Creating Science Posters
So you have your experiment, you got your data, you looked at it, and now you are starting to make sense of it...and you have to make a poster?? Part of any researcher's journey is sharing their experience and their findings to the scientific community. For students in our Students on the Beamline Groups, this comes in the form of a seminar at the CLS, creating a poster to submit for our annual Poster Competition, and finding additional ways to disseminate their experience to the public.
Creating a science poster is very much an art and science. You have to communicate the details of your experiments but also make sure it is catching to the eye! A scientific poster should be able to stand on its own but you should also be able to speak and elaborate on any part of the poster. Going through this creation process is a valuable part for anyone considering a career in a STEM-related field, as professional researchers create scientific posters as well!
You will find in this section of the website, resources to help you create a scientific poster that not only communicates your scientific story, but stands out in a crowd.
*It is also important to note that posters are going to be unique to the message you are trying to communicate and it is okay when you break the typical mold. It is your story!*
Resources
These are a few of the resources we commonly share with students in our SotB program, when they begin to create their own science poster. There are important details every author needs to be aware of but it is important that the poster is a representation of you and your science experience. There are tons of templates online for you to start with and likewise, lots of different programs that can help with creating. Find what works for you and remember, you can always bounce ideas of others. Happy creating!
Cornell Uni - How To Make a Good Scientific Poster.pdfHow to Make a Good Scientific Poster
From Cornell University
This PDF presentation is a great step-by-step guide on how to create the perfect poster. From starting with the layout, to considering your audience, to helpful tips throughout (remember, keep it simple but effective!), this is a great resource to start at for students creating scientific posters. Remember that posters are unique to your story and while this PDF shares a more typical way of creating posters, it is not the only way! Check out the #betterposter resource in our Other Resource list for ideas!
SotB Poster Competition Resources
SotB Poster Instructions - Document outlining the expectations and basic details for groups submitting to our annual Poster Competition.
SotB Poster Rubric - This rubric is what we use with our judges and peer-review portions of the SotB Poster Competition. It is always helpful to review any criteria of a competition or assessment before creating the thing to be assessed.
YouTube Video on SotB Poster Competition - We interviewed a teacher who has been part of SotB for numerous years. Hear how she explains the significance of poster competitions had on her students.
Examples of Student Posters
Previous SotB Poster Winners Page - This web page lists all the winners of the SotB Judges' Poster Competition, from as far back as 2006! Check them out!
CLS Student Poster with Traditional Knowledge - An example of how Janice Osecap, a CLS Summer Student, brought Traditional Knowledge and mainstream science together in a science poster. Check out her presentation of the poster too!
SotB Projects Database - Looking for more poster examples? Check out our SotB Projects Database. Search in the table to find posters that may fit your area of research for some ideas!
Other Resources
U of S How to Create a Research Poster - Detailed PDF that provides important points to consider for your content and formatting of your poster, as well as a few tips and tricks!
U of S How to Present Research - A worksheet to get you thinking of what you want to present and communicate to your audience, if your poster is submitted in a poster session.
U of S Poster Judging Criteria - Another example of how posters can be judged. A poster should still be able to stand on it's own but in poster sessions, most often a short 2 minute speech is provided by the author(s).
#betterposter - An article providing a different perspective on how to create posters. Remember that a poster is unique to the story you want to share and this article is a good read on getting you thinking about how best to share that story.