IUPUI UROP Symposium 2008
Friday, March 28th, 2008
8:30am - 5:00pm
POSTER SESSIONS
Caution: Please read all of these directions before preparing a poster. You may have your poster printed in the Center for Research and Learning but YOU MUST SUBMIT YOUR PRINT-READY POSTER FILE ON OR BEFORE MARCH 14th, no exceptions will be made to this scheduling policy and you must consult with Cho, who manages the CRL poster printer facility, (317) 278-2006; tcho@iupui.edu; she is located in University Library, Room 1140.
You may download poster, oral, a pdf or word document.
What is a poster session?
At a poster session, presenters display a summary of their work (research) or work-in-progress on a large poster board, generally set up in a room or hallway with other poster boards, where conference participants can freely circulate, read poster information, and engage in informal chats with presenters whose work interests them. Poster sessions provide conference participants with an opportunity to access a wide range of projects in a wide range of disciplines in a convenient setting. They also offer an excellent venue for informal one-on-one discussions between presenters and conference attendees. The process of focusing one’s research in a way that makes the work accessible to a broad audience, whether at the beginning of a project, midway through a project, or at the completion of a project, is an invaluable exercise. It requires the presenter to synthesize all of the information they are learning and crystallize it into small understandable, easily displayed units. These units may include sections on:
- why we are interested in a subject (statement of the problem);
- what we already know about the subject (background or literature review);
- the main ideas we wish to explore (hypotheses); how we plan to explore them (methods);
- why the research is important (significance);
- what factors might make it difficult to reach a valid conclusion (limitations of research);
- and what other areas might be important to explore in the future (future research directions).
Poster guidelines for the IUPUI UROP Symposium direct participants to focus on four basic questions but invite experienced presenters to consider additional questions. Going through the process of making and presenting a poster can help students communicate the importance of their ongoing or proposed research projects during the roundtable sessions in a more organized and efficient manner. The better prepared the presenters are, the more time for discussion and interaction, both critical factors in the development of good research and good researchers.
Set-up and Presentation:
Posters must be set up in the designated area one half hour before the poster session begins. You will be assigned an easel number indicated the easel on which to place your poster. The poster presentation venue, time, and your easel number will be in your registration packet and listed in the symposium program. Volunteers will be available to direct you to your display area. Presenters must stand by their posters for the duration of the poster session. Wear your name badge. Be enthusiastic about your research. Greet visitors to your poster and approach people who appear interested. Introduce yourself! Conference participants will want to hear a brief (1-3 minutes) summary of your research and your poster. They may ask you to tell them about your work, explain your methods, or discuss various aspects of your results and conclusions. Rehearse your presentation before the poster session. Do not read your poster verbatim. Be prepared to answer questions about your project. Do not worry about having an answer for every question. Unexpected questions can point you to new directions for your research and uncertainties can elicit feedback, insights and helpful suggestions from others. A few volunteers will be on-hand to offer tips or suggestions upon request by presenters during the poster session. Posters must be removed immediately after the session. The Center for Research and Learning will not be responsible for materials left on the boards after the poster session.
Poster Content and Preparation:
Posters normally feature at least 4 sections addressing the following questions:
• What are you researching?
• Why are you researching this topic?
• How are you researching this topic (methods)?
• What is the status of your research or what have you learned?
Some Requirements:
1) Posters must include a title banner
A. Include the title of your presentation
B. your name and co-authors
C. affiliation (home department, school, other affiliated departments, schools and institutions if different than IUPUI, and other affiliations of collaborators not from IUPUI)
D. the name of your research faculty mentor
E. The title may be located on your poster or displayed separately above your poster.
2) Organization and Clarity: Take time to carefully plan your poster.
a. The format of a poster requires attention to visual impact. Focus on central points, main ideas. Keep the text brief. Condense your ideas. Information should flow logically from one section to the next. Avoid unnecessary detail. High-contrast, large, clear text with appropriate graphics will draw attendees to your poster.
b. Use unembellished, legible and heavy fonts such as Helvetica or Helvetica Bold. Black type is best, but bold or color can be used to emphasize or highlight key points. Lettering should be legible from 5-6 feet away. Suggested font sizes: Title: 100-144 points Section headings: 72-84 points (Also presenter and mentor names and affiliations) Text: 18-24 points
c. Use graphs or tables to present numerical data. If a graph or image doesn’t fit on one of the four panels, consider combining the first two questions (what & why) on one panel to free a space for the graphic.
d. References should be included where other people's work is being represented This can be included on the poster or can be provided as a handout. Use the citation form appropriate for your field of study.
3) Space and Materials:
Boards (3' x 5' foam or other presentation surface) on easels will be provided for poster display. If you need a table please contact Carolyn G. Key (cakey@iupui.edu, Tel: 307-278-0644). Table space is extremely limited and you are advised not to use a table. Each presenter will be limited to one poster. Posters may be mounted on the boards provided using push pins or removable tape. Push pins will be provided. You may not exceed this poster sized but you need not fill the entire 3’ x 5’ space. A portrait orientation (vertical) is recommended.
4) Printing:
a. You may also create elements of your poster as PowerPoint slides that you can then print, cut and paste on your poster board to bring to the session.
b. A complete poster can be created in one Power Point slide and then printed on glossy poster paper to a large format printer. All registered participants in this conference may use the large format printer in the Center for Research and Learning. However,YOU MUST SUBMIT YOUR PRINT-READY POSTER FILE ON OR BEFORE MARCH 14th to have your poster printed by the Center. No exceptions will be made to this scheduling policy. Printing a poster takes at least one hour, takes about another hour to dry, and you must be available during your appointment in case changes to your power point file are necessary.
c. To schedule a printing time and to get directions for preparing your poster for printing, contact Cho in the Center for Research and Learning at 317-278-6002 (tcho@iupui.edu).
d. The largest portrait style poster width the CRL poster printer can handle is 40 inches.
Tips: Consider providing a handout about your presentation for interested conference participants to take with them. Be sure to include your contact information. Cardboard shipping tubes are a convenient way to carry and protect your poster. Before purchasing one, check with departments, organizations or businesses that may have mailing tubes to recycle. Enjoy the conversation about your work!
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