
• If your poster is being judged at an event, follow the provided guidelines when making design decisions.
• Keep the word count of your poster under 1000 words. Too much text will make a poster look cluttered and will be hard to read.
• Use a text hierarchy. The title should use a font size between 80-120pt. The author or presenter's name should use at least a 48pt font. The headers should use a 36pt font or larger. Body text should use at least a 24pt font.
• Use a Serif font ( e.g., Times New Roman) for the body text of your poster. Using a Serif font make your poster easier and faster to read.
• You can use either a Serif font or a Sans Serif font ( e.g., Helvetica) for your headers and title since these will be shorter areas of text. Using Sans Serif fonts can help separate the headers from the body.
• Do not use any unusual or highly stylized fonts like Comic Sans or word art. These make your poster harder to read.
• The title should be short, no longer than two lines. You should use a title that catches the audience's attention and avoids heavy use of technical jargon.
• Do not use any elements, including colors, fonts, and images that will distract your audience from the information in your poster. If you have any doubt about something being too much or not working, then leave it out.

Images, Charts, and Graphs

• Use high-resolution images. If you are enlarging images, make sure that the images are not pixelated before printing your poster.
• Use charts and graphs to show research results.
• You must cite images or information used in charts and graphs if it is not your own.
• Place images near the related text to provide context.
• Title and caption your images to help explain their importance and relevance.
• Do not use complex graphs or charts. Simplify these to show only the necessary information.
• Do not use tables. Instead, create a chart or graph based on the information you need from the table.

Color Scheme

• Pick complementary colors when choosing your color scheme. You can use a color wheel or a palette generator to help.
• Stick to using two or three colors. Too many colors will be distracting to your audience.
• Start with colors that naturally match your research topic. For example, use greens for a botanical topic, pick the main color of the artwork or animal featured in your research, or pull a color from an image used in your poster.
• Use a contrasting color only in small amounts to create emphasis or impact.
• Limit the use of primary or bright colors. These tend to be distracting. Focus instead on pastels and other light colors.
• It is best to use a neutral color like white, gray, or beige for the background.
• The text should highly contrast background color for readability. Black text on a white background is the easiest for people to read. Do not put text directly on a pattern or image, since that will be difficult to read.

Helpful Websites

• Colin Purrington: Designing Conference Posters
• Hirsh Library: Research Posters and Presentations
• How to Prepare a Scientific Poster
• Justin L. Matthews: Poster Guide
• Research in Undergraduate Education: Poster Resources
• Writing@CSU: Poster Sessions

Video Tutorials

• Designing an Academic Poster [Prezi]
• Impactful Scientific Posters- The Basics [YouTube]

Poster Templates

• Make Signs: Scientific Poster PowerPoint Templates
• Power Presentations: Free Research Poster PowerPoint Templates

Palette Generators

• Adobe Color

Poster Examples

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• v.42(1 Pt 1); 2007 Feb

Preparing and Presenting Effective Research Posters

Associated data.

APPENDIX A.2. Comparison of Research Papers, Presentations, and Posters—Contents.

Posters are a common way to present results of a statistical analysis, program evaluation, or other project at professional conferences. Often, researchers fail to recognize the unique nature of the format, which is a hybrid of a published paper and an oral presentation. This methods note demonstrates how to design research posters to convey study objectives, methods, findings, and implications effectively to varied professional audiences.

A review of existing literature on research communication and poster design is used to identify and demonstrate important considerations for poster content and layout. Guidelines on how to write about statistical methods, results, and statistical significance are illustrated with samples of ineffective writing annotated to point out weaknesses, accompanied by concrete examples and explanations of improved presentation. A comparison of the content and format of papers, speeches, and posters is also provided.

Each component of a research poster about a quantitative analysis should be adapted to the audience and format, with complex statistical results translated into simplified charts, tables, and bulleted text to convey findings as part of a clear, focused story line.

Conclusions

Effective research posters should be designed around two or three key findings with accompanying handouts and narrative description to supply additional technical detail and encourage dialog with poster viewers.

An assortment of posters is a common way to present research results to viewers at a professional conference. Too often, however, researchers treat posters as poor cousins to oral presentations or published papers, failing to recognize the opportunity to convey their findings while interacting with individual viewers. By neglecting to adapt detailed paragraphs and statistical tables into text bullets and charts, they make it harder for their audience to quickly grasp the key points of the poster. By simply posting pages from the paper, they risk having people merely skim their work while standing in the conference hall. By failing to devise narrative descriptions of their poster, they overlook the chance to learn from conversations with their audience.

Even researchers who adapt their paper into a well-designed poster often forget to address the range of substantive and statistical training of their viewers. This step is essential for those presenting to nonresearchers but also pertains when addressing interdisciplinary research audiences. Studies of policymakers ( DiFranza and the Staff of the Advocacy Institute 1996 ; Sorian and Baugh 2002 ) have demonstrated the importance of making it readily apparent how research findings apply to real-world issues rather than imposing on readers to translate statistical findings themselves.

This methods note is intended to help researchers avoid such pitfalls as they create posters for professional conferences. The first section describes objectives of research posters. The second shows how to describe statistical results to viewers with varied levels of statistical training, and the third provides guidelines on the contents and organization of the poster. Later sections address how to prepare a narrative and handouts to accompany a research poster. Because researchers often present the same results as published research papers, spoken conference presentations, and posters, Appendix A compares similarities and differences in the content, format, and audience interaction of these three modes of presenting research results. Although the focus of this note is on presentation of quantitative research results, many of the guidelines about how to prepare and present posters apply equally well to qualitative studies.

WHAT IS A RESEARCH POSTER?

Preparing a poster involves not only creating pages to be mounted in a conference hall, but also writing an associated narrative and handouts, and anticipating the questions you are likely to encounter during the session. Each of these elements should be adapted to the audience, which may include people with different levels of familiarity with your topic and methods ( Nelson et al. 2002 ; Beilenson 2004 ). For example, the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association draws academics who conduct complex statistical analyses along with practitioners, program planners, policymakers, and journalists who typically do not.

Posters are a hybrid form—more detailed than a speech but less than a paper, more interactive than either ( Appendix A ). In a speech, you (the presenter) determine the focus of the presentation, but in a poster session, the viewers drive that focus. Different people will ask about different facets of your research. Some might do policy work or research on a similar topic or with related data or methods. Others will have ideas about how to apply or extend your work, raising new questions or suggesting different contrasts, ways of classifying data, or presenting results. Beilenson (2004) describes the experience of giving a poster as a dialogue between you and your viewers.

By the end of an active poster session, you may have learned as much from your viewers as they have from you, especially if the topic, methods, or audience are new to you. For instance, at David Snowdon's first poster presentation on educational attainment and longevity using data from The Nun Study, another researcher returned several times to talk with Snowdon, eventually suggesting that he extend his research to focus on Alzheimer's disease, which led to an important new direction in his research ( Snowdon 2001 ). In addition, presenting a poster provides excellent practice in explaining quickly and clearly why your project is important and what your findings mean—a useful skill to apply when revising a speech or paper on the same topic.

WRITING FOR A VARIED PROFESSIONAL AUDIENCE

Audiences at professional conferences vary considerably in their substantive and methodological backgrounds. Some will be experts on your topic but not your methods, some will be experts on your methods but not your topic, and most will fall somewhere in between. In addition, advances in research methods imply that even researchers who received cutting-edge methodological training 10 or 20 years ago might not be conversant with the latest approaches. As you design your poster, provide enough background on both the topic and the methods to convey the purpose, findings, and implications of your research to the expected range of readers.

Telling a Simple, Clear Story

Write so your audience can understand why your work is of interest to them, providing them with a clear take-home message that they can grasp in the few minutes they will spend at your poster. Experts in communications and poster design recommend planning your poster around two to three key points that you want your audience to walk away with, then designing the title, charts, and text to emphasize those points ( Briscoe 1996 ; Nelson et al. 2002 ; Beilenson 2004 ). Start by introducing the two or three key questions you have decided will be the focus of your poster, and then provide a brief overview of data and methods before presenting the evidence to answer those questions. Close with a summary of your findings and their implications for research and policy.

A 2001 survey of government policymakers showed that they prefer summaries of research to be written so they can immediately see how the findings relate to issues currently facing their constituencies, without wading through a formal research paper ( Sorian and Baugh 2002 ). Complaints that surfaced about many research reports included that they were “too long, dense, or detailed,” or “too theoretical, technical, or jargony.” On average, respondents said they read only about a quarter of the research material they receive for detail, skim about half of it, and never get to the rest.

To ensure that your poster is one viewers will read, understand, and remember, present your analyses to match the issues and questions of concern to them, rather than making readers translate your statistical results to fit their interests ( DiFranza and the Staff of the Advocacy Institute 1996 ; Nelson et al. 2002 ). Often, their questions will affect how you code your data, specify your model, or design your intervention and evaluation, so plan ahead by familiarizing yourself with your audience's interests and likely applications of your study findings. In an academic journal article, you might report parameter estimates and standard errors for each independent variable in your regression model. In the poster version, emphasize findings for specific program design features, demographic, or geographic groups, using straightforward means of presenting effect size and statistical significance; see “Describing Numeric Patterns and Contrasts” and “Presenting Statistical Test Results” below.

The following sections offer guidelines on how to present statistical findings on posters, accompanied by examples of “poor” and “better” descriptions—samples of ineffective writing annotated to point out weaknesses, accompanied by concrete examples and explanations of improved presentation. These ideas are illustrated with results from a multilevel analysis of disenrollment from the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP; Phillips et al. 2004 ). I chose that paper to show how to prepare a poster about a sophisticated quantitative analysis of a topic of interest to HSR readers, and because I was a collaborator in that study, which was presented in the three formats compared here—as a paper, a speech, and a poster.

Explaining Statistical Methods

Beilenson (2004) and Briscoe (1996) suggest keeping your description of data and methods brief, providing enough information for viewers to follow the story line and evaluate your approach. Avoid cluttering the poster with too much technical detail or obscuring key findings with excessive jargon. For readers interested in additional methodological information, provide a handout and a citation to the pertinent research paper.

As you write about statistical methods or other technical issues, relate them to the specific concepts you study. Provide synonyms for technical and statistical terminology, remembering that many conferences of interest to policy researchers draw people from a range of disciplines. Even with a quantitatively sophisticated audience, don't assume that people will know the equivalent vocabulary used in other fields. A few years ago, the journal Medical Care published an article whose sole purpose was to compare statistical terminology across various disciplines involved in health services research so that people could understand one another ( Maciejewski et al. 2002 ). After you define the term you plan to use, mention the synonyms from the various fields represented in your audience.

Consider whether acronyms are necessary on your poster. Avoid them if they are not familiar to the field or would be used only once or twice on your poster. If you use acronyms, spell them out at first usage, even those that are common in health services research such as “HEDIS®”(Health Plan Employer Data and Information Set) or “HLM”(hierarchical linear model).

Poor: “We use logistic regression and a discrete-time hazards specification to assess relative hazards of SCHIP disenrollment, with plan level as our key independent variable.” Comment: Terms like “discrete-time hazards specification” may be confusing to readers without training in those methods, which are relatively new on the scene. Also the meaning of “SCHIP” or “plan level” may be unfamiliar to some readers unless defined earlier on the poster.

Better: “Chances of disenrollment from the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) vary by amount of time enrolled, so we used hazards models (also known as event history analysis or survival analysis) to correct for those differences when estimating disenrollment patterns for SCHIP plans for different income levels.” Comment: This version clarifies the terms and concepts, naming the statistical method and its synonyms, and providing a sense of why this type of analysis is needed.

To explain a statistical method or assumption, paraphrase technical terms and illustrate how the analytic approach applies to your particular research question and data:

Poor : “The data structure can be formulated as a two-level hierarchical linear model, with families (the level-1 unit of analysis) nested within counties (the level-2 unit of analysis).” Comment: Although this description would be fine for readers used to working with this type of statistical model, those who aren't conversant with those methods may be confused by terminology such as “level-1” and “unit of analysis.”

Better: “The data have a hierarchical (or multilevel) structure, with families clustered within counties.” Comment: By replacing “nested” with the more familiar “clustered,” identifying the specific concepts for the two levels of analysis, and mentioning that “hierarchical” and “multilevel” refer to the same type of analytic structure, this description relates the generic class of statistical model to this particular study.

Presenting Results with Charts

Charts are often the preferred way to convey numeric patterns, quickly revealing the relative sizes of groups, comparative levels of some outcome, or directions of trends ( Briscoe 1996 ; Tufte 2001 ; Nelson et al. 2002 ). As Beilenson puts it, “let your figures do the talking,” reducing the need for long text descriptions or complex tables with lots of tiny numbers. For example, create a pie chart to present sample composition, use a simple bar chart to show how the dependent variable varies across subgroups, or use line charts or clustered bar charts to illustrate the net effects of nonlinear specifications or interactions among independent variables ( Miller 2005 ). Charts that include confidence intervals around point estimates are a quick and effective way to present effect size, direction, and statistical significance. For multivariate analyses, consider presenting only the results for the main variables of interest, listing the other variables in the model in a footnote and including complex statistical tables in a handout.

Provide each chart with a title (in large type) that explains the topic of that chart. A rhetorical question or summary of the main finding can be very effective. Accompany each chart with a few annotations that succinctly describe the patterns in that chart. Although each chart page should be self-explanatory, be judicious: Tufte (2001) cautions against encumbering your charts with too much “nondata ink”—excessive labeling or superfluous features such as arrows and labels on individual data points. Strive for a balance between guiding your readers through the findings and maintaining a clean, uncluttered poster. Use chart types that are familiar to your expected audience. Finally, remember that you can flesh out descriptions of charts and tables in your script rather than including all the details on the poster itself; see “Narrative to Accompany a Poster.”

Describing Numeric Patterns and Contrasts

As you describe patterns or numeric contrasts, whether from simple calculations or complex statistical models, explain both the direction and magnitude of the association. Incorporate the concepts under study and the units of measurement rather than simply reporting coefficients (β's) ( Friedman 1990 ; Miller 2005 ).

Poor: “Number of enrolled children in the family is correlated with disenrollment.” Comment: Neither the direction nor the size of the association is apparent.

Poor [version #2]: “The log-hazard of disenrollment for one-child families was 0.316.” Comment: Most readers find it easier to assess the size and direction from hazards ratios (a form of relative risk) instead of log-hazards (log-relative risks, the β's from a hazards model).

Better: “Families with only one child enrolled in the program were about 1.4 times as likely as larger families to disenroll.” Comment: This version explains the association between number of children and disenrollment without requiring viewers to exponentiate the log-hazard in their heads to assess the size and direction of that association. It also explicitly identifies the group against which one-child families are compared in the model.

Presenting Statistical Test Results

On your poster, use an approach to presenting statistical significance that keeps the focus on your results, not on the arithmetic needed to conduct inferential statistical tests. Replace standard errors or test statistics with confidence intervals, p- values, or symbols, or use formatting such as boldface, italics, or a contrasting color to denote statistically significant findings ( Davis 1997 ; Miller 2005 ). Include the detailed statistical results in handouts for later perusal.

To illustrate these recommendations, Figures 1 and ​ and2 2 demonstrate how to divide results from a complex, multilevel model across several poster pages, using charts and bullets in lieu of the detailed statistical table from the scientific paper ( Table 1 ; Phillips et al. 2004 ). Following experts' advice to focus on one or two key points, these charts emphasize the findings from the final model (Model 5) rather than also discussing each of the fixed- and random-effects specifications from the paper.

Presenting Complex Statistical Results Graphically

Text Summary of Additional Statistical Results

Multilevel Discrete-Time Hazards Models of Disenrollment from SCHIP, New Jersey, January 1998–April 2000

Source : Phillips et al. (2004) .

SCHIP, State Children's Health Insurance Program; LRH, log relative-hazard; SE, standard error.

Figure 1 uses a chart (also from the paper) to present the net effects of a complicated set of interactions between two family-level traits (race and SCHIP plan) and a cross-level interaction between race of the family and county physician racial composition. The title is a rhetorical question that identifies the issue addressed in the chart, and the annotations explain the pattern. The chart version substantially reduces the amount of time viewers need to understand the main take-home point, averting the need to mentally sum and exponentiate several coefficients from the table.

Figure 2 uses bulleted text to summarize other key results from the model, translating log-relative hazards into hazards ratios and interpreting them with minimal reliance on jargon. The results for family race, SCHIP plan, and county physician racial composition are not repeated in Figure 2 , averting the common problem of interpreting main effect coefficients and interaction coefficients without reference to one another.

Alternatively, replace the text summary shown in Figure 2 with Table 2 —a simplified version of Table 1 which presents only the results for Model 5, replaces log-relative hazards with hazards ratios, reports associated confidence intervals in lieu of standard errors, and uses boldface to denote statistical significance. (On a color slide, use a contrasting color in lieu of bold.)

Relative Risks of SCHIP Disenrollment for Other * Family and County Characteristics, New Jersey, January 1998–April 2000

Statistically significant associations are shown in bold.

Based on hierarchical linear model controlling for months enrolled, months-squared, race, SCHIP plan, county physician racial composition, and all variables shown here. Scaled deviance =30,895. Random effects estimate for between-county variance =0.005 (standard error =0.006). SCHIP, State Children's Health Insurance Program; 95% CI, 95% confidence interval.

CONTENTS AND ORGANIZATION OF A POSTER

Research posters are organized like scientific papers, with separate pages devoted to the objectives and background, data and methods, results, and conclusions ( Briscoe 1996 ). Readers view the posters at their own pace and at close range; thus you can include more detail than in slides for a speech (see Appendix A for a detailed comparison of content and format of papers, speeches, and posters). Don't simply post pages from the scientific paper, which are far too text-heavy for a poster. Adapt them, replacing long paragraphs and complex tables with bulleted text, charts, and simple tables ( Briscoe 1996 ; Beilenson 2004 ). Fink (1995) provides useful guidelines for writing text bullets to convey research results. Use presentation software such as PowerPoint to create your pages or adapt them from related slides, facilitating good page layout with generous type size, bullets, and page titles. Such software also makes it easy to create matching handouts (see “Handouts”).

The “W's” (who, what, when, where, why) are an effective way to organize the elements of a poster.

• In the introductory section, describe what you are studying, why it is important, and how your analysis will add to the existing literature in the field.
• In the data and methods section of a statistical analysis, list when, where, who, and how the data were collected, how many cases were involved, and how the data were analyzed. For other types of interventions or program evaluations, list who, when, where, and how many, along with how the project was implemented and assessed.
• In the results section, present what you found.
• In the conclusion, return to what you found and how it can be used to inform programs or policies related to the issue.

Number and Layout of Pages

To determine how many pages you have to work with, find out the dimensions of your assigned space. A 4′ × 8′ bulletin board accommodates the equivalent of about twenty 8.5″ × 11″ pages, but be selective—no poster can capture the full detail of a large series of multivariate models. A trifold presentation board (3′ high by 4′ wide) will hold roughly a dozen pages, organized into three panels ( Appendix B ). Breaking the arrangement into vertical sections allows viewers to read each section standing in one place while following the conventions of reading left-to-right and top-to-bottom ( Briscoe 1996 ).

• At the top of the poster, put an informative title in a large, readable type size. On a 4′ × 8′ bulletin board, there should also be room for an institutional logo.

Suggested Layout for a 4′ × 8′ poster.

• In the left-hand panel, set the stage for the research question, conveying why the topic is of policy interest, summarizing major empirical or theoretical work on related topics, and stating your hypotheses or project aims, and explaining how your work fills in gaps in previous analyses.
• In the middle panel, briefly describe your data source, variables, and methods, then present results in tables or charts accompanied by text annotations. Diagrams, maps, and photographs are very effective for conveying issues difficult to capture succinctly in words ( Miller 2005 ), and to help readers envision the context. A schematic diagram of relationships among variables can be useful for illustrating causal order. Likewise, a diagram can be a succinct way to convey timing of different components of a longitudinal study or the nested structure of a multilevel dataset.
• In the right-hand panel, summarize your findings and relate them back to the research question or project aims, discuss strengths and limitations of your approach, identify research, practice, or policy implications, and suggest directions for future research.

Figure 3 (adapted from Beilenson 2004 ) shows a suggested layout for a 4′ × 8′ bulletin board, designed to be created using software such as Pagemaker that generates a single-sheet presentation; Appendix C shows a complete poster version of the Phillips et al. (2004) multilevel analysis of SCHIP disenrollment. If hardware or budget constraints preclude making a single-sheet poster, a similar configuration can be created using standard 8.5″ × 11″ pages in place of the individual tables, charts, or blocks of text shown in Figure 3 .

Find out well in advance how the posters are to be mounted so you can bring the appropriate supplies. If the room is set up for table-top presentations, tri-fold poster boards are essential because you won't have anything to attach a flat poster board or pages to. If you have been assigned a bulletin board, bring push-pins or a staple gun.

Regardless of whether you will be mounting your poster at the conference or ahead of time, plan how the pages are to be arranged. Experiment with different page arrangements on a table marked with the dimensions of your overall poster. Once you have a final layout, number the backs of the pages or draw a rough sketch to work from as you arrange the pages on the board. If you must pin pages to a bulletin board at the conference venue, allow ample time to make them level and evenly spaced.

Other Design Considerations

A few other issues to keep in mind as you design your poster. Write a short, specific title that fits in large type size on the title banner of your poster. The title will be potential readers' first glimpse of your poster, so make it inviting and easy to read from a distance—at least 40-point type, ideally larger. Beilenson (2004) advises embedding your key finding in the title so viewers don't have to dig through the abstract or concluding page to understand the purpose and conclusions of your work. A caution: If you report a numeric finding in your title, keep in mind that readers may latch onto it as a “factoid” to summarize your conclusions, so select and phrase it carefully ( McDonough 2000 ).

Use at least 14-point type for the body of the poster text. As Briscoe (1996) points out, “many in your audience have reached the bifocal age” and all of them will read your poster while standing, hence long paragraphs in small type will not be appreciated! Make judicious use of color. Use a clear, white, or pastel for the background, with black or another dark color for most text, and a bright, contrasting shade to emphasize key points or to identify statistically significant results ( Davis 1997 ).

NARRATIVE TO ACCOMPANY A POSTER

Prepare a brief oral synopsis of the purpose, findings, and implications of your work to say to interested parties as they pause to read your poster. Keep it short—a few sentences that highlight what you are studying, a couple of key findings, and why they are important. Design your overview as a “sound byte” that captures your main points in a succinct and compelling fashion ( Beilenson 2004 ). After hearing your introduction, listeners will either nod and move along or comment on some aspect of your work that intrigues them. You can then tailor additional discussion to individual listeners, adjusting the focus and amount of detail to suit their interests. Gesture at the relevant pages as you make each point, stating the purpose of each chart or table and explaining its layout before describing the numeric findings; see Miller (2005) for guidelines on how to explain tables and charts to a live audience. Briscoe (1996) points out that these mini-scripts are opportunities for you to fill in details of your story line, allowing you to keep the pages themselves simple and uncluttered.

Prepare short answers to likely questions about various aspects of your work, such as why it is important from a policy or research perspective, or descriptions of data, methods, and specific results. Think of these as little modules from an overall speech—concise descriptions of particular elements of your study that you can choose among in response to questions that arise. Beilenson (2004) also recommends developing a few questions to ask your viewers, inquiring about their reactions to your findings, ideas for additional questions, or names of others working on the topic.

Practice your poster presentation in front of a test audience acquainted with the interests and statistical proficiency of your expected viewers. Ideally, your critic should not be too familiar with your work: A fresh set of eyes and ears is more likely to identify potential points of confusion than someone who is jaded from working closely with the material while writing the paper or drafting the poster ( Beilenson 2004 ). Ask your reviewer to identify elements that are unclear, flag jargon to be paraphrased or defined, and recommend changes to improve clarity ( Miller 2005 ). Have them critique your oral presentation as well as the contents and layout of the poster.

Prepare handouts to distribute to interested viewers. These can be produced from slides created in presentation software, printed several to a page along with a cover page containing the abstract and your contact information. Or package an executive summary or abstract with a few key tables or charts. Handouts provide access to the more detailed literature review, data and methods, full set of results, and citations without requiring viewers to read all of that information from the poster ( Beilenson 2004 ; Miller 2005 ). Although you also can bring copies of the complete paper, it is easier on both you and your viewers if you collect business cards or addresses and mail the paper later.

The quality and effectiveness of research posters at professional conferences is often compromised by authors' failure to take into account the unique nature of such presentations. One common error is posting numerous statistical tables and long paragraphs from a research paper—an approach that overwhelms viewers with too much detail for this type of format and presumes familiarity with advanced statistical techniques. Following recommendations from the literature on research communication and poster design, this paper shows how to focus each poster on a few key points, using charts and text bullets to convey results as part of a clear, straightforward story line, and supplementing with handouts and an oral overview.

Another frequent mistake is treating posters as a one-way means of communication. Unlike published papers, poster sessions are live presentations; unlike speeches, they allow for extended conversation with viewers. This note explains how to create an oral synopsis of the project, short modular descriptions of poster elements, and questions to encourage dialog. By following these guidelines, researchers can substantially improve their conference posters as vehicles to disseminate findings to varied research and policy audiences.

CHECKLIST FOR PREPARING AND PRESENTING AN EFFECTIVE RESEARCH POSTERS

• Design poster to focus on two or three key points.
• Adapt materials to suit expected viewers' knowledge of your topic and methods.
• Design questions to meet their interests and expected applications of your work.
• Paraphrase descriptions of complex statistical methods.
• Spell out acronyms if used.
• Replace large detailed tables with charts or small, simplified tables.
• Accompany tables or charts with bulleted annotations of major findings.
• Describe direction and magnitude of associations.
• Use confidence intervals, p -values, symbols, or formatting to denote statistical significance.

Layout and Format

• Organize the poster into background, data and methods, results, and study implications.
• Divide the material into vertical sections on the poster.
• Use at least 14-point type in the body of your poster, at least 40-point for the title.

Narrative Description

• Rehearse a three to four sentence overview of your research objectives and main findings.
• Summary of key studies and gaps in existing literature
• Data and methods
• Each table, chart, or set of bulleted results
• Research, policy, and practice implications
• Solicit their input on your findings
• Develop additional questions for later analysis
• Identify other researchers in the field
• Prepare handouts to distribute to interested viewers.
• Print slides from presentation software, several to a page.
• Or package an executive summary or abstract with a few key tables or charts.
• Include an abstract and contact information.

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank Ellen Idler, Julie Phillips, Deborah Carr, Diane (Deedee) Davis, and two anonymous reviewers for helpful comments on earlier drafts of this work.

Supplementary Material

The following supplementary material for this article is available online:

APPENDIX A.1. Comparison of Research Papers, Presentations, and Posters—Materials and Audience Interaction.

Suggested Layout for a Tri-Fold Presentation Board.

Example Research Poster of Phillips et al. 2004 Study.

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How to prepare an effective research poster

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• Peer review
• Lucia Hartigan , registrar 1 ,
• Fionnuala Mone , fellow in maternal fetal medicine 1 ,
• Mary Higgins , consultant obstetrician 1 2
• 1 National Maternity Hospital, Dublin
• 2 Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Medicine and Medical Sciences, University College Dublin
• mhiggins{at}nmh.ie

Being asked to give a poster presentation can be exciting, and you need not be daunted by the prospect of working out how to prepare one. As Lucia Hartigan and colleagues explain, many options are available

The long nights are over, the statistics have been run, the abstract has been written, and the email pops into your inbox: “Congratulations! You have been accepted for a poster presentation.”

All that work has been worthwhile. Your consultant congratulates you and your colleagues are envious of your having a legitimate excuse to go away for a couple of days, but now you have to work out how to prepare a poster. Do not despair, for you have many options.

Firstly, take this seriously. A poster is not a consolation prize for not being given an oral presentation. This is your chance to show your work, talk to others in the field, and, if you are lucky, to pick up pointers from experts. Given that just 45% of published abstracts end in a full paper, 1 this may be your only chance to get your work out there, so put some effort into it. If you don’t have access to the services of a graphic designer, then some work will be entailed as it normally takes us a full day to prepare the layout of a poster. If you are lucky enough to have help from a graphic designer, then you will need to check that the data are correct before it is sent to the printer. After all, it will be your name on the poster, not the graphic designer’s.

Secondly, check the details of the requirements. What size poster should you have? If it is too big, it may look arrogant. If it is too small, then it may seem too modest and self effacing. Should it be portrait or landscape? Different meetings have different requirements. Some may stay with traditional paper posters, so you need to factor in printing. Others present them electronically, but may have a deadline by which you need to have uploaded the poster. When planning a meeting the organisers work out how many poster boards there will be and then the numbers, so follow their requirements and read the small print.

Then make a template. It can be tempting to “borrow” a poster template from someone else, and this may buy you some time, but it is important to check what page set-up and size have been selected for the template. If it’s meant for an A2 size and you wish to print your poster on A0 paper, then the stretching may lead to pixillation, which would not look good.

Next, think about your layout. Use text boxes to cover the following areas: title (with authors, institution, and logo), background, methods, results, and conclusions. Check that the text boxes are aligned by using gridlines, and justify your text. Use different colours for titles, and make sure you can read the title from 3 metres away. Some people will put their abstract in a separate box in the top right hand corner underneath the title, and then expand a little in the other areas. That is fine, so long as you follow the golden rule of writing a poster: do not include too much text. One study showed that less than 5% of conference attendees visit posters at meetings and that few ask useful questions. 2 The same research found that, in addition to the scientific content of a poster, the factors that increase visual appeal include pictures, graphs, and a limited use of words. 2 The ideal number of words seems to be between 300 and 400 per square metre.

Now make it look pretty and eye catching, and use lots of graphics. Outline text boxes or fill them with a different colour. If you can present the data using a graph, image, or figures rather than text, then do so, as this will add visual appeal. If you want to put a picture in the background, and it is appropriate to do so, fade the image so that it does not distract from the content.

Fonts are important. Check whether the meeting has set criteria for fonts; if they have, then follow them. You do not want to stand out for the wrong reason. If there are no specified criteria, then the title should be in point size 72-84, depending on the size of the poster. The authors’ names should be either the same size, but in italics, or else a couple of sizes smaller.

If you are including the hospital logo, don’t take a picture that will not size up properly when enlarged. Instead, obtain a proper copy from the hospital administrators.

References can be in small writing. No one is likely to read them, and you are including them only to remind yourself what you learnt in the literature review. One intriguing possibility is the use of a trigger image to link the poster to online content. 3

Finally, there are also things you should not do. Don’t leave your figures unlabelled, include spelling errors, use abbreviations without an explanation, or go outside the boundaries of the poster. Don’t be ashamed that you “only” have a poster. At a good meeting you may find that the comments from passers by are an amazing peer review. We have presented at meetings where world experts have given feedback, and with that feedback we have written the paper on the flight home.

Competing interests: We have read and understood the BMJ Group policy on declaration of interests and have no relevant interests to declare.

• ↵ Scherer RW, Langenberg P, von Elm E. Full publication of results initially presented in abstracts. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2007 ; 2 : MR000005 . OpenUrl PubMed
• ↵ Goodhand JR, Giles CL, Wahed M, Irving PM, Langmead L, Rampton DS. Poster presentations at medical conferences: an effective way of disseminating research? Clin Med 2011 ; 1 : 138 -41. OpenUrl
• ↵ Atherton S, Javed M, Webster S, Hemington-Gorse S. Use of a mobile device app: a potential new tool for poster presentations and surgical education. J Visual Comm Med 2013 ; 36 (1-2): 6 -10. OpenUrl

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• Writing Tips

7 Top Tips for Creating a Research Poster

5-minute read

• 12th June 2020

A research poster should demonstrate your key findings clearly and concisely, allowing you to kickstart conversations around your work in class and at conferences and exhibitions. But how do you create a research poster? Here are some tips from our proofreaders.

1. Planning a Research Poster

When you start planning your research poster, check the guidelines for the event where you will be presenting it and make a note of the following:

• The submission dates.
• The size requirements for your poster.
• Any institutional logos or affiliations you need to include.
• Whether you need to include funding information.

Next, think about your audience:

• Who will be looking at your poster?
• How knowledgeable are they likely to be about your topic?
• Where will they see your poster, in a classroom or at a conference?

You can then use these notes to guide your poster design.

2. What Software Should I Use?

You have several options for software you can use to create a research poster. One is Microsoft PowerPoint, which you may already have installed on your computer. This program is easy to use and there are free poster templates available for download .

However, PowerPoint is limited as a design program. As such, you may want to explore other options such as Microsoft Publisher, Adobe Illustrator , or InDesign . These may take a little while to learn if you haven’t used them before, but they may let you achieve much more professional results.

3. What Your Poster Should Include

Before you start writing, think about what you want to say. You will need to ensure your audience can identify the subject and key results of your research at a glance. To this end, your poster should include:

• A title that immediately tells your audience what your research is about.
• A clear introduction that sets out the purpose of your study.
• The methods and procedures you used to find the results.
• A brief discussion and conclusion that sums up your outcomes.
• A  reference list (if required).
• Your name(s) and contact information.

Make a note of all the information you need to include, but remember that you have limited space to work with and stick to the most important details.

4. Research Poster Layout and Design

A good research poster should have a clean and consistent layout. Usually, this will consist of two to four columns (any more and your poster may become hard to read), including text and graphics.

In terms of where to put everything, think about how people read in English (i.e., left to right and top to bottom). Most research posters follow a similar format, with the introduction at the top of the leftmost column and the conclusion and references at the bottom of the rightmost column.

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Beyond this, other poster layout tips to consider include:

• Stick to clear, easy-to-read fonts and don’t use too many (one for your title and headings and another for your text should suffice).
• Make sure text is large enough to read at a distance.
• Use bold fonts for key terms and phrases to make them stand out.
• Choose a color scheme with two or three colors.
• Stay away from excessively bright colors as they can be distracting.
• Do not use patterns, gradients, or photographs for the background of your poster, as they can make the text on top harder to read.

This will make your poster pleasing to look at and easy to read!

5. Writing Style

When you come to write up the text for your poster, remember to:

• Be concise (around 100–200 words per section is usually enough).
• Tailor the language to your audience throughout (e.g., if you were creating a poster for non-academics, you would avoid dense technical language).
• Write in the  active voice where possible.
• Use headings to guide your reader through the poster.
• Use bullet points and numbered lists to make your poster easier to read.

This should ensure you can get your point over quickly and effectively.

6. Images, Tables and Charts

Graphics, such as images, tables and charts, are an excellent way to share your research. Minimally, you should include tables and charts to present your results in an easy-to-digest way, but think about whether other illustrations or images could help, too.

If you do include any graphics, make sure to use high-resolution images (between 200 and 300 ppi) so they will look good when printed.

7. The Final Check

When you have created a first draft of your poster:

• Print an A4-sized color test print to help you find any errors.
• Assess the layout, colors, fonts, and graphics in your poster.
• Make sure your poster follows the size guidelines set out by the event at which you’ll be exhibiting.
• Proofread all the text on your research poster carefully.

This final point is very important, as a research poster filled with errors or typos will undermine the expertise that you are trying to project.

If you spot any issues, make sure to correct them and create another test print. And once you’re happy with your draft poster, that’s it! You are ready to send your masterpiece off to the printers.

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How to: Poster Presentations: Parts of a Research Poster

• What is a research poster?
• Parts of a Research Poster
• Template and Examples
• Talking About Your Poster

Always check your instructions when planning and designing your poster.

Your poster content should include about 3-4 pages of info (less than 1000 words). Edit your content down to focus on the central points you want to communicate to your audience.

Deciding what to include on your poster:

• Keep your audience in mind when planning what to include in your presentation.  Are you presenting at an academic conference, a scientific conference, to fellow students and faculty who may or may not be familiar with your subject area? If you are sharing your poster to a group that may not be familiar with your topic or field of study, stay away from using overly technical terms that not everyone will understand.

The following are typical headings/sections included on research posters. Only use the ones that make sense for your presentation.

Title - Your title should be clear and catchy. Not overly wordy, something to draw viewers over to your poster.

Author(s) - Author(s) name(s) should be displayed just below the title.

Introduction - A short summary of the question(s) that your research is exploring.

Materials/Methods  - What materials and/or methods did you use to investigate your topic?

Analysis  - A breakdown of your research topic/data.

Results   - A summation of your discoveries. 

Conclusions - A brief exploration of the implications of your results.

Citations - Citations for all unoriginal elements of your presentation! Use one citation style (ex: MLA, APA, etc.).

Acknowledgments - Acknowledge those who helped with your presentation - fellow classmates, colleagues, staff, professors, other professionals and any funding or other support. 

Contact/Further Information - Include your contact information so people can follow up with you after the presentation. Include your name, email address, affiliation and consider using a QR code for easy follow up.  

• << Previous: What is a research poster?
• Next: Design >>
• Last Updated: Feb 29, 2024 9:57 AM
• URL: https://research.library.gsu.edu/posterpresentations

Quick guide to designing a scientific research poster

What is a research poster.

A scientific research poster (or conference poster) is a tool that researchers use to present information in a structured way.

It may be used instead of a talk and can often prove more effective, particularly in a situation where a researcher doesn’t feel confident presenting in front of large audiences.

Related: 18 cool and creative poster design ideas

One of the key advantages to using a scientific research poster is that it allows the researcher to interact with their audience in a one-on-one or small group setting. This gives the researcher plenty of opportunities to measure the reaction to their findings and listen to important feedback from their audience.

That audience might consist of colleagues within the same field, fellow scientists in a different field, or members of the public who have no background in conducting or analyzing scientific research. It’s crucial that the researcher tailors the information within their poster to suit the intended readers’ level of ability.

While a scientific research poster may be primarily used within a conference setting, where the researcher is on hand to elaborate and discuss their method and findings, the poster should also be able to stand alone. It might be left on display following the event, so it needs to include all the relevant information that a reader could be looking for.

What to include in your scientific research poster

To meet the expectations of your audience and provide them with thorough but concise insight into your work, your scientific research poster should include:

• An introduction
• Your research method
• The results
• Your recommendations/conclusion
• Your contact details
• Funding acknowledgements
• Institutional affiliation

You should also prepare:

• A short verbal explanation of your research
• Handouts that accompany the poster

Design tips for your scientific research poster

Now that you have a good understanding of what a scientific research poster is and what it should include, it’s time to look at how to design one that’s appealing and effective.

Your scientific research poster should be a simplified version of your full research paper. But, rather than just cutting and pasting sections of text from your paper, you should carefully consider how best to present the information in a visually appealing way.

Your poster should be attractive and attention-grabbing, but you also need to ensure that it’s easy to read and follow.

Try to focus on just two or three major points, and limit the word count. Leave plenty of white space, and use charts and visuals wherever possible.

Here are our top tips and tricks for designing an effective scientific research poster that stands out:

1. Catch their attention with a big headline

It’s important that you stand out among your rival researchers if you want to arouse interest in your work. To catch the attention of passers-by, use a large, bold font and leave plenty of white space around your heading. Choose a heading that highlights the most interesting aspect of your research.

2. Keep it simple with a plain background

When a document contains too much clutter, it can cause confusion and distract us from where we should be focusing our attention. Use dark type on a light, plain background, and your scientific research poster will be easy to read.

Here’s an example of a poster with dark text on a light background.

3. Use no more than three colors

Too many colors can wreak havoc on our eyes. The rule of three is simple to follow, and it produces stunning results. It’s simple: pick one key color, then pick two other complementary colors. As long as you don’t put three strong colors together, you can’t really go wrong.

4. Choose easy-to-read fonts

Fonts like Georgia, Helvetica, Open Sans and Verdana are all popular choices for print materials. Try running a test print of your poster and looking at it from a few steps away. If you can’t read the text, try a larger size or a simpler, bolder typeface.

5. Use small blocks of text

Your scientific research poster should tell an engaging story, but it’s essential that you keep it brief. Long rambling paragraphs and big clumps of data won’t make anyone happy, especially not when they’re standing in a crowded conference room. Use short sentences and paragraphs, and keep your text blocks small. If you need to, you can go into more detail in the handout and the short verbal explanation you prepare for the event.

Here’s an example of a poster with small blocks of text.

6. Add simple data displays and visuals

Any scientific research poster that’s worth its salt will contain photos, visuals and charts that present the data in an appealing way. Many of us are visual learners, and it is these details—the graphics—that will really help your reader understand and appreciate your work. Ensure all graphics are a high resolution and are captioned with a brief explanation.

Make it simple with Lucidpress

To get started designing your scientific research poster now, sign up for a free account with Lucidpress. Our drag-and-drop editor makes it simple for anyone to customize our free, professionally designed templates or create their very own design from scratch.

As if that wasn’t enough, our cloud-based storage makes collaborating easier than ever before. You can forget the hassle of sending PowerPoint, InDesign or Illustrator files back and forth—with Lucidpress, your team can make updates in real-time and you’ll each have access to the latest version at all times. Once you’re done, you can download your poster in print-ready files or order a glossy print version directly from Lucidpress.

You’ve already worked hard on your research. Let us simplify the design process.

Feeling inspired? You can design and order your brand new poster right here in Lucidpress.

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