ICTS

Scientific Posters
Do’s & Don’ts

januari 2015
Contents

1 Look before you leap ................................................................................ 5

1.1 A scientific poster? ............................................................................ 5
1.2 Stepping stones ................................................................................. 6
1.2.1 Where: Read the instructions ................................................... 6
1.2.2 What: What message would you give? ..................................... 6
1.2.3 Who is your audience? ............................................................. 6
1.2.4 Planning poster + print.............................................................. 6
1.3 Poster is visual .................................................................................. 7
1.3.1 Draw attention .......................................................................... 7
1.3.2 Properties ................................................................................. 7
1.3.3 Pitfalls....................................................................................... 7
2 Anatomy .................................................................................................... 8
2.1 Title ................................................................................................... 8
2.2 Author(s) + affiliation.......................................................................... 8
2.3 Abstract/Introduction .......................................................................... 8
2.4 Method .............................................................................................. 9
2.5 Data/results ....................................................................................... 9
2.6 Conclusion......................................................................................... 9
2.7 References ........................................................................................ 9
2.8 Acknowledgements ......................................................................... 10
3 Production .............................................................................................. 11
3.1 start2poster ..................................................................................... 11
3.2 Tips ................................................................................................. 11
3.3 Print ................................................................................................. 14
4 SOS Poster .............................................................................................. 15
4.1 Verify, check, control! ...................................................................... 15
4.2 A day in the life of ............................................................................ 15
4.3 What’s next? .................................................................................... 16
5 Sources ................................................................................................... 17

CONTENTS | 3
 1 Look before you leap

A good poster can’t make up for bad research, but a bad poster can make good
research hard to recognize! (Washington NASA Space Grant).

1.1 A scientific poster?

What is a poster? Check the different types (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/poster)

 Participation in a scientific event.
o Poster sessions are informal, drop-in sessions that allow
presenters to share their (campus) experiences with colleagues on
a one-to-one basis. Poster presenters should be prepared to
provide a brief verbal explanation of their experiences or
applications that may be illustrated through a set of visuals
attached to a large bulletin board or via laptops/screens, etc.
(www.educause.edu).
o Academic posters are a summary of what you did, how you did it,
and what you learned. (www.waspacegrant.org)
 Presentation of your research:
o Start off a discussion.
o Feedback on your work.
o Suggestions for improvements, extensions, etc.
o Open collaboration with other researchers.

 Communication of scientific research

Take care of the o Communication of research results in your domain (or other).
abstract of your poster;
some visitors will use o Summary of your research.
the abstract book to o Illustration of the core issues in a visual way.
plan their tour
 Pro / cons poster presentation
o Pro
 Audience is in charge, audience determines how much
time is spent on your poster.
 Personal contact.
 Starter for dialogue.
 Visual
o Contra
 Audience is walking, moving around.
 Environment is not always comfortable.
 Limited surface of the poster.
 Has to be seen from a distance.

Bottom line: advertise your research (and yourself).

LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP | 5

1.2 Stepping stones

Collect all the necessary information: What will you present? Who will be the
audience? Where and When? Why are you presenting?

1.2.1 Where: Read the instructions

Try to collect as much information about the meeting

 Specific requirements for posters
o Dimensions, font, handouts, color, logo, photos, etc.
 Where is it happening?
o Location, schedule, etc.
 Judging criteria are very useful.

1.2.2 What: What message would you give?

What do you want the audience to remember? Summarize your research in 33.5
words and 6 figures.

1 to 3 key points (around the conclusions of your research)

 Build your poster around these points.
 Remember that the audience is already saturated with information.
How can you attract attention?
 Prepare a short oral presentation.

1.2.3 Who is your audience?

Think audience! It's your research, but you have to sell it to your audience.

Who is the intended message for?

• Colleague / competitor from the same field.
• Audience from the same field, but using other techniques.
• Audience from other disciplines, but using the same techniques.

1.2.4 Planning poster + print

 Start on time! Provide at least 4 weeks.
 Look for a template or get inspiration at online examples.
 Collect all necessary information in 1 folder
o Photos.
o Data for tables, figures.
 Start with a sketch of your poster.

6 | LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP

 1.3 Poster is visual
Use post-it’s when
sketching

1.3.1 Draw attention

Make sure that the public comes to your poster.

 Catchy and/or interesting title.
 Eye-catching graphics, charts.
 Attractive design
o Layout.
o Color scheme.

Get inspiration out of 1.3.2 Properties

advertising
 Clear message.
 Impact: information that is worth reading.
 Appealing: generate interest.
 Layout is guiding the reader.

1.3.3 Pitfalls

Bad posters are easy to make:

 Too much text (common problem).

 Usually last minute work and results…

Handouts can be used
to give (extra)
 Posters are being recycled…
background information  Not everyone is a designer.
o Too flashy
o Too complicated

Chopra, Rajat et al., ‘The art and science of poster presentation in a conference’ ,
Current Medicine Research and Practice , Volume 4 , Issue 6 , 298 - 304

LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP | 7

 2 Anatomy

20% Text, What should be in it?

40% Graphics,
40% White space
 Title, author(s) and affiliation.
 Introduction, background, objectives.
 Materials, method, procedure.
 Results.
 Conclusion, discussion.
 References, acknowledgements.

2.1 Title

Cfr thesis title.

 Catchy.
Reality? The audience
will browse posters
 To-the-point.
looking for A) keywords  Concise.
in the title, B) names
 Visible from 5m.
they recognize in the
author list, and C) what
institution the poster's www.huttenhower.org/content/welcome-and-creating-scientific-poster
from. What you actually
did is unfortunately
secondary

2.2 Author(s) + affiliation

Write first names in full.

 Initials and titles are not needed.
 Add a photo of the person who is presenting the poster, or highlight name.
 Check with advisor on the author list.
 Don’t forget the affiliation.

2.3 Abstract/Introduction

Max 200 words.

The poster is the elaborated version of the abstract that was sent in.
 Purpose of the research.
The abstract is already
in the proceedings,
 Experimental approach.
don’t repeat it.  Clearly mention the hypotheses.
 You can already state the conclusions

8 | ANATOMY
2.4 Method

Max 200 words.

Try to use as much visual elements as possible:

 Flowcharts.
 Photos.

Text
 Use short sentences.
 Where possible, avoid jargon, abbreviations
 Avoid footnotes.

2.5 Data/results

 KISS (keep it short and simple)

o Get rid of all non-essential information.
 Use graphics as visual to grab the attention.
 Rule:
o 20% text.
o 40% graphics.
o 40% white space.
 Tables:
o Limited number of data.
o Label the columns.
 Charts:
o Large number of data.
o Do not forget to label the plots, axes, put a title, etc.
o Make the graphics large, must be visible from 2m!

2.6 Conclusion

Emphasize the important/strong points

 New insights/interpretations
 Use bullets to distinguish the different elements

2.7 References

 Only the important – no literature study.

 Can be expanded during conversation.

ANATOMY | 9
2.8 Acknowledgements

 Funding
 Who was helping you out with your research

10 | ANATOMY
 3 Production

3.1 start2poster

No idea?
 Looking for inspiration?

o Check examples on the web (Google images)

Build an idea book with o Look for good and bad examples. What are the good / bad
the graphical elements
that appeal to you. elements?
 Start with a template (Google: scientific poster template)
o Pimp the template
 KU Leuven template
o https://www.kuleuven.be/communicatie/marketing/templates/kuleu
ven_postersjabloon.html
o https://www.kuleuven.be/communicatie/marketing/intranet/logosen
zegels/index.html

3.2 Tips

Check:

www2.le.ac.uk/offices/ithelp/downloads/training/students/powerpoint-2010-posters-quick-
guide

https://weblearn.ox.ac.uk/access/content/group/e05e05d2-f4ce-4a24-a008-
031832bd1509/LearningRes_Open/Course_Book_Ppt_TIUD_Conference_Posters10.pdf
 Page setup
o Start immediately by setting the correct final dimensions of the
poster ( 84cm * 118cm)
o Limit on dimensions in PowerPoint
 Max 142 cm
o Have a look at 100% (detailed view for the graphics)
o Use ruler and guides
o Use the Zoom function
o Think big: must by readable from 2m; title must be readable from
5m.
 Text
o Align (text and text blocks)
provides a sense of order
o Align left, do not use justify
o Layout
 7-8 words per line

PRODUCTION | 11
 Limit the size of a text line, make it easy for the reader

12 | PRODUCTION
 Font
o Easy-to-read font
o Large enough
o Limit the number to a minimum (3)
 Layout
o From left to right, from top to bottom.
o Visualize the flow.
 Align + balance
o Left align, do not justify.
o Align text blocks, graphics: use the align tool
o Keep the column width the same
 Charts
o Background is not helpful.
o Put info next to the plot, no need for a legend.
o Are gridlines necessary?
o Label Y-axis horizontally.
o Is it visible from 2m?
o Limit the use of 3D-charts.
 Images/figures
o Use high quality pictures (300 - 600ppi), be careful that the file
size is still acceptable (<100 MB – problems when printing)
 Avoid illustrations taken from web
 Low resolution
 Copyright (flickr.com - Only search within Creative
Commons-licensed content)
o Label all figures
o Trim figures, keep only the important part.
o Avoid clip-art.
o When needed, use appropriate software to touch up your images
(Photoshop, gimp, pixlr.com...)
o Lock aspect ratio – no distortions.
o Check poster at 100%
 Color
o Go for light colors. No dark backgrounds (only for titles).
o Avoid pure decoration, color has to be functional.
o Limit the number of different colors (3).
o Avoid gradients and transparency.
o Color blindness.
http://www.vischeck.com/vischeck/vischeckImage.php

PRODUCTION | 13
3.3 Print

icts.kuleuven.be/sc/plotter
 Do not wait until the last minute!!! Provide 2 days; Murphy is waiting
around the corner.
 Use PDF as file type (PowerPoint can export as PDF)
 Make sure the dimensions are correct.
 Check the poster before sending (typo, is everything in it? etc.)
 Avoid dark backgrounds and gradients
o Banding
o Too much ink curls the paper
 Glossy paper is photo quality paper
o professional
o best ink absorption
o reflections
 Resistance
o Ink is not water resistant
o UV-resistance, posters will get pale.
 Color?!
o Colors on print <> colors on screen.

14 | PRODUCTION
 4 SOS Poster

What makes your poster exuberant, effective, irresistible, overwhelming,

memorable,

Try:
 Catchy interesting title.
 Eye-catching illustrations, charts.

 Characteristic color scheme.

Most posters have a
white background, try
 Unusual layout.
some light color

4.1 Verify, check, control!

 Is everything correct?
o Units in figures, conclusions, etc.
o All figures labeled?
o Etc.
 Typos.
 Uniform use of color.
 Uniform charts, figures, etc.

4.2 A day in the life of

 Follow Steve Hamblin in his poster adventure

(winawer.org/blog/2012/07/09/memoir-of-an-academic-poster/
read also (winawer.org/blog/2012/08/11/memoir-of-an-academic-talk/ a
talk is not a poster!)
 What if it goes wrong?
scienceblogs.com/mikethemadbiologist/2011/05/27/some-advice-for-the-
lonely-stu/
 Field Guide to Scientific Conferences: an Ecological View
rrresearch.fieldofscience.com/2012/04/conference-social-skills.html
 An underwhelming experience
gjmorris.com/2012/02/05/getting-over-an-underwhelming-poster-
presentation-experience/
 Poster designing: a warm welcome to Hell!
blogs.warwick.ac.uk/researchexchange/entry/poster_designing_a/

 Tip of Curtis Huttenhower, start from a template pimp it

www.huttenhower.org/content/welcome-and-creating-scientific-poster

SOS POSTER | 15
  http://www.diogoguerra.com/essays/2014/09/designing-scientific-posters-
easy-tips-for-researchers/
 http://www.exordo.com/blog/poster-perfecting-the-poster-presentation/

4.3 What’s next?

QR code
 www.poweredbyosteons.org/2011/04/qr-code-for-academic-posters.html
 Put an interactive version of your poster online
 Links to documents

Tablet spot
 blog.postersession.com/2012/02/14/research-posters-with-an-ipad-spot
 Put a tablet on your poster.

Eposters
 www.eposterslive.com

16 | SOS POSTER
5 Sources

Status: January 2015

Websites
 Zen Faulkes blog
betterposters.blogspot.com
 Colin Purrington
colinpurrington.com/tips/academic/posterdesign
 George Hess, Kathryn Tosney, Leon Liegel
www.ncsu.edu/project/posters
 Cornell
www.cns.cornell.edu/documents/ScientificPosters.pdf
 Penn State
writing.engr.psu.edu/posters
 NASA
www.waspacegrant.org/for_students/student_internships/wsgc_internships/poste
rdesign.html

Articles
 Steven Block, Do's and Don'ts of Poster Presentation, Biophysical
Journal, Volume 71, December 1996, pp 3527-3529
www.stanford.edu/group/blocklab/dos%20and%20donts%20of%20poster
%20presentation.pdf
 The scientist
the-scientist.com/2011/09/01/poster-perfect
 Nature
www.nature.com/naturejobs/science/articles/10.1038%2Fnj7387-113a
 Erren TC, Bourne PE (2007) Ten Simple Rules for a Good Poster
Presentation. PLoS Comput Biol 3(5): e102.
doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.0030102
 Rougier N, Droettboom M.,Bourne PE, Ten Simple Rules for Better
Figures,
http://www.ploscompbiol.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.p
cbi.1003833

Professional poster printing (tips + templates)

 blog.postersession.com
 www.posterpresentations.com
 www.makesigns.com/SciPosters_Home.aspx
 phdposters.com

SOURCES | 17
Poster journal

 www.eposters.net
 www.epostersonline.com

More examples
 www.flickr.com/photos/tags/postersession/
 www.flickr.com/groups/pimpmyposter/

Images
 Flickr (www.flickr.com): In advanced search, search on content with CC
licenses. (www.flickr.com/search/advanced)
 AnimalPhotos (animalphotos.info): pictures of animals CC licenses.
 Google images: In advanced search
(www.google.com/advanced_image_search?hl=eng) search on content
with CC licenses.
 Open Clip Art - openclipart.org
 Morgue File - www.morguefile.com
 Wikimedia Commons - commons.wikimedia.org
 Library of Congress Prints & Photographs online - www.loc.gov/pictures
 FreeFoto.com
 Image*After - www.imageafter.com

Design tips
• en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Design_elements_and_principles
• www.johnlovett.com/test.htm
• Williams, Robin. The Non-Designer’s Design Book: Design and
Typographic Principles for the Visual Novice. 2nd edition. Berkley,
California: Peachpit Press, 2004.
• graphicdesign.stackexchange.com/

Infographics tips
• www.coolinfographics.com/blog/tag/science
• junkcharts.typepad.com/junk_charts/infographics

Which chart?
• www.juiceanalytics.com/writing/chart-selection-art-and-science
• extremepresentation.typepad.com/blog/2006/09/choosing_a_good.html

Working with illustrations

18 | SOURCES
 it.med.harvard.edu/pg.asp?pn=ris_handouts

SOURCES | 19
 ICTS
ONDERSTEUNING ONDERZOEK
Willem de Croylaan 52b
3000 Heverlee, BELGIË
https://admin.kuleuven.be/icts/onderzoek