Constructing Your
Research Poster
Nut and Bolts
McNair
Zackie Salmon
Director, McNair Scholars Program
University of Wyoming
307-766-6189
nomlas@uwyo.edu
Keys to Success
•Limit
•Use
text
correct font size
•Available
space-don’t
have a crowded poster
Font Style
•Times
New Roman
Easy to read blocks of text
•Arial
Best for names and titles
Font Size
Readable from 3 feet away
Section
Font
Style
Title of
Project
Arial
Your
name,
mentor,
dept, etc.
Arial
Font size
(points)
80
60
Section
Font
Style
Font size
(points)
Section Titles
(Methods,
Results, etc.)
Arial
Section Text
(Hypothesis,
Results, etc.)
Times
New
Roman
36
Acknowledgements
Times
New
Roman
26
54
Use Charts & Graphs
•Simple
•Use
color
•Label
‘em
Degrees in Fahrenheit
Max Temp in Crow’s Pond, WI
75
67
53
50
50
43
59
57
25
Degrees in F
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Date-October 2007
Natural Gas Futures Sales
in Millions of Dollars
2009
1.2
1st Qtr
1.4
3.2
8.2
2nd Qtr
3rd Qtr
4th Qtr
Use Pictures & Graphics
• People
visual
are
• Communicates
concepts easily
Figure 1. The Njoro Watershed located
in southwestern Kenya.
• Holds
viewer’s
attention
Figure 1. Glycoprotein
Limitations of the Poster
• Poster
• It
isn’t your presentation
is a visual aid
• Articulating
your ideas is the
presentation
• Plan
a 3 minute oral presentation
3 Minute Oral Presentation
•Introduction: 1 minute
Statement of the Problem
Hypotheses /Objectives or
Research Question
•Internal Section: 2 minutes
1. Brief introduction based on lit review
2. Methods
3. Importance of your study
•Ask
if viewer has questions
Drawing People to Your Poster

Everyone likes to receive an
invitation!
As People Walk By
Extend an Invitation
Would you like me to walk you
through my poster?
Posters for 3 Stages of Research
•Proposed Research
•Focus on methods and data analysis
•No results at this point
•Research in Progress
•Focus on preliminary results
•Completed Research Project
•Focus on final results
 See
Handouts of Templates
 and
Poster Examples
 QUESTIONS??????