PowerPoint templates to get you started with research poster design. All are set to 36" x 24". When you click the template is sent to where your documents download.
Consider who your audience will be on presentation day. e.g. Are you a science major who will be presenting to an audience that will include non-science majors? If so, do not include a lot of discipline specific language. or, if it is necessary language, be prepared give definitions.
Know the poster dimensions mandated by the conference or the research day. You do not want to design a poster that will not fit in the space assigned. If you are attending a professional conference, check their website for required poster sizes. If it is a college research day or presentation day for a class, ask your professor for required poster dimensions.
Printed capstone posters at Davis & Elkins College are 3' x 2' (landscape).
For a poster presentation focus on the most important elements of your research. The results section will be largest section of the poster.
A research poster should never have too much text. (Rule of thumb: approx. 350 words)
Introduction to research posters
Making the Presentation
The Presentation
Presenter: explains the project
has short oral summary prepared
use poster as graphic support
professional in dress and behavior
Research Poster: tells a logical story about the project
the poster reads from top-to-bottom, left-to-right
must be neat, professional, and well-organized
stands as an independent scholarly work
Audience: interacts with a poster presentation from 3 distances
From a distance: A quick scan, identifies topic, reads title and name
Pauses to read: understands project, reads sections, graphs, and pictures
Engaged: understands project goals, methods, and outcomes, reads text and references; will ask you questions
