SUGGESTIONS FOR PREPARING EFFECTIVE POSTERS

Your poster should be designed to be self-explanatory because it may be viewed when you are absent or busy. The poster should begin with an introduction and end with clear conclusions. Many people look at the conclusions first to decide whether they want to read the entire poster. Important material should be in large enough print to be read by people six feet away; methodological detail should be held to a minimum. The optimal length is approximately 12 panels (roughly 9 x 12 inches each). Place your panels on the fiberboard by means of pushpins or thumbtacks. Be sure to bring your own! You will need approximately 50. Specific suggestions are given below.

• The top of the poster should have a 3 to 6 foot-wide banner printed with type 1 inch high (72 points - 2.5 cm) or larger stating the title of the poster, the names and affiliations of the authors (underline or italicize the presenting author), and the abstract number.
• Start the poster with an introduction in large print that explains what you are doing and why. The introduction should give any necessary background information, the rationale for the work, and the scope of the study. One effective way to interest readers is to focus on one or two questions that are answered by your research. In general, the poster will suffer if you are excessively ambitious or include too much information.
• Make the flow of information in the poster explicit by the use of inch-high numerals on each panel and/or by having simple self-explanatory headings for each major point. The flow of information should be organized in columns running down the poster. The transition from one section to the next or the reason for doing the next experiments should be explained. Using different colors of background matting for different parts of the work is often an effective way to help the reader.
• Each Table or Figure should have a heading in large print describing the essential finding or point. The text below each figure, in smaller type, should describe results and/or conclusions. You may want to highlight key results or use arrows to make important points. Have clear labels on Figures and Tables to identify each curve, bar or other result. Keep things simple! It is usually not necessary to include all of the data.
• The conclusions in large print should state the key principles shown by the results, the answers to the questions raised in the introduction and the significance of the results. It can be useful to identify the Figure or Table that supports each conclusion in parentheses after the conclusion. Cartoons or simplified schematic drawings are often the most useful way of summarizing the big picture.
• A list of key references or available preprints or reprints can be useful for interested readers.
• Prepare a short presentation of 2-5 minutes. Let people look at your poster for a minute before asking whether they would like you to lead them through it.

This list of suggestions was derived from one prepared by E. Miles & P. Chivers for the 2000 meeting of the Protein Society. Many suggestions originated from Daniel and Esther Gardner who have written the Society for Neuroscience's "Suggestions for Preparing Effective Posters". For additional information, see "Poster Sessions Can Lead to Networking Opportunities" in The Scientist (January 25, 1993).