Skills for Learning
www.salford.ac.uk/skillsforlearning
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Poster Presentations
Last updated 15 April 2020
Contents
Introduction..............................................................4
Computer software appropriate to poster design....4
Visual impact............................................................5
1. Font size and type..........................................5
2. The use of visuals..........................................5
3. Use of white space.........................................5
4. Poster layout..................................................6
5. Poster background.........................................6
Poster layout............................................................7
The poster as a visual medium................................7
The content..............................................................8
Title.......................................................................8
Abstract.................................................................9
Introduction...........................................................9
Materials and Methods.........................................9
Results................................................................10
Conclusions........................................................10
Review of your poster............................................11
Presentation of your poster....................................11
Answering questions..............................................12
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You don’t know the answer................................12
Question is too complicated...............................12
Questioner seems hostile...................................13
Questioner asks repeated questions or wants
extended discussion...........................................13
Questioner interrupts during your talk................13
Staying calm..........................................................13
Reference List........................................................14
Other Study Basics guides which you may find
useful:.....................................................................15
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Introduction
Poster presentations are a new skill for many
students and are a concise way of presenting
information, usually on a specific project. For
research students, particularly, you may be required
to attend a conference and present a poster which
documents the research that you have undertaken.
This requires the development of new skills with
which you may not be familiar: poster design
including selection of appropriate font and colour,
and the ability to give a clear and concise oral
presentation within a limited time.
Computer software appropriate to
poster design
There are a number of software packages
appropriate to poster design. Most of the time
students will use Microsoft PowerPoint but there are
others such as Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop or
InDesign which will allow you to develop a more
sophisticated poster as layers of text can be
superimposed over each other. Most students will
use PowerPoint and if you require help visit the
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following link to find out about workshop dates and
times:
http://www.salford.ac.uk/skills-for-learning/home/it-
and-digital-skills
Visual impact
Key things to consider when designing your poster:
1. Font size and type – the main title should
be readable at approximately 3 metres, so
consider a font size of 90 - 100 point. The
main body text should be around 24 point
and readable from 1.5 metres. Select a sans
serif font such as Arial or Verdana rather
than Times New Roman.
2. The use of visuals – the most effective
way of conveying the maximum amount of
information is to use graphs or diagrams.
However, care has to be taken that these are
appropriately labelled and provide
appropriate information so that they tell the
story.
3. Use of white space – ensure there is
plenty of white space on your poster. The
viewer finds it easier to focus and process
information if there is approximately 30%
white space on the poster.
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4. Poster layout – The eye moves from left to
right and information is more easily
processed if the text is effectively ‘boxed’ or
in columns as shown in Figure 1 below.
5. Poster background – the use of colour in
the background is important in that it helps to
unify the various elements of the poster.
However, use muted tones and avoid any
that clash.
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Poster layout
Figure 1. Using columns to align text,
photographs and diagrams helps develop a well-
structured poster which helps lead the eye across
the page.
The poster as a visual medium
As far as possible, allow the graphs, photographs
and diagrams to ‘tell the story’. This means that
attention needs to be paid so that they are:
1. Properly labelled.
2. Have an associated legend.
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3. Simply presented, not cluttered and over-
complicated.
4. Consistent in terms of text being presented
horizontally, axes etc.
The content
Content needs to be presented in a logical way, so
viewers can follow the ‘story’ of your project or
research. If we use Figure 1 as an example, you
can see that the structure of the poster reads left to
right, and top to bottom. What sections you will
include will depend on the type of research you are
doing, but a poster might include the following kinds
of sections, plus any figures:
1. Title
2. Abstract
3. Introduction
4. Materials and Methods
5. Results
6. Conclusions
Title
Make sure that the title is concise, yet gives a fair
reflection of what the poster is about.
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Abstract
If an abstract is necessary (if your poster is
accompanying a paper which includes an abstract,
or your tutor has not asked for one, don’t include
one) it should only be around 50 to 100 words in
length.
Introduction
The introduction needs to be around 200 words in
length and should provide context for the poster.
You’ll be standing next to the poster so will be on
hand to give more detail if required.
Materials and Methods
This is necessary for a scientific poster based on
experimentation. For a poster it is advisable to
make this part as visual as possible and restrict
the word count to around 200 words. However,
care must be taken when including tables or
graphs; if more than one ensure there is
consistency in terms of gradations on the axes,
make sure they are correctly labelled with the
figure legend at the foot of the image and the title
of the table at the top.
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Results
Again, consider displaying the results in as visual
a format as possible but concentrate on the most
important results. It may be unrealistic to include
absolutely all the results, so prioritise for the
purposes of the poster, and bear in mind other
results for discussion with interested parties.
Conclusions
Maybe only two to four points may be necessary
for the conclusions section and these can be
presented using bullet points, italics or arrows as
necessary.
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Review of your poster
The following points, as compiled by Imperial
College London (2014), are useful in assessing
your poster.
1. Would you stop to look at your poster?
2. Is the title concise and appealing?
3. Is the subject matter clear?
4. Does the layout guide the audience through
the content?
5. Does the poster target a specific audience?
6. Is it well organised?
7. Is the message clear?
Presentation of your poster
Remember the importance of practicing your
presentation. Aim to explain your research in 3
minutes, if the person you are talking to is still
interested at the end of those 3 minutes, they will
ask further questions so be prepared for those
questions! So time yourself when you practise and
remember the importance of practising any visual
material. You may think you will be able to talk
someone through a graph, but until you actually say
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it out loud, you may not be aware of the stumbling
blocks.
Answering questions
Students are often worried about their ability to
answer questions at the end of a presentation.
Matthews & Matthews (2008, p.95) suggest the
following methods for answering difficult questions:
You don’t know the answer
1. Say simply that your research has not
supplied an answer to that question.
2. Suggest how you would investigate the
question.
3. Offer an educated speculation on the
topic.
4. Offer information on a closely related
area.
5. Ask the questioner his / her thoughts.
Question is too complicated
1. Acknowledge that it is a difficult question.
2. Give the beginning part of an answer, and
suggest more discussion afterwards.
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Questioner seems hostile
1. Stay cool.
2. Accept the question with a smile, followed
by a serious, professional reply that is
related to the subject.
Questioner asks repeated questions or
wants extended discussion
1. Make a positive comment about the
complexity of the subject, and suggest
you meet to discuss the matter further
after the session.
Questioner interrupts during your talk
1. Respond courteously, answer as briefly
as you can, and return to the prepared
speech.
Staying calm
Students often feel nervous when giving
presentations. You may not be as nervous when
doing a poster presentation as you may have only
one or two people at any one time. However, if you
are trying to impress someone because they may
be a potential employer, remember the importance
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of overcoming your nerves (easier said than done!).
Always remember to breathe deeply and talk slowly
so that you don’t run out of breath and feel panicky.
It’s a good idea to have a glass of water nearby just
in case you get a tickle or your mouth dries up…but
make sure you don’t spill it over your poster!
Reference List
Hofmann, A.H. (2010). Scientific Writing and
Communication. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Lindsay, D. (2010). Scientific Writing: Thinking in
Words. Retrieved from http://www.EBSCOhost.com.
Matthews, J.R. & Matthews, R.W. (2008).
Successful Scientific Writing (3rd Ed.). Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press.
Imperial College, London. (2014). Retrieved 20
June 2014 from:
www3.imperial.ac.uk/graduateschool/transferable
skills programme
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Other Study Basics guides which you
may find useful:
Study Basics: Scientific Writing
Study Basics: Scientific Report Writing
Study Basics: Writing a Scientific Paper
Helen Parker, Student Life. Lynne Crook, Library.
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