the breech presentation

the breech presentation

The Importance of Effective Poster Presentations

1. Introduction

Effective poster presentations have become an essential component of professional conferences and the academic community. While the poster presentation is an integral feature in many disciplines, most presenters receive no formal training on how to make an effective poster. This document serves as a guide for the graduate student or early career scientist on constructing a poster presentation. The overall goal is to sell your work to others – to get them to stop and talk to you. The poster is usually a mixture of a brief text mixed with tables, graphs, pictures, and other presentation formats. At a conference, the researcher stands by the poster display while other participants can come and view the presentation and interact with the author. Often, researchers fail to recognize that the visual display of their research is an integral component of the research process itself and should be considered a valid research activity. Designing the poster is part of the research and the better you do this the better the research is conveyed. Your poster likely will be the first impression the conference attendees have of your research; a well-designed poster can communicate your research in a more effective manner. This first impression is very important as the viewer will make a quick judgment on your research – often in less than a minute – based on the poster. This is true because often the viewer knows very little about your research. A good poster will succinctly communicate the main points using visual forms, attract more attention than a verbal discussion, encourage questions and discussion of the research, and can be a more efficient and effective way of communicating the essence of a research activity.

2. Key Elements of a Successful Poster Presentation

Below the title, there should be an author’s information block that clearly indicates who has done the work, with contact information. If people find your poster interesting, they may want to contact you later, so be sure your contact info is visible.

The title of your poster is the first thing that your audience will see. Typically, the title is the only large text that can be read from a few meters away. It should be succinct but interesting, clearly indicating what your presentation is about. A title with a question generally will prompt the viewer to want to know more.

Effective poster presentations require clear and simple delivery of information; this means carefully designing your poster to convey your information in an engaging manner. Posters are a blend of presenting your information and having an opportunity to engage with individuals that share an interest in your work. When designing your poster, you must consider that your audience will be strolling through aisles of posters, with numerous choices of posters to stop and visit; how will you attract them to stop and spend some time at your poster?

3. Designing an Engaging Poster

Use every element to direct viewers to that conclusion. Well-designed posters use a combination of different methods to communicate their central message. Most people will start by creating the content of their poster in a word processing document. This is a good idea, as it is much easier to rearrange information and change the wording in a word processor than it is using a graphics application. However, do not fall into the trap of then printing this document out and simply pasting it onto a large sheet of paper. All you are then communicating is a sequence of text – you may as well have just sent these people an email! Text is a very efficient way of communication, and posters generally are not. If your central message can be effectively communicated with text alone, chances are a poster is not the best medium for that particular piece of work. A poster with text as its primary communicative method is not engaging. An effective poster uses a combination of different methods such as text, images, and graphs to effectively communicate a message. This is important, as different people are attracted to different methods of communication. Including variety in your poster will increase the likelihood of a diverse range of people understanding your work. Use every method at your disposal to effectively communicate your message. If you have a good reason for including something on your poster, that is, you can relate it back to your central message – go ahead. If you cannot find a clear purpose for an item and a way to relate it back to your central message, you should probably exclude it.

Stick to one central theme. An engaging poster is one that has a clear and focused message. An easy way to make sure your poster is focused is to ask, “What is the one thing that I want people to remember about my study?” Keep this central theme in mind as you design your poster. Everything on your poster, from the layout of your text to the type of illustrations you use, should be used to effectively communicate this central message. Do not include any information that is not directly related to this message.

4. Presenting Your Poster Effectively

1. At the poster session, be there whether anyone approaches your poster or not. If someone is at your poster when you arrive, wait and listen. The person may have a question. You may gain valuable insights into what works and what doesn’t. You also project an air of approachability that can induce others to stop. If the session is particularly well-attended, you may even want to give the person or small groups an informal five-minute overview of your work. Think of it as an extended elevator speech. If you capture their interest, they’re more likely to remember you and come back for details later. 2. Most of your message will be conveyed through your poster’s visuals. People will usually visit your poster because they are drawn to the topic. You need to be prepared to fill in the blanks and walk them through the display. 3. Don’t sit or stand in front of your poster. It’s a barrier. If you are going to eat or drink, do it at someone else’s poster. And don’t leave a stack of refreshments at your neighbor’s poster; they probably won’t appreciate it. 4. Your poster should be self-explanatory; it should not be a mystery that requires people to track you down to understand. If you are not present, people should still be able to get the message by just reading the poster. Although you could go too far in this regard: a poster that can be understood without any oral explanation is not an effective poster for a live presentation, and you would not maximize the benefits of adding your presence to the presentation.

5. Conclusion

Many who witnessed the impact of effective poster presentations are convinced of their value. Great posters can leave remarkable impacts on their audience and make the presenters proud of their work. And making such posters can also be very beneficial to the people who made them. A lot of assessment and self-improvement can come from making a successful poster. Without a strong understanding of the subject matter, it will be difficult to persuade the audience that your work is important. Thus, the aforementioned hints on constructing successful posters could be used as a self-assessment tool to gauge the depth and understanding of the presenters’ work. The clearer understanding one has of their own work, the easier it will be for them to communicate their work to others. Also, the simple-to-follow step-by-step guide could be used as a model for others to use and critique. By making a poster that is critiqued heavily before it is presented, one can save themselves the feeling of stupidity in front of an audience if their work is found to be unclear or flawed. Finally, successful posters can bring forth opportunities. Whether it is a job offer, a new collaboration, or a change in the thinking of a field, presenting an idea to the correct people at the correct time can be very powerful. And thus, it is always important to be prepared to present your work. By today’s standards, a poster or PowerPoint presentation is usually the first form of presentation at large meetings. And for students or young professionals, executing strong poster presentations can be a tool to move forward.