A well-designed research poster should communicate the most important elements of your work clearly, visually, and efficiently. Unlike a manuscript, a poster is designed to support a brief interaction with an audience and should allow viewers to quickly understand your research question, approach, key findings, and conclusions.

The resources and guidance below are designed to help WCUCOM students develop professional research posters for presentation at local, state, regional, and national conferences. WCUCOM offers financial support for printing student posters if the guidelines below are followed. 

Develop a Clear & Informative Title

Your title is often the first thing a viewer notices. It should clearly and concisely communicate the focus of your research and help attendees determine whether they would like to learn more about the project. Creative or engaging titles can be effective, but clarity should always take priority.

Prioritize Visual Communication 

A research poster is a visual presentation—not a manuscript enlarged to poster size. Use figures, graphs, tables, diagrams, images, and other visual elements whenever they communicate information more effectively than paragraphs of text.

Keep written content concise and use headings, short paragraphs, and bullet points to create a clear visual hierarchy. Important information should be readable from several feet away.

Aim to make the major elements of your project immediately apparent:

• • • • What question did you ask?

      • How did you investigate it?

      • What did you find?

      • Why do the findings matter?

Avoid filling every available space. Appropriate white space improves readability and helps guide the viewer through the poster.

Include a QR Code

Consider including a QR code that directs viewers to supplemental materials, additional references, professional contact information, or other appropriate resources related to the project.

Linking the QR code to a resource that can be updated allows you to provide current supplemental information without modifying the printed poster. Always test the QR code before printing and confirm that the linked material can be accessed by individuals outside WCUCOM when appropriate.

Never link to materials containing confidential, identifiable, proprietary, or otherwise restricted research information.

References

Again, a poster is not a publication so reference citations should be at an absolute minimum. This is usually 3-4 references. If you want to give the visitor an opportunity to find out more about your project or a longer bibliography, use the QR code to link out to additional information.

Listing Authors

Individuals listed as authors should have made meaningful contributions to the work being presented. Students should follow applicable conference requirements and accepted authorship standards when determining who should be included.

Discuss authorship and author order with your research mentor and collaborators before developing the final poster. Avoid honorary or courtesy authorship; individuals should not be listed solely because of their title, position, or professional relationship with the research team.

The presenting author may be identified according to the conference's formatting requirements.

When professional credentials are included, use them consistently among authors and follow the requirements of the conference. Medical students may identify their current training level when appropriate (e.g., OMS-II, OMS-III).

Listing Institutional Affiliations

WCUCOM students should identify their institutional affiliation as:

William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine

Hattiesburg, Mississippi

Students conducting research through another institution should also list the collaborating institution as an affiliation when appropriate. Other authors should list the institution or organization associated with their contribution to the project.

Follow conference-specific requirements regarding the formatting and presentation of author affiliations.

WCUCOM Logo 

Research posters presented by WCUCOM students should include the appropriate WCUCOM institutional logo. When research is conducted in collaboration with another institution, the collaborating institution's logo may also be included when permitted.

Approved WCUCOM logo files are available below for use in research posters.

WCUCOM icons for posters:    WCUCOM Seal (black)   -   WCUCOM Seal (red)   -   WCUCOM Horizontal (black)   -   WCUCOM Horizontal (white)

WCUCOM Stacked (black)   -   WCUCOM Stacked (white)   -   WCUCOM Word Mark (black)   -   WCUCOM Word Mark (white)

Important: Do not stretch, distort, recolor, crop, or otherwise alter institutional logos. Use high-resolution or vector versions whenever possible to ensure that logos remain clear when the poster is printed.

References on a poster should be selective and directly relevant to the research being presented. Because space is limited, prioritize the literature necessary to establish the scientific context and support key statements rather than attempting to reproduce the bibliography of a manuscript.

The appropriate number and format of references will vary by project and conference. Always follow conference-specific requirements.

Additional references or supporting literature may also be made available through a QR code when appropriate.

Before submitting your poster for printing, confirm that:

• • • • The poster meets the conference's required dimensions and orientation.

      • The title clearly communicates the focus of the project.

      • Text is concise and readable from several feet away.

      • Figures, tables, images, and graphs are high resolution and clearly labeled.

      • Authors and affiliations are accurate and formatted consistently.

      • WCUCOM and collaborating institutions are appropriately acknowledged.

      • Required institutional logos are included and displayed correctly.

      • References are accurate and appropriately formatted.

      • Any QR codes work and link to accessible, appropriate content.

      • Patient information, if applicable, has been appropriately de-identified and all required permissions or consent have been obtained.

      • All authors and the faculty/research mentor have reviewed and approved the final poster before printing.

Poster Design & Presentation

The following resources provide additional guidance on designing, developing, and presenting scientific posters:

• • • • American College of Physicians – Preparing a Poster Presentation – Practical guidance for preparing and presenting a scientific poster.

      • Scientific Posters: A Learner's Guide (Ohio State University) – A comprehensive guide to planning, designing, and presenting scientific posters.

      • MakeSigns Poster Presentation Video Series – Video-based guidance on research poster development and presentation.

      • Examples of Scientific Posters – Examples and design inspiration for communicating scientific information visually.

Supplemental Literature on Scientific Posters 

Students interested in learning more about effective scientific communication through posters may find the following articles helpful:

• • • • How to Make an Academic Poster

      • Ten Simple Rules for a Good Poster Presentation

      • Identifying Key Components for an Effective Case Report Poster: An Observational Study

      • Writing Abstracts and Developing Posters for National Meetings

Poster Templates 

WCUCOM does not require an official research poster template. Students may select a layout appropriate for their project while following WCUCOM branding expectations and the requirements of the conference.

The following resources provide templates and examples that may be useful when developing a poster:

• • • • PosterNerd

      • PosterPresentations.com

      • Genigraphics

Templates should be treated as starting points rather than required formats. Choose a design that communicates your particular project effectively.

Creating the poster is only one part of a successful conference presentation. Students should be prepared to provide a brief verbal overview of their project, explain their methods and findings, answer questions, and discuss the significance and limitations of their work.

Students attending larger professional meetings may also find guidance on attending a scientific conference on a budget helpful when planning travel and conference expenses.

Information regarding poster printing, reimbursement, and WCUCOM conference travel support is available on the Support for Scholarly Activity page.