NIH Library | http://nihlibrary.nih.gov

Tips for Developing Posters

Alicia Livinski, MPH, MA

NIH Library

June 2017

POSTERS

• Different medium from oral presentations & published

papers

• Snapshot of your work

• Summary to encourage others to learn more

Posters are different

http://action.apha.org/site/MessageViewer?dlv_id=53541&em_id=48143.0

Know your audience

Image from Jackie Wirz presentation.

• What are the conference guidelines for your poster?

• Content

• Size

• Shape (rectangular, square etc.)

• How will it be displayed? (bulletin board, thumbtacks

etc.)

• What are the HRSA guidelines for your poster?

• Do you need to submit an e-copy of your poster

beforehand? If so, by when?

Follow the directions

Image from: Mufidah Kassalias, Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/mufidahkassalias/10519774073

Before preparing the poster, ask yourself:

Define the purpose

Identify take home message

Identify 2-3 key points

Design content & layout

CONTENT FOR THE POSTER

“The average person scans your poster for 10

seconds from 10 feet away. When someone stops,

you should be able to introduce your poster in 10

seconds and they should be able to assimilate all

of the information and discuss it with you in 10

minutes.”

Rule of 10s

Wood GJ & Morrison RS. J of Palliative Medicine, 2011.

1 | Title

2 | Introduction

3 | Methods

4 | Results

5 | Conclusions

6 | Acknowledgements/Info

Poster structure

Outline your poster

Take your 2-3 main points & outline what to include in

each section

• Use Sentence case

• Avoid jargon, acronyms, ALL CAPS

• Make it interesting

• Should support your main points

1 | Title

Source: ClkerFreeVectorImages https://pixabay.com/en/fish-fishing-hook-bait-sport-lure-311720/

• Limit yourself to 2 sentences

• Provide context and rationale for why you did this study

• Use those words wisely!

2 | Introduction

https://cphss.wustl.edu/Products/ProductsDocuments/BP2_2011_INSNA_Networkcentralizationandthedisseminationofevidence-basedguidelines.pdf

• Keep it brief & succinct

• State most important parts of the methodology used

• Statistical analysis:

• When, where, who, and how

• Interventions/program evaluations:

• Who, when, where, how many

• How implemented and assessed

• New project? Consider larger background/methods

sections

• Viewers can contact you or read your paper for more

details

3 | Methods

https://cphss.wustl.edu/Products/ProductsDocuments/CPPW_2012_NCTOH_EvaluatingHigherEdTobaccoPolicies.pdf

3 | Methods

• Keep it readable!

• Layout is key!

• Begin with initial summary of results

• Highlight the results that support your 2-3 key points

(again they can read your paper or talk with you)

• Short paragraph is fine, bullet lists work well too

• Use figures, tables, charts

• “Let your figures do the talking”

• Nearly finished project? Consider larger results section

4 | Results

4 | Results

http://angelirawat.blogspot.com/

• Readable by itself

• Cover “what’s next”

• Don’t recap the results

• Discuss the “aha moments”, implications to the field

• Answer your hypothesis

• Remember many people start reading your poster here!

5 | Conclusions

5 | Conclusions

https://cphss.wustl.edu/Products/ProductsDocuments/BP2_2011_APHA_Influencesontheimplementationofevidence-basedguidelines.pdf

• Should be very small section of poster/optional

• Acknowledgements of people who contributed to the

study, poster, data, etc.

• Funding information

• Your contact information

• Literature cited on the poster

6 | Acknowledgements etc.

https://www.c-changeprogram.org/sites/default/files/Gender_Attitudes_Spousal_Decisionmaking.pdf

PREPARING THE POSTER

• PowerPoint, Photoshop, other graphics software

• Paper or fabric?

• Glossy or matte?

• Posters are large (e.g., 3 x 6 ft, 4 x 6 ft)

• Horizontal or vertical?

• Organizational template available?

• Ask colleague for copy of accepted poster file

• Correct organizational logo formats?

Preparing the poster

Sketch it out

Before using PPT, sketch out your outline and design

Flow of the poster content

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Components of visuals (not to scale)

20% text

40% space

40% images

Slide adapted from Lisa Federer, NIH Library “Scientific Communication & Data Storytelling”

Poster layout

Other poster layout options

1. Open a new blank presentation in PowerPoint.

2. Go to the Design tab and click on Slide Size and then

click Custom Size.

3. A dialog box will appear. Enter the width and height of

the page. Click OK.

4. If the rulers are turned on (on the View tab check the

Ruler box), you will be able to see that the slide is now

the size you entered.

PPT sizing

Finished Poster

Size

Page Size in

PPT

Enlargement

when printed

36" x 48" 36" x 48" 100%

36" x 56" 36" x 56" 100%

36" x 60" 18" x 30" 200%

36" x 72" 18" x 36" 200%

48" x 56" 48" x 56" 100%

48" x 60" 24" x 30" 200%

48" x 72" 24" x 36" 200%

48" x 84" 24" x 42" 200%

48" x 96" 24" x 48" 200%

PPT sizing

Title: 85-100 ptAuthors: 36-56 ptSubheadings: 36-54 ptBody text: 24-32 ptCaptions: 18 pt

Poster font guidelines

Remember! Font size will depend on the size of your poster.

Tips for font type

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Conflicting

guidance

on whether

to sans or

serif fonts.

• Don’t use ALL CAPS

• Don’t use bold and italic at the same time

• Use either bold or italic to emphasize a point

• Don’t set type at an angle

• Ideally use a different color instead of bold in text

• Don’t use more than 2-3 fonts per poster.

• You can use a sans serif for body and serif for title

• But, don’t use Comic Sans font

Fonts

• Using color is a good thing

• Keep the background plain

• Restrict the color pallete to unify the poster

• Leave color to the images/figures

• Use color in images/figures strategically – different

shades of same color, or near each other on color wheel

• Print out in grayscale to see how colors work together

Using color

AVOID!

Avoid loud & garish colors, patterns

Avoid color-blind combinations (red & green; blue & yellow)

Avoid text that fades into the background

• Resolution (dpi, pixels) – will it enlarge?

• Use a resolution >200 dpi

• Do you have a scale bar, magnification, or description for

scientific images?

• Use short, descriptive titles for graphs/charts

• Avoid use of grid lines

Images, graphs, charts

Image from Jackie Wirz presentation.

Example of a bad poster

http://colinpurrington.com/2012/example-of-bad-scientific-poster/

• Proofread, proofread, proofread!

• Ask others to review the text

• Print out a scaled copy of your poster in color to view

layout, placement of sections

• Check dpi/pixels of images used

• Proofread again!

• Does it present your research in the most convincing

light?

• Double check that the sizing is correct

• Print it out and plan for transportation to conference

Final steps

• May eye contact with every visitor

• Give visitor time to read

• Prepare talking points/questions

to ask visitors:

Do my conclusions make

sense?

Is there anything that surprises

you?

Do you see any flaws in my

methods?

• Rehearse your “elevator speech”

for different audiences

Time to present your poster

YOUR RESEARCH ELEVATOR SPEECH

Slides adapted from Lisa Federer, NIH Library “Scientific Communication & Data Storytelling”

NIH Library | http://nihlibrary.nih.gov

Your research elevator speech

NIH Library | http://nihlibrary.nih.gov

Elevator speech elements

Conveys warmth

and passion

25-40 seconds

Has a “hook”

To the point

Conversational

Jargon-free

NIH Library | http://nihlibrary.nih.gov

Elevator speech template 1

• What’s the problem?

• What do you do?

• So what?

There’s a lot of information!

I help people find relevant, reliable & evidence-based information.

Developing & implementing policy & programs requires access & ability to evaluate information.

NIH Library | http://nihlibrary.nih.gov

Elevator speech template 2

• Define who you are

• Explain what you do

• Explain how what you

do is unique

I’m a biomedical informationist at NIH

I help staff develop evidence-based policy & programs and evaluate them.

I work closely with specific groups and become a part of their department.

NIH Library | http://nihlibrary.nih.gov

Your turn!

• Write and briefly rehearse your elevator speech (5 mins)

• Give your elevator speech to the person next to you and

vice versa (40 seconds each!)

• Summarize your partner’s speech and give feedback (5

mins)

• Revise your elevator speech based on feedback

Practice makes perfect!

Image via https://www.flickr.com/photos/tomgood/5953026558

EXAMPLES OF POSTERS

Ensure no one looks at your poster

Slide from “Writing Research Abstracts” class by Beverly Dancy, NIH 2016

https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/ncdhr/publications-presentations/presentations.aspx

Would you stop to read this poster?

GOOD POSTERS

https://cphss.wustl.edu/Products/ProductsDocuments/HAC_IPHposter_2013_10%207%2013_FINAL.pdf

https://livewell.marshall.edu/DMC/news/thomas-reid

http://ph.ucla.edu/news/press-release/2014/nov/fsph-student-and-alum-honored-apha

http://city.milwaukee.gov/Health/HealthData-and-Publications?docid=173888&#.VzPi3IQrLVQ

https://cphss.wustl.edu/Products/ProductsDocuments/TPCI_2010_Lookingbeyondtheurbancore_AnexaminationoftobaccouseinruralMissouri.pdf

• Zielinska E. 2011. Poster Perfect. The Scientist.

• Purrington, C. Poster Design.

• Wood GJ & Morrison RS. 2011. Writing Abstracts and Developing Posters for National Meetings. J of Palliative Medicine, 14(3): 353-359.

• Erren TC & Bourne PE. 2007. Ten Simple Rules for a Good Poster Presentation. PLoS Computational Biology, 3(5): e102-e103.

• Melton, S. April 2013. How to Create a Great Scientific Poster. OHSU, Teaching & Learning Center.

• Wirz, J. 2014. Preparing a Poster. OHSU Research Week.

Resources

NIH Library | http://nihlibrary.nih.gov

Alicia Livinski

alicia.livinski@nih.gov