The following guidelines are recommended (taken directly from Gilson et al, 2007):

Size : A1/A0

Orientation: Portrait is recommended although you are free to choose Landscape if you prefer (A1 or smaller only)

Font Size

• Title: Ideal is 158-point font (1.5 inches). Use at least 72 point font or larger for poster titles (The title should be viewable from 10 to 15 feet away to catch the attention of the reader (Conner, ND)).
• Section Title: Ideal is 56-point font (.54 inches). Use at least 46 to 56- point font for section titles (Texas Tech University, 2007).
• Block Text/Body: Ideal is 36-point font (.34 inches). At least 24-36 point font for body text.

Font style and spacing

Use non-serif (sans serif) fonts (University of Edinburgh, 2005). Serif means a small decorative line added as embellishment to the basic form or main strokes of an alphabetical letter and can be more difficult to read.

Common sans serif fonts (Shaw, May, 2007) include Helvetica / Veranda / Microsoft sans serif

Using between 1.2 and 2.0 line-spacing allows the reader greater ease in moving from line to line (Wikipedia, 2007).

Colour

We recommend you keep the background white or some other light colour, with a subtle gradient as an option. You should avoid busy patterns or distracting colours, as it will take away from your content.

Images and charts

• Are image/graphic titles appropriately referred to in the text (American Society of Primatologist, 2002)?
• Are the uses of any charts (pie, line, scatter, histograms, etc.) used appropriately and with clear textual explanations of the data?
• Is the resolution of the images correct for large printing? Using .gif, .jpeg, .bmp, .eps, .png, etc. files that are not rendered at a sufficient resolution will cause them to blur and be of poor visual quality in your printed poster. As a general rule, use a minimum 300 dots per inch (dpi) when saving images created in programs such as Adobe™ Illustrator™, InDesign™, or Photoshop™. Avoid copying and pasting images from the web that are below 250kb for best results (Texas Tech University, 2007).

References

• Key source: Gilson, S., Robert, M. and Kitchin (2007). Guidelines for Creating Accessible Printed Posters. [online] Available at: https://www.aucd.org/docs/annual_mtg_2008/accessibility_posters_gilson2007.pdf [Accessed 28 Nov. 2023].
  1. American Society of Primatologist (2002). Expanded guidelines for Giving a Poster Presentation. [online] Available at: http://www.asp.org/education/Howto_onPosters.html#part2 [Retrieved on May 24, 2007].
  2. Conner, C.W. (N.D.). A Guide for Preparation. U.S. Geological Survey. [online] Available at: http://www.aapg.org/meetings/instructions/guide.html [Accessed 28 Nov. 2023]
  3. Shaw, G. (May, 2007). The Incredible, Accessible Presentation: Crafting PowerPoint Presentations That Work With Assistive Technology. [online] Available at: https://www.indezine.com/articles/accessppt.html [Accessed 28 Nov. 2023].
  4. Texas Tech University (2007). Poster Printing. Teaching, Learning and Technology Center. [online] Available at: http://www.tltc.ttu.edu/content/asp/services/poster_printing.asp [Accessed 28 Nov. 2023].
  5. University of Edinburgh (2005). Accessible Text and Language. Information Services. [online] Available at: http://www.is.ed.ac.uk/disability/resources/makinginformationaccess ble/textandlanguage [Accessed 28 Nov. 2023].
  6. Wikipedia (June, 2007). Serif. [online] Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serif [Accessed 28 Nov. 2023].

1. What is the most important/interesting/astounding finding from my research project?
2. How can I visually share my research with conference attendees? Should I use charts, graphs, photos, images?
3. What kind of information can I convey during my talk that will complement my poster? How much is too much? You don’t want to overwhelm your viewer

Here are some useful tips from Scientifica (2015):

Be Inviting

Over the duration of the conference poster session, try your best to remain by your display. If you must leave your poster for any reason, make sure to include your email address so that conference participants who might view it while you are away can get in touch with you. Go here for more advice on how to make your poster stand out.

Stand to the side of your poster and welcome everyone. This will make it simple for potential viewers to get closer and take it all in.

Consider using your poster to spark a discussion. To everyone who passes by and glances at you or your poster, smile and say hello. Encourage them to read on. Ask them if they would want you to walk them through it or if they have any questions after inviting them to read more if they appear interested.

Draw in your audience

Keep your enthusiasm high—your research is fascinating! It is crucial to maintain enthusiasm, even towards the end of the poster session when your energy levels may be lower. Your audience is more likely to find your work engaging if it is obvious that you find it intriguing.

Point to pertinent areas of your poster as you present it so that others can follow you as you go through it. Avoid putting your hands behind your back or in your pockets.

Do not forget to maintain eye contact with the audience to maintain their interest. To keep people interested and feeling participated in the presentation, keep gazing back at the audience.

When someone approaches when you are already presenting your findings to an individual or small group, make eye contact with them and smile. After your first group of guests has left, ask the newcomer if there is anything they missed that needs further explanation or if they have any other questions.

Making the most of the opportunity you have to exhibit a poster at a conference is the most crucial part. Who knows how a conversation you conduct in front of that notice board will turn out?

The Elevator Pitch

In poster presentations, first impressions are extremely important. A very brief description of your research, no longer than two minutes and no more than three sentences, should be written to spark the interest of your intended audience. Your synopsis should include the following three crucial pieces of information:

• What is the subject of your study?
  • What background knowledge is required by the audience regarding your research topic?
• What did you discover?
  • What was your research question, what were you trying to learn, and why? How did this lead you to it?
• Why is that crucial?
  • What are the long-term effects of your journey? What does this signify for the characters in your story?

The idea is to intrigue and pique interest in your audience. Keep the big picture in mind since the audience requires background information before they can become engaged with the specifics of your research. Make sure your pitch is succinct, captivating, and timely.

Check your audience's understanding

Ask your audience if they would like anything in your explanation to be expanded upon.

Instead of asking, "Do you understand how this works?" say, "Have I been clear enough" or "Should I go into more detail about......?"

Prior to the poster session beginning, make sure you:

• Are able to properly explain and comprehend the significance of each and every one of the figures on the poster.
• Know how to handle challenging questions that you might not be able to fully answer and be prepared to confidently respond to questions that are likely to be asked.

Dress for the occasion

At most conferences, wearing a complete suit may be too formal for the poster session, but it is still a good idea to dress smartly and professionally, as it demonstrates that you have carefully considered how to portray yourself to make the most of the opportunity that has been presented.

Networking

A fantastic method to broaden your network and locate potential future colleagues is to exchange contact information and hold further conversations.

Dealing with Feedback

It's critical to be open to criticism, ready for conversation, and careful not to get overly defensive.

Ask someone to clarify the significance of their opinion if they make a query or statement that you don't think is pertinent. Due to their novel viewpoint on the subject, they might have discovered something you hadn't considered, or they might just not comprehend your research. Also, a critical remark or inquiry may not actually be one of criticism but rather of a sincere desire to comprehend the reasoning behind what you did.

Remember to thank the audience for listening and thank them for their feedback. People who have visited your poster could potentially be employers or colleagues in the future.

References:

Scientifica. (2015). Tips for presenting your scientific poster at a conference. [online] Available at: https://www.scientifica.uk.com/neurowire/tips-for-presenting-your-scientific-poster-at-a-conference [Accessed 28 Nov. 2023].

The software you use is completely up to what you are most comfortable with. Here's a few recommendations:

PowerPoint

A popular, easy-to-use option. It is part of Microsoft Office package

Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign

Feature-rich professional software that is good for posters including lots of high-resolution images, but they are more complex and expensive.

Other recommendations include Canva and Prezi.

PRINTING

You can either print posters locally and travel with them to the conference OR send it to Warwick Print by 22nd March so we can print these out and bring them for you. If you wish to print your posters yourselves, you will need to alert the registration desk on arrival saying you have brought your poster for the exhibit. Please make sure you adhere to the size, style and format requirements mentioned above while printing your own poster. If you prefer having us print your posters, please follow the instructions below:

1. Visit Warwick Print and choose to print your poster at size A1/A0. We recommend portrait orientation.
2. Make sure you notify Warwick Print that your poster is for WorldCUR-BCUR 2023 - and add your submission number to the order!
3. Have your poster sent to this address by Wednesday 22nd March:

WorldCUR-BCUR Team, IATL

Senate House

University of Warwick

Coventry, CV4 7AL

1. Design your poster and save it as a .pdf file.

2. Once you have designed your poster, go back to your submission on Oxford Abstracts.

3. Upload your poster in a .pdf format in the "Forms of Presentation" section- if you have selected poster/exhibition, there will now be a space to upload your poster. The deadline to upload your poster is Wednesday 29th March.

REMEMBER - make sure that the poster uploaded is the same as the poster being sent to be printed!

The Poster Sessions at WorldCUR/BCUR 2023 will be hosted in the Mead Gallery in the Warwick Arts Centre: https://www.warwickartscentre.co.uk/our-venues/mead-gallery/