SUGGESTED GUIDELINES FOR POSTER PRESENTATIONS
These general guidelines will assist you with the preparation of your poster presentation. Your poster will enhance your presentation. An important aspect of teaching and learning is a willingness to share your experiences. When information is shared, more people benefit from your time and effort. You also receive important feedback on your work and an opportunity to interact with colleagues sharing common interests.

Perhaps most importantly, the poster presentation should contain clear content. Words must be selected carefully. A cluttered poster does not focus the attention of the audience. Words should be bold, well-spaced, and used to highlight the main points of the content.
INTRODUCTION A poster presentation is a report on research or an academic project, displayed in a poster format so that it can be read and viewed by a large audience. A poster is a visual display comprising whatever the contributor wishes to display. It is usually made up entirely of sheets of paper pinned to a foam core board, but there is no reason why other visual aids should not be used. Posters afford a unique opportunity for the exchange of ideas. The individual presenter(s) are stationed by the poster during the presentation to answer questions or provide additional information. A major advantage of the poster presentation is that interested members of the audience can view the materials at a comfortable pace and spend more time with items of particular interest. The presenter has an opportunity to clarify and elaborate on the details of the project. Audience reactions and feedback may help in guiding future work and in stimulating new ideas.
CONTENT &
LAYOUT
The poster should contain the major elements of the project in a clear, brief series of statements including Title, Purpose, Specific Aims or Goals, Method of Implementation, Results or Objectives Achieved and Conclusion. But, within that format, there is much room for ingenuity. Not every project will contain all of these items. Depending on the nature of the project, your subheadings will vary. The poster should be self-explanatory, but telegraphic in style; that is, the content should include key words and phrases and not necessarily complete sentences. Tables, graphs, or photographs should summarize and illustrate important or unique aspects of the project. The most effective posters do not contain so much written material that the observer gets lost, but should be complete enough to allow the audience to understand the full intent of the project.

Posters are printed on panels to be mounted on foam boards that measure 30 inches long and 40 inches wide. The composition is of light-weight foam core, so that poster pins can be used to hang sections of the material. Panels for student posters may measure up to 24” X 40”.  (Please see Student FAQ for details.)  Panels for faculty may measure up to 30” X 40”. Please keep those dimensions in mind when planning your presentation.

In preparing a poster, a scaled template (small version) should be drawn, showing the arrangement of the text and illustrations. The content can then be moved about the template to find the best arrangement for the logical flow of information (it is often useful to ask someone without knowledge of the content if the presentation is clear). Ordinarily the eye follows from left to right, as when one is reading. The introductory materials should be placed at the top left and the results at the bottom right. A sample template is presented in Figure 1.

Figure 1: Sample Template. Depending on the nature of the project, headings may be different than those suggested here:
MATERIALS You can use computer software to readily create text and graphics. Students can visit the MacLab at P610 for assistance. Faculty are encouraged to visit the Faculty Media Resource Center, located at P321. The effective poster should be legible and uncluttered, with content presented in sharp contrast to the background. Use UPPER CASE LETTERS only. Text and figures can be mounted on colored paper so there is a contrasting border around selected items. Judicious use of color will enhance both the legibility and the attractiveness of your poster. Try various combinations of figure and ground colors and view them from a distance of six feet or more before completing the preparation of your poster. Letters for the title should be 2 inches high, headings (purpose, goals, etc.) should be at least 1 inch high, and text letters should be at least .5 inches high. The print should be bold with clear, sharp edges. Most printers produce excellent images that can be printed with a large font size. The poster should be legible from approximately 4 - 6 feet away.
  SUMMARY COMMENTS
1 - Convey only the essential points of your topic; your presentation should concisely depict the purpose and scope of your project.

2 - Across the top of the board be sure to provide: (1) the title of your project; (2) Long Island University; (3) your Academic Department or Division; (4) presenter name(s) and faculty advisor(s).

3 - Your material should be clear, attractive, legible from a distance, self-explanatory, and arranged in a logical sequence.

4 - Do not attempt to present everything you know about your topic on the poster. One of the purposes of a poster presentation is to encourage dynamic interaction between the presenter and the audience through informal discussion. Use your poster materials to present the essential points of information so that discussion may concentrate on further details of the project and what was learned from the experience.
  CONSIDERATIONS FOR STUDENT PRESENTERS
  Be in close contact with your faculty advisor for feedback and suggestions. Consultation with your advisor will be needed as questions arise during the development of your poster presentation. Your advisor can also assist with identifying the most important aspects of your work and provide guidance in organizing the visual presentation.

"What if audience members ask me questions and I have no answer?" If this thought came to mind, you are to be commended. You've already developed (or begun to develop) an important aspect of learning - that we all need to be good at assessing our personal strengths and weaknesses, and that no individual has all the answers, all the time. What should you do if this situation arises? Indicate you don't know the answer. Discuss the merits of the missing information with the audience member and why (or why not) it might be useful to pursue.

Remember: Among the most important aspects of your academic experience is: (1) acknowledging that you won't always have all the answers; (2) always knowing where to find the answers. This is an underlying premise of a commitment to life-long learning.

Simplicity is a key factor for developing a sound poster presentation. The viewers will have a relatively short time to examine your poster. Avoid clutter and focus on informative statements and attractive, enlightening graphics.

Once your poster is complete, recruit several student colleagues to critique the presentation to ensure clarity. Final approval from your faculty advisor is also required.

During the actual presentation, avoid being an obstacle to persons who wish to study the poster closely. Position yourself at one end, not in the middle, of your poster and several feet away from the front of the poster.

Indicate the sequence in which your mounted materials should be read or studied by the audience. Indicate the sequence by using large bold roman numerals, letters, or arrows.