Poster Presentations FS0701A – Scientific Detectives Joanna Fraser
What is a Poster? • A wall display summarising a piece of work • Designed to catch and keep the attention of readers • More visual than oral • Used at conferences
Planning Your Poster • Identify your audience and their level – You want to inform your audience – Not confuse – Or bore
• Clarify your subject matter • Identify your logical flow – Make sure each point follows on from previous one
• Keep content simple yet informative
Planning Your Poster • Content – Research or results
• Headings – Differ depending on type
• Images & graphics – Photographs, clipart, tables & graphs
• Poster size – Depends on where displaying
Main Sections • Title – include authors’ name(s)
• Summary • Introduction – context of work
• Methodology – what, why, how?
• • • •
Results Discussion of Results Conclusions References
Layout One • • • •
Title at top Introduction top left References bottom right Discussion and Conclusions make up the main body
Title Introduction
Discussion & Conclusions
References
Layout Two • Title at top • Introduction top left • Discussion and Conclusions make up the main body • Related information grouped together Title
Layout Three • Title at top • Introduction top left • Discussion and Conclusions make up the main body • Link using arrows or numbers
Title
Main Body • Determine logical sequence and flow • Arrange information in columns • Edit ruthlessly • Concentrate on one concept Title Blah, blah, blah.
2nd Point Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
Discussion
3rd Point
Introduction
Blah, blah. Blah, blah, blah. 1st Point Blah, blah, blah, blah.
4th Point Blah, blah, blah.
Conclusion References
Principles of Design • Visual medium – Reduce text content by using good images or diagrams
• Present a clear message in limited space • Exaggerate detail of poster – Viewed from a distance
• Content breakdown – 40% text – 40% graphics – 20% space
Design Features • Scale features to final size • Attract attention with a strong focal point • Use a unifying theme and colours • Readable at 1 –2 m • Be consistent in heading size • Double (or 1.5) space text • Simple diagrams, self-explanatory graphics • Consistent caption positions
Columns • All the same width – Make text left or fully justified
• Evenly spaced • Use 2 or 3 columns – Too many columns makes column width too narrow – Use best number for your material
• Gives impression of an article – This makes it easier for the reader to follow the information in the poster
Writing Style • Able to be scanned at-a-glance • Design to aid flow and use spaces for a visual shift to a new point • Use an easy to read font – Helvetica, Arial or Tahoma
• Good diagrams save words – They break up text & give visual impact – Graphs and tables can be imported from Excel – Position close to relevant text – Number and refer to in text
• Keep sentences short
Images
– Draw the attention of the reader • Give visual impact
– Form natural breaks in the text – Graphs and tables can be imported from Excel – Position close to relevant text • If possible
– Number, give a title and refer to in text
Sentences • Use a direct style – For a published paper - “Within the scope of the current work and in the context of past surveys, there has been a marked trend from….” – More direct – “There has been a marked trend…” – Cut to get to keyword quickly – “There was a marked trend…” – Bring keyword to start – “A marked trend was observed…”
• Use spaces – Too much text and too few spaces makes poster harder to read – This may make reader lose interest
PowerPoint • How to produce your poster – Open PowerPoint – Select Blank Presentation – In Slides tab select Slide Layout and select ‘Title only’ – In Design tab >Page Setup> Slides sized for dropdown box click A3 paper & Slides click Portrait > OK – Insert text (in text boxes) – Insert Images (scale to appropriate size) – Apply colours
Setting Poster Size • Design Menu • Page setup
Resizing images • Avoid distorting image • Maintain aspect ratio Grab & drag corners
Cropping Images • Remove unnecessary portions • Crop to fit your space – Remember not to distort
• Borders can make image stand out
Picture Toolbar • Adjust – Colour – Contrast – Brightness – Crop – Rotate – Adjust line – Compress
Text Boxes • Formatting – Right click and pick Format Shape & then Textbox
– Use PowerPoint Toolbar
Draw Toolbar
AutoShapes Lines Arrows Rectangles Circles Text boxes Word Art Design Gallery Clip Art Images
Fill Color Line Color Text Color Line Size Line Type Arrow Type Shadow Style 3D Style
Ordering
Grouping • Multiple objects – Images and labels
• Easier to move & resize • Select all objects – Hold down SHIFT – Click on all objects to select – Right click and select Group
• Toolbar – Picture Format tab – Group
References • Use Harvard style of referencing – Guidance notes in virtual library
• Books – Jackson, A. R. W. & Jackson, J. M. 2004. Forensic Science. London; Pearson Education Limited.
• Journals – Reiter, C. 1984. Growth behavior of the blue blowfly Calliphora vicina maggots. Zeitschrift für Rechtsmedizin. 91(4):pp.295-308.
• Websites – Byrd, J.H. 2007. Forensic entomology Insects in legal investigations [online]. Available from: http://www.forensicentomology.com/ [Accessed 26 August 2008].
Poster title Name (Student number) Introduction This is where you briefly introduce your topic.
Continue the text into this column so that
Discussion
You should put each block of text in its own
This is where you put the main
text box. Use a font size depending on the
summary of the work.
amount of written information you are to
You should
intersperse your text with relevant pictures and diagrams.
the natural flow of work is from top left to bottom right.
use. Add more relevant graphics to this column – remember a picture or diagram or graph is clearer and give more visual impact than mere words alone.
Figure 1. Detective Girl Figure 2. The Crime Scene
Graphics are there to enhance the text. You should refer to them in the text. For example detective Girl [Figure 1] demonstrates… or in figure 1 it can be seen… or [figure 1] after the text it is related to.
Conclusions This should be the last part and should very briefly summarise the work you have described. References Always include them – after all you got the information from somewhere. If you are pushed for space it is a good idea to reduce the font size for the references
Poster title Name (Student number) Introduction This is where you briefly introduce your topic.
Continue the text into this column so that
Discussion
You should put each block of text in its own
This is where you put the main
text box. Use a font size depending on the
summary of the work.
amount of written information you are to
You should
intersperse your text with relevant pictures and diagrams.
the natural flow of work is from top left to bottom right.
use. Add more relevant graphics to this column – remember a picture or diagram or graph is clearer and give more visual impact than mere words alone.
Figure 1. Detective Girl Figure 2. The Crime Scene
Graphics are there to enhance the text. You should refer to them in the text. For example detective Girl [Figure 1] demonstrates… or in figure 1 it can be seen… or [figure 1] after the text it is related to.
Conclusions This should be the last part and should very briefly summarise the work you have described. References Always include them – after all you got the information from somewhere. If you are pushed for space it is a good idea to reduce the font size for the references
Poster title Name (Student number) Introduction This is where you briefly introduce your topic.
Continue the text into this column so that
Discussion
You should put each block of text in its own
This is where you put the main
text box. Use a font size depending on the
summary of the work.
amount of written information you are to
You should
intersperse your text with relevant pictures and diagrams.
the natural flow of work is from top left to bottom right.
use. Add more relevant graphics to this column – remember a picture or diagram or graph is clearer and give more visual impact than mere words alone.
Figure 1. Detective Girl Figure 2. The Crime Scene
Graphics are there to enhance the text. You should refer to them in the text. For example detective Girl [Figure 1] demonstrates… or in figure 1 it can be seen… or [figure 1] after the text it is related to.
Conclusions This should be the last part and should very briefly summarise the work you have described. References Always include them – after all you got the information from somewhere. If you are pushed for space it is a good idea to reduce the font size for the references
Poster title Name (Student number) Introduction This is where you briefly introduce your topic.
Continue the text into this column so that
Discussion
You should put each block of text in its own
This is where you put the main
text box. Use a font size depending on the
summary of the work.
amount of written information you are to
You should
intersperse your text with relevant pictures and diagrams.
the natural flow of work is from top left to bottom right.
use. Add more relevant graphics to this column – remember a picture or diagram or graph is clearer and give more visual impact than mere words alone.
Figure 1. Detective Girl Figure 2. The Crime Scene
Graphics are there to enhance the text. You should refer to them in the text. For example detective Girl [Figure 1] demonstrates… or in figure 1 it can be seen… or [figure 1] after the text it is related to.
Conclusions This should be the last part and should very briefly summarise the work you have described. References Always include them – after all you got the information from somewhere. If you are pushed for space it is a good idea to reduce the font size for the references
Poster title Name (Student number) Introduction This is where you briefly introduce your topic.
Continue the text into this column so that
Discussion
You should put each block of text in its own
This is where you put the main
text box. Use a font size depending on the
summary of the work.
amount of written information you are to
You should
intersperse your text with relevant pictures and diagrams.
the natural flow of work is from top left to bottom right.
use. Add more relevant graphics to this column – remember a picture or diagram or graph is clearer and give more visual impact than mere words alone.
Figure 1. Detective Girl Figure 2. The Crime Scene
Graphics are there to enhance the text. You should refer to them in the text. For example detective Girl [Figure 1] demonstrates… or in figure 1 it can be seen… or [figure 1] after the text it is related to.
Conclusions This should be the last part and should very briefly summarise the work you have described. References Always include them – after all you got the information from somewhere. If you are pushed for space it is a good idea to reduce the font size for the references
Poster title Name (Student number) Introduction This is where you briefly introduce your topic.
Continue the text into this column so that
Discussion
You should put each block of text in its own
This is where you put the main
text box. Use a font size depending on the
summary of the work.
amount of written information you are to
You should
intersperse your text with relevant pictures and diagrams.
the natural flow of work is from top left to bottom right.
use. Add more relevant graphics to this column – remember a picture or diagram or graph is clearer and give more visual impact than mere words alone.
Figure 1. Detective Girl Figure 2. The Crime Scene
Graphics are there to enhance the text. You should refer to them in the text. For example detective Girl [Figure 1] demonstrates… or in figure 1 it can be seen… or [figure 1] after the text it is related to.
Conclusions This should be the last part and should very briefly summarise the work you have described. References Always include them – after all you got the information from somewhere. If you are pushed for space it is a good idea to reduce the font size for the references
Poster title Name (Student number) Introduction This is where you briefly introduce your topic.
Continue the text into this column so that
Discussion
You should put each block of text in its own
This is where you put the main
text box. Use a font size depending on the
summary of the work.
amount of written information you are to
You should
intersperse your text with relevant pictures and diagrams.
the natural flow of work is from top left to bottom right.
use. Add more relevant graphics to this column – remember a picture or diagram or graph is clearer and give more visual impact than mere words alone.
Figure 1. Detective Girl
Graphics are there to enhance the
Figure 2. The Crime Scene
text. You should refer to them in the
Conclusions
text.
This should be the last part and should
For example detective Girl [Figure 1]
very briefly summarise the work you have
demonstrates… or in figure 1 it can
described.
be seen… or [figure 1] after the text it
References Always include them – after all you got the information from somewhere. If you are pushed for space it is a good idea to reduce the font size for the references
is related to.
Printing • Complete job request form • Take to copy shop on USB • Plenty of notice – Minimum 3 – 4 days
• Information required – Date needed – Size – Paper type
• Cost for A4 – Colour (50p) – Black & white (6p)
Copyshop Location
Opening Hours Monday – Thursday 09:00 - 11:00 13:30 - 14:30
Summary • • • • • •
A visual medium Space is limited Edit ruthlessly Make logical and understandable To be readable from a distance To aid flow use short sentences, diagrams and spaces • Use colour, font and background sensibly • Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to design and print poster
Presentation • 1 hour sessions – MUST to be present 5 minutes prior to allotted session
• Groups of ~20 students per session – Each student to stand by poster
• Presentation – Staff read poster • 2 – 4 staff members
– Ask questions • Demonstrates knowledge of subject area
