Poster Presentation Guidelines
Poster presenters must follow the Poster Presentation Rules & Guidelines.
Poster Session Rules
- You must be the sole designer of your poster, though the research may have been conducted collaboratively. (Other contributors to the poster, such as advisors, may be thanked within the design of the poster.)
- Poster presentation boards will be 3 feet high and 4 feet wide. Posters should not exceed these measurements.
- Posters will be evaluated in the poster divisions. Divisions are being determined by the Hayes committee based on application numbers, academic areas, and quality of submissions.
- All winners of the poster competition may be asked to put their poster on display.
- Presenters are given 8 minutes to present: 5 minutes for formal presentation, 3 minutes for questions and answers. It is okay if the presentations end earlier than the allotted 8 minutes; however presentations must not go beyond 8 minutes. Proctors will be on hand to assist and to keep judges moving within the alotted time so that all presenters have equal time. Exceptions to this policy will only be made in extreme extenuating circumstances (e.g., a fire alarm requires evacuation of the building during a poster talk, a medical emergency occurs, etc.).
- Presenters must be present with their poster in order to be judged. If presenters are absent from their posters for an extended amount of time without notifying the proctor, they may not be judged.
- Poster presenters must remain for the whole poster session, even once having been judged. If presenters are absent from their posters for an extended amount of time without notifying the proctor, they may be disqualified.
Tips for More Successful Posters
- You should include the following information in the poster: (a) Purpose of the study/piece; (b) Research method; (c) Findings or Predicted Findings; and (d) Implications. These categories may need to be adjusted to fit your particular research area and the scholarly traditions of your field. For example, you may need to be explicit about the theoretical perspective underlying your research or the data analysis methods you employed.
- Posters will be evaluated based on the quality of the design and the research. This includes the purpose of the research, the research design and procedure, the theoretical and/or practical significance of the findings, the conclusions, and any other content.
- Students' work will be evaluated by experts from the general academic area, so posters need to be understood by those in a fairly broad range of related fields. This ability to explain complex material in a clear and convincing way is part of the judges' consideration.
- Remember judges signed up for generic academic areas. Therefore, your judges may not be experts in your area of expertise. Please remember to speak to a broad audience when presenting.
- We suggest you practice your poster talk in advance of the forum with a varied audience for feedback, and to practice timing.
Performance as part of Poster Presentations at Hayes
Applicants who intend to make a performance in the presentation period (such as a dance, theatrical demonstration, etc.) are eligible to participate in both oral and poster presentations. Applicants selected to participate in the forum will be contacted with details about performances.
Poster Printing
Unfortunately, the Hayes Forum and CGS are unable to reimburse or cover the costs of poster printing, regardless of situation. Hayes and CGS suggest looking into additional departmental or college level resources that may help with the cost of printing academic posters for conferences/presentation. UniPrint has information on how to print academic posters and where those posters can be printed on campus here. This information includes a step-by-step walkthrough of poster printing cost, and how this can be done from start to finish including print setting and sizing. It is suggested to print your poster at latest the week before the forum to avoid unforunate technical delays or issues, and to allow for re-printing if needed.