Creating a Scientific Poster

A poster presentation is your time to share the research you have been conducting while developing communication and networking skills. It is your chance to practice communicating your scientific ideas and results with a broader audience. Feedback is a critical part of learning, and we hope you will receive questions and comments about your work during your session.

Please remember that publishing data anywhere has intellectual property implications. If you want to include data that might result in patentable ideas (or if you are uncertain) be sure you have the permission of your PI to share everything in your poster. Regardless of what you want to present, get your PI’s permission before you submit. 

Poster Size: 48” (Width) and 36” (Height)

Poster Orientation: Landscape

Recommended Font Sizes: 

• Title: 80 pt
• Section Headings: 54 pt
• Secondary Section Headings or Figure Title: 44 pt
• General Text: 36 – 40 pt
• Figure/table legends: 28 pt

Include the following components in your poster presentation:

• Title and Author Information:
  • Title
  • Author, Affiliation
  • Institute or Center name, logos
• Content:
  • an introduction (providing background information),
  • a brief statement of the purpose of the project,
  • a description of materials and methods used, and
  • a summary of results and conclusions.

Here are some general guidelines for laying out the design of your poster:

• A light background with dark text is easiest to read.
• Use one font and style to integrate all portions of your poster.
• Label graphics directly and use tables for small data sets.
• Keep your title simple and consider using it to state the conclusion or focus of your study.
• Figures, diagrams, and bullet points are better than paragraphs of text.
• A general rule of thumb is to allow 40% of your space for graphics, 20% for text, and 40% for white space.

Begin to write and proofread your poster several weeks in advance. You should develop and practice a short (3 to 5-minute) verbal description of the work that you can present to colleagues who “attend” your poster session.

The OITE holds regular information and practice sessions to help you prepare and present your poster. Watch a recording of our informational session on creating and presenting posters.