what is poster research paper

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

Reference management. Clean and simple.

The key parts of a scientific poster

Why make a scientific poster?

Type of poster formats, sections of a scientific poster, before you start: tips for making a scientific poster, the 6 technical elements of a scientific poster, 3. typography, 5. images and illustrations, how to seek feedback on your poster, how to present your poster, tips for the day of your poster presentation, in conclusion, other sources to help you with your scientific poster presentation, frequently asked questions about scientific posters, related articles.

A poster presentation provides the opportunity to show off your research to a broad audience and connect with other researchers in your field.

For junior researchers, presenting a poster is often the first type of scientific presentation they give in their careers.

The discussions you have with other researchers during your poster presentation may inspire new research ideas, or even lead to new collaborations.

Consequently, a poster presentation can be just as professionally enriching as giving an oral presentation , if you prepare for it properly.

In this guide post, you will learn:

• The goal of a scientific poster presentation
• The 6 key elements of a scientific poster
• How to make a scientific poster
• How to prepare for a scientific poster presentation
• ‘What to do on the day of the poster session.

Our advice comes from our previous experiences as scientists presenting posters at conferences.

Posters can be a powerful way for showcasing your data in scientific meetings. You can get helpful feedback from other researchers as well as expand your professional network and attract fruitful interactions with peers.

Scientific poster sessions tend to be more relaxed than oral presentation sessions, as they provide the opportunity to meet with peers in a less formal setting and to have energizing conversations about your research with a wide cross-section of researchers.

• Physical posters: A poster that is located in an exhibit hall and pinned to a poster board. Physical posters are beneficial since they may be visually available for the duration of a meeting, unlike oral presentations.
• E-posters: A poster that is shown on a screen rather than printed and pinned on a poster board. E-posters can have static or dynamic content. Static e-posters are slideshow presentations consisting of one or more slides, whereas dynamic e-posters include videos or animations.

Some events allow for a combination of both formats.

The sections included in a scientific poster tend to follow the format of a scientific paper , although other designs are possible. For example, the concept of a #betterposter was invented by PhD student Mike Morrison to address the issue of poorly designed scientific posters. It puts the take-home message at the center of the poster and includes a QR code on the poster to learn about further details of the project.

• Anticipate who your audience during the poster session will be—this will depend on the type of meeting. For example, presenting during a poster session at a large conference may attract a broad audience of generalists and specialists at a variety of career stages. You would like for your poster to appeal to all of these groups. You can achieve this by making the main message accessible through eye-catching figures, concise text, and an interesting title.
• Your goal in a poster session is to get your research noticed and to have interesting conversations with attendees. Your poster is a visual aid for the talks you will give, so having a well-organized, clear, and informative poster will help achieve your aim.
• Plan the narrative of your poster. Start by deciding the key take-home message of your presentation, and create a storyboard prioritizing the key findings that indicate the main message. Your storyboard can be a simple sketch of the poster layout, or you can use digital tools to make it. Present your results in a logical order, with the most important result in the center of the poster.
• Give yourself enough time to create a draft of your poster, and to get feedback on it. Since waiting to receive feedback, revising your poster, and sending the final version to the printers may take a few days, it is sensible to give yourself at least 1-2 weeks to make your poster.
• Check if the meeting has specific poster formatting requirements, and if your institution has a poster template with logos and color schemes that you can use. Poster templates can also be found online and can be adapted for use.
• Know where you will get your poster printed, and how long it typically takes to receive the printed poster.
• Ensure you write a specific and informative poster abstract, because specialists in your field may decide to visit your poster based on its quality. This is especially true in large meetings where viewers will choose what posters to visit before the poster session begins because it isn’t possible to read every poster.

➡️ Learn more about how to write an abstract

The technical elements of a scientific poster are:

• Images and Illustrations

Don’t be tempted to cram your entire paper into your poster—details that you omit can be brought up during conversations with viewers. Only include information that is useful for supporting your take-home message. Place your core message in the center of your poster, using either text or visual elements. Avoid jargon, and use concise text elements (no more than 10 lines and 50 words long). Present your data in graphs rather than in tabular form, as it can be difficult for visitors to extract the most important information from tables. Use bullet points and numbered lists to make text content easy to read. Your poster shouldn’t have more than 800 words.

Poster sections should have a logical visual flow, ideally in a longitudinal fashion. For example, in an article on poster presentations published in Nature , scientific illustrator Jamie Simon recommends using the law of thirds to display your research—a 3-column layout with 3 blocks per column. Headings, columns, graphs, and diagrams should be aligned and distributed with enough spacing and balance. The text should be left-aligned while maintaining an appropriate amount of "white space' i.e., areas devoid of any design elements.

To ensure the title is visible from 5 meters away, use a sans serif 85pt font. The body text should use a minimum of 24pt serif font so that it can be read from a one-meter distance. Section headings and subheadings should be in bold. Avoid underlining text and using all capitals in words; instead, a mixture of boldface and italics should be used for emphasis. Use adequate line spacing and one-inch margins to give a clean, uncluttered look.

Appropriate use of color can help readers make comparisons and contrasts in your figures. Account for the needs of color-blind viewers by not using red and green together, and using symbols and dashed lines in your figures. Use a white background for your poster, and black text.

Include no more than 4 figures, with a prominent centerpiece figure in the middle of the poster of your study system or main finding. Dimensions for illustrations, diagrams, and figures should be consistent. When inserting charts, avoid gray backgrounds and grid lines to prevent ink consumption and an unaesthetic look. Graphics used must have proper labels, legible axes, and be adequately sized. Images with a 200 dpi or higher resolution are preferred. If you obtain an image from the internet, make sure it has a high enough resolution and is available in the public domain.

Tools for poster design include Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Publisher, Adobe Illustrator, In Design, Scribus, Canva, Impress, Google Slides, and LaTeX. When starting with the design, the page size should be identical to the final print size. Stick to one design tool to avoid formatting errors.

Have at least one proofreading and feedback round before you print your final poster by following these steps:

• Share your poster draft with your advisor, peers, and ideally, at least one person outside of your field to get feedback.
• Allow time to revise your poster and implement the comments you’ve received.
• Before printing, proofread your final draft. You can use a spelling and grammar-checking tool, or print out a small version of the poster to help locate typos and redundant text.

Before giving a poster presentation, you need to be ready to discuss your research.

• For large meetings where viewers of your poster have a range of specialties, prepare 2-3 levels for your speech, starting with a one-minute talk consisting of key background information and take-home messages. Prepare separate short talks for casual viewers with varying levels of interest in your topic, ranging from "very little" to "some".
• Prepare a 3-5 minute presentation explaining the methods and results for those in your audience with an advanced background.
• Anticipate possible questions that could arise during your presentation and prepare answers for them.
• Practice your speech. You can ask friends, family, or fellow lab members to listen to your practice sessions and provide feedback.

Here we provide a checklist for your presentation day:

• Arrive early—often exhibition halls are large and it can take some time to find the allocated spot for your poster. Bring tape and extra pins to put up your poster properly.
• Wear professional attire and comfortable shoes.
• Be enthusiastic. Start the conversation by introducing yourself and requesting the attendee’s name and field of interest, and offering to explain your poster briefly. Maintain eye contact with attendees visiting your poster while pointing to relevant figures and charts.
• Ask visitors what they know about your topic so that you can tailor your presentation accordingly.
• Some attendees prefer to read through your poster first and then ask you questions. You can still offer to give a brief explanation of your poster and then follow up by answering their questions.
• When you meet with visitors to your poster, you are having a conversation, so you can also ask them questions. If you are not sure they understand what you are saying, ask if your explanation makes sense to them, and clarify points where needed.
• Be professional. Stand at your poster for the duration of the session, and prioritize being available to meet with visitors to your poster over socializing with friends or lab mates. Pay due attention to all visitors at once by acknowledging visitors waiting to speak with you.

A scientific poster is an excellent method to present your work and network with peers. Preparation is essential before your poster session, which includes planning your layout, drafting your poster, practicing your speech, and preparing answers to anticipated questions. The effort invested in preparing your poster will be returned by stimulating conversations during the poster session and greater awareness of your work in your scientific community.

➡️ How to prepare a scientific poster

➡️ Conference presentations: Lead the poster parade

➡️ Designing conference posters

A scientific poster can be used to network with colleagues, get feedback on your research and get recognition as a researcher.

A scientific poster should include a main heading, introduction, methods, results, conclusion, and references.

An e-poster is a poster fashioned as a slideshow presentation that plays on a digital screen, with each slide carrying a sliver of information.

A handful of tools can be used to design a poster including Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Publisher, Illustrator, In Design, Photoshop, Impress, and LaTeX.

Start the conversation by introducing yourself and requesting the attendees' names, affiliations, and fields of interest, and offering to explain your poster briefly. Alternatively, you can give attendees ample time to read through your poster first and then offer to explain your poster in 10 seconds followed by questions and answers.

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

Introduction

Scientific posters as scholarly works.

• Posters are scholarly publications that scientists use to communicate findings and discoveries to an audience.  
• Communication between a scientist and their audience can be interactive or self-contained.
• Posters allow for brief and efficient communication.
• Poster events are often featured at professional conferences.
• Poster presentations function to foster collaborations, generate interest, educate and prompt further research.

Purpose of Scientific Posters

A scientific poster is an illustrated summary of research and a type of scholarly publication that scientists use to share their findings and discoveries with the public.   In contrast to books and journal articles, which provide lengthy and comprehensive examinations of a subject, posters provide an efficient, quick, high-level summary of a research project.   Most academic conferences and many professional events host poster sessions as an opportunity for interested parties to succinctly learn about a wide range of research projects and to make professional connections with other scientists.   The brief exposure afforded by a poster can serve to improve a scholar’s basic understanding of a field of research, help to identify connections that might otherwise have been obscured by details, or serve as the starting-point for learning more about a subject they might not have otherwise known about.   Many productive collaborations have begun with a brief conversation between scientists in front of a poster.

This book will introduce you to the scholarly practice of poster presentations.   You may have taken part in science fairs or similar events earlier in your education.   A professional poster event is fundamentally similar to those events, but the discourse that takes place at the professional-level is a bit different because professional poster events function primarily to create new collaborations between research groups, critically evaluate experimental results and learn about new techniques and approaches that can be used in future experiments.    

Before delving into the details of what scientific posters contain, it is worth describing when, why, and how poster presentations are used by scientists to communicate with others.   Posters are an act of communication, and as with any communication, it is important to know your audience, the situation, your goals, and the process by which audience members will read, hear and understand your poster presentation.

It is also important to remember that scientific posters have evolved over many decades and through the experience of millions of individual experiences.   The advice contained in this book describes the best practices that have emerged to be standard practice because they consistently produce the most efficient and effective communication.   For example, scientific posters contain several distinct parts, which appear in order and include: Title, Abstract, Introduction, Materials & Methods, Results, Discussion and References.   This standard mode of organization helps ensure effective communication between presenter and audience not only because it has been found to work, but because audiences have learned to expect it.   Adhering to the standards described in this book will make it easier for your audience to understand your poster because they will know where to look to find the information they need.

Understand your Audience

Scientific posters must provide audiences with a clear, accurate understanding of scientifically valid findings.   They serve to provide an efficient and succinct form of communication.   But their brevity must not come at the cost of misrepresentation, whether in the form of meaningful omission, exaggeration, or other distortion.   A person who reads a scientific poster should come away with the same essential understanding they would have if they had read an essay-length account of the same research, with the only difference being a quantitative difference of detail.   Other goals that posters often serve include prompting further questions, creating professional connections and generating interest.  

Scientific posters are primarily directed to peers or colleagues, people who have equivalent training as yourself but who may know less about the specific subject you are addressing.   However, posters are also often used to communicate research findings to non-experts, members of the general public who are interested in the subject but may lack the training or experience required to assess the research in its full depth.   Which audience your poster should address will depend on the venue where your poster will be presented.

Above all, you should think of your audience as someone like yourself in this sense: as a critical consumer of information, you should constantly subject any claim you encounter to a rigorous

process of examination before allowing it to become part of your memory.   Once you commit something to memory, it is exceedingly difficult to excise it, so it is crucial that you pay close attention to what you allow in, especially when the person offering that information seems trustworthy and authoritative.   Thus, you should design your poster to provide audiences not only with the information you want them to remember, but also all the details they need in order to assess the validity and reliability of that information.

Communicating your Research

People encounter scientific posters two main ways: stand-alone viewings and interactive presentations.   A given poster may be presented in multiple situations, so it is important to design posters that audiences can make sense of without further guidance and that can also serve as a useful tool for illustrating speech.

Stand-Alone Posters – Often posters are made available to audiences without their authors being present.   Sometimes a poster gallery is left standing throughout the length of a conference, so that attendees can peruse them at their convenience.   Increasingly, digital versions of posters are made available through the internet, so that audiences may encounter them months after their original creation.  

Interactive Poster Presentations – In interactive situations, one (or more) of a poster’s authors stands next to the poster and guides the audience through the process of understanding the research the poster presents.   Normally, a poster presenter is prepared to present a brief summary (e.g., 5 minutes) of the poster’s contents, refined to make its findings as clear as possible.   They are also ready to answer any questions an audience member might have about the research contained in the poster.   Sometimes poster presentations are made in a formal organized event.   Poster events are lively, loud and energetic.   Attendees will walk around the event (e.g., inside a convention center) and talk with presenters whose posters they find interesting or relevant to their own work.   Poster events will typically last a few hours so that attendees have enough time to visit and interact with many posters and poster presenters.   This is a good time for scientists to learn from one another and start new research collaborations that could one day lead to new discoveries.

Designing Posters for a Diverse Audience – Because posters have traditionally been presented as part of in-person events, they should be designed with an audience in mind.   Thus, they should be easy for a person to read and comprehend in the midst of a crowded environment and from a few feet away (e.g., 3-5 feet distance).   This means that the most important elements should be printed in large, clear type, and even the secondary elements should be legible from the same distance.   The size of figures and tables should be large enough to read from several feet away.   The content of the poster should also make sense as quickly as possible, thus your writing and images should be as simple to comprehend as possible.   In some situations, such as online galleries, audiences may be able to zoom in or spend lots of time reading a poster, but that should be a secondary consideration.   It is necessary that your poster be clear to a rushed audience at a distance as well as provide considerable information for audiences who can pay closer attention.

Poster Presentation

While a poster accelerates the time it takes to communicate research with an audience, their reception of your poster nevertheless unfolds over time.   A scientific poster is organized in sections so that its Title appears first, followed by Abstract, Introduction, Materials & Methods, Results, Discussion and References appears last.   However, audiences rarely read posters in the order that they appear on the poster. Audiences see some elements of the poster before others, and the order in which they “read” your poster will determine what they take away from your poster presentation.   Further, not every audience member will go through the full process of viewing your poster, so it is worth anticipating the points at which people might find most important or the point at which they quit reading.   This way you can help ensure that each audience member will, at the very least, walk away from your poster understanding the most significant findings of your research.

In general, the ordered process that an audience member will likely use to view a scientific poster will go something like this:

1.   Title, Author & Institutions – An audience’s first impression of your poster will be very quick (i.e., 5-30 seconds) and focus on your title and who did the research.   It is very important that the content of your poster grab their attention and that your poster looks professional.   This brief interaction will determine if the audience reads your poster further or if they move on to another poster.   Questions that they will consider:  

Is this poster worth the time it will take me to process in full?   Do I want to stop and talk to the person who is presenting this poster?   What is this poster likely to tell me?   Do I care about this subject?   Is this poster likely to tell me something I do not know? Can I learn something new that I can apply to my own research?  

2.   Abstract – If your poster passes these first few questions, the audience will proceed to reading the poster’s abstract, so as to confirm or dispel their belief that this poster will be worth their time.   They will spend 1-4 minutes reading the abstract.

Did I read that title correctly?   What questions did they ask?   How did they try to answer those questions?   What did they find?   Does that seem plausible?

If all goes well, and the abstract piques further interest, they will then delve into the other parts of the poster with questions like:

How did they come to their conclusion?   How did they conduct their research? Where might they have gone wrong?   Did they frame their research correctly?   What did they really find?   What information from this poster is safe to transfer into my long-term memory?

3.   Figures and Tables – Most audience members will skip ahead to the raw data (or its closest approximation).   They will look at your figures, graphs, maps, tables, images, diagrams in order to gauge the reliability of the data from which you are deriving the information you would like them to leave with.   An experienced researcher will extrapolate from what they know about the practices and limits of research to make a preliminary decision about whether it is plausible that your research is based on acceptable data. Misrepresentations in this part of your poster (e.g., non-proportional graphs, emotionally manipulative pictures, poorly planned experiments) will only serve to lose your audience at this point.

4.   Introduction and Discussion – Once they have generated a basic understanding of your research, audiences will generally turn to the detailed text of your poster both to test their understanding and to assess your methods in more detail.

Did I understand the framing and goals of this research correctly?   What exactly were they trying to prove?   Were there limitations of scope or focus that might alter my understanding of the meaning or importance of this research?   And what did they find?   Does this detailed account align with what they wrote in the abstract or did they leave important parts out?   Where might this go next?   Is this research that I could contribute to?   Is this something or someone I should keep paying attention to because they are planning to do future research that might answer questions I care about?   Could I collaborate with this person?

5. Materials & Methods and Results – If everything else makes sense, audiences will delve into the details of how you conducted experiments, obtained data and how you interpreted it.   By this point, they are invested in your work and will want to know more.   Scientists are inherently critical and they will be looking intently at your work for reasons to dispute your findings, methods and experiments.

6.   References and Acknowledgements – If they are particularly interested in your research, audiences will sometimes read your references and acknowledgements.   This is usually because they are doing similar work, and they want to benefit by following in your footsteps or even collaborating with you in future research.   If they get this far, congratulations you made a lasting and impactful impression with your poster.  

Most poster events consist of numerous individual poster presentations (e.g., professional conferences typically have hundreds of posters displayed simultaneously).   Due to the large volume of people and time constraints at such events, most presenter-audience interactions will not get as far as a poster’s list of references and acknowledgements.   However, this does not mean that your presentation was ineffective.   While you may never know the full impact of your poster on an audience, your poster still serves a very important role within the scientific community, which is to inform, educate and disseminate scholarly findings, discoveries and results to the public.    

Scientific Posters: A Learner's Guide Copyright © 2020 by Ella Weaver; Kylienne A. Shaul; Henry Griffy; and Brian H. Lower is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Designing a Research Poster: Getting Started

• Getting Started
• Sections of a Poster
• Design Tips
• Using Images
• Formatting A Poster
• Poster Examples

Presentation

• How to Design a Research Poster Presentation used for the Designing a Research Poster Workshop

Attribution Acknowledgement

The template for this LibGuide was created by the Kraemer Family Library at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs .

Poster Sessions Explained

• What is a Research Poster
• What is a Poster Session
• Preparing a Poster Session

A research poster is a visual tool that allows to present your research in a graphic way. A research poster should be designed to attract attention and convey information in a clear and organized way.  Well designed posters should work to create conversation between the researcher and the individuals viewing the poster. 

Your research poster will be large (usually 36 x 48 in) and will be printed on high quality poster paper. You will need to have your poster printed professionally. 

What should a research poster contain?

The same major sections as a research paper and some additional identifying information:

• The Title of Your Study
• Author's Name and Information (including all co-authors): department, university, and contact information
• Introduction
• Materials/Methodology
• Conclusions
• Works Cited
• Acknowledgements: be sure to recognize sources of funding that you may have received

A poster session or poster presentation is the presentation of research information by an individual or representatives of research teams at a congress or conference with an academic or professional focus. A poster session is an opportunity for you to share your research in a creative, visual way.  Poster sessions will usually be scheduled for 1-1.5 hours, but may vary with each conference.

Most of the time, each scholar will be given an easel, a cardboard support or corkboard (often with 48" width X 36" height) in order to support the poster. You may be responsible to bring your own push pins or tape. 

Colleagues and peers will move informally between the posters while presenters typically give a brief (1-2 minute) talk about their research and answer questions. If people are reading your poster, you can say "Please let me know if you have any questions" to indicate that it is your poster.

Look like a professional! Participants usually will be dressed in business/professional attire.

There can be three parts to your poster session:

• Your poster
• An optional handout

If you chose to do a handout, it should have two sides. 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 cited references, further information about your topic and your contact information.

All three components should complement one another, not repeat each other. It's nice to know ahead of time if you will have a small table for your handouts and/or business cards. You may not want to hold anything in case some one would like to shake your hand.

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

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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.
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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
• URL: https://libguides.lib.cwu.edu/creatingposters

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.
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• Last Updated: Apr 9, 2024 12:09 PM
• URL: https://guides.library.illinois.edu/poster

How to: Poster Presentations: What is a research poster?

What is a research poster?

• Parts of a Research Poster
• Template and Examples
• Talking About Your Poster

A research poster is a summary of your research.

It is typically built with

• with some blocks of text
• combined with graphs, tables & images

It draws an audience in to ask questions and engage with your work and your findings.

A research poster is often an ACTUAL poster .

Sometimes, it is digital and appears on a screen...like a single-slide PowerPoint.

The researcher (that’s you!) is often nearby to present the content on your poster and answer questions from attendees.

Honors College Research Poster Workshop

February 28, 2024

• Video Recording of Workshop
• Research Poster Workshop Slide Deck
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• Last Updated: Feb 29, 2024 9:57 AM
• URL: https://research.library.gsu.edu/posterpresentations

University Libraries

• Ohio University Libraries
• Library Guides

Better Research Posters

• Creating Posters
• Introduction

Poster Size

Free resources, common poster sizes   .

OU Printing services also has information on poster size and pricing. 

Composition and layout are crucial in design as they determine how visual elements are arranged to create a harmonious and effective communication of information.

Rule of 3rds grid 

The rule of thirds is a design principle that involves dividing a visual space into a grid. In the context of designing a research poster, the rule of thirds is important for several reasons such as visual hierarchy, balance, organization, aesthetic appeal, and emphasis.

Font size  

When creating a large format posters, the minimum point size you should use depends on the size of the poster. 

18in x 24in: Title 35pt | Sub-heading 20pt | Body text 16pt 

36in x 48in: Title: 75pt | Sub-Heading 45pt | Body 35pt   

Information Overload   

One of the most common mistakes with research posters is including too much text. Many researchers fall into the trap of presenting their entire research paper on the poster, making it dense and overwhelming for viewers. A successful poster should convey key information succinctly, using concise text and visual elements to engage the audience. There should only be a few bullet points of text;  

• Introduction (3 sentences max).
• Your question or why your question is worth asking.
• Your methods.

Remember that you're presenting this so the text on your poster should only act as reference points for your pitch. 

Text Alignments 

Punchlines are great to use in the "better poster" design! If your punchline is more than 2 lines, don’t center it. Centered text is slower to read than left-aligned text.

• Poster Nerd:  Offers free Powerpoint templates to get you started. All templates work within the limitations of PowerPoint and have customizable colors.
• Bio Render:  A web-based tool designed for researchers to create professional scientific illustrations and figures. Free when you sign up. 
• Unsplash:  A website that provides royalty-free images for free. Users can download and use the images from Unsplash for various purposes, including personal and commercial projects, without the need for attribution.
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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.

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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]

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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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Home Blog Design How to Design a Winning Poster Presentation: Quick Guide with Examples & Templates

How to Design a Winning Poster Presentation: Quick Guide with Examples & Templates

How are research posters like High School science fair projects? Quite similar, in fact.

Both are visual representations of a research project shared with peers, colleagues and academic faculty. But there’s a big difference: it’s all in professionalism and attention to detail. You can be sure that the students that thrived in science fairs are now creating fantastic research posters, but what is that extra element most people miss when designing a poster presentation?

This guide will teach tips and tricks for creating poster presentations for conferences, symposia, and more. Learn in-depth poster structure and design techniques to help create academic posters that have a lasting impact.

Let’s get started.

Table of Contents

• What is a Research Poster?

Why are Poster Presentations important?

Overall dimensions and orientation, separation into columns and sections, scientific, academic, or something else, a handout with supplemental and contact information, cohesiveness, design and readability, storytelling.

• Font Characteristics
• Color Pairing
• Data Visualization Dimensions
• Alignment, Margins, and White Space

Scientific/Academic Conference Poster Presentation

Digital research poster presentations, slidemodel poster presentation templates, how to make a research poster presentation step-by-step, considerations for printing poster presentations, how to present a research poster presentation, final words, what is a research poster .

Research posters are visual overviews of the most relevant information extracted from a research paper or analysis.   They are essential communication formats for sharing findings with peers and interested people in the field. Research posters can also effectively present material for other areas besides the sciences and STEM—for example, business and law.

You’ll be creating research posters regularly as an academic researcher, scientist, or grad student. You’ll have to present them at numerous functions and events. For example:

• Conference presentations
• Informational events
• Community centers

The research poster presentation is a comprehensive way to share data, information, and research results. Before the pandemic, the majority of research events were in person. During lockdown and beyond, virtual conferences and summits became the norm. Many researchers now create poster presentations that work in printed and digital formats.

Let’s look at why it’s crucial to spend time creating poster presentations for your research projects, research, analysis, and study papers.

Research posters represent you and your sponsor’s research 

Research papers and accompanying poster presentations are potent tools for representation and communication in your field of study. Well-performing poster presentations help scientists, researchers, and analysts grow their careers through grants and sponsorships.

When presenting a poster presentation for a sponsored research project, you’re representing the company that sponsored you. Your professionalism, demeanor, and capacity for creating impactful poster presentations call attention to other interested sponsors, spreading your impact in the field.

Research posters demonstrate expertise and growth

Presenting research posters at conferences, summits, and graduate grading events shows your expertise and knowledge in your field of study. The way your poster presentation looks and delivers, plus your performance while presenting the work, is judged by your viewers regardless of whether it’s an officially judged panel.

Recurring visitors to research conferences and symposia will see you and your poster presentations evolve. Improve your impact by creating a great poster presentation every time by paying attention to detail in the poster design and in your oral presentation. Practice your public speaking skills alongside the design techniques for even more impact.

Poster presentations create and maintain collaborations

Every time you participate in a research poster conference, you create meaningful connections with people in your field, industry or community. Not only do research posters showcase information about current data in different areas, but they also bring people together with similar interests. Countless collaboration projects between different research teams started after discussing poster details during coffee breaks.

An effective research poster template deepens your peer’s understanding of a topic by highlighting research, data, and conclusions. This information can help other researchers and analysts with their work. As a research poster presenter, you’re given the opportunity for both teaching and learning while sharing ideas with peers and colleagues.

Anatomy of a Winning Poster Presentation

Do you want your research poster to perform well?  Following the standard layout and adding a few personal touches will help attendees know how to read your poster and get the most out of your information. 

The overall size of your research poster ultimately depends on the dimensions of the provided space at the conference or research poster gallery. The poster orientation can be horizontal or vertical, with horizontal being the most common.  In general, research posters measure 48 x 36 inches or are an A0 paper size.

A virtual poster can be the same proportions as the printed research poster, but you have more leeway regarding the dimensions. Virtual research posters should fit on a screen with no need to scroll, with 1080p resolution as a standard these days. A horizontal presentation size is ideal for that.

A research poster presentation has a standard layout of 2–5 columns with 2–3 sections each. Typical structures say to separate the content into four sections; 1. A horizontal header 2. Introduction column, 3. Research/Work/Data column, and 4. Conclusion column. Each unit includes topics that relate to your poster’s objective.  Here’s a generalized outline for a poster presentation:

• Condensed Abstract 
• Objectives/Purpose
• Methodology
• Recommendations
• Implications
• Acknowledgments
• Contact Information 

The overview content you include in the units depends on your poster presentations’ theme, topic, industry, or field of research. A scientific or academic poster will include sections like hypothesis, methodology, and materials. A marketing analysis poster will include performance metrics and competitor analysis results.

There’s no way a poster can hold all the information included in your research paper or analysis report. The poster is an overview that invites the audience to want to find out more. That’s where supplement material comes in. Create a printed PDF handout or card with a QR code (created using a QR code generator ). Send the audience to the best online location for reading or downloading the complete paper.

What Makes a Poster Presentation Good and Effective? 

For your poster presentation to be effective and well-received, it needs to cover all the bases and be inviting to find out more. Stick to the standard layout suggestions and give it a unique look and feel. We’ve put together some of the most critical research poster-creation tips in the list below. Your poster presentation will perform as long as you check all the boxes.

The information you choose to include in the sections of your poster presentation needs to be cohesive. Train your editing eye and do a few revisions before presenting. The best way to look at it is to think of The Big Picture. Don’t get stuck on the details; your attendees won’t always know the background behind your research topic or why it’s important.

Be cohesive in how you word the titles, the length of the sections, the highlighting of the most important data, and how your oral presentation complements the printed—or virtual—poster.

The most important characteristic of your poster presentation is its readability and clarity. You need a poster presentation with a balanced design that’s easy to read at a distance of 1.5 meters or 4 feet. The font size and spacing must be clear and neat. All the content must suggest a visual flow for the viewer to follow.

That said, you don’t need to be a designer to add something special to your poster presentation. Once you have the standard—and recognized—columns and sections, add your special touch. These can be anything from colorful boxes for the section titles to an interesting but subtle background, images that catch the eye, and charts that inspire a more extended look. 

Storytelling is a presenting technique involving writing techniques to make information flow. Firstly, storytelling helps give your poster presentation a great introduction and an impactful conclusion. 

Think of storytelling as the invitation to listen or read more, as the glue that connects sections, making them flow from one to another. Storytelling is using stories in the oral presentation, for example, what your lab partner said when you discovered something interesting. If it makes your audience smile and nod, you’ve hit the mark. Storytelling is like giving a research presentation a dose of your personality, and it can help turning your data into opening stories .

Design Tips For Creating an Effective Research Poster Presentation

The section above briefly mentioned how important design is to your poster presentation’s effectiveness. We’ll look deeper into what you need to know when designing a poster presentation.

1. Font Characteristics

The typeface and size you choose are of great importance. Not only does the text need to be readable from two meters away, but it also needs to look and sit well on the poster. Stay away from calligraphic script typefaces, novelty typefaces, or typefaces with uniquely shaped letters.

Stick to the classics like a sans serif Helvetica, Lato, Open Sans, or Verdana. Avoid serif typefaces as they can be difficult to read from far away. Here are some standard text sizes to have on hand.

• Title: 85 pt
• Authors: 65 pt
• Headings: 36 pt
• Body Text: 24 pt
• Captions: 18 pt

If you feel too prone to use serif typefaces, work with a font pairing tool that helps you find a suitable solution – and intend those serif fonts for heading sections only. As a rule, never use more than 3 different typefaces in your design. To make it more dynamic, you can work with the same font using light, bold, and italic weights to put emphasis on the required areas.

2. Color Pairing

Using colors in your poster presentation design is a great way to grab the viewer’s attention. A color’s purpose is to help the viewer follow the data flow in your presentation, not distract. Don’t let the color take more importance than the information on your poster.

Choose one main color for the title and headlines and a similar color for the data visualizations. If you want to use more than one color, don’t create too much contrast between them. Try different tonalities of the same color and keep things balanced visually. Your color palette should have at most one main color and two accent colors.

Black text over a white background is standard practice for printed poster presentations, but for virtual presentations, try a very light gray instead of white and a very dark gray instead of black. Additionally, use variations of light color backgrounds and dark color text. Make sure it’s easy to read from two meters away or on a screen, depending on the context. We recommend ditching full white or full black tone usage as it hurts eyesight in the long term due to its intense contrast difference with the light ambiance.

3. Data Visualization Dimensions

Just like the text, your charts, graphs, and data visualizations must be easy to read and understand. Generally, if a person is interested in your research and has already read some of the text from two meters away, they’ll come closer to look at the charts and graphs. 

Fit data visualizations inside columns or let them span over two columns. Remove any unnecessary borders, lines, or labels to make them easier to read at a glance. Use a flat design without shadows or 3D characteristics. The text in legends and captions should stay within the chart size and not overflow into the margins. Use a unified text size of 18px for all your data visualizations.

4. Alignment, Margins, and White Space

Finally, the last design tip for creating an impressive and memorable poster presentation is to be mindful of the layout’s alignment, margins, and white space. Create text boxes to help keep everything aligned. They allow you to resize, adapt, and align the content along a margin or grid.

Take advantage of the white space created by borders and margins between sections. Don’t crowd them with a busy background or unattractive color.

Calculate margins considering a print format. It is a good practice in case the poster presentation ends up becoming in physical format, as you won’t need to downscale your entire design (affecting text readability in the process) to preserve information.

There are different tools that you can use to make a poster presentation. Presenters who are familiar with Microsoft Office prefer to use PowerPoint. You can learn how to make a poster in PowerPoint here.

Poster Presentation Examples

Before you start creating a poster presentation, look at some examples of real research posters. Get inspired and get creative.

Research poster presentations printed and mounted on a board look like the one in the image below. The presenter stands to the side, ready to share the information with visitors as they walk up to the panels.

With more and more conferences staying virtual or hybrid, the digital poster presentation is here to stay. Take a look at examples from a poster session at the OHSU School of Medicine .

Use SlideModel templates to help you create a winning poster presentation with PowerPoint and Google Slides. These poster PPT templates will get you off on the right foot. Mix and match tables and data visualizations from other poster slide templates to create your ideal layout according to the standard guidelines.

If you need a quick method to create a presentation deck to talk about your research poster at conferences, check out our Slides AI presentation maker. A tool in which you add the topic, curate the outline, select a design, and let AI do the work for you.

1. One-pager Scientific Poster Template for PowerPoint

A PowerPoint template tailored to make your poster presentations an easy-to-craft process. Meet our One-Pager Scientific Poster Slide Template, entirely editable to your preferences and with ample room to accommodate graphs, data charts, and much more.

Use This Template

2. Eisenhower Matrix Slides Template for PowerPoint

An Eisenhower Matrix is a powerful tool to represent priorities, classifying work according to urgency and importance. Presenters can use this 2×2 matrix in poster presentations to expose the effort required for the research process, as it also helps to communicate strategy planning.

3. OSMG Framework PowerPoint Template

Finally, we recommend presenters check our OSMG Framework PowerPoint template, as it is an ideal tool for representing a business plan: its goals, strategies, and measures for success. Expose complex processes in a simplified manner by adding this template to your poster presentation.

Remember these three words when making your research poster presentation: develop, design, and present. These are the three main actions toward a successful poster presentation. 

The section below will take you on a step-by-step journey to create your next poster presentation.

Step 1: Define the purpose and audience of your poster presentation

Before making a poster presentation design, you’ll need to plan first. Here are some questions to answer at this point:

• Are they in your field? 
• Do they know about your research topic? 
• What can they get from your research?
• Will you print it?
• Is it for a virtual conference?

Step 2: Make an outline

With a clear purpose and strategy, it’s time to collect the most important information from your research paper, analysis, or documentation. Make a content dump and then select the most interesting information. Use the content to draft an outline.

Outlines help formulate the overall structure better than going straight into designing the poster. Mimic the standard poster structure in your outline using section headlines as separators. Go further and separate the content into the columns they’ll be placed in.

Step 3: Write the content

Write or rewrite the content for the sections in your poster presentation. Use the text in your research paper as a base, but summarize it to be more succinct in what you share. 

Don’t forget to write a catchy title that presents the problem and your findings in a clear way. Likewise, craft the headlines for the sections in a similar tone as the title, creating consistency in the message. Include subtle transitions between sections to help follow the flow of information in order.

Avoid copying/pasting entire sections of the research paper on which the poster is based. Opt for the storytelling approach, so the delivered message results are interesting for your audience. 

Step 4: Put it all together visually

This entire guide on how to design a research poster presentation is the perfect resource to help you with this step. Follow all the tips and guidelines and have an unforgettable poster presentation.

Moving on, here’s how to design a research poster presentation with PowerPoint Templates . Open a new project and size it to the standard 48 x 36 inches. Using the outline, map out the sections on the empty canvas. Add a text box for each title, headline, and body text. Piece by piece, add the content into their corresponding text box.

Transform the text information visually, make bullet points, and place the content in tables and timelines. Make your text visual to avoid chunky text blocks that no one will have time to read. Make sure all text sizes are coherent for all headings, body texts, image captions, etc. Double-check for spacing and text box formatting.

Next, add or create data visualizations, images, or diagrams. Align everything into columns and sections, making sure there’s no overflow. Add captions and legends to the visualizations, and check the color contrast with colleagues and friends. Ask for feedback and progress to the last step.

Step 5: Last touches

Time to check the final touches on your poster presentation design. Here’s a checklist to help finalize your research poster before sending it to printers or the virtual summit rep.

• Check the resolution of all visual elements in your poster design. Zoom to 100 or 200% to see if the images pixelate. Avoid this problem by using vector design elements and high-resolution images.
• Ensure that charts and graphs are easy to read and don’t look crowded.
• Analyze the visual hierarchy. Is there a visual flow through the title, introduction, data, and conclusion?
• Take a step back and check if it’s legible from a distance. Is there enough white space for the content to breathe?
• Does the design look inviting and interesting?

An often neglected topic arises when we need to print our designs for any exhibition purpose. Since A0 is a hard-to-manage format for most printers, these poster presentations result in heftier charges for the user. Instead, you can opt to work your design in two A1 sheets, which also becomes more manageable for transportation. Create seamless borders for the section on which the poster sheets should meet, or work with a white background.

Paper weight options should be over 200 gsm to avoid unwanted damage during the printing process due to heavy ink usage. If possible, laminate your print or stick it to photographic paper – this shall protect your work from spills.

Finally, always run a test print. Gray tints may not be printed as clearly as you see them on screen (this is due to the RGB to CMYK conversion process). Other differences can be appreciated when working with ink jet plotters vs. laser printers. Give yourself enough room to maneuver last-minute design changes.

Presenting a research poster is a big step in the poster presentation cycle. Your poster presentation might or might not be judged by faculty or peers. But knowing what judges look for will help you prepare for the design and oral presentation, regardless of whether you receive a grade for your work or if it’s business related. Likewise, the same principles apply when presenting at an in-person or virtual summit.

The opening statement

Part of presenting a research poster is welcoming the viewer to your small personal area in the sea of poster presentations. You’ll need an opening statement to pitch your research poster and get the viewers’ attention.

Draft a 2 to 3-sentence pitch that covers the most important points:

• What the research is
• Why was it conducted
• What the results say

From that opening statement, you’re ready to continue with the oral presentation for the benefit of your attendees.

The oral presentation

During the oral presentation, share the information on the poster while conversing with the interested public. Practice many times before the event. Structure the oral presentation as conversation points, and use the poster’s visual flow as support. Make eye contact with your audience as you speak, but don’t make them uncomfortable.

Pro Tip: In a conference or summit, if people show up to your poster area after you’ve started presenting it to another group, finish and then address the new visitors.

QA Sessions 

When you’ve finished the oral presentation, offer the audience a chance to ask questions. You can tell them before starting the presentation that you’ll be holding a QA session at the end. Doing so will prevent interruptions as you’re speaking.

If presenting to one or two people, be flexible and answer questions as you review all the sections on your poster.

Supplemental Material

If your audience is interested in learning more, you can offer another content type, further imprinting the information in their minds. Some ideas include; printed copies of your research paper, links to a website, a digital experience of your poster, a thesis PDF, or data spreadsheets.

Your audience will want to contact you for further conversations; include contact details in your supplemental material. If you don’t offer anything else, at least have business cards.

Even though conferences have changed, the research poster’s importance hasn’t diminished. Now, instead of simply creating a printed poster presentation, you can also make it for digital platforms. The final output will depend on the conference and its requirements.

This guide covered all the essential information you need to know for creating impactful poster presentations, from design, structure and layout tips to oral presentation techniques to engage your audience better . 

Before your next poster session, bookmark and review this guide to help you design a winning poster presentation every time. 

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Open Science: Why you should preprint your next paper

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By George Currie, Content Manager at eLife

Preprinting is the act of sharing an early version of your research, often before journal-organised review. It helps you share your research with others quickly, establishes priority for your findings and can be a way to receive feedback from your community. Many organisations, including eLife and PreReview , are starting to offer and recognise peer reviewed preprints, or allow public discussion on preprints.

But what are the advantages of preprinting your next paper? Here are our five Fs of preprinting:

Preprinting is fast

Preprinting gets your work out into the world much faster, in days not months. No waiting around for reviewer feedback or time spent making revisions, your work is out there. Citable, sharable and with a DOI. Both reviews and revisions can be extremely valuable but it comes at the cost of time and slowing down science communication. Once your work is available others can use it, they can build on your ideas, they can use them to refine their ideas. Your work is pushing science forward.

Preprinting helps you be first

Preprinting establishes priority for your findings or ideas. Waiting for publication can be anxiety inducing but preprinting puts you in control of publication. You won’t have to worry that someone else is going to publish your breakthrough while you’re still waiting for reviews. When you next think about scooping it will be time for ice cream!

Preprinting is free

Nearly all preprint servers are completely free of charge. Free to you as an author, and free to you as a reader. No subscriptions, no APCs. At no cost other than the time to submit, you can ensure that the whole world has access to your research.

Most journals* now have fairly open policies regarding preprinting ahead of publication, so even if you’re publishing behind a paywall you can make a version available for everyone.

*it’s worth checking journal or publisher websites for current policies. You can find a list of policies and links on Wikipedia.

Preprinting enables feedback

Sharing early versions of work can be daunting, but getting feedback helps refine and polish your work. Informal feedback helps start the conversation around your research and shows that people are engaging with it. Public scrutiny and feedback at this stage is far more useful than on a Version of Record as you are still able to implement changes and this could even help reduce time working through peer review feedback later. To help ensure feedback is useful to authors, the FAST framework of preprint feedback suggests feedback should be focused, appropriate, specific and transparent.

Preprinting fights inequalities

Preprints help level the playing field. It’s not about you, your institution or what you can afford to pay. Your work stands on its own merits.

Because preprinting is accessible, free and without the gatekeeping mechanisms typical of journals it makes science communication far more democratic and less prone to structural or implicit biases present in traditional publishing. This gives scientific communities more power and control over how and what they communicate.

Bonus sixth F: How do you filter preprints?

For all the positives of preprinting, it does present a new challenge: how we filter them.

There’s a lot of research out there, it can be hard to keep up as it is. Adding preprints to the mix can make this overwhelming. How can you keep up with preprint literature and how do you know you can trust it?

Some preprint servers still undertake elements of editorial screening to make sure research meets basic standards, and some journals and organisations are focused on preprint review . Beyond this, there are platforms dedicated to preprint curation, such as Sciety and Prelights .

Sciety, developed by eLife, is a free platform that helps researchers highlight and distil the vast and growing preprint literature. It’s a public space for users to comment on preprints, create shareable lists and follow other users for their recommendations. This centralises important work already happening in blogs, private slacks and listservs and makes it available to a wider audience. And helps you find trusted, recommended research that meets your interests.

Where can I read or post preprints?

For research in the biological and medical sciences, bioRxiv and medRxiv are popular preprint servers. Though many more exist , catering for different subject areas and geographies.

Image credit: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International. Singh, Sumeet Pal, Ferguson, Christine, Ahmad, Umar, & Puebla, Iratxe. (2021). ASAPbio Preprint infographics: post your preprint in 5 steps, publishing process, take action in support of preprints. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5724096

What does preprinting mean (for science communication).

Preprinting has been popular in physics and maths for decades. While the uptake has been slower in biological and medical sciences it became an essential means of communication during the search for a COVID-19 vaccine.

As adoption grows, so does the potential for preprinting to radically change how we communicate science and the role publishers play in scientific discourse. It can level the playing field for researchers and accelerate scientific discoveries.

Unfortunately “preprinting” is a bit of a misnomer.

The “pre-” makes you think that something has to happen next – before it is “done”. And the “-printing” part supposes that the research is going to be made physical. Neither of these things need to be true and in today’s world they often aren’t.

Versions of record are a hangover of when research needed to be made final so a physical artefact could be created. With the technology we have now, the way we communicate science can better reflect the way science really works.

Preprints help science become a conversation among peers, sharing knowledge, iterating and self correcting faster and more fluidly. Rather than a focus on Versions of Record, final statements etched in stone, we could have a record of versions where our best current understanding is given prominence. Learn more about the benefits of preprinting with ASAPbio, and consider sharing your next biological or medical paper as a preprint.

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Poster Sessions Explained

• What is a Research Poster
• What is a Poster Session
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A research poster is a visual tool that allows to present your research in a graphic way. A research poster should be designed to attract attention and convey information in a clear and organized way.  Well designed posters should work to create conversation between the researcher and the individuals viewing the poster. 

Your research poster will be large (usually 36 x 48 in) and will be printed on high quality poster paper. You will need to have your poster printed professionally. 

What should a research poster contain?

The same major sections as a research paper and some additional identifying information:

• The Title of Your Study
• Author's Name and Information (including all co-authors): department, university, and contact information
• Introduction
• Materials/Methodology
• Conclusions
• Works Cited
• Acknowledgements: be sure to recognize sources of funding that you may have received

A poster session or poster presentation is the presentation of research information by an individual or representatives of research teams at a congress or conference with an academic or professional focus. A poster session is an opportunity for you to share your research in a creative, visual way.  Poster sessions will usually be scheduled for 1-1.5 hours, but may vary with each conference.

Most of the time, each scholar will be given an easel, a cardboard support or corkboard (often with 48" width X 36" height) in order to support the poster. You may be responsible to bring your own push pins or tape. 

Colleagues and peers will move informally between the posters while presenters typically give a brief (1-2 minute) talk about their research and answer questions. If people are reading your poster, you can say "Please let me know if you have any questions" to indicate that it is your poster.

Look like a professional! Participants usually will be dressed in business/professional attire.

There can be three parts to your poster session:

• Your poster
• An optional handout

If you chose to do a handout, it should have two sides. 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 cited references, further information about your topic and your contact information.

All three components should complement one another, not repeat each other. It's nice to know ahead of time if you will have a small table for your handouts and/or business cards. You may not want to hold anything in case some one would like to shake your hand.

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

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Mr Nicholas Hoai Nam Nguyen

Dr Nicholas Hoài Nam Nguyen (PhD) is a seasoned optometrist, clinical researcher and Adjunct Lecturer, working in the field of Optometry and Vision Science since 2003. Nicholas has an interest in holograms and their use for the measurement of human vision and refractive error . Nicholas completed his PhD titled " Applications of holograms for spherical refractive error measurements " in 2017 (UNSW). Nicholas now works primarily at Eye Focus , an... view more

Dr Nicholas Hoài Nam Nguyen (PhD) is a seasoned optometrist, clinical researcher and Adjunct Lecturer, working in the field of Optometry and Vision Science since 2003. Nicholas has an interest in holograms and their use for the measurement of human vision and refractive error . Nicholas completed his PhD titled " Applications of holograms for spherical refractive error measurements " in 2017 (UNSW). Nicholas now works primarily at Eye Focus , an optometry clinic in Cabramatta (Western Sydney). See Nicholas' research .

My Qualifications

BOptom, PhD (UNSW)

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Paper: holographic refraction, poster: hyperparallel optical coherence tomography, poster: subjective refractive error measurements, paper: test for progressive myopia, paper: role of mandelbaum-like effect when using a hologram, paper: performance of the holographic multivergence target, thesis: applications of holograms for spherical refractive error measurements.

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Recall Enterprise System (RES) Data Quality Improvements to Address Opioid Epidemic

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Drug Recalls are typically voluntary actions taken by firms to remove or correct products that are in violation of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to protect the public health. Recalls associated with opioid products are of particular interest. Opioid addiction and abuse have created an immense public health crisis, and the death toll is staggering. The FDA evaluates recall information provided by firms including the identified Responsible Firm, the firm where the adulteration or misbranding associated with the occurred. The Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) has examined hundreds of drug recalls in the FDA’s Recalls Enterprise System (RES) and identified missing or inconsistent Responsible Firm data. Missing or inconsistent information can lead to delays and errors in the identification of firms that are responsible for problematic drug products, including opioid products, as well as inaccurate scoring (i.e., prioritization) for routine surveillance of these sites. Targeting firms that are responsible for manufacturing or distributing unsafe and ineffective opioid products is critical to FDA’s mission and efforts to address the opioid epidemic. CDER’s Office of Compliance, in collaboration with CDER’s Office of Pharmaceutical Quality (OPQ) and the Office of Regulatory Affairs (ORA), has evaluated Firm Establishment Identifier (FEI) number inaccuracies and missing information across multiple fiscal years and RES system capabilities. To address this problem, the group proposed recommendations including making the Responsible Firm field in RES mandatory, a clarified definition for this term in the RES Dictionary, revised data entry procedures, and training. In addition, the group implemented inclusion of specific fields for Opioids in RES to better track data entry for these critical products. A retrospective review of Responsible Firm data entry comparing data in the past two fiscal years shows that there has been a 45% improvement since FY2022. The process improvements associated with this work will enable the FDA to achieve higher levels of accuracy, completeness, and consistency identification of Responsible Firms and site scoring. The enhancements will allow the FDA to have more oversight of the drug industry and focus efforts on firms found to be responsible for the reason for recalls.

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If you have any questions, please refer to the FAQ: https://openreview.net/faq

Ethics review: Reviewers and ACs may flag submissions for ethics review . Flagged submissions will be sent to an ethics review committee for comments. Comments from ethics reviewers will be considered by the primary reviewers and AC as part of their deliberation. They will also be visible to authors, who will have an opportunity to respond.  Ethics reviewers do not have the authority to reject papers, but in extreme cases papers may be rejected by the program chairs on ethical grounds, regardless of scientific quality or contribution.  

Preprints: The existence of non-anonymous preprints (on arXiv or other online repositories, personal websites, social media) will not result in rejection. If you choose to use the NeurIPS style for the preprint version, you must use the “preprint” option rather than the “final” option. Reviewers will be instructed not to actively look for such preprints, but encountering them will not constitute a conflict of interest. Authors may submit anonymized work to NeurIPS that is already available as a preprint (e.g., on arXiv) without citing it. Note that public versions of the submission should not say "Under review at NeurIPS" or similar.

Dual submissions: Submissions that are substantially similar to papers that the authors have previously published or submitted in parallel to other peer-reviewed venues with proceedings or journals may not be submitted to NeurIPS. Papers previously presented at workshops are permitted, so long as they did not appear in a conference proceedings (e.g., CVPRW proceedings), a journal or a book.  NeurIPS coordinates with other conferences to identify dual submissions.  The NeurIPS policy on dual submissions applies for the entire duration of the reviewing process.  Slicing contributions too thinly is discouraged.  The reviewing process will treat any other submission by an overlapping set of authors as prior work. If publishing one would render the other too incremental, both may be rejected.

Anti-collusion: NeurIPS does not tolerate any collusion whereby authors secretly cooperate with reviewers, ACs or SACs to obtain favorable reviews. 

Author responses:   Authors will have one week to view and respond to initial reviews. Author responses may not contain any identifying information that may violate the double-blind reviewing policy. Authors may not submit revisions of their paper or supplemental material, but may post their responses as a discussion in OpenReview. This is to reduce the burden on authors to have to revise their paper in a rush during the short rebuttal period.

After the initial response period, authors will be able to respond to any further reviewer/AC questions and comments by posting on the submission’s forum page. The program chairs reserve the right to solicit additional reviews after the initial author response period.  These reviews will become visible to the authors as they are added to OpenReview, and authors will have a chance to respond to them.

After the notification deadline, accepted and opted-in rejected papers will be made public and open for non-anonymous public commenting. Their anonymous reviews, meta-reviews, author responses and reviewer responses will also be made public. Authors of rejected papers will have two weeks after the notification deadline to opt in to make their deanonymized rejected papers public in OpenReview.  These papers are not counted as NeurIPS publications and will be shown as rejected in OpenReview.

Publication of accepted submissions:   Reviews, meta-reviews, and any discussion with the authors will be made public for accepted papers (but reviewer, area chair, and senior area chair identities will remain anonymous). Camera-ready papers will be due in advance of the conference. All camera-ready papers must include a funding disclosure . We strongly encourage accompanying code and data to be submitted with accepted papers when appropriate, as per the code submission policy . Authors will be allowed to make minor changes for a short period of time after the conference.

Contemporaneous Work: For the purpose of the reviewing process, papers that appeared online within two months of a submission will generally be considered "contemporaneous" in the sense that the submission will not be rejected on the basis of the comparison to contemporaneous work. Authors are still expected to cite and discuss contemporaneous work and perform empirical comparisons to the degree feasible. Any paper that influenced the submission is considered prior work and must be cited and discussed as such. Submissions that are very similar to contemporaneous work will undergo additional scrutiny to prevent cases of plagiarism and missing credit to prior work.

Plagiarism is prohibited by the NeurIPS Code of Conduct .

Other Tracks: Similarly to earlier years, we will host multiple tracks, such as datasets, competitions, tutorials as well as workshops, in addition to the main track for which this call for papers is intended. See the conference homepage for updates and calls for participation in these tracks. 

Experiments: As in past years, the program chairs will be measuring the quality and effectiveness of the review process via randomized controlled experiments. All experiments are independently reviewed and approved by an Institutional Review Board (IRB).

Financial Aid: Each paper may designate up to one (1) NeurIPS.cc account email address of a corresponding student author who confirms that they would need the support to attend the conference, and agrees to volunteer if they get selected. To be considered for Financial the student will also need to fill out the Financial Aid application when it becomes available.