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Scientific Posters Do’s & Don’ts
januari 2015
ICTS
CONTENTS | 3
Contents
1 Look before you leap ................................................................................ 5
1.1 A scientific poster? ............................................................................ 5
1.2 Stepping stones ................................................................................. 6
1.2.1 Where: Read the instructions ................................................... 6
1.2.2 What: What message would you give? ..................................... 6
1.2.3 Who is your audience? ............................................................. 6
1.2.4 Planning poster + print.............................................................. 6
1.3 Poster is visual .................................................................................. 7
1.3.1 Draw attention .......................................................................... 7
1.3.2 Properties ................................................................................. 7
1.3.3 Pitfalls....................................................................................... 7
2 Anatomy .................................................................................................... 8
2.1 Title ................................................................................................... 8
2.2 Author(s) + affiliation .......................................................................... 8
2.3 Abstract/Introduction .......................................................................... 8
2.4 Method .............................................................................................. 9
2.5 Data/results ....................................................................................... 9
2.6 Conclusion ......................................................................................... 9
2.7 References ........................................................................................ 9
2.8 Acknowledgements ......................................................................... 10
3 Production .............................................................................................. 11
3.1 start2poster ..................................................................................... 11
3.2 Tips ................................................................................................. 11
3.3 Print ................................................................................................. 14
4 SOS Poster .............................................................................................. 15
4.1 Verify, check, control! ...................................................................... 15
4.2 A day in the life of ............................................................................ 15
4.3 What’s next? .................................................................................... 16
5 Sources ................................................................................................... 17
LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP | 5
1 Look before you leap
A good poster can’t make up for bad research, but a bad poster can make good
research hard to recognize! (Washington NASA Space Grant).
1.1 A scientific poster?
What is a poster? Check the different types (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/poster)
Participation in a scientific event.
o Poster sessions are informal, drop-in sessions that allow
presenters to share their (campus) experiences with colleagues on
a one-to-one basis. Poster presenters should be prepared to
provide a brief verbal explanation of their experiences or
applications that may be illustrated through a set of visuals
attached to a large bulletin board or via laptops/screens, etc.
(www.educause.edu).
o Academic posters are a summary of what you did, how you did it,
and what you learned. (www.waspacegrant.org)
Presentation of your research:
o Start off a discussion.
o Feedback on your work.
o Suggestions for improvements, extensions, etc.
o Open collaboration with other researchers.
Communication of scientific research
o Communication of research results in your domain (or other).
o Summary of your research.
o Illustration of the core issues in a visual way.
Pro / cons poster presentation
o Pro
Audience is in charge, audience determines how much
time is spent on your poster.
Personal contact.
Starter for dialogue.
Visual
o Contra
Audience is walking, moving around.
Environment is not always comfortable.
Limited surface of the poster.
Has to be seen from a distance.
Bottom line: advertise your research (and yourself).
Take care of the
abstract of your poster;
some visitors will use
the abstract book to
plan their tour
6 | LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP
1.2 Stepping stones
Collect all the necessary information: What will you present? Who will be the
audience? Where and When? Why are you presenting?
1.2.1 Where: Read the instructions
Try to collect as much information about the meeting
Specific requirements for posters
o Dimensions, font, handouts, color, logo, photos, etc.
Where is it happening?
o Location, schedule, etc.
Judging criteria are very useful.
1.2.2 What: What message would you give?
What do you want the audience to remember? Summarize your research in 33.5
words and 6 figures.
1 to 3 key points (around the conclusions of your research)
Build your poster around these points.
Remember that the audience is already saturated with information.
How can you attract attention?
Prepare a short oral presentation.
1.2.3 Who is your audience?
Think audience! It's your research, but you have to sell it to your audience.
Who is the intended message for?
• Colleague / competitor from the same field.
• Audience from the same field, but using other techniques.
• Audience from other disciplines, but using the same techniques.
1.2.4 Planning poster + print
Start on time! Provide at least 4 weeks.
Look for a template or get inspiration at online examples.
Collect all necessary information in 1 folder
o Photos.
o Data for tables, figures.
Start with a sketch of your poster.
LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP | 7
1.3 Poster is visual
1.3.1 Draw attention
Make sure that the public comes to your poster.
Catchy and/or interesting title.
Eye-catching graphics, charts.
Attractive design
o Layout.
o Color scheme.
1.3.2 Properties
Clear message.
Impact: information that is worth reading.
Appealing: generate interest.
Layout is guiding the reader.
1.3.3 Pitfalls
Bad posters are easy to make:
Too much text (common problem).
Usually last minute work and results…
Posters are being recycled…
Not everyone is a designer. o Too flashy o Too complicated
Chopra, Rajat et al., ‘The art and science of poster presentation in a conference’ ,
Current Medicine Research and Practice , Volume 4 , Issue 6 , 298 - 304
Use post-it’s when
sketching
Get inspiration out of
advertising
Handouts can be used
to give (extra)
background information
8 | ANATOMY
2 Anatomy
What should be in it?
Title, author(s) and affiliation.
Introduction, background, objectives.
Materials, method, procedure.
Results.
Conclusion, discussion.
References, acknowledgements.
2.1 Title
Cfr thesis title.
Catchy.
To-the-point.
Concise.
Visible from 5m.
www.huttenhower.org/content/welcome-and-creating-scientific-poster
2.2 Author(s) + affiliation
Write first names in full.
Initials and titles are not needed.
Add a photo of the person who is presenting the poster, or highlight name.
Check with advisor on the author list.
Don’t forget the affiliation.
2.3 Abstract/Introduction
Max 200 words.
The poster is the elaborated version of the abstract that was sent in.
Purpose of the research.
Experimental approach.
Clearly mention the hypotheses.
You can already state the conclusions
20% Text,
40% Graphics,
40% White space
Reality? The audience
will browse posters
looking for A) keywords
in the title, B) names
they recognize in the
author list, and C) what
institution the poster's
from. What you actually
did is unfortunately
secondary
The abstract is already
in the proceedings,
don’t repeat it.
ANATOMY | 9
2.4 Method
Max 200 words.
Try to use as much visual elements as possible:
Flowcharts.
Photos.
Text
Use short sentences.
Where possible, avoid jargon, abbreviations
Avoid footnotes.
2.5 Data/results
KISS (keep it short and simple)
o Get rid of all non-essential information.
Use graphics as visual to grab the attention.
Rule:
o 20% text.
o 40% graphics.
o 40% white space.
Tables:
o Limited number of data.
o Label the columns.
Charts:
o Large number of data.
o Do not forget to label the plots, axes, put a title, etc.
o Make the graphics large, must be visible from 2m!
2.6 Conclusion
Emphasize the important/strong points
New insights/interpretations
Use bullets to distinguish the different elements
2.7 References
Only the important – no literature study.
Can be expanded during conversation.
10 | ANATOMY
2.8 Acknowledgements
Funding
Who was helping you out with your research
PRODUCTION | 11
3 Production
3.1 start2poster
No idea?
Looking for inspiration?
o Check examples on the web (Google images)
o Look for good and bad examples. What are the good / bad
elements?
Start with a template (Google: scientific poster template)
o Pimp the template
KU Leuven template
o https://www.kuleuven.be/communicatie/marketing/templates/kuleu
ven_postersjabloon.html
o https://www.kuleuven.be/communicatie/marketing/intranet/logosen
zegels/index.html
3.2 Tips
Check:
www2.le.ac.uk/offices/ithelp/downloads/training/students/powerpoint-2010-posters-quick-
guide
https://weblearn.ox.ac.uk/access/content/group/e05e05d2-f4ce-4a24-a008-
031832bd1509/LearningRes_Open/Course_Book_Ppt_TIUD_Conference_Posters10.pdf
Page setup
o Start immediately by setting the correct final dimensions of the
poster ( 84cm * 118cm)
o Limit on dimensions in PowerPoint
Max 142 cm
o Have a look at 100% (detailed view for the graphics)
o Use ruler and guides
o Use the Zoom function
o Think big: must by readable from 2m; title must be readable from
5m.
Text
o Align (text and text blocks)
provides a sense of order
o Align left, do not use justify
o Layout
7-8 words per line
Build an idea book with
the graphical elements
that appeal to you.
12 | PRODUCTION
Limit the size of a text line, make it easy for the reader
PRODUCTION | 13
Font
o Easy-to-read font
o Large enough
o Limit the number to a minimum (3)
Layout
o From left to right, from top to bottom.
o Visualize the flow.
Align + balance
o Left align, do not justify.
o Align text blocks, graphics: use the align tool
o Keep the column width the same
Charts
o Background is not helpful.
o Put info next to the plot, no need for a legend.
o Are gridlines necessary?
o Label Y-axis horizontally.
o Is it visible from 2m?
o Limit the use of 3D-charts.
Images/figures
o Use high quality pictures (300 - 600ppi), be careful that the file
size is still acceptable (<100 MB – problems when printing)
Avoid illustrations taken from web
Low resolution
Copyright (flickr.com - Only search within Creative
Commons-licensed content)
o Label all figures
o Trim figures, keep only the important part.
o Avoid clip-art.
o When needed, use appropriate software to touch up your images
(Photoshop, gimp, pixlr.com...)
o Lock aspect ratio – no distortions.
o Check poster at 100%
Color
o Go for light colors. No dark backgrounds (only for titles).
o Avoid pure decoration, color has to be functional.
o Limit the number of different colors (3).
o Avoid gradients and transparency.
o Color blindness.
http://www.vischeck.com/vischeck/vischeckImage.php
14 | PRODUCTION
3.3 Print
icts.kuleuven.be/sc/plotter
Do not wait until the last minute!!! Provide 2 days; Murphy is waiting
around the corner.
Use PDF as file type (PowerPoint can export as PDF)
Make sure the dimensions are correct.
Check the poster before sending (typo, is everything in it? etc.)
Avoid dark backgrounds and gradients
o Banding
o Too much ink curls the paper
Glossy paper is photo quality paper
o professional
o best ink absorption
o reflections
Resistance
o Ink is not water resistant
o UV-resistance, posters will get pale.
Color?!
o Colors on print <> colors on screen.
SOS POSTER | 15
4 SOS Poster
What makes your poster exuberant, effective, irresistible, overwhelming,
memorable,
Try:
Catchy interesting title.
Eye-catching illustrations, charts.
Characteristic color scheme.
Unusual layout.
4.1 Verify, check, control!
Is everything correct?
o Units in figures, conclusions, etc.
o All figures labeled?
o Etc.
Typos.
Uniform use of color.
Uniform charts, figures, etc.
4.2 A day in the life of
Follow Steve Hamblin in his poster adventure
(winawer.org/blog/2012/07/09/memoir-of-an-academic-poster/
read also (winawer.org/blog/2012/08/11/memoir-of-an-academic-talk/ a
talk is not a poster!)
What if it goes wrong?
scienceblogs.com/mikethemadbiologist/2011/05/27/some-advice-for-the-
lonely-stu/
Field Guide to Scientific Conferences: an Ecological View
rrresearch.fieldofscience.com/2012/04/conference-social-skills.html
An underwhelming experience
gjmorris.com/2012/02/05/getting-over-an-underwhelming-poster-
presentation-experience/
Poster designing: a warm welcome to Hell!
blogs.warwick.ac.uk/researchexchange/entry/poster_designing_a/
Tip of Curtis Huttenhower, start from a template pimp it
www.huttenhower.org/content/welcome-and-creating-scientific-poster
Most posters have a
white background, try
some light color
16 | SOS POSTER
http://www.diogoguerra.com/essays/2014/09/designing-scientific-posters-
easy-tips-for-researchers/
http://www.exordo.com/blog/poster-perfecting-the-poster-presentation/
4.3 What’s next?
QR code
www.poweredbyosteons.org/2011/04/qr-code-for-academic-posters.html
Put an interactive version of your poster online
Links to documents
Tablet spot
blog.postersession.com/2012/02/14/research-posters-with-an-ipad-spot
Put a tablet on your poster.
Eposters
www.eposterslive.com
SOURCES | 17
5 Sources
Status: January 2015
Websites
Zen Faulkes blog
betterposters.blogspot.com
Colin Purrington
colinpurrington.com/tips/academic/posterdesign
George Hess, Kathryn Tosney, Leon Liegel
www.ncsu.edu/project/posters
Cornell
www.cns.cornell.edu/documents/ScientificPosters.pdf
Penn State
writing.engr.psu.edu/posters
NASA
www.waspacegrant.org/for_students/student_internships/wsgc_internships/poste
rdesign.html
Articles
Steven Block, Do's and Don'ts of Poster Presentation, Biophysical
Journal, Volume 71, December 1996, pp 3527-3529
www.stanford.edu/group/blocklab/dos%20and%20donts%20of%20poster
%20presentation.pdf
The scientist
the-scientist.com/2011/09/01/poster-perfect
Nature
www.nature.com/naturejobs/science/articles/10.1038%2Fnj7387-113a
Erren TC, Bourne PE (2007) Ten Simple Rules for a Good Poster
Presentation. PLoS Comput Biol 3(5): e102.
doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.0030102
Rougier N, Droettboom M.,Bourne PE, Ten Simple Rules for Better
Figures,
http://www.ploscompbiol.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.p
cbi.1003833
Professional poster printing (tips + templates)
blog.postersession.com
www.posterpresentations.com
www.makesigns.com/SciPosters_Home.aspx
phdposters.com
18 | SOURCES
Poster journal
www.eposters.net
www.epostersonline.com
More examples
www.flickr.com/photos/tags/postersession/
www.flickr.com/groups/pimpmyposter/
Images
Flickr (www.flickr.com): In advanced search, search on content with CC
licenses. (www.flickr.com/search/advanced)
AnimalPhotos (animalphotos.info): pictures of animals CC licenses.
Google images: In advanced search
(www.google.com/advanced_image_search?hl=eng) search on content
with CC licenses.
Open Clip Art - openclipart.org
Morgue File - www.morguefile.com
Wikimedia Commons - commons.wikimedia.org
Library of Congress Prints & Photographs online - www.loc.gov/pictures
FreeFoto.com
Image*After - www.imageafter.com
Design tips
• en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Design_elements_and_principles
• www.johnlovett.com/test.htm
• Williams, Robin. The Non-Designer’s Design Book: Design and
Typographic Principles for the Visual Novice. 2nd edition. Berkley,
California: Peachpit Press, 2004.
• graphicdesign.stackexchange.com/
Infographics tips
• www.coolinfographics.com/blog/tag/science
• junkcharts.typepad.com/junk_charts/infographics
Which chart?
• www.juiceanalytics.com/writing/chart-selection-art-and-science
• extremepresentation.typepad.com/blog/2006/09/choosing_a_good.html
Working with illustrations
SOURCES | 19
it.med.harvard.edu/pg.asp?pn=ris_handouts
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Willem de Croylaan 52b 3000 Heverlee, BELGIË
https://admin.kuleuven.be/icts/onderzoek
