Presenting a Poster

1. Presenting a Poster Explaining Research Demonstrating Scholarship

2. Basics • Poster templates are available on Oncourse in resources in the folder “Poster Templates” • Choose the template that matches your program. Your program’s template has your program logo already on it! • Template use is not required BUT a white background and use of program logos are requirements for printing through CRL. • Use of program logos is a courtesy to the programs that have supported your work.

3. Basics • Poster Submission Deadline to Cho, UL 1140, July 19, by 8 am (tcho@iupui.edu) • Send by email as a Power Point slide. Other formats will not be printed in CRL.

4. Why Give a Poster? • Results are meant to be shared; scholarship is meant to be disseminated. Ideas are the currency of academia. • Feedback improves your work and provides new insights, new avenues of exploration. • Scholarship is about community. • Expands your resume or curriculum vitae. • Professional experience – practice – builds your confidence and your network.

5. Enter Title of the Research Here Studentfirst Lastname and Mentor Lastname Indiana University School of Nursing Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis What are you researching? • State the nature of your research or topic, or your formal hypothesis. • Include one or two questions your research addresses • Assumptions? • What are you testing? • Possible headings: • Purpose • Objective • Issue • Research Question • Problem • Hypothesis • Thesis • Major Points • Premises • Or • Introduction Introduction Brief introduction that should include the purpose or research question of your study and the significance of your study

6. Enter Title of the Research Here Studentfirst Lastname and Mentor Lastname Indiana University School of Nursing Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis Why are you researching this topic? • State briefly what is known about the topic or problem (background). • Why are you examining/considering this topic? Why is it important? Why is it important or interesting to you? • What new information will your work add to the collective knowledge on your topic? Review of Literature • Possible headings: • Justification • Rationale • Motivation • Significance • Background • Or • Review of the Literature Provide a brief literature review, what is already known. Make sure to use important references.

7. Enter Title of the Research Here Studentfirst Lastname and Mentor Lastname Indiana University School of Nursing Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis How are you researching this topic? • Describe your procedures, experimental methods, survey types/designs, interviews, experimental conditions. Be brief, but give enough information to help others understand your basic approach to your work. • Note theories used, developed or demonstrated. • Show pictures of apparatus, people involved, or locations, etc. Methods • Possible headings: • Methods • Methodology • Design • Study Population • Research Subjects What did you do or plan to do? Include study population if any, data-gathering procedures, tests, etc.

8. Enter Title of the Research Here Studentfirst Lastname and Mentor Lastname Indiana University School of Nursing Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis What is the status of your research? • This is your results section! It may take up a substantially larger portion of your poster depending on where you are in your project. • Describe what the status of the project is, your initial or current set of results or observations. • What problems have you encountered? This may merit a separate heading. • What are your conclusions? You may want a separate heading for this, that is - a section for “Results” and a section for “Conclusions”. Conclusions are the lessons learned, new knowledge gained, reformulated hypotheses, or new theories. Current Status of Research • Possible headings: • Current Status • Progress toward Results • Results • Discussion (interpretation of results) • Conclusions • Limitations of Research • Implications Include here the status of your project, initial observations, future directions, problems encountered, etc.

9. References • Use just the most important references in a style common to your discipline (consult the most widely cited publication in your field of study). • No more than 5 references, less if possible.

10. Numbers to remember…. • Lettering should be legible from 5-6 feet away. • Suggested font • − Title: 100-144 points • − Section headings: 72-84 points (Also presenter and mentor names and • affiliations) • − Text: 18-24 points • Pictures: 72 dpi after being sized! • - Both pictures below would be 10 inches on a poster but the picture on your left is 72 dpi as a 10 inch picture. The right hand picture was 72 dpi taken as a two (2) inch copy and then enlarged.

12. A few more words…. • Less is more! Use white space and put only the minimum amount of information on your poster. • No colored backgrounds. Ink is expensive! Instead find interesting pictures or use your graphs and charts to liven it up! Photograph your office, your mentor, laboratory or field site or the apparatus you have on your lab bench (partly finished) • Big type! No fancy fonts! Check spelling and grammar! • Bring your business cards. Hand them out. Network! • Bring handouts (optional)

13. A few more words…. Organization and Clarity • Take time to plan your poster carefully. • The format of a poster requires attention to visual impact. − Focus on central points, main ideas. − Keep the text as brief as possible. Condense your ideas. Use just enough type to prompt your discussion and help you remember your work. − Use unembellished, legible and heavy fonts such as Helvetica or Helvetica Bold. − Black type is best, but bold or color can be used to emphasize or highlight key points.

14. Practice presenting your poster before the session. Do not get to the session and remember you have not seen your poster for two weeks!