Creating a compelling poster presentation for a scientific meeting can be intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. Use the information below, and refer to our PDF checklist to help guarantee that your poster is meeting-ready.
Know Your Audience
Is your research specific to people in your field (e.g. materials science, industrial physics), or can you broaden your audience to include people in similar or unrelated areas of science? Remember to use clear language and avoid jargon, so that all readers can understand, regardless of their expertise. Don’t forget to work on your elevator pitch!
Give Your Poster a Clean Layout
The preferred poster presentation size for APS meetings is 4'x8'. However, poster dimensions for other scientific meetings may differ, be sure to check the meeting website. Remember to include:
For maximum readability:
What to Include on Your Poster:
Should You Include an Abstract on Your Poster?
For APS meetings, it is not necessary to include your abstract on the poster. However, if you have made significant changes from what you submitted initially, you may wish to include a brief summary.
Still finalizing your abstract? Review our Tips for Writing a Title and Abstract.
Proofread, Proofread, Proofread!
Make sure that everything is spelled correctly, and that your language is consistent. All co-authors should review and agree upon the content of the poster. Show your poster to friends both inside and outside of your department to make sure that your writing is crystal clear. This is also a good way to practice answering questions about your work.
Practice Makes Perfect
Once your work is picture-perfect, it’s time to start rehearsing your presentation. Get started by reading our guidelines for presenting your poster.
At the Meeting
Put your poster up in its designated location at least 30 minutes prior to the start of the poster session, and remove your poster immediately at the close of the session. Please note that AV is not allowed in poster sessions at the APS March and April meetings—posters should be designed using effective printed visuals. Your poster must correspond to the title and content of the abstract you submitted.
Sources:
ACS.org
SPSnational.org
Get even more Tips for:
Tips for Writing Title & Abstract
Tips for Presenting a Scientific Poster