Research Posters in the Arts & Humanities: Guidelines

Research Posters in the Arts & Humanities: Guidelines
Introduction
Presenting the findings of research is an integral part of the academic process. It offers researchers the opportunity to engage academic colleagues in discussion and debate, as well as providing a framework for reflection. Finding innovative means of disseminating research findings is equally as important. Posters have been used in the Sciences and in the Medical profession for some time now. Their use in Humanities and related disciplines is much less advanced.
These guidelines grew out of a workshop on ‘Research Posters in the Arts & Humanities’ at Cardiff
University in November 2005. They have also been produced to accompany a dedicated website
(ADDRESS). Further information and poster templates (and other useful material) can be obtained from the website.
The workshop which laid the foundations for these guidelines and its dedicated website was funded by a grant from the ‘Year of Postgraduate Study’ fund and was co-ordinated by Dr. Josef
Lossl and Dr. James Hegarty of the Cardiff School of Religious and Theological Studies
Aim
These guidelines are only intended to guide you in planning, preparing and then assessing research posters in the Arts & Humanities. They are not intended to be an exhaustive or prescriptive list of everything that needs to be undertaken in such a project.

Research Posters in the Arts & Humanities: Guidelines
Appropriate and well thought out preparation is probably the single most important step in presenting a good research poster. A clear and well designed poster is essential in disseminating your research findings effectively. In this section, we will look at some of the key points in when planning and designing your poster.
An old adage has it that ‘to fail to plan, is to plan to fail’. This is certainly true of research poster preparation. Indeed, poor presentations are often more about badly designed posters than they are about poor delivery. It is absolutely essential that you spend as much time as possible planning the organisation, structure and purpose of your poster. However, it is also important to remember that it is very difficult to plan a poster in the abstract and that much depends on your specific situation.
Feedback on the development of your poster is also absolutely essential . We therefore recommend the active involvement of your research supervisor at every stage, and particularly when planning your poster.
Time
Planning, designing and presenting a research poster effectively takes time and effort. It is therefore important to leave yourself enough time to do all of these things. Not having sufficient time increases the likelihood that your poster will fail to get its message across as effectively as it might. It will also mean that you have less time to deal with unexpected hiccups, which can sometimes cause considerable delay. Make sure you have plenty of time to plan, design and prepare your poster. Moreover, leave yourself enough time to reflect, and thus to change it if necessary .
Purpose
Understanding the purpose behind your poster is crucial in effective planning and design. The following questions are useful pointers:
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Why are you giving this poster presentation?
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What is its specific purpose?
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What specific message are you trying to get across?
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What is the most important point you are trying to communicate to your audience?
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What is your audience?
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How formal or informal will the occasion be?
Ideally, your poster should communicate one key theme or one key message . Having more than one such theme will lead to confusion and will therefore lessen the overall impact of your poster.
Be clear about what you want to say. In other words, your poster needs to demonstrate appropriate unity of purpose .
Clarifying the purpose of your poster will help you to be clear about what you are trying to achieve and will also help you decide on what to include and just as importantly, what not to include later on. Thus, purpose, message and relevance are key themes.
Audience & Context: Read the Conference Guidelines
Understanding your audience is another significant aspect of planning your poster. Knowing clearly who you are going to be presenting to is essential. This will help you to decide on the formality/informality of your poster, as well as on its tone and to a large extent, its content. It is also important to understand any presentation guidelines clearly. Make sure you know what format and delivery requirements there are (if any) well in advance . If you are not sure, contact the conference organisers for information.
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Are there any formatting requirements which you need to take account of?

Research Posters in the Arts & Humanities: Guidelines
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How will you be expected to present your poster physically?
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Are there any software or hardware issues which you need to consider?
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Do any practical issues need to be dealt with?
Possible Models
There are many different ways to structure a research poster and there is no one magic formula.
Context and audience must, therefore, be the deciding factors. However, the following suggestions may prove helpful in developing a broad structure.
Model One
I. Introduction
II. Research Methods
III. Conclusions
Model Two
I.
II.
Research Background
Aims & Objectives
III. Conclusions
Model Three
I.
II.
Origins
Research Questions
III. Methodological and Theoretical Perspectives
IV. Discussion
V. Further Research Areas
Title
Once you have decided the purpose of your poster presentation, probably the next most important step is to decide its title. Although, of course, there is no right or wrong way to do this as such, it is vital that you are clear about your presentation’s title at a very early stage .
Your title needs to adequately reflect what you are trying to do and say. It thus requires careful thought and consideration. Although you may well have already decided the title beforehand (and this may, to some extent, be imposed by the nature of your research), it is worth spending some time thinking carefully about your title.
Once you are clear about the purpose of your poster and are aware of the implications of your proposed audience, the next step is to start thinking about design. Devising a well laid out and clear poster is probably as important as the research findings you are trying to communicate, so it is essential to spend some considerable time in design. The following information is intended to act as a guide in designing your poster.
Central Message
The aim of your poster is to disseminate your research findings in the most effective means possible. It is absolutely essential therefore that the central message of your presentation comes across clearly and easily. If your central thesis is obscured, your poster will not have done its job properly. Remember that the ideal (as appropriate) is to have one key message for each poster.
Referring to your paper’s abstract will help you to focus on your central message more clearly.
Methodological Issues & Concerns
Although certain methodologies clearly underpin your research agenda, the extent to which these need to be exhaustively covered in your poster is unclear. Certain presentations will need to deal will methodological issues extensively, whilst others may only need to make the briefest reference.

Research Posters in the Arts & Humanities: Guidelines
Understanding the purpose of your poster, and the central point it seeks to get across, is perhaps the most important factor in this regard. Audience and context are also significant in making your decision.
Generally speaking, the methodology underpinning your present research is probably going to be appropriate. However, it is neither necessary nor desirable to try and refer to the entire debate (if that is not the purpose of your poster). This is probably particularly important in Humanities disciplines, where methodological focus is crucial. Thought should be given to two key areas:
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Past work and its methodological focus
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Future work and forthcoming questons
Relevance is probably the deciding factor: if methodological issues are clearly necessary, then include them, otherwise they should be left out. The advice and feedback of your research supervisor is critical in this regard.
Logical Structure
It is essential that your poster has a well designed and clear structure. Convoluted, difficult to follow and awkward posters are not effective and they do not communicate your research efficiently. It is worth spending time on making sure your structure works well and is easy to follow.
Remember, the shape, significance and meaning of your research is probably very clear to you; it may not be so clear to s omeone else. It is crucial therefore that your poster has a logical ‘flow’ to it. The following questions should help you to focus on structure:
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Is it easy to follow?
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Does it have a logical structure?
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Does the structure you have chosen appropriately convey your research findings?
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Is there a better or simpler way to present your research?
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Is the central message of your poster adequately clear?
However, remember that a poster can be edited too much. Postgraduate research is complex and this will need to be conveyed in any posters which you design.
Use of Language
Designing an effective poster means using language appropriately and well. To do this effectively, you need to understand your potential audience. Again, the better you understand the context in which you will deliver your poster, the more effective it will be. The following questions are intended to help guide your thinking:
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What kinds of language are appropriate in the context in which you are working?
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Does your poster contain a lot of unexplained and unnecessary jargon?
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Is your language clear and easy to understand?
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Is it context appropriate?
Given the nature of research, and the complex subjects it deals with, jargon is probably impossible to avoid. However, finding ways to cut out inapp ropriate jargon is crucial to your poster’s success.
When reviewing your poster it is important to constantly ask whether a particular term is appropriate and if you use jargon, whether it is necessary and valid.
Spelling & Punctuation
Although it might seem strange to refer these at postgraduate research level, good spelling and punctuation are absolutely vital. Poor punctuation and spelling lessen the impact of your poster and the research which lies behind it. Therefore, make sure you check your spelling and punctuation before you print your poster . This is particularly important where English is not your first language. Input from your research supervisor is especially important in this regard.

Research Posters in the Arts & Humanities: Guidelines
Amount of Text
Minimum text equals maximum impact, so it is important to be as concise as possible. Make the poster’s text as brief as possible. This will help concentrate your own mind on the presentation’s focus and will also help you with your presentation style. More significantly, perhaps, it will also aid those viewing your poster. Generally speaking, a research poster needs to be read, absorbed and understood in a very short space of time (10 minutes is probably the maximum).
Layout
Given the visual nature of posters, layout is perhaps the most important factor. Good layout adds to your presentation and communicates your ideas quickly and effectively. Poor layout, by contrast, lessens the feel and impact of your work.
In Science disciplines poster layout is usually quite strict. There may well be some differences in the Humanities and it is vital that you understand what these are before you design your poster.
Your research results are, however, what you are really trying to communicate. It is essential, therefore, that whatever layout you choose allows your results to be communicated effectively.
In the Sciences, images (such as photographs and diagrams) usually take priority over text. The visual clarity and overall feel of your poster are very important in attracting attention and thus
‘visuality’ is a crucial component in designing your layout. Any data or results need to be presented clearly and logically.
It is also worth remembering that research posters should, ideally, be stand-alone. That is, they should be able to communicate your key themes, results and ideas without any necessary human presence .
Given its significance, it is vital that you spend some considerable time on designing the layout of your poster. Feedback is also important. Thus getting feedback from fellow research students, as well as your supervisor, is a good way of developing your layout and ensuring that it communicates your ideas effectively.
Using Images
The visual nature of posters lends itself to the use of images. However, the key point to bear in mind is that, as with text, any images you use should support your presentation . That is, they should be relevant and useful, as well as visually attractive. Generally speaking, only those which support your main hypothesis should be used:
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Are there any copyright issues relating to the images you wish to use?
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How clear are they and do they add to or detract from the clarity of your overall layout?
You will also need to bear technical matters in mind:
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Is the technology you are using to design your poster able to integrate the images you intend to use effectively?
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If you need to increase the size of your image, is its resolution sufficient?
Using Colour
Colour can be used to guide a reader through your poster. Given this, it is important that you use colour sensibly and appropriately. Broadly speaking, limiting the number of colours you use is a good idea. Posters with too many colours are visually distracting and can place barriers between your research and the reader. Simplicity and clarity are thus to be preferred. Limiting your palette is a good idea. Once you have chosen a colour scheme, ask for the opinions of others.
Contact Details
Although it might seem unnecessary, it is also a good idea to include your contact details somewhere on the poster. This is especially important since, in many respects, your poster is supposed to be a stand-alone presentation. That is, it should not require your immediate physical

Research Posters in the Arts & Humanities: Guidelines presence. Contact details are thus useful for someone who wishes to find out more about your research.
References
Clear and appropriate referencing is a central feature of academic research. Within the context of research posters, the issue
The presentation of your research poster, both in terms of overall feel and actual delivery, are of fundamental importance. In this section, we will look more closely at some of the issues involved in presenting research posters.
Making sure that your poster has a high visual impact is of central importance. Once you have planned, prepared and then designed your poster, the next step is to review it. In the weeks leading up to its actual delivery, revisit your initial design and check through it. It is worth checking at this stage that your poster meets the co nference’s submission guidelines .
Printing your poster onto paper and assembling it one a board may also help you to see it more clearly. The following questions are intended to guide your thinking:
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Now that you have come back to your poster after a break, does it still have the visual impact you first thought it did?
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Now that you have had time to reflect, what things strike you about your presentation design?
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Are there any advantages to your initial design which you failed to notice before?
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Are there any disadvantages to your initial design which you failed to notice before?
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Do the images you have chosen add to or detract from the overall feel of your poster?
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How relevant are your chosen images? Do they contribute to the overall argument, or are they merely illustrative?
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Are your images at the right resolution?
It is also helpful to have others review your efforts too. Other research colleagues and your supervisor would be particularly helpful in this regard. Science-based poster conferences often mediate the poster submissions made to them. This also offers an excellent opportunity to gain useful feedback.
Using Fonts
As an information medium posters rely on visibility to create an effect. The size of the font you use is an important means of maintaining visual impact. Indeed, using too small a font size obscures your presentation and thus obscures the findings you are trying to communicate.
When deciding on your font size, a number of issues need to be considered:
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What is particular text you are deciding upon supposed to do within the poster?
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Is it the title? (In which case it needs to be large and clearly visible)
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Is it key explanatory text? (Again, this needs to be visible and hence fairly large)
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Is it less immediately necessary? If this is so, there are two possible further points which you should consider:
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Is this text absolutely necessary?
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If it is necessary, and merely explains detail, it may not need to be as visible.
Probably the best way forward here is to have the purpose of your research poster clearly visible in your mind. Given these issues, the minimum font size to use for main text is probably size 28.

Research Posters in the Arts & Humanities: Guidelines
Captions
Captions can help you to present your research to maximum effect. In visual terms, they can help to break up the poster. They can thus be used to help guide your readers to those parts of your presentation you are most concerned to communicate. They can also help guide your audience’s thinking and can also help generate questions if used appropriately. However, the most important thing to bear in mind is, again, relevance. Any captions you use must be of direct relevance to your presentation topic. Irrelevant or uncertain captions can detract from the overall feel of your poster.
Once you have prepared your poster and have reviewed it thoroughly, the next step will be to present it. This section offers some guidance on presenting your research poster effectively.
Knowing the Presentation Format
Academic conferences use poster presentations in a number of ways. Before you present your poster, it is absolutely essential that you clearly understand the particular format you need to use beforehand . This relates directly to planning issues and is of central importance. The following points are intended to help:
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Make sure you have a copy of the submission guidelines and then, make sure you understand them!
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Ask the conference organisers for clarification on any points which seem obscure
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Leave yourself plenty of time, so that you are still able to change the format, layout and method of delivery if necessary. It is better to do so beforehand than to arrive without knowing what you are supposed to do clearly.
In general, there are two broad types of poster delivery – formal and informal. We will look briefly at each of these in turn.
Formal Presentation
In this kind of presentation, you will often be expected to present your poster and its findings in 3-5 minutes! Formal presentations thus require you to mediate your poster quickly and with sufficient clarity. It is thus essential that you are able to offer a guide to your poster, and the research it communicates, in a very short space of time. The following suggestions may prove useful:
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Make sure you understand the key points of your presentation clearly
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Plan what you are going to say, and how you are going to say it, beforehand (the more time you can devote to planning your presentation, the more effective it should be)
Informal Presentation
Informal presentations are, by their very nature, more relaxed and generally less structured. Such presentations often involve you standing next to your poster and talking about it to anyone who comes along. This can mean that you may even be talking to more than one person at once.
Again, this presentation format imposes its own conditions:
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Understanding the key points of your argument and how to put them across succinctly is again crucial
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Be ready to deal with questions: such informal gatherings may well generate unusual questions
Assessing the effectiveness of a research poster is perhaps the most significant aspect of the entire process. After all, posters aim to communicate your research findings as effectively as possible. In the following section you will find some guidelines on the assessment of research posters in the Arts & Humanities. This section aims to give you some pointers in helping assess the impact of your posters after the event.

Research Posters in the Arts & Humanities: Guidelines
Context
As context is arguably the most significant factor in the design of your poster, its role in the assessment process is understandably fundamental. That is, when assessing your poster the most important question to think about is: did your poster address the context in which it was delivered effectively? In other words, was it suitable in terms of structure, argument and style?
Did it hit the right register for your audience? Was it pitched at the right level in terms of detail and did it communicate your ideas in the most effective manner possible?
Purpose
In essence, therefore, your personal assessment should aim to explore whether you thought it was
‘fit for purpose’. It is vital that you consider this question as it will aid your research poster design in future. It will also help you think about the most effective means of conveying your findings.
Effectiveness
Once you have thought about your poster’s effectiveness in terms of its content, you need to explore its design effectiveness. In other words, the key question to ask is: was my design the most effective means of communicating my paper possible? Could I have arranged things differently? Now, having presented the poster, what do I think its key strengths were? What were its main weaknesses?
A useful means of answering these questions is in recording the feedback your readers give you.
Thus, you should be prepared to note the reactions and comments of your audience, not merely in terms of the research itself, but also it terms of its presentation. You will also be able to gain a sense of this on the day itself; recording this information is thus a vital part of the assessment process.