Ch28

Scientific Writing and Communication, 2e Angelika H. Hofmann Copyright © 2014 by Oxford University Press

Chapter 28

Posters and Presentations


• Publications

• Presentations

• Posters

Types of Scientific Communication

Poster = Visual way to show your workPoster = Visual way to show your work


Content of a Poster Presentation

Include:• Title• (Abstract)• Introduction• (Materials and Methods)• Results• Conclusion• (References)• (Acknowledgements)

Design the poster around your research question Design the poster around your research question


Poster Organization

• Concentrate only on the main points in each section

• Let illustrations tell the story

• Vary size and spacing of the poster sections

• Aim for about 20% text, 40% graphics, and 40% empty space


Poster Layouts

T i t l e a n d A u t h o r s T i t l e a n d A u t h o r s

T i t l e a n d A u t h o r s

Horizontal

Symmetrical

Vertical

Asymmetrical


Background:• Use no more than two or three colors in the background • Avoid designs in background

Color:• Use consistent font and colors • Use conservative colors • Use good contrast

Font:• Use large font (24–48 pts)

This is OK This is OK

This is not OK This is not OK

This is OK

Background, Color, and Format of Posters


Lettering should be easy to read

48 point

36 point24 point

18 point

14 point

12 point

10 point

8 point

Posters

Slides

TitlesTextFootnotes

Journals

Poster Font Size


WORDS ARE HARDER TO READ AND TAKE

UP MORE SPACE

Words are harder to read

and take more space

Avoid blocks of capital letters

Poster Font Type


• Use an interesting title

• Use a small amount of text

• Structure layout to guide readers

• Break text visually; make it readily available

• Use left justification

• Use active voice

• Proofread carefully

Poster Text Format


Readability

• Large enough lettering and symbols

• Easy to distinguish symbol shapes

• Uncluttered graphs

Emphasis• Highlight important information (data)• Use different line weights:

curves—darkest letters in axis labels—less darkaxes, tick marks, error bars, keys, and curve labels—least

dark

Figures > Tables > Text

Figures > Tables > Text

Visual Aids on Posters


printed figures ≠ slide figures ≠ poster figures

S.p.xS.p.

S.f.xS.p.

S.f.xS.f.

Poster Figures

Title and brief legendTitle and brief legend

Per

cent

of

ST

EM

gra

duat

es

Figure X. Percent of STEM majors graduating in scientific disciplines in China, the US and in Germany over the past two decades. Although roughly twice as many students initially declare a major in a STEM field in US univrsities, less than half of them graduate in the field and graduation numbers are declining. STEM graduates include male and females students finishing a four-year degree from a public or private university in each country. The survey spanned 420 universities in the US, 382 in Germany and 764 in China. Numbers were averaged by students that declared a stem major by the end of the first year of their studies.

We surveyed male and female students for STEM majors at 420 universities in the US, 382 in Germany and 764 in China finishing a four-year degree from a public or private university. Numbers are averaged by students that declared a STEM major by the end of the first year of their studies.

Per

cent

of

ST

EM

gra

duat

es

STEM graduates in China, the US, and in Germany

Per

cent

of

ST

EM

gra

duat

es

STEM graduates in China, the US, and in Germany


AbstractTo examine the food requirements of cardinals, we assessed the feeding frequency as well as the amount and type of food taken at feeders. We found that cardinals require on average 20 meals of 25g a day during spring, summer, and fall. Their preferred food source consists of black sunflower seeds. During winter, birds needed about 33% more food per day. When feeding chicks, males and females both required 55% more seeds. Thus, it is important to offer more food to cardinals during winter and when they are rearing chicks.

PurposePurpose

ApproachApproach

Main Findings

Main Findings

ImportanceImportance

Sample Poster AbstractNo references

No references


Question/Purpose

Question/Purpose

Background

Background

ProblemProblem

ApproachApproach

Introduction

The landscape of the Middle East has been altered by human activity for most of the Holocene period. Rapid population growth, political conflict, and water scarcity are common throughout the area. All of these factors increase the region’s vulnerability to potentially negative impacts of climate change while decreasing the likelihood of successfully emerging region-wide adaptation strategies. In this study, we analyzed climate change in the Middle East during the 21st century as predicted by 18 Global Climate Models. The simulations were run as part of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fourth Assessment Report (IPCC AR4) and used the Special Report on Emission Scenarios (SRES) A2 emission scenario.

Sample Poster Introduction


Sample Poster Experimental Approach

24 hrsDark

Mechanism of UV MutagenesisUV light exposure, 30”

Culture of P. patens

Isolate protoplasts according to [2]

Media containing 0 - 2μM NAAVisually select phenotypic mutants

Screen for effects of auxin according to [3]

Classify mutants as described [4]

Visual Presentation

Visual Presentation

Few wordsFew words

Structure leads readers

through

Structure leads readers

through


Figure 1. Mean change in annual temperature and precipitation. There is high agreement amongst the global climate models for the predicted temperature change and significant disagreement for the predicted precipitation change.

ResultsSection titleSection title

Results presented as visual, not

text

Results presented as visual, not

text

Figure legend with title and

data interpretation

Figure legend with title and

data interpretation

Sample Poster Result Section


Conclusions•Mean annual temperatures will increase by ~4K by the late 21st century.

•Changes in precipitation are more variable; the largest change is a precipitation decrease over an area covering the Eastern Mediterranean and Turkey.

•Changes in precipitation will have a significant impact on fresh water resources

Bullet point presentationBullet point presentation

Main findings

only

Main findings

only

Sample Poster Conclusion


• Be at your poster during the assigned poster session

• Arrive at least 15 min early

• Dress professionally

• Check set-up

• Hide personal items

• Put handouts, business cards and reprints nearby

Poster Presentation


• Have a 5- to 10-min talk prepared

• Answer questions and tell viewers about your work

• Identify everything on the poster

• Focus on graphics

• Do not read the poster

• Avoid distracting tics

Giving the Presentation


Sample Poster

Documents

Ch28