Producing Research Posters

Transcription

1 Dr Keith E. Fildes 21/23 Octber 2014 (with acknwledgments t Dr Lyuba Albul, CARR)

2 Objectives This sessin will cver: The purpse f psters What shuld be included Design cnsideratins Getting started The fllw-up sessin n 4/6 Nvember will cver: Peer review and refinement

3 What is a Pster? A pster is a means f cmmunicating infrmatin abut yur research An illustrated summary f ne aspect f yur research (it shuld be fcussed)

4 Psters vs Presenting Psters can be a mre effective advertisement f yur area f wrk. Sme f the advantages include: Yu have mre cntrl - dn't need t wrry abut delivering t/engaging a large grup, nerves, sftware failure etc. Yu can speak with a lt f peple and there's much mre pprtunity fr tw-way dialgue and t find thse wh share yur research interests (ne-t-ne netwrking) Can bring the pster back t yur department/ffice where it can hang fr years

5 What Infrmatin Shuld be n a Pster? Title - 12 wrds maximum Intrductin t yur research questin/interest Overview f yur apprach/methdlgy/enquiry Results Analysis/discussin f yur results References Acknwledgements

6 Psitives and Negatives

7 Psitives and Negatives

8 Psitives and Negatives

9 Design Cnsideratins Legible Visually attractive - clurful, pictures, diagrams Prtrait (rganisers prefer/cmmn) vs landscape (can see all f it at nce) Nt crwded with infrmatin - use space Clear headings/sub-headings and captins fr figures Lgical flw f infrmatin Hw much data t present? A clear narrative vs swamped with written text

10 Planning 1 - Cmmunicate A pster is nt a wall munted essay, mre a clurful abstract. The aim f the pster is t grab the attentin f yur audience which in turn will generate interest in yur area f research Everything within the pster, including all graphics and text, must relate t the research prject yu are trying t cmmunicate All f yur main pints and cnclusins must be clear and cncise Only use prject details which are abslutely essential fr getting yur pint acrss Try t express yur main pints graphically (mre f a challenge fr AHSS)

11 Planning 2 - Requirements Always read the cnference pster requirements clearly. If yu are unsure f these requirements, get in tuch with cnference rganisers Mst cnference rganisers will give yu the fllwing guidelines fr submissin which are the fllwing areas: Wrd cunt, specifically a minimum and maximum Orientatin and size Lgs

12 Planning 3 - Audience Wh is yur Audience? Effective cmmunicatin begins with knwing wh yur audience is. Yur pster is there t get yur message acrss, and it is f n use if the persn lking at the pster desn t understand what they re lking at The three main type f audience are: Specialist: Audience has a high level f knwledge within yur discipline. There is a gd understanding f unique terminlgy and practices used within the field. Yu may g int detail regarding yu research withut fear f it being misunderstd The Wider Field: The audience are in a field f research related t yur wn, but may nt be familiar with the mre specialist terms and practices within yur area General: Little r n familiarity with the subject, explanatins must be given in the mst basic terms

13 Engaging the Audience Yur audience will nt apprach yur pster if its subject is nt clear frm 3 metres away All elements shuld be visible frm at least 1.5m In the first three secnds f lking at yur pster, the reader is deciding whether t stay and explre the pster r mve n Make the main heading large and t the pint, try t avid a lng main title (12 wrds), yu have a whle pster t get yur message acrss Stand by yur pster and/r have A4 takeaways available

14 Layut The mst imprtant aspect f any gd academic pster is that it is easy t fllw A series f clumns allws readers wh may be unfamiliar with yur subject matter and methd f research t easily fllw the directin f yur infrmatin. Newspapers have used this frmat fr decades as studies have shwn it is by far the easiest way t make the infrmatin readable Anther useful attribute f a clumn layut is that it makes it easier fr many peple t stand at a pster and read at the same time

15 Reading Order Fr pster presentatins at mst English speaking cnferences, the way peple will read the pster is frm tp t bttm and left t right. The examples belw highlight in numbered rder, the way mst psters are read Arranging yur pster elements in the rder shwn belw will make it easier fr a crwd t read the pster n the day

16 Clutter and Balance

17 Clutter and Balance Try nt t fill all f the available space n the paper. Having t many items clsely packed n the pster; makes the pster hard t read. Try t use white spaces as pauses, this will make the reading experience easier fr the viewer, and it will be easier fr yu t define sectins Frm a design pint f view, attractive psters have a gd balance f images and text acrss the entire area f the pster Ntice hw all the text elements tgether make the pster weighted t ne side giving the reader a lt f text t digest all at nce Placing illustratins thrughut the pster breaks the text up int easily readable chunks gives a better flw t the viewing experience

18 Images

19 Images Try t keep yu graphs/images and figures abve 13cm x 15cm. This is a gd size relative t the size a pster and will enable yur images and graphics t be seen clearly Yur graphic elements shuld be relevant t the subject matter, clear, t the pint, and attractive Reslutin Use images with a reslutin f at least 300 dts per inch (DPI). This will give yu greater flexibility when resizing yur images n the pster Avid lw reslutin images frm web pages. They can appear clean and in fcus n the screen, but when printed large will lk sft and pixellated

20 Graphs

21 Graphs A pster is all abut getting yur message acrss clearly. Cmmunicating results and relatinships is very imprtant Graphs shuld be clean and simple t understand but mst imprtantly shw any relatinships as clearly as pssible All text n the graph needs t be clear and cncise, and must fllw the same text styles as the rest f the pster Frmat specifically fr the pster, e.g.: Clearly titled axes and ticks N gridlines t detract frm the pltted pints Clear plt lines A clearly defined legend A shrt clear title

22 Text 1 Yur main title shuld be large, pint bld and readable at a distance f 3 metres Use a different size r bldness f text t define clumn headings Text and titles, when written entirely in capitals are harder t read Try t avid large paragraphs f text. Break up large blcks f text int shrt statements that are shrt and t the pint. Use bullets and lists t achieve this The bdy text shuld be pint Use plain styled fnts such as: Calibri, Ariel, Times New Rman

23 Text 2 Avid using script style fnts as they can be difficult t read T make text easier t read, place dark text n a light backgrund r vice versa Avid lng titles. A shrt and clear title will give yur pster s reader an instant idea f what the pster is abut Avid fnt sizes belw 24 pint, anything smaller than this will require the reader t stand very clse t the pster, and may be uncmfrtable t read Avid using t many different type faces. This will make the pster appear disjinted and may distract the reader frm the subject matter

24 Clur Chsing the right clur scheme is a very imprtant chice. Backgrunds and clurs shuld be subtle t enhance the nature f the subject as ppsed t detracting frm it Belw is a Clur Wheel that yu can use fr chsing a clur scheme fr yur pster

25 Clur 1 - Cmplimentary This scheme uses tw r mre ppsite clurs in the clur wheel. In this case the clurs are blue and range

26 Clur 2 - Mnchrmatic This scheme uses tw r mre ppsite clurs in the clur wheel. In this case the clurs are blue and range

27 Clur 3 - Analgus This uses 3 adjacent clurs in the clur wheel t make up the palette. Yu can vary the shades and tints

28 Printing Practicalities Tw SIE templates prvided, but feel free t custmise Supprt available frm Sphie Waller. final pster t her by 17/11 at latest, r take it t her by 24/11 If ding yurself: The Print Shp (fka Print Services) - research psters are fairly rutine fr them Have yur cst cde - csts 9 fr an A1 pster They can usually d 'next day' Cmmn cmplaints frm printers - nt high enugh reslutin images and ging t clse t the edge f the page (bleeding)