Poster PresentationsIM-SURE Program

The University of MontanaSummer 2014

A Paper on a PosterResearch papers and posters contain most of

the same information.Posters are a more succinct method of

communicating your research.

More dependent on photos, figures, tables, and graphs.

Minimize “walls of text,” jargon, acronyms, & equations (dependent on audience).

Goals of a PosterWhat do you want your viewer to remember

about your research?Communicate the overall idea of your research.

Even if your audience forgets the details, they should be able to remember the general idea of your research.

Verbal explanations are key.

Discussing/Defending a PosterYou should be able to discuss your research

including:Why the research was done? Why is it

significant?Why did you choose the methods you used?What you think the results will be if you’re still

in the experimental phase, or –What your results are.General conclusions/future directions.What areas of research or which experiments

you would like to do next to continue the research?

TemplatesAvailable in PowerPoint and easily found on

the web.

Common templates are two-four columns of information, usually split into distinct units.

The OREOS Undergraduate Research Symposium size is 3’H x 4’L (36”x48”).

Make photos, figures, graphs, etc high resolution for clarity.

Use font large enough to be read from 1-2 feet.Title: 85 pt Paragraphs: 24 pt Captions: 18 pt

Be careful with your color schemes.Very high or low contrast combinations can be hard or

impossible to read. Yellow on white Turquoise on black

Also, some color themes have cultural/social associations: Green and red – Christmas Orange and black – Halloween

Design

Poster SectionsTitleAbstractIntroduction/BackgroundHypothesisMethods & MaterialsResults/Predicted ResultsDiscussion/Predicted OutcomesCitations/Acknowledgements

Title & AbstractTitle

Make it interesting.Part of the introduction.Limited to two lines.

Abstract Keep it short, ~250 words. Should summarize your research.

IntroductionIntroduction & Background

Get your viewer interested.

Provide context and the minimum background needed to understand your research.

Should include your objectives and hypothesis.

Illustrate.

MethodsKeep the text brief.

However, be able to explain your methods to your viewer should they want more detail.

Use flow charts, tables, and pictures to explain your experimental design.

Be sure to mention any computational analyses.

ResultsDid the experiment work?Briefly describe the outcome of your

experiment.Include tables, charts, and graphs to

communicate your results.Good figures will allow the viewer to

understand the results without reading the rest of the poster.

If you’re still in the process of getting data, state what you think the results might be or what the early data indicate.

DiscussionGenerally restate your hypothesis.State whether your hypothesis was

supported; or not.Discuss why your results are conclusive,

important, and/or meaningful.Mention future directions of the research.

If you don’t have enough data for meaningful discussion, discuss the future direction of your experiments and analysis.

Citations & AcknowledgmentsYour citation list should be short (10 or less).Only cite what you discussed specifically on

the poster.Use a standard science format (e.g. ASM).

Acknowledgements should be given to your mentors, others who provided laboratory or analytical assistance, and your funding source.

Poster Session – July 31st

Posters need to be submitted to Jay Bruns no later than Tuesday, July 29th for printing.

Poster printing request form may be found on the IM-SURE website.

Posters will be on display from 1:00p-4:00p.Students will be required to be present at their

poster from 1:30p-3:30p while evaluators are circulating.

Students will be expected to be able to discuss their research.

Students will have the opportunity to read other posters.