A poster presentation simply refers to another visual method of presenting research or data. It has commonly been used at academic conferences, seminars, and events to share findings in an engaging way. Posters are typically a hybrid of text, images, graphs, and illustrations summarizing a topic or theme to make information accessible to viewers who may have limited time in reading texts in the forms of academic article.

A poster presentation can be an effective method to showcase research in an engaging, interactive format. However, it requires a careful balance between content, design, and presentation skills to convey complex information in a way that is accessible and visually appealing. Poster simply mixes or blends visual and verbal communication. In the presentation session, the presenters usually stand by their posters, explain and discuss their work. Generally, poster presentations are displayed in large rooms or halls where attendees can move from poster to poster at their own pace. This makes it critical for the content to be clear, organized, and visually attractive to capture the audience’s attention quickly.

Key Elements of a Poster Presentation

The core components of a poster presentation include:

• Title and Author Information: The title should be short, descriptive, and engaging to immediately convey the topic. Author information includes the names and affiliations of those involved in the research or project.
• Introduction or Background: This section provides context, explaining the purpose of the study, its importance, and any necessary background information. It should be brief and straightforward, as detailed explanations will detract from the main points.
• Objective or Research Question: Clearly state the research question or objectives to give viewers an idea of what the study intends to accomplish.
• Methods: Describe the methodology in concise terms, covering what was done, how it was done, and why these methods were chosen. Visuals like flowcharts or process diagrams can help convey complex methodologies succinctly.
• Results: Present key findings in an organized way. Use graphs, tables, or charts to visually represent data, making it easier to understand at a glance. This section should highlight only the most significant results to avoid overwhelming viewers with excessive details.
• Conclusion: Summarize the main takeaways, linking them back to the objectives or research question. This is the space to emphasize why the findings matter and how they contribute to the field.
• References and Acknowledgments: If applicable, include references to key sources or acknowledge any individuals or organizations that supported the work.

3. Design Principles for an Effective Poster

A well-designed poster is vital to attract and hold attention. Here are some key design principles:

• Simplicity and Clarity: Avoid clutter by focusing on essential information only. Use bullet points, short sentences, and concise language.
• Font Size and Type: Text should be readable from a distance. Use a legible font like Arial or Helvetica, with a minimum font size of 24 for body text and 48-60 for the title.
• Color and Contrast: Use contrasting colors to differentiate sections and make text stand out against the background. However, avoid too many colors to maintain a professional look.
• Visual Hierarchy: Organize content to guide the viewer's eye naturally through the poster. Typically, viewers read from top to bottom and left to right, so place important information accordingly.
• Graphics and Visuals: Use visuals like graphs, charts, and images to break up text and illustrate points. Ensure images are high-quality and relevant to the content.
• White Space: Include enough white space around text and images to make the poster look less crowded and help key sections stand out.

A study that explores how poster creation and presentation contributes to students’ development of science identity and science communication self-efficacy in a hybrid format found that students’ science identity and science communication self-efficacy improved significantly, as well as benefits and complaints about presenting research virtually, namely, reduced stress, a more comfortable atmosphere, but a murkier communication channel¹.

Erren & Bourne as cited in Boullata & Mancuso (2007)² reveal the following rules to achieve a good overall poster presentation.

1. Define the purpose
2. The title is important
3. Layout and format are critical
4. Sell your work in 10 seconds
5. Content is important, but keep it concise
6. Posters should express your personality
7. Poster acceptance does not necessarily endorse your work
8. Good posters have unique features not pertinent to papers
9. Many of the rules to writing a good paper apply to posters too
10. The impact of a poster occurs both during and after the poster session

Ross (2019)³ found that the posters assess various general and practical graduate skills that demanded advanced learning as students were required to analyze and synthesize information for their presentations. This approach enables feedback and validation of student learning experiences. The presentations are regarded as an efficient and effective method for teaching, assessing, and providing feedback to a large cohort of first-year medical students.

Poster presentations offer a visual summary of research, quality improvement, or process enhancement efforts. They serve as a means to share key findings from these projects⁴. In addition, it is revealed that poster presentations offer significant impact impact factor as compared with oral presentations⁵.

Moyo (2019)⁶ suggests 5C to compose good poster presentations:

• Compliant: It is your responsibility to read and be complaint with poster guidelines, depends on the event. Regardless of the format, you must comply with the poster guidelines to ensure all criteria are met.
• Catchy: The title of your poster must be catchy! It must be creatively developed such that the subject and purpose of your poster are easily deduced
• Clear: Your poster presentation should “stand alone.” Attendees must be able to read and understand your viewpoint without you being present to explain
• Concise: There are space limitations when it comes to poster presentations; therefore, brevity is key. You must convey the key points of your work clearly and succinctly
• Clutter-free: Carefully consider the amount of text, font size, and font type when developing your poster