Reimagining science communications #2: Better poster presentations The volume of information presented at scientific conferences can be overwhelming. At most conferences, there are dozens or even hundreds of poster presentations – 3’x5’ sheets of paper affixed to a wall, each describing a research study. The sheer number of posters and their presentation format make it difficult for researchers to get their work noticed and for readers to understand their work. New poster templates aim to fix that. No longer are good posters a “wall of text” designed to be read from top to bottom and left to right. Poster guidelines now encourage: •Limiting the amount of text – less is more! •Meaningful images, graphics, and charts •Using basic visual design principles •Making your poster accessible to as many people as possible Below are a few resources to make your posters easier to notice, read, understand, and enjoy! You already did the hard work of conducting a research study. Do your best to get it seen. •Yale library: https://lnkd.in/gsDu7aHR •Cornell engineering: https://lnkd.in/gsRnzhbf •The #betterposter guy Mike Morrison, PhD https://lnkd.in/gWhk9Xdz Image source: PhD Comics #science #communication #effectivecommunication #sciencecommunication
Might I selfishly also recommend http://betterposters.blogspot.com and the book of the same title?
Perfect summary and perfect cartoon choice! 😂 Thanks for helping people improve their posters!
We had hundreds use the #BetterPoster templates at our last conference...and the results are in! They are more accessible, memorable, and informative leading to more engagement and communication. The best part is - the editable poster templates are FREE for everyone to use! 🤓 Find out more and download the templates: https://www.cochrane.org/news/complexity-clarity-research-shows-benefit-betterposter-templates-cochrane-colloquium
The other component to consider is the poster presentation. So many researchers present their poster as if it were a research talk with the slides on a wall, i.e., as if they have 20 minutes to explain their research, which is not feasible in a room of dozens of speakers with 2 hours to get through them all. Instead, poster presenters should treat the poster presentation like a conversation they would have at a reception where they happen to have visuals next to them.
I help scientists make their breakthroughs break through!
5moYou are so right. No one starts a conversation with methods. What was the problem and what was the solution? The response to that will dictate the rest.