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02/29/2016

ECA USC Student Poster Session Guidelines What is a Poster Session?

ECA USC Student Poster Session Guidelines What is a Poster Session?

Posters are comprised of small amounts of text along with charts, graphs, photographs, diagrams, and other visual representation of data and findings. The idea is to get a large number of people to see your work in a quick, efficient, clear, organized, and professional manner.

Poster Sessions Absolutes

The Poster Itself - These items MUST be included

  • The paper title at the TOP of the poster, should be the same title that you submitted with your accepted paper.
  • The author(s) name(s) and affiliation(s).
  • The main findings of your paper in an organized, easy to read, and simply way, typed and with graphics.
  • Please no handwritten text or free-hand drawings.

Materials

  • Have your poster prepared and ready to go before your session starts.
  • You will be given an easel - any other items you must bring
  • The easel holds a standard poster size, 2’ high x 3’ wide; it is sturdy enough to stand on it’s own without being secured to the easel
  • Please keep in mind that other materials like thumb tacks, paperclips or binder clips, will not be given, feel free to bring your own if you feel like you will need them just in case!

Professionalism:

  • Dress professionally (business casual).
  • An author must be at his/her board for the entire session.
  • Arrive about 15-20 minutes before the beginning of the session will all of your materials.
  • Please take your poster and materials with you after the session is over.

Poster Sessions, Further Suggestions

Keep in mind that these are not absolutely necessary, but are recommended for an effective poster presentation.

Preparation

  • Start by trying to break up your paper into sections, (introduction, objectives, methods, results, conclusion).
  • Try sticking to the key points of your research.
  • Create an “Elevator Pitch”.
    • A 30-60 second introduction to your poster, to draw in listeners and get the audience’s attention.

Layout

Posters should generally read from top to bottom and left to right. You want to try to maximize the space, without trying to make your poster look crowded. It’s a helpful tip to have some type of separation between the parts of your poster.

Generally, the layout of visual focus should include (you can use this list as a check list):

  1. The paper title at the TOP of the poster, should be the same title that you submitted with your accepted paper.
  2. The author(s) name(s) and affiliation(s).
  3. The main findings of your paper in an organized, easy to read, and simply way, typed and with graphics.
  4. An introduction/abstract, main points from the literature review
  5. Methods (if data were collected)
  6. Results (if data were analyzed)
  7. Conclusion (if you had hypotheses and/or research questions, it may save space to display these with or as a part of the results.)

To save space, it’s recommended not to display your references on the poster, but to have your full list of references with you.

Handouts

  • This is so that if someone is interested in your poster, but may not have the time to have a discussion with you, they can get a general idea of what your research was about. Note on the handout that this was presented at the ECA 2016 Undergraduate Scholars Conference Poster Session.
  • Keep in mind that this should not be an entire representation of your paper but more of an extended journal abstract.
  • Business cards are also a good idea, in case someone would like to get into contact with you later about your poster.

 Poster Text

  • Make sure your title is big enough to see from 4-6 feet away.
  • It is suggested that your text should be edited so that the fewest number of words say the most, and are able to get your point across.
  • Your paper title and subtitles should be bold for easier reading.

Graphics

  • Graphics can make a poster visually interesting - make the graphics work for you and the poster, to catch the attention of the audience.
  • The graphics should be able to represent your research.
  • They can be used to explain statistics and findings, and should have brief explanatory captions.

Discussion During Your Poster Session

  • Don’t read from your poster - use it as a visual aid. Be sure to practice ahead of time, so make sure everything flows the way you want it to.
  • Remember that everyone you’re interacting with, could be hearing this information for the first time. So don’t worry if you feel like you’re constantly repeating yourself.
  • It is helpful to prepare three different discussions:
    • 30-60 seconds; your “Elevator Pitch”. Think of it as that you only have a short elevator ride to sell your idea. To make your audience interested in your poster.
    • 2 minutes; this can be a little more in depth, so maybe some of your introduction or your abstract, if you had one.
    • 5 minutes; This is when you should keep in mind, what you want your audience to remember about your research.
      • These are not necessary, but they can be helpful if this is how your chose to present. They don’t need to be written down, but should be rehearsed sometime before the session.
    • Maintain eye contact and try to reel in those that are hovering around by asking if they’d like to hear more about your specific research. If you realize that one person is monopolizing your time, be aware of those around you and feel free to ask them to join in!

Importantly

  • Have fun with this! Make your poster something you can be proud of! Everyone has worked hard on their research and this is the time they can show all of their hard work!

Websites Consulted

http://www.ncsu.edu/project/posters/NewSite/
http://www.kumc.edu/SAH/OTEd/jradel/Poster_Presentations/PstrStart.html
http://cte.umdnj.edu/career_development/career_posters.cfm
http://www.asp.org/education/howto_onPosters.html

  • Note: All of these references were consulted in the creation of this set of guidelines, but if you consult the sites for more information, please remember to use the guidelines created specifically for your ECA Undergraduate Scholars Conference poster sessions.

 If you have anymore questions, or concerns, feel free to email me : kcook2@oswego.edu

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