Create a Research Poster

A good research poster communicates your findings in a concise, attractive format that can be easily grasped in a short time. This helps your audience engage with your research, generates discussion, and publicizes your hard work!

Guidelines

• Don’t be too wordy; keep text concise and clear. 
• Organization is key. Think about what you want to say first and then carefully consider layout. 
• Make sure your title, images and font sizes are large enough to be read from 5-8 feet away.
• Use headings, bullets, and graphics to break up text. 

• Include your contact information and, if you are comfortable, a photo for those who want more information. 
• Arrange your content to be read from left to right just like a book page.
• Save space by using a shortened URL or QR code for citations or links to supporting materials.    

Images and Graphics

Images and graphics should have enough contrast so they stand out on the page. Color-code and label clearly for effective communication. Make sure that you have permission to use all images that you did not create yourself and that they are properly attributed.

Branding

Many universities recommend using their brand colors, but this can make all of the posters in the room look very similar. UNE’s Brand Identify Manual lists 17 brand-approved colors. The Open Science Framework (OSF) provides a variety of templates that you can download and customize.  

Using the UNE Logo

See UNE’s Brand Guidelines for important information on using the UNE Logo in your publicaitons.

• Download the official UNE logo; choose CMYK for print, and RGB for web publications.
• Download a UNE-branded poster template[PowerPoint]

Software

• Microsoft PowerPoint is an easy-to-use choice for creating a poster and is available through UNE OKTA in the Office 365 Portal.
• Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign offer professional editing tools, but are available only through individual subscription to Adobe Creative Cloud.
• GIMP is an open-source, free alternative to Photoshop for editing photos.
• Canva is a free tool widely used to create graphics of all kinds.

Printing your poster

Your research advisor may be help you print your poster on campus, or if you have registered for a symposium you will receive instructions. Pay careful attention to paper size. Off-campus printing options include Staples, FedEx, or the UPS Store.

Presenting

Consider your audience and venue; are you presenting in-person or virtually? A stand-alone poster may require more text to convey your research; one accompanied by supplemental materials can use less text and more graphics to prompt discussion. Prepare a 1-2 minute overview to explain your work.

Answer the following questions:

• What is the critical background and why is this research important?
• What is the research question and how did you address it?
• What are the main findings?
• What is next?

Practice what you plan to say about your research.  Be friendly and proud of your good work!

Video Presentations

UNE’s Center for Excellence in Collaborative Education(CECE) has tips on creating a video presentation of your research poster.

Example Posters

The Anatomy of an Ace Research Poster from the American Chemical Society

See past UNE Student Research Posters in DUNE: DigitalUNE. On the left hand side, you can browse by discipline.  After your presentation, upload your poster and link to it from your resume or your LinkedIn page!  Digital Access Librarian Bethany Kenyon can help you.

Questions & Help

If you have questions on this, or another topic, contact a librarian for help!