Poster Session Information

Content

The poster should testify to the careful design and execution of the research and present clear results that are well interpreted. It should include the following:

• • • • A short title

      • Student’s name

      • Collaborators, adviser(s), and department(s)

      • Funding sources

      • Research objectives

      • Scientific background and significance of research to the field

      • Methods

      • Results/findings (where possible, use graphs rather than tables to present your data)

      • Interpretation of results and conclusions

      • Directions for future research

      • Author contributions: If the student worked with collaborators on the project, including their adviser, this presentation should clearly describe the student’s role in the project.

      • Important references: typically, one includes three to five of the most relevant references; a citation to your own posting/publication would also be appropriate if such posting/publication exists

Presentation Style

The poster should attract attention and convey information. Language should be simple and descriptions brief. Unnecessary jargon should be avoided; necessary technical terms should be defined. CUWiP attendees span many disciplines within physics – don’t assume everyone has the same scientific vocabulary. Remember what it was like when you first started research. Limit the length of text – well thought out pictures, drawings, charts, figures, etc. can convey more information than a large block of text. Pay attention to spelling and grammar. All text should be large enough to be read from a distance of 3 to 5 feet to enable multiple people to view the poster. All components of the poster should be easy to follow even in the absence of the presenter.

If you’ve never made a research poster before, look at examples from your department or online. Practice explaining your poster to friends, labmates, classmates, etc. Get excited!

Oral Summary/Pitch

Each student should prepare an oral summary of their exhibit. This summary should describe the motivation of the project, the methodology, and the conclusions. The summary should not last more than 5 minutes (without questions); however, be prepared for interruptions and clarification questions from the audience.

• In addition to the suggestions below, we highly recommend reading Colin Purrington's poster guidelines.

• Watch out for the resolution of your images! Graphs that look fine on a computer screen are often fuzzy in print—make sure images are generated with a resolution of at least 300 dpi (dots per inch). Screen grabs are usually 72 dpi, and post-processing them to 300 dpi usually doesn't help.

• Do not use anything smaller than 18-point font. For headings, use at least 48-point font. If you are using PowerPoint or Keynote to make your poster, make sure the size of the slide is set to the correct physical size of the poster.

• Avoid jargon. Keep your audience in mind: fellow undergraduate physics majors who are not specialists in your field. If you must use a technical term that your peers may not know, be sure to define and explain it.

• Keep it brief. Save detailed explanations for your verbal interactions with the people stopping by your poster. Your goal should be to write a scaffold for those conversations, with just enough detail that a visitor can quickly understand the basic idea if you aren't there to explain it.

• Use at most two fonts and three colors. The simpler the design, the better.

• Arrange your poster logically. Your poster should lead a visitor through the story you want to tell. Visually draw attention to both the problem your research addresses and to your conclusions. (Tip: try glancing at your poster out of the corner of your eye and see where your eye lands first.)