Research Posters

Title

• The title should be descriptive and not too long.
• It should grab viewers attention.

Names and Affiliations

• List all contributors to the project.
• For poster sessions on campus, list your academic department.

Technical Components

• Abstract
• Introduction
• Methodology
• Results
• Discussion
• Works Cited
• Acknowledgments

Word Count

• Your poster should contain 300-800 words.

• Verify Image Source

  Strategies for checking the source of an image

• Using Creative Commons Images

  How to use and give attribution to Creative Commons images

• Fair Use

  Gives some advice on Fair Use of copyright items.

• Sources for Free Images

  List of web sites for finding free images

• APA Citation

  Specific help from APA for citing images

Poster Size

• Size is determined by the conference organizers.
• Standard sizes are 48" x 36" or 36" x 24"

Arrangement

• Posters are organized into 3 or 4 columns, depending on size and depth of content.
• Organize content from top to bottom and left to right.
• The top left box will be the one that is read the most thoroughly. This is where your abstract goes.
• Use boxes, borders, or shading to contain each area of content.

Font

• Use standard legible fonts.
• Stick to one font, or two maximum.
• Do not mix and match fonts. Use the same font for all content, but you may choose a contrasting font for the title.
• Suggested fonts:
  • Times New Roman
  • Arial
  • Georgia
  • Tahoma
• DO NOT use script fonts or "fun" fonts, such as Brush Script or Comic Sans.
• Font Size
  • Titles: 85 pt.
  • Names: 56 pt.
  • Sub-headings: 36 pt.
  • Body text: 24 point.
  • Captions: 18pt.

Visuals

• Unless you created the visual, you MUST cite your source.
• Visuals should be high resolution. To test, set the zoom to 100% and see if the image is grainy before printing.
• Charts and graphs should be labeled clearly with a caption provided.