Poster Paper Session Tips

Getting the Attention Your Research Deserves!

Tips For Making Your Poster Paper Display More Appealing

Over a hundred papers will compete for attention during ICA’s annual poster paper session on Sunday, May 24, 12:00 p.m.–1:15 p.m., in the Marriott’s Halsted Room on the hotel’s 4th floor. The ICA paper session has plenary status at our conference, so no other programs are scheduled against it and refreshments are provided to attract a bigger crowd. Additionally, the top three papers, as well as the poster that is the most visually appealing, will be awarded cash prizes.

Some research does, in fact, lend itself better to interactive presentations than to other formats, but whether or not yours draws a crowd depends largely on how much effort you put into the presentation.

The poster paper session consists of aisles of freestanding boards, grouped by divisions, on which individual authors present concise summations of their research. Each board is numbered so that colleagues can find the presentation they are looking for by referring to their programs and finding the corresponding display board. Many, however, will scour the aisles looking for something that catches their eye. By putting a little thought and effort into designing and executing your presentation, you can help assure that it will attract the attention your work deserves.

• Design your display to fit a 6 ft. x 4 ft. space (ICA will supply push pins to fasten your materials to the display boards).• Use 1- to 2-inch letters to create a prominent label for the top of your display, giving the title of your paper and authors’ names. Keep in mind that you’re trying to draw an audience from 8 to 10 feet away.
• Prepare the remainder of your display for reading at arm’s length, using no smaller than 1/2-inch letters (tacking up a copy of your paper simply does not do it in this format).
• Determine the key points of your paper and highlight these, rather than trying to cover the whole paper.
• Use display elements—-bullets, enumeration, tables, clip art, graphs, figures, photos—-rather than paragraph style, to get across your most salient points in a clear and concise manner.
• Take advantage of your computer’s design capabilities—-boldface important points, use borders, lines, font type variations—-whatever it takes to enliven your presentation.
• Consider using color to draw attention to various portions of your presentation through type, background, or visual display elements.
• Get advice from your university’s graphic design unit or a photocopying center to help you visually communicate your ideas. The success of your experience depends largely on how creatively and effectively you get your ideas across.
• Give yourself plenty of time to set up your display, so that you are ready to discuss your research and answer questions when the session opens at noon. The room will be available beginning at 10:00 a.m. to allow you ample time for set up.