How to Prepare a Scientific Poster for BIOS 318

1. How to Prepare aScientific Posterfor BIOS 318 Dr. Mary Purugganan Cain Project in Engineering & Professional Communication maryp@rice.edu www.owlnet.rice.edu/~cainproj/

2. Posters Present a Challenge • Posters must be lean and clean • Posters must stand alone

3. Today’s Plan • Review design principles • Critique samples

4. What’s YOUR News? • What investigation did you conduct? • What was the purpose? • Why does your work matter? What sets it apart? • What are your methods? • What are your results? • What are your conclusions?

5. Connect with the Audience Why are they interested? What are their backgrounds? How will they benefit? What are their questions?

6. Make Key Points Accessible • Create accurate, informative title • Include introductory summary / abstract or objectives • Use forecasting statements to introduce or summarize each section • Define jargon • Use message headings

7. Message headings Results of Cell Proliferation Assay Concentration of Cells Vs. Time in Different Media Conditions Cell Proliferation Increases with Serum Percentage of Media

8. For layout, visualize the key points:How do you see the information?

9. Match visualization to layout • Left-to-right flow in vertical columns • Left-to-right flow in horizontal rows • Centered image with explanations • Two fields in contrast

10. L-to-R Flow in Vertical Columns Flows top to bottom, left to right Title & Authors

11. Title & Authors Methods Problem Table 1 Fig 2 Goals Results Conclusions

13. L-to-R Flow in Rows Title & Authors Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

15. Centered Image & Explanations Title & Authors Abstract

17. Two Fields in Contrast Title & Authors

19. Guide the Reader • Scale expresses relative importance • Indenting shows subordination • As in this example • White space directs gaze • Color adds emphasis or coherence

20. Font Style and Size • Title (~6 – 8 words) • Sans Serif font (Arial, Helvetica) • 90 - 120 pt • Headings (~3 words) • Sans Serif (Arial, Helvetica) • 36 - 48 pt • Text • Sans Serif (Arial, Helvetica) or Serif (Times) • 28 - 36 pt.

21. If you design a poster that looks like this . . .

23. your audience will react like this

24. The ideal anesthetic should quickly make the patient unconscious but allow a quick return to consciousness, have few side effects, and be safe to handle. Ideal anesthetics Quick sedation Quick recovery Few side effects Safe to handle Fat Text - - to - - Lean Text

25. Tag image with explanations Principles of Explanation • Interpret, don’t just show, data

26. Protein X is located in nucleus and cytoplasm of some cells Results of immunolocalization of protein x

27. Protein X is located in nucleus and cytoplasm of some cells • Nuclear localization was common • Cytoplasmic localization was observed in some cells Cytoplasmic localization Nuclear localization

28. Common Errors in Poster Visuals • Size • Colors • Labels • Units • “Chart junk” • Significant figures and error bars

29. Seedling growth

30. Rate of seedling growth at three different temperatures 30oC 25oC 20oC

31. Details Matter! • Check for consistent formatting • Check grammar and spelling • Use a correct bibliography

32. Communicate with Confidence • Talk to audience • Stand up straight • Integrate gestures • Use voice to convey enthusiasm • Adjust pacing

33. Sample Posters