Jane E. Miller, PhD
The Chicago Guide to Writing about Multivariate Analysis, 2 nd edition.

• Common pitfalls in poster creation
• Components of a research poster
• Poster content and layout
• Narrative description
• Handouts
The Chicago Guide to Writing about Multivariate Analysis, 2 nd edition.

• Poster sessions at conferences are often treated as poor cousins to a speech on the same study
– Little thought to how to make an effective poster
• Lose out on opportunity to learn from visitors
– Different people will ask about different aspects
• policy implications
• research on your topic with other data or methods
• research on same data or similar methods with other topics
The Chicago Guide to Writing about Multivariate Analysis, 2 nd edition.

• Neglecting to adapt statistical findings for broad, varied audience
– Some policy makers and program planners
– Some quantitative analysts
– Some journalists
• Failing to communicate how research findings apply to real-world issues
– Readers must translate statistical findings themselves
– Many won’t take the time or aren’t trained to do so
The Chicago Guide to Writing about Multivariate Analysis, 2 nd edition.

• Posting pages from the paper
– Tiring for audience to stand and read entire papers at the poster session
– Encourages viewers to merely skim your work
• Neglecting to adapt detailed paragraphs and statistical tables into text bullets and charts
– Difficult for audience to quickly grasp key points
• Failing to devise narrative descriptions
– Lose the chance to learn from conversations with viewers
The Chicago Guide to Writing about Multivariate Analysis, 2 nd edition.

• Less detailed than a paper on the same research study
• More detailed than an oral conference presentation
• More interactive than either a speech or poster
– In a speech, you (the speaker) determine the focus of the presentation
– At a poster session, the viewers drive that focus
• See podcast on comparison of paper, speech and poster about the same research project
The Chicago Guide to Writing about Multivariate Analysis, 2 nd edition.

• Poster pages to be mounted in conference hall
• Narrative description
• Handouts
• ALL THREE of these elements are important
– They complement one another to create an accessible but comprehensive presentation about your study.
The Chicago Guide to Writing about Multivariate Analysis, 2 nd edition.

• Identify two or three main take-home points for your audience.
– Design the title, charts, and text to emphasize those points.
• Tell a clear, simple story
– Introduce 2 – 3 key questions that are the focus of your poster.
– Provide a brief overview of data and methods.
– Present the evidence to answer those questions.
– Close with a summary of your findings and their implications for research and policy.
The Chicago Guide to Writing about Multivariate Analysis, 2 nd edition.

– Convey the purpose, findings, and implications of your research to the expected range of readers.
– Provide background on
– topic
– analytic methods
– Present statistical material for a varied professional audience.
– See podcasts on
• slide design
• adapting statistical results for nonstatistical audiences.
The Chicago Guide to Writing about Multivariate Analysis, 2 nd edition.

– Replace long prose with text bullets.
– Adapt detailed tables into charts and simple tables.
– Hand out the paper for viewers who want details to read later.
The Chicago Guide to Writing about Multivariate Analysis, 2 nd edition.

• Same sections as in a research paper
• Separate pages for
– Objectives
– Background
– Data and methods (several pages)
– Results (several pages)
– Discussion and conclusions
– Policy implications
– Research implications
The Chicago Guide to Writing about Multivariate Analysis, 2 nd edition.

• Use the “W’s” (who, what, when, where, why) to organize the major sections of the poster.
• Introductory section:
– What are you are studying?
– Why is it important?
– How will your analysis add to the literature in the field?
• Data and methods:
– When, where, who, and how were the data collected?
– How many cases were involved?
– How were the data were analyzed?
The Chicago Guide to Writing about Multivariate Analysis, 2 nd edition.

• Results:
– What did you find?
• Present a few key detailed results in bullets, tables, and charts.
• Conclusions:
– What were your major findings?
• Implications for policy, program, or practice:
– How can it be used to inform practice (e.g., medical), programs, or policies related to the issue?
• Implications for research:
– What do your analyses suggest for future research?
The Chicago Guide to Writing about Multivariate Analysis, 2 nd edition.

• Find out the dimensions of your assigned space.
– A 8’ by 4’ bulletin board holds about 20 pages total.
– A tri-fold table-top (4’ by 3’) board holds about 12 pages total.
• For either size poster, arrange the pages into three or more vertical sections.
– Viewers can read each section standing in one place while reading left to right and top to bottom.
• See associated lecture on creating effective slides, which can be adapted as poster pages.
The Chicago Guide to Writing about Multivariate Analysis, 2 nd edition.

• Title should be
– Informative so viewers will be attracted to your poster
– Large and readable
• Abstract
– Summary of key points about your study
• Readers will use it to decide whether to read the full poster;
• Take the time to write an accurate, enticing summary.
– Can reword as “What We Learned”
• See diagram of layout for an 8’ by 4’ bulletin board
The Chicago Guide to Writing about Multivariate Analysis, 2 nd edition.

• One-page abstract or brief summary
– Provide overview of your work
– State your key findings and implications
• Set the stage for the research question
– State why the topic is of policy interest
• Anticipate policy or program implications
– Summarize major empirical or theoretical work
– State hypotheses or project aims
– Explain how project fills in gaps in previous work
The Chicago Guide to Writing about Multivariate Analysis, 2 nd edition.

• Briefly describe data source, variables, and methods.
• Present results in tables or charts accompanied by text annotations.
• Diagrams, maps, and photographs are effective for conveying issues difficult to capture in words. E.g.,
– Create a timeline to convey timing of different components of a longitudinal study.
– Use a schematic diagram of relationships among variables to illustrate causal order.
– Create a diagram of the nested structure of a multilevel data set.
The Chicago Guide to Writing about Multivariate Analysis, 2 nd edition.

• Summarize your findings.
– Relate them back to the research question or project aims.
• Discuss study strengths and limitations.
• Identify implications of your findings for
– Policy
– Practice
– Programs
• Suggest directions for future research.
The Chicago Guide to Writing about Multivariate Analysis, 2 nd edition.

The Chicago Guide to Writing about Multivariate Analysis, 2 nd edition.

The Chicago Guide to Writing about Multivariate Analysis, 2 nd edition.

• Find out how the posters are to be mounted so you can bring appropriate supplies.
– For table-top presentations, need tri-fold poster board.
– For bulletin board, need push pins, glue stick, or stapler.
• Allow ample time to pin up pages at conference.
The Chicago Guide to Writing about Multivariate Analysis, 2 nd edition.

• What is a narrative?
• Why do you need one?
• Contents of a narrative:
– Overview to say to each person who visits your poster
– Modules for specific sections of the poster
• Choose among them in response to individual questions.
The Chicago Guide to Writing about Multivariate Analysis, 2 nd edition.

• Modules to address different aspects of study
– Background
– Previous studies in the published literature
– Study design
– Analytic methods
– Results: Short module for each results page
– Conclusions
– Implications for policy, practice, or programs
– Implications for future research
• Questions to engage viewers about their reactions, suggestions.
The Chicago Guide to Writing about Multivariate Analysis, 2 nd edition.

• To remind readers about your project and how to reach you.
• To provide detailed
– literature review
– data and methods
– tables of results
– citations not included on poster
The Chicago Guide to Writing about Multivariate Analysis, 2 nd edition.

• Your executive summary or abstract with a few key tables or charts.
• A title page with abstract and your slides, printed several to a page.
• Include your contact information on either version.
The Chicago Guide to Writing about Multivariate Analysis, 2 nd edition.

• Prepare and practice your narrative modules so you can say them without consulting notes.
• Rehearse with a test audience who knows the interests and statistical proficiency of your viewers .
– Have them critique contents and layout of poster.
– Ask them to:
• Identify unclear elements of the poster or narrative
• Flag jargon to be paraphrased or defined
• Point out issues you haven’t covered in your narrative
The Chicago Guide to Writing about Multivariate Analysis, 2 nd edition.

• Posters are a unique format
≠ speech
• Posters allow for extended, conversation with viewers.
≠ paper
• Poster sessions are live presentations
• NOT a time for viewers to read a 30-page research paper!
• Focus on a few key points
• Create a clear story line
• Use charts and text bullets to convey points quickly
• Supplement with handouts and an oral overview
The Chicago Guide to Writing about Multivariate Analysis, 2 nd edition.

• Chapter 20 in Miller, J. E. 2013. The Chicago Guide to
Writing about Multivariate Analysis, 2nd Edition.
• Miller, J. E. 2007. “Preparing and Presenting Effective
Research Posters.” Health Services Research 42 (1,
Part I): 311–28.
• Beilenson, J. 2004. “Developing Effective Poster
Presentations.” Gerontology News 32 (9): 6–9.
• Briscoe, M. H. 1996. Preparing Scientific Illustrations:
A Guide to Better Posters, Presentations, and
Publications, 2nd Edition. New York: Springer-Verlag.
The Chicago Guide to Writing about Multivariate Analysis, 2 nd edition.
The Chicago Guide to Writing about Multivariate Analysis, 2 nd edition.

• Podcasts on
– Designing slides for a speech
– Comparison of paper, speech, and poster
– Presenting statistical results to nonstatistical audiences
The Chicago Guide to Writing about Multivariate Analysis, 2 nd edition.

• Study guide to The Chicago Guide to Writing about Multivariate Analysis, 2nd Edition.
– Question #3 in the problem set for chapter 20
– Suggested course extensions for chapter 20
• “Reviewing” exercise #1
• “Writing” exercises #1 through 5
• “Revising” exercise #1
The Chicago Guide to Writing about Multivariate Analysis, 2 nd edition.

Jane E. Miller, PhD jmiller@ifh.rutgers.edu
Online materials available at http://press.uchicago.edu/books/miller/multivariate/index.html
The Chicago Guide to Writing about Multivariate Analysis, 2 nd edition.