Uncovering the Secrets to Effective Poster Presentations Cathie
Osika Landreth, MS, RN Sue Bethel MS RN
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Objectives 1.Describe the steps to creating effective poster
presentations 2.Describe how to effectively present your poster
3.Perform a critique of several posters 4.Identify differences
between research & evidence based practice posters
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Steps 1.Planning ahead 2.Designing content 3.Editing the
content 4.Critiquing your poster
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Planning Questions to ask? What is my message? What
restrictions do I have to work within? How much resources do I
have? How do I plan my time?
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Message Pointers Stay Focused Keep it simple Make the strongest
message your data will support Ensure the message is presented in a
way to reach the whole audience
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Abstract Carefully review the Call for Proposals Explain why
the work is important Describe objectives Briefly explain methods
State results, conclusions and recommendations concisely
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Abstract Can help with planning the message Is often required
for submission Do NOT include on the poster itself May have
available as a handout
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Layout Visual grammar Column format Organizational cues Read
top to bottom, left to right Headings Balance White space
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Good or bad? Introduction Make sure you provide the reader with
background information Objectives Tell the reader why you did the
study Methods What did you do Dont use too much detail, just enough
to get he point across Use bullet points Results Display in graphs,
charts Keep words to a minimum Conclusions Do not restate results
Interpret results based on findings Can compare to other studies
Acknowledgements Recommendations Use this space to state future
studies What could be done differently
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Good or bad? Introduction: What we studied and why we studied
it. I put a lot of jargon in here about all the literature review.
I read all the articles so I thought you must know that. I must be
really smart to be able to tell you this much. Methods We did a lot
of things that I would like to explain in detail down to the
temperature of the coffee, the type of coffee we used and where we
bought it. I know you will need to know this stuff if you intent to
replicate my study. Oh by the way did I fail to mention why we even
did this study. Right now you must be saying who care like we dont
know that caffeine makes people more alert and sends you to the
bathroom a lot. But I just assumed you would know why I thought
this was an interesting study. Results Knowing that you can not
read my charts I think I will restate everything over there, so if
you were a determined one and spent the last fifteen minutes trying
to read them you will be equally as mad to now find out you could
have skipped all that and just gone to reading these words.
However, I am running out of space to I will continue to decrease
my font size down to the point this is totally unreadable too
unless you happen to bring a magnifying glass. But certainly it is
easier on me to put everything I want to say into this paragraph
rather than edit myself to get my point across. Conclusions: To
save space I figured I would just continue this section on with my
conclusions so I can restate my results and then interpret them for
you. So as you have figured out no bullets wordy text and small
fonts do not make for a good poster presentation. If you are like
me you may walk on by because it looks too difficult to read versus
standing there trying to decipher the small writing and figure out
what my point is. Acknowledgements: Caffeine Task Force
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The Good and the Bad Good Organized Spaced well Used white
space well Graphs simple Bad Disorganized Layout not consistent
Graphs too busy Paragraph format hard to follow Missed key
message
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Good or bad? Introduction Make sure you provide the reader with
background information Objectives Tell the reader why you did the
study Methods What did you do Dont use too much detail, just enough
to get he point across Use bullet points Results Display in graphs,
charts Keep words to a minimum Conclusions Do not restate results
Interpret results based on findings Can compare to other studies
Acknowledgements Recommendations Use this space to state future
studies What could be done differently
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Headings Opportunity to highlight important points Help to
organize and provides a path to move the reader through the poster
Use type size to display importance Be bold- make the strongest
statement the result will support
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Your title is your selling point! You dont want people to walk
up to your poster and stand there for a few minutes trying to read
your title while they decide whether they should stay and read the
rest of your poster or go and get a drink or maybe go to the next
poster that has a shorter title, or the bathroom, oh my god this is
taking forever. Ugh.
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What about these titles? Antihypertensive Treatment in People
with Dementia Three-year outcome of the HALT trial: a prospective
analysis of radiofrequency volumetric thermal ablation of myomas
Screening for depression in hospitalized pediatric patients Spine
trauma in very young children: a retrospective study of 206
patients presenting to a level 1 pediatric trauma center
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Graphics Communicate relationships quickly Simple and clean
Explain on figures instead of referencing somewhere else Avoid
three dimensional graphs Text needs to be readable Use art
sparingly Cite any sources if using copyrighted graphics
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Text 50 words are fewer in each section Use phrases/bullet
points Active voice Avoid jargon Left justify Use readable font
(serif (Times) for text, Sans- serif (Helvetica) OK for titles)
Font size 24 for text, 36 for headings Title should be at least 5
cm tall
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Color Light background with dark lettering Limit to 2 to 3
colors If using multiple colors, use consistent pattern Be careful
in using colors to differentiate, those who are color blind will
miss the point
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Edit Simply verbiage Reduce sentence complexity Delete details
If it is not relevant delete it
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Critiquing Get feedback from others Do a 60 second evaluation
Tools Critique your own work using the critique tools or have a
colleague critique it
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Research Poster A hybrid of an oral presentation and a
published paper; Should briefly summarize each part of your
research Research is meant to leave the lab, without dissemination,
research never really happened
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Components for Research Poster Title Background Research
Question / Hypotheses Method Results Discussion References
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Background Should be written to bring the reader up to speed
Try to use bulleted sentences that drive home the main ideas Tell
them why the research is important Great place to put a photo
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Research Question(s)/ Hypothesis Tell the reader your
question(s): this is what drove your research inquiry State in
everyday, simple language that will help anyone relate to the issue
Keep language simple
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Methods Refrain from getting lost in the details Remember this
is not a manuscript Pictures and diagrams are your friend. Much
more pleasant to quickly look over a flow chart describing a series
of events
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Results Usually contains statistics so that people will
actually believe what youre saying! Use graphs and figures here to
tell your story. Use bulleted phrases that tell your reader that
widget group A was different from widget group B on some
measure
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Discussion Tells everyone how important your research results
are and what they all mean Again, use bullet points Tell the viewer
why your results are interesting by placing the findings in a
broader context. How do your results fit into that bigger picture
Tell the viewer what is next?
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References May need to limit number due to space
Acknowledgements Who helped you? State their name..not necessarily
their title Contact Info
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Evidence Based Practice Poster Describes the process &
outcomes from critical appraisal and use/translation of the highest
level of evidence and most relevant research evidence related to a
clinical question that impacts practice
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Evidence Based Practice Poster Title- should represent
significance of project Use of an EBP model Purpose goals of
project Synthesis of the current evidence Change/ Translation into
practice Implementation Strategies plan & outcomes evaluates
Evaluation findings and implications for practice
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EBP model adopted by GHS Nursing ACE Star Model of Knowledge
Transformation Adapted from: Dr. Kathleen Stevens, University of
Texas San Antonio * Used with permission Discovery Evidence
Summaries - Synthesis Translation Literature Implementation
Evaluation - Outcomes
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Hanging your poster Know space constraints Know what you will
have available If you will be hanging your poster on a surface be
sure to have the right adhesive Good idea to trial ahead of time
Make sure your poster is hung squarely and neatly If you are
spatially challenged, consider bringing a level
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Presenting Make sure you are at your poster at the assigned
times Check with conference organizers on any requirements Talk TO
the viewer dont talk TO the poster Go over: Context of your
problem/why important Objective & what you did What you found
What this means Do not read from your poster Thank visitors for
viewing your poster!
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Handouts Abstract is great Contact information Bibliography
Some suggest having a mini version of your poster on a 11x17 sheet
Make sure you bring enough and keep restocked
