By Bailey O’Keath, Neuroscience student at Washington State University Vancouver
The art of making science fashionable. The act of placing complex thoughts onto a large piece of paper. The not so simple task of making important scientific research easy to read and understand, all while making it interesting and getting your data seen. However you want to think of it, scientists must be able to portray our important data and findings in many different ways. Posters may or may not be one of the easiest ways to do that.
From http://edtech2.boisestate.edu/angelacovil/506/display.html
We scientists sometimes have a difficult time trying to relate our studies to the general public. How do we get people to care and want to know more? How can we make this interesting to other people and not just our scientist friends? The struggle of being a “normal” information conveyer is never ending, but with these tips on how to make a graphic poster, you can solve all your graphical problems.
Scientists are people too. When making your scientific poster, think about what you would like to see. In some aspects, your poster doesn’t even have to be so science-y. Make your poster visually appealing and draw people’s attention. Not only will you attract viewers this way, but the judges at a poster conference may find you one of the most interesting (depending on your overall performance, of course). Use a main picture or piece of data that is easy to interpret, as the centerpiece to your poster. Make sure that once you get your audience’s attention, you can be sure and keep it.
How? To ensure that your whole poster is visually appealing and easy to understand for all audiences; have an intriguing title and short introduction to your study, use subtle background colors, use bullet points and not too much text, make sure the columns or rows flow nicely, make your whole poster tell a story, use a matte finish on your poster so there is no glare from above, include only relevant material (suitable for your audience), be brief, have data to support yourself that can be easily understood, state your purpose at the end, tell the “Who, what, when, why” details and make it relate to the audience and why they should care, include the future of your studies and what it could mean, and most importantly, present your information in a professional and interesting way.
Your poster isn’t the only thing that is important here. When creating a poster, you must realize that you are going to be the one to present it. While presenting, whether it be for a class or at a big conference, make sure you really know what you’re doing. Know your poster back and forth so when people ask you questions you can be sure to answer them clearly. Have handouts for people who want to ask you more questions later, and give them something interesting to take home and think about. Wear a name tag and dress professionally so the audience can remember you and put a name to the face.
Although this is a pretty serious subject and relaying your research is very important, you have to remember that this is one of your passions and you need to enjoy it! Making a poster and presenting it in front of who knows how many people, can be kind of intimidating, but when you have fun and like what you’re speaking about, you won’t even notice the stress that comes with it.
Relaying your scientific information should always be clear and concise, so that when people want to know more you can fill them in. Don’t try to memorize answers to frequently asked questions though, always be yourself when presenting your information and really let your passion shine through. Be yourself, have fun, use your smarts, and convey the important information in a “fashionable” manner to all the other students, teachers, judges, and scientists that are out there.