designing research posters - cmu · designing research posters how to make a clear and successful...
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DESIGNING RESEARCH POSTERS
How to make a clear and successful scientific poster
Juliann Reineke
PhD Candidate, Literary and Cultural Studies
GCC Assistant to the Director
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Jennifer Lott
Senior, Chemical Engineering
GCC Consultant
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This presentation teaches you three main strategies for improving your poster
3. Make strategic design
decisions
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1. Choose a familiar organization
pattern
Introduction
Method
Results
Discussion
Problem
Solution
Test Solution
2. Cut non-essential information
ORGANIZATION
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The most common organization follows the IMRD format, even
for Humanities posters
Introduction
Methods
Results
Discussion
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Why do we care?
What did I do?
What did I find?
What are the implications?
Intro
Methods
Results
Discussion
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Intro
Methods
Discussion
Results
Posters in applied disciplines may take a problem/solution structure
Problem
Solution
Test Solution
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What am I trying to do?
Why do we care?
What did I do?
Did it work?
Problem
Solution
Test Solution
WHAT TO PRIORITIZEFocus attention on your contribution
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Which sections are most important to readers?
• Title
• Abstract
• Introduction
• Methods
• Results
• Conclusion
• References
• Acknowledgments
• School logo
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Which sections are most important to readers?
• Title
• Abstract
• Introduction
• Methods
• Results
• Conclusion
• References
• Acknowledgments
• School logo
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Which sections are most important to readers?
• Title
• Abstract
• Introduction
• Methods
•Results• Conclusion
• References
• Acknowledgments
• School logo
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POSITIONING INFORMATION
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We need to get the most important information in the most
important position on the poster
Top
Bottom
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Vertical columns should be constructed with audience in mind
Left Center Right
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Introduction
Results
Methods
Discussion
ReferencesAcknowledgment
Strategically position your project’s most important information where it
will be seen
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Introduction
Methods
Results
References &
Acknowledgments
Adjust the focal point depending on what is most important in your project
Discussion
More
intro/motivation
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Introduction Results
Methods Conclusions
ReferencesAcknowledgment
More
results
Contact
Layout decisions are flexible, but should be deliberate
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PRESENTING YOUR
RESULTS
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What are the most important aspects of the results?
• The word “Results”
• A graph of your data
• A detailed description of what is in the graph
• How you collected your data
• The main lesson to be drawn (i.e., the interpretation of your results)
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What are the most important aspects of the results?
• The word “Results”
• A graph of your data
• A detailed description of what is in the graph
• How you collected your data
• The main lessons to be drawn
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Imagine the poster as today’s newspaper
Concise Headline
Subheadings
Short paragraphs
Informative Images
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Introduction
Methods
Conclusions
References
Acknowledgment
Title
Results
Figure 2: Rates of Gastric Ulcer Recurrence
for the year after successful healing with
Ranitidine-Only vs. Triple Therapy Treatments.
Patients received ranitidine, 300 mg, or ranitidine plus triple therapy.
Triple therapy consisted of tetracycline, 2 g; metronidazole, 750 mg;
and bismuth subsalicylate. Endoscopy to assess ulcer recurrence
was done at 3-month intervals for a maximum of 2 years.
Perc
en
t R
ecu
rren
ce
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
4 8 16 24 32 40
Ranitidine alone
Triple therapy
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The probability of
recurrence for
patients who
received triple
therapy plus
ranitidine was
significantly lower
than that for
patients who
received
ranitidine alone
Weeks
Introduction
Methods
Conclusions
References
Acknowledgment
Title
Triple therapy reduced ulcer recurrence
75% of gastric ulcer patients who received ranitidine alone
had a ulcer recurrence within a year compared to 13% of
those receiving ranitidine plus triple therapy
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
4 8 16 24 32 40
Ranitidine alone
Triple therapy
Weeks
Perc
en
t R
ecu
rren
ce
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Introduction
Methods
Conclusions
References
Acknowledgment
Title
Triple therapy reduced ulcer recurrence
75% of gastric ulcer patients who received ranitidine alone
had a ulcer recurrence within a year compared to 13% of
those receiving ranitidine plus triple therapy
Weeks
Perc
en
t R
ecu
rren
ce
Headline (key finding)
Informative illustration
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0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
4 8 16 24 32 40
Ranitidine alone
Triple therapy
Quick
explanation
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The news headline approach can
apply to every section of your poster
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Introduction
Methods
Results
THE FINER DESIGN DETAILS
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Use whitespace instead of boxing everything in47
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Use 2-3 complimentary colors (excluding photos) on a white background
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Text should be left-aligned, not justified
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Text types that hinder readability are the following:
• ALL CAPS
• Italics
Sans serif fonts are typically more readable
• Serif fonts have “feet.”
• Sans serif fonts do not.
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LAST ADVICE
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Squint at your poster:
Does the most important information stand out?
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Website
www.cmu.edu/gcc
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