Elements of a Sophomore Symposium Board
The symposium board will compare 2 related articles. Your efforts should be spent drawing out
the link between these two articles. The general format of the board will follow the format of your
presentations. All slides should be 8.5 x 11 inches (normal size).
1. Title: The title is something you make up that should showcase the comparison between these
two articles. The dimensions of this slide are unlike the rest of the slides. It needs to be 27.5 x 8
inches.
2. Introduction: There should be 4-5 introduction slides that provide a clear background. This
information has to encompass all the necessary background for both articles. As you decide on
what information to put into your introduction slide ask yourself “What information is needed to
understand the science in both articles collectively?” You also need to end with a Past Studies
slide.
Each slide should be appropriately titled (NOTE: Do not title introduction slides “Introduction”).
Each slide should also have in-text citations. If you use figures/images/tables they must be
numbered and titled.
3. Title and objective/hypothesis: Each article needs a slide that has the title of the article being
presented with the full citation. Below the title you need to work in the objective or hypothesis of
the article.
4. Methodology: Each article should have 1-2 slides of methods. These methods should include all
necessary information to explain, “What was done” during the experiment. This includes
explaining steps for data analysis! The methods for the 1st article and the 2nd article should be
separate slides.
5. Results: Each article should have 1-2 slides of results. The only acceptable results slides are
figures or tables from the article. You MAY NOT create your own table without approval from Mr.
Boylan or Mrs. Clark. Each figure/table should be numbered: For article 1 figures and tables with
be numbered “Figure 1.1, Figure 1.2, etc.”. Figures and tables from the second article with be
numbered “Figure 2.1, Figure 2.2, etc.” Each results slide must include a caption that clearly
outlines how to interpret the data presented as well as obvious trends in the findings.
6. Discussion: You should address the objective/hypothesis stated earlier. The most important part
of the discussion is to address the results from each article. You need to interpret and give and
overall meaning to these results with respect to the topic of your board. Depending on your layout
vision you can have this be separate discussion slides for each article or one combined slide.
7. Link: One slide is needed to show these two articles and their findings are related. What do they
collectively show about the topic being studied?
8. Future Implications: A slide for future implications. This is the same as a normal presentation
slide.
9. Acknowledgements: List of people you wish to acknowledge
10. References: Full APA citation. Please note, that the acknowledgements and references slide can
be combine into one slide should we need to save space.