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Poster Presentations. IM-SURE Program The University of Montana Summer 2009. Putting a Paper on a Poster. Research papers and posters contain most of the same information. Posters are a more succinct method of communicating your research.
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Poster Presentations IM-SURE Program The University of Montana Summer 2009
Putting a Paper on a Poster • Research 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 jargon and acronyms.
Goals of a Poster • What 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.
Templates • Available in PowerPoint and easily found on the web. • Common templates are two to four columns of information, usually split into distinct units. • The OREOS Undergraduate Research Symposium size is 3’Hx 4’L.
Design • 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 associations: • Green and read – Christmas • Orange and black – Halloween
Poster Sections • Title • Abstract • Introduction/Background • Hypothesis • Methods & Materials • Results/Predicted Results • Discussion/Predicted Outcomes • Citations
Title & Abstract • Title • Make it interesting. • Part of the introduction. • Limited to two lines. • Abstract • Keep it short, ~250 words. • Should summarize your research.
Introduction • Introduction & Background • Get your viewer interested. • Provide context and the minimum background needed to understand your research. • Should include your objectives and hypothesis. • Illustrate.
Methods • Keep 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.
Results • Did 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 is.
Discussion • Generally 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, mention the future directions of your experiments.
Citations & Acknowledgments • Your 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 can be given to your mentors, others who provided laboratory or analytical assistance, and your funding source.
Discussing/Defending a Poster • You 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. • What areas of research or which experiments you would like to do next to continue the research?
Poster Session – August 5th • Posters will be on display most of the day during the session. • Students will be required to be present at their poster for a session of two to three hours. • Students will be expected to be able to discuss their research. • Students will have the opportunity to read other posters.