Conference Posters

How to create an effective conference poster

Basic guideliness on academic posters and how to adjust them to the requirements of your class

Topics

1. What is a poster?2. What is the purpose of a poster?3. Which information should you include? 4. How do you start designing a poster? 5. How do you adjust it to your class requierements?

What is a conference poster?

At conferences, there is a space where presenters hang their posters and you can walk and see the results of various studies at your own pace. A conference poster is research displayed pictorially (Latin: ponere = to place].

A poster communicates the message on its own- the presenter is there just in case the audience is interested in knowing more rather than explaining what is aready said in the poster.

A conference poster

• Is NOT an infografic
• should have around 800 words
• should contain lots of text
• should be ONLY ONE PAFE

• What information should YOUR POSTER FOR ENGLISH 9 contain?

A poster is a large piece of paper or image on a wall-mounted monitor featuring 1. a short title of the problem solution texr, 2. an introduction to your problem, 3. all solutions proposed by the team members 4. graphic or visual data that supports the problem or the solution. You can add more than one graph, 5. reflection on what the best solution is. Critically evaluate all solutions proposed by the team members and say what the best one is and why.

Which info should you include in each section of a regular conference poster?

Click on the blue buttons to get more information on each section

Add a clear title

One section for each topic you are addressing

Add the most important results of findings

Include an introduction to the topic-background info

Include graphs and images

Add a one or two-sentence conclusio

Inform about the process

What is the purpose of a conference poster?

• to inform others about the key results of your research
• to present findings and results in a structured and easy to understand way
• to present a summary on a specific topic you were assigned in a comprehensive and self-explanatory manner

Steps to create an effective poster

Edit the text for grammar and lexical mistakes. Avoid long and vague phrases and wordiness. Go straight to the point.

Create the content Include graphs, images, any kind of visual help you see fit

Write a succint and effective text for each section. Include in-text citations(check APA for this)

Decide how you should organize the sections (vertically, horizontally, how many columns and in which order)

Put it all together and check if it is self-explanatory and clear.

Adjusting the conference poster format to class requierements

Conference posters might have several sections you do not need. What should you do? 1. Read the question and instructions your professor assigned. 2. Each section of the poster should cover one topic or aspect of the question assigned. 3. Add some background information in the introduction. 4. Restate your main points and arguments in your conclusion in one or two sentences. 5. Ask yourself: Could a person read my poster and understand the question? If not, you might need to rework it. 6. This is a succint academic genre so you need to add in-text citation. Avoid quotations!

How can you design your poster?

Here some templates you can edit and use. Click on the icon and download some templates.

An even easier way is to create your own poster in Word or PDF. Click on the icon to see how.

If you are feeling creative- use design softwares and apps online(i.e.Genially)

Useful Language Features for Argumentative Posters

Use active and academic verbs

In-text Citations

Write effective sentences

Avoid verbs such as say, have, go. Instead, use their more academic and formal alternatives. Check this link:

Follow the APA Example: According to the "World Urbanization Prospects" report (UNDESA, 2018), urban agglomerations count for over 10 million inhabitants.

Follow this link and check the tips on how to write effective sentences

Dos for posters

1. Length. Your poster should fit all the information into one page. Omit all unnecessary information.2.Organization. Organize your poster into sections in columns with a highlighted/bolded title for each one. void wordy and long sentences.3.Sections Depending on the requirements of the assignment, you should adjust the titles of the main sections. Each section should answer one part of the question you are addressing.

4. Design. Use an existing template or create coluns and sections in a Word docuemnt and convert it into a PDF.5.Language. Your poster should be clear, direct, concise and self-explanatory. Avoid all unnecessary jargon or wordiness.6.Content Answer the question directly and provide support. Posters can be argumentative or informative- read the instructions for your assignment carefully

Donts for posters

1. Do not add unnecessary information.2. Do not write wordy and long sentences.3. Do not cram your poster.

Watch this brief video that summarizes cool tips on how to create coference posters. Click on the image on the right.

Any questions? Contact me.