1. Preparing an Effective Poster Presentation
Barbara Alexander Pan
Harvard Graduate School of Education

2. Why choose poster presentation format?
Common format at professional conferences
Ideal context in which to get constructive feedback from interested professionals
Purpose of poster presentation
Telling an interesting story about a research issue or set of research findings

3. Components of a poster presentation
Title, name and affiliation of author(s)
(see Slide 1 above for illustration)
Introduction
What general issues are you addressing?
How do these issues emerge from existing research?
Research questions
What were your specific research questions?
Method
What were your sources of data?
How were data collected?
(e.g., surveys, observations, direct assessments of participants, secondary analysis of existing data)

4. Discussion/Conclusions
How were data analyzed?
Coding/reliability (if applicable)
Qualitative analysis
Quantitative analysis
Results
How do the data address each research question posed above?
Discussion/Conclusions
What do the findings suggest?
What are the educational implications of the findings for parents, teachers, administrators, and/or policy makers?
What are next steps for future research?
References
Cite using APA format in text; include full reference list in handout

5. Presentation considerations
Poster should be
well-organized
clear and informative
visually appealing
Poster is not meant to tell comprehensive story
Choose information to include carefully
Prepare handout to supplement poster
Be prepared to verbally walk viewers through study and elaborate where necessary

6. Understand presentation context before preparing poster
Are boards provided? If so, what size?
(4x6 or 4x8 most common)
Are posters meant to be free-standing and/or displayed on table top (SRC 2008)?
Note: tri-fold boards may be purchased from many copy stores
Is wall space available for displaying poster?
Limited wall space for SRC 2009
Are spaces assigned beforehand? (usually the case for most professional conferences; not for SRC 2009; come early to snag prime real estate)

7. Decide how many slides fit well on space available
On tri-fold board, rule of thumb is title banner and 14 slides in horizontal orientation, or the equivalent
On 4x6 board, equivalent of 24 slides in horizontal orientation
Some slides may be trimmed to less than 8.5x11 size after printing
Slides mounted on colored paper require slightly more space

8. Choose a legible and visually appealing format
Consider formatting your poster in PowerPoint
Font
Sans serif fonts (e.g., Arial, Verdana, Helvetica) are easier to read
Minimum 20-point for text, 40- or 48-point for title
Black text easiest to read; reserve color for highlighting key words or headings
Be consistent in font size for parallel elements or headings in poster
Use same font for text and any graphics

9. Background and Color Scheme
Avoid busy, distracting backgrounds
Use maximum of 2-3 colors
Be consistent in use of color throughout
Consider using a ready-made color scheme in Power Point
Choose a color combination that works well for color-blind individuals
(e.g., black on white, red on white, turquoise on black, magenta on black)
Orientation of slides
Usually top to bottom, then left to right
Numbering slides may be helpful
Single-panel presentation
Visually appealing
Expensive
Bulkier to transport

10. Figures
Often preferable to textual presentation
Think carefully about how to highlight the desired point or comparison to be made
Make sure labels are legible
Use consistent scale for y-axis on multiple graphs, whenever possible
Use consistent colors for same construct, grouping variable, etc. in multiple figures
Test comprehensibility of figures with naïve viewer
Begin with succinct text covering each content component, then prune as necessary to fit space, adhere to design principles and avoid excessive text density
Get feedback on draft of poster from both naïve and knowledgeable viewers

11. Prepare handouts
1-2 pages (can be two-sided)
May abstract poster content or duplicate it in entirety
Include references
Include author /correspondence address
Have some copies on hand
Have business cards or sign-up sheet in case copies are exhausted
Prepare 3-5 minute explanation of poster as alternative/supplement to viewers’ reading of poster

12. Other Resources
Nicol, A.A., & Pexman, P. (2003). Displaying your findings: A practical guide for creating figures, posters, and presentations. Washington: American Psychological Association.
Nicol, A.A., & Pexman, P. (2003). Presenting your findings: A practical guide for creating tables. Washington: American Psychological Association.