Student Poster Guidelines

  1. Posters should be no larger than 36 x 48 foam board. Students will be provided with an easel to display their poster
  2. Posters should be in place before the first session begins at 9:00.
  3. Keep your poster simple and brief. A poster is not a place for you to tack up your entire body of research for people to read. Instead, think of a poster as a series of highly efficient, organized “panels” (a storyboard) upon which appear synopses of the relevant information you want to convey - just enough to get your point across.
  4. Organize your poster materials using headings, such as “Introduction,” “The Research Question,” “The Methodology,” and “Findings.” These headings will help establish a logical flow to your poster.
  5. Use large enough fonts so people will not have to squint to read the material. For headings, use at least a 48-point font. For text, use nothing less than 18-point.
  6. Make your poster visually appealing. Have fun. Be creative. Incorporate color. Use photographs, graphs, charts, maps, and the like. Simplify charts and figures to include only relevant information. Be attentive to the layout and placement of your materials.
  7. Place the title of your work in a prominent position on your poster. Include your name and your school. You may wish to have handouts, business cards, and a way to collect names and contact information for anyone interested in receiving more details about your research (Please remember you will not have a table at your disposal)
  8. Do not plan on using any audiovisual equipment. None will be available, and if you bring your own, it will not be secure. You will not have access to electrical outlets and will not have a table or chair on which to place a laptop.
  9. Your poster represents you and your institution! Take great care to plan and organize it well. Make sure it communicates the intended information in an interesting, visual manner. Ask someone to proof your work before printing.