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Academic Skills Essentials: Posters

What is a poster?

If you have a poster presentation as part of your assessment, this web page will show you how to prepare and present your poster with confidence.

 

So why present a poster?

Posters:

  • present information visually so your presentation is likely to ‘stick’ in the audience’s minds
  • are often included in academic conferences, where presenters are given time to discuss content
  • are a good way for new researchers to present their work to others in the field, and
  • are an effective way to grow your professional networks.
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  • It should be organised to suit your purpose
  • for scientific works – you may consider using the IMRD (Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion) structure

  • Coherence – focuses on the message to be conveyed
  • Thoroughly edited
  • Shows audience consideration
  • Follows basic poster conventions (outlined below)
  • Prepared in conjunction with a marking rubric
  • Does not have too much text
  • Balances text, graphics and white space

  • Decide on whether the requirement is for a portrait or landscape orientation
  • Follow poster font sizes conventions:
    • Titles (80 – 96 pts)
    • Headings (30 – 36 pts)
    • Text (18 – 24 pts)
  • Use font types that are easy to read e.g. Arial, Helvetica
  • Ensure that the text and background colours have sufficient contrast

  • Dress well
  • Arrive early
  • Speak loudly and clearly
  • Stand to the left or right of the poster (don’t block it)
  • Interact openly with the audience
  • Point to the visuals to tell a story

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  • Last Updated: Nov 9, 2022 12:20 PM
  • URL: https://ecu.au.libguides.com/academic-skills-essentials
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