1. Abstract (heading font size 48-60)
Project Title (font size 60 or larger) Maybe You Need a Second Line
FirstName1 LastName1, FirstName2 LastName2, FirstName3 LastName3, FirstName4 LastName4
Faculty sponsor: Dr. FirstName LastName or Prof. FirstName LastName
Abstract (heading font size 48-60)
The text in the body of your poster sections should be size Keep at least 1” margins all around your poster. A white background with dark fonts is easiest to read and print. You don’t have to limit yourself to black and dark blue, but you should limit yourself to 2 or 3 text colors, total. Sans serif fonts (like Arial and Calibri) are easier to read than serif fonts (like Times). Adjust the widths of your sections to accommodate the specifics of your poster, but it is always best to have the reader read down, and then right, so that multiple readers are not crossing in front of one another. A creative arrangement of sections can be confusing to the reader, so go in the typical order of a lab report. The abstract should be in paragraph form with full sentences.
Methods
Briefly describe what you used and the steps you took
Avoid listing every little item or step, especially if they are considered standard or obvious
Include information about the setting of your study if it wasn’t in a lab
Briefly mention the statistical analyses you used
Be concise! Simplify whenever possible
Include photos, drawings, maps, etc. if they help to illustrate your methods (Figures 1 and 2)
All pictures and graphs should be called “Figure X” and numbered starting with the first one that is mentioned in your text
Discussion
Summarize and interpret what data show
Don’t give raw data, instead use graphs, tables, and other figures to help your summary (Figure 3)
Always refer to every graph, table, and picture in your text
All pictures and graphs should be called “Figure X” and numbered starting with the first one that is mentioned in your text (legend below figure)
All tables should be called “Table X” and numbered starting with the first one that is mentioned in your text (legend above figure)
Be sure all figures and tables are referred to in your text and don’t just stand alone
This might be a photo.
This might be a map.
Conclusions
Briefly mention what your data tell you about your question or hypothesis
Link your conclusion to the bigger picture. Why is this outcome important?
Be careful to use good spelling and grammar
Give yourself time to edit and seek the help of reviewer
Whatever you do, be consistent in your formatting and style
Remember: simpler is better for a poster
Figure 1. Photo of the study organism. Follow this title with a brief description of the figure. Be sure to refer to the figure in the text.
Figure 2. Map of the study site. Follow this title with a brief description of the figure. Be sure to refer to the figure in the text.
Introduction
Font size should be 28-40
Less is more in a poster
Use bullet points to be brief
Don’t use more than one level of indentation
Can be incomplete sentences
Citations like this1, 2, 3 save space
Don’t include every bit of interesting information about your organism or system
Instead touch briefly on background info relevant to your question
End with the question or hypothesis
Make the sections as long as necessary and then space things vertically to fit comfortably
Results
Acknowledgments
This section often uses a slightly smaller font size
Simple lists of names, with out description, are fine
Be sure to include anyone who helped you but do not include other authors on the paper
Notice how “acknowledgments” is spelled in American English
Literature Cited
Use an abbreviated citation style
York, HA Journal of Posters 3:
List references in the order they appear in the poster, not alphabetically
Figure 3. Measurement over four days. Notice the graph doesn’t need its own title because everything is described here. Keep graphs simple and clean. Be sure to refer to the figure in the text.